Boatie jets off to worlds

• Published date: 25 April 2024
• Publication title: Mountain Scene

The 37-year-old, who’s been racing for about 10 years, entered the worlds in New Zealand in 2017 but didn’t make the start-line due to piston motor issues, then last October, when the worlds started on Queenstown’s Kawarau River, he began well but pulled pin on the last two days due to engine damage

Kelly, who was also the Wakatipu Premiers rugby side’s assistant coach for the past three years, had a turbine helicopter engine last year and competed in the unlimited class.

This year, however, he’s dropping to A class.

One of seven Kiwis competing in the US, but the only local, he spent the summer building a new boat.

He ran out of time, however, so instead bought a boat in the US — a Bratt Jet with a 468 small-block engine.

He says it’ll get to 210kmh and should be pretty competitive — ‘‘we’ll be looking to be up the front’’.

Kelly says the rivers for the six-day marathon will be pretty similar to NZ’s West Coast, and maybe like the Kawarau — ‘‘a lot of deep water, not so much shingly, but quite tight’’.

‘‘It’s probably not as difficult as here, but at the same time you’re still getting along at a decent speed so you’ve still got to treat it with a bit of respect.’’

He’s heading off this coming Monday for a week of warming up with new navigator Ethan Smith, who’s...