World champ survives 300kmh crash

Warwick Lupton escaped unharmed after somersaulting during the powerboat nationals on Lake...
Warwick Lupton escaped unharmed after somersaulting during the powerboat nationals on Lake Dunstan yesterday. Photos: Jeremy Ward/shot360.co.nz
world_champ_survives_300kmh_crash_553d468212.jpg
world_champ_survives_300kmh_crash_553d468212.jpg

A world champion driver emerged bruised but otherwise unharmed after his 300kmh hydroplane flipped and crashed on Lake Dunstan yesterday.

Warwick Lupton, of Wanganui, was on the fourth and final lap of a race at the New Zealand Powerboat National Championships when his 2000hp racer Annihilator became airborne.

But the 55-year-old farmer was not fazed by the accident, which he described as a ''hell of a ride'', and would happily get into a hydroplane again.

A sore back and a few bruises was all he was left with, but they were just ''rule of thumb'' for this sport.

So what was running through his head when he went up into the air? ''Not a lot; I was hanging in there. I had a bloody good view.''

Lupton - a two-time winner of the UIM World GP Hydroplane Champs - had missed the start and sped up to 300kmh to catch other boats when he ran into trouble.

Warwick Lupton
Warwick Lupton
He hit one wave which lifted the boat up, but was able to catch it. When he hit a second wave he got too high and the boat vaulted into the air and somersaulted.

The boat landed upright, but snapped on landing, which Mr Lupton said absorbed most of the impact.

''I wasn't worried at all. It didn't faze me.''

He said when going at those speeds, the danger lay in when the boat's nose hit the water. His accident was not a common occurrence in the sport, which has high safety standards.

There were about four divers on the course, including paramedic divers, trained to rescue drivers in the event of an accident.

Each driver is strapped in tight into a ''capsule'' with a five point harness, and an F16 fighter jet oxygen mask in case the driver finds himself under water.

Lupton was able to free himself easily and was eventually towed ashore.

Powerboat nationals co-organiser Denise Preece screamed and cried when she saw Lupton's boat launch itself. ''It was a pretty horrific accident,'' she said.

Mrs Preece said when he came ashore, everyone was clapping and Lupton waved.

Each boat was designed so drivers could escape unharmed, she said. Lupton does not describe himself as an adrenaline junkie and said it was a ''family sport'' and a way of life.

His boat, made of kevlar and carbon fibre and weighing about 1250kg, had more than 8000 man-hours spent on developing it.

Lupton was unable to finish the event, which was cut short due to rough conditions.

''We would have won the race if we had kept going,'' he said.

by Liam Cavanagh/video courtesy Kane Kelly 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement