Mr Collings (44), of Ohoka, was competing in the unlimited class at the annual Waitaki River race, hosted by Jet Boating Otago on Saturday. His 850hp boat can reach 180kmh.
The Canterbury driver, who has always liked speed, said things happened "pretty fast" when he was competing.
Starting off with a family boat, he had progressed to racing about five years ago and he enjoyed the camaraderie in the sport.
Competitors relied on each other out on the river if they encountered problems. It was not like going around a race-track, which was a controlled environment, he said.
The Waitaki River was low, as Meridian Energy switched generation to Manapouri to save water in the Waitaki system, but that did not prove to be a problem, race organiser Pete Templeton said yesterday.
Results. -
Class A/Unlimited: Graham Ferguson 1, Paul Collings 2, Roger Preston 3.
Class B: Daniel Anderson 1, Jonnie Sutherland 2.
Class C: Kruse Davidson 1.
Class R: Brian Direen 1, Mel Fowler 2, Craig Robertson 3.
