The four Otago racers entered in the world jet-boat marathon are all placed within the top four in their classes after yesterday's lay-over.
Highest placed is Cromwell's Kruse Davidson, who is leading Class C by 29 minutes after four of the six days have been completed on the Waimakariri, Waiau, Rakaia and Kurow rivers.
Regan Williamson, of Queenstown, battled back from a broken lead on the engine's distributor, which cost him 20 minutes on the second day, to post second place in the Unlimited Class.
Event safety boat operator Pete Templeton said Williamson could be saving the best until last.
"His chance to push it tomorrow [Friday] will be the deciding factor."
Fellow Queenstown driver Mark Agnew was third in Class B and Dunedin's Phil Sinclair was holding fourth in Class D.
Templeton said mechanical casualties had knocked the 34-boat field down to about 28.
The Hughes 500 helicopter gas turbine-engined boat driven by American Ryan Ringer suffered a "flame-out" on day two, when it ingested water and was unable to continue, event organiser Jeff Horne said.
Mark Cromie, of Whangarei, who holds the New Zealand jet-boat speed record for a 203kmh dash, and Queenstown navigator Neville Kelly had a hair-rising ride when their engine cut out about 150kmh.
Templeton said they managed to coast across some shingle before coming to a halt.
The jet-boats continue racing today on the Waimakariri River before finishing there tomorrow.
