Heading into the third round of the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships in Geelong’s Corio Bay, the season is at its mid-point with everything to play for and no shortage of contenders expected to make their presence felt on the challenging 5.48-kilometre, eight-turn course.
Season 2026 has again delivered some outstanding action, with the outright Supercat Extreme category once again leading the charge with one of their biggest fields of the last decade, presenting a great focal point for the fans with their impressive presence.
As they have done now for many years, ‘222 Offshore’ have been the dominant force, the 2023 UIM World Champions kicking off the season at their home venue in Lake Macquarie with a trio of comfortable victories, however their title defence took a backward step last time out at Wyndham Harbour with a technical failure whilst leading race two, an issue which ultimately sidelined them for the final race, costing them valuable championship points.
That opened the door for reigning Supersports 85 Champions Mick and Jason Kelly in their stunning ‘Hornet Racing’ machine, the former AUS and NZ#1, now resplendent in the bold livery of ‘Hornet Plumbing’ showing fantastic pace from their debut in Lake Macquarie where despite significantly lower horsepower than their rivals, they were able to take their 34-foot ‘Skater’ to second, before achieving their maiden win at Wyndham Harbour, putting them to the top of the points table. Second overall, despite some significant setbacks at Lake Macquarie with prop failure, are fellow rookies Stuart Eustice and Todd Kelly, the ‘MOJO’ team proving more than a match for their rivals, despite 2005 Bathurst 1000 Champion Todd Kelly’s limited experience in the boat, and Eustice’s debut at Lake Macquarie, a debut which forced Kelly into the throttleman’s position for the first time.
The ’MOJO’ team – like ‘222 Offshore’ – campaign the faster, more powerful twin-790bhp inboard V8s, but whilst carrying as much as 450-500 horsepower more than ‘Venturi’ and ‘Hornet’, the bigger boats also carry a heftier race weight, allowing their rivals a fighting chance on the power-to-weight scale.
At Geelong the new-look ‘Mobile X’ team are again expected to set the pace and back-up their 2025 victories at the venue where they claimed two race wins before a technical setback sidelined them for the third, although they know – just two rounds in – that their rivals aren’t going to make it easy, and the shorter track rotation on smoother water, thanks to the sheltered Corio Bay location, could play into the hands of the smaller boats.
In Supercat Outboard, all eyes will be on ‘Kess Racing’ who suffered a rollover in Wyndham Harbour in a battle for the lead with ‘TCR Racing’ and ‘The Sting’, contact with the iconic yellow boat of Mike Ratcliffe and Karl Wall saw Steve Lancaster and Scott Kelly invert the reigning championship winning boat, putting a big hole in their Championship apsirations.
Fortunately the crew and the boat were okay, although the boat required some extra attention between rounds, as did ‘The Sting’ that suffered prop failure in that same race, allowing ‘TCR Offshore’ through for a welcome victory, the Victorian team going through to win the round ahead of ‘DLR Offshore’, Ratcliffe and Wall’s Championship lead now reduced to just three points promising for an interesting weekend ahead.
The Geelong event also sees the welcome return of the former Paul Gibbs/Paul Fowlds Championship winning boat with new owner George Collins taking the wheel alongside former World Champion Tom Barry-Cotter, the ‘ACME Racing’ wheel-man taking a short sabbatical from the mighty red boat whilst Andrew Searle effects updates and repairs ahead of a return later in the season.
Supersports 85 will also see a return, the mighty title-winning ‘Colonel’ back in the fold after missing Wyndham Harbour, Jason Kelly returning to the throttles of both the ‘Colonel’ and ‘Hornet Racing’ although this time he’ll be joined by Mick Kelly’s son Jordan keeping the family tradition alive.. They will battle Mark Pecherzewski and Mel Nelson in the mighty ‘Special Edition’ and one of the most famous names in Offshore Racing worldwide, 11-time World and USA National Champion Scott Porta, who joins boat owner George Sezdirmezoglu in his immaculate ‘Donzi’. Rumour also has it that Nelson might give up her seat alongside Pecherzewski for reigning Supersports 65 Champion Hary Bakkr in one race across the weekend, Bakkr keen to get a feel for the mighty ‘Cootacraft’ as the ‘Razorcraft’ team looks to build their own 85-mile-per-hour boat some time in the near future.
The Championship battle in Supersports 65 has also stepped up, with Geelong local Charlie Di Iorio now leading the charge after a slow start to their title defence for Hary Bakkr and Shane Paton in ‘Nut Case’. Di Iorio and new observer Tijana Botic will be looking to build on their points lead at home, although Bakkr acknowledges that he’s looking to make an impact this weekend and is intent on a return to the top step of the podium; their victories in both Geelong races in 2025 only adding to their confidence.
Shadowing both will be Brendan Weeks and Sophie Lancaster in ‘The Con’, 2024 Champion Pat Paczkowski in ‘Valentus’, and Ben Embleton and Liam Sutherland in ‘Team 38’, paving the way for three fantastic races across the weekend.
For anyone attending the event, teams will again be based at Steampacket Gardens on the Geelong foreshore providing a fanastic viewing opportunity with vantage points right around Corio Bay. Three 30-minute races will run on Saturday, March 14 with races scheduled at 1:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm, whilst on Sunday, March 15, races will run at 11:00am, 12:00pm and 1:00pm.
For more information on the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships, visit us at;
www.superboat.com.au
www.facebook.com/OffshoreSuperboats
www.facebook.com/ausopc
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2025/26 Australian Offshore Superboat Championships
Supercat Extreme Championship (after round two of four)
1. Mick Kelly/Jason Kelly (Hornet Racing) – 173-points
2. Stuart Eustice/Todd Kelly (MOJO) – 148
3. Darren Nicholson/Steve Jellick (Mobile X) – 141
4. Antony De Fina/Matt Kelly (Venturi Offshore) – 135
5. Darren Apps/Paul Fowlds (Team Australia) – 23
6. Andrew Searle/Tom Barry Cotter (ACME Racing) – 1
Supercat Outboard Championship (after round two of four)
1. Mike Ratcliffe/Karl Wall (The Sting) – 176-points
2. Scott Richardson/Steve Kelly (TCR Offshore) – 173
3. Craig Dove/Lachlan Dove (DLR Offshore) – 148
4. Steve Lancaster/Scott Kelly (Kess Racing) – 91
Supersports 85 Championship (after round two of four)
1. Mark Pecherzewski/Mel Nelson/Ian Tricker (Special Edition/TR Racing) – 200-points
2. Hary Bakkr/Scott Kelly/Steve Kelly (The Colonel) – 70
Supersports 65 Championship (after round two of four)
1. Charlie Di Iorio/Tijana Botic (Cardiac Arrest) – 195-points
2. Hary Bakkr/Shane Paton (Nut Case) – 153
3. Brendan Weeks/Sophie Lancaster (The Con) – 148
3. Pat Paczkowski (Valentus) – 148
5. Ben Embleton/Liam Sutherland (Team 38 Offshore) – 90
6. Zac Gould/Michael Agius (Degen) – 18
