Dargle Water Ski Park has reinforced its place on Australia’s powerboat racing calendar after hosting leading competitors from across the country and an American champion for three days of high-speed racing on the Hawkesbury River.
Some of Australia’s fastest circuit-racing powerboats descended on Lower Portland from Friday, July 31, to Sunday, August 2, for Round 3 of the Battery World National Drivers’ Championship.
The meeting was held at the Dargle Valley Boat Club and brought national-level motorsport to the Hawkesbury, attracting drivers, crews and spectators for a full weekend of practice, heats, repechages and finals.
The championship calendar placed Dargle between the Taree round in June and the Windsor Spectacular scheduled for September, giving the Hawkesbury two prominent positions in the national series.
For local spectators, the event provided an opportunity to see high-level powerboat racing without travelling interstate or to one of the sport’s better-known regional venues.
Wide range of racing classes
Promotional material described three days of racing involving a broad selection of high-powered boats and competition classes.
These included Formula-style tunnel boats, K-boats and other unlimited or high-performance displacement boats, six-litre racers, X100 boats, Formula 5000-style categories, support classes and junior competition.
The organisers promoted the meeting as bringing together many of Australia’s leading circuit-boat drivers, with competitors progressing through qualifying heats and repechages before contesting the main finals.
Public event updates indicated that as many as 16 Formula-class boats were assembled for one of the finals, demonstrating the size and depth of the field attracted to Dargle.
The meeting included competitors and boats associated with the Australian Formula Powerboat community, but it should not be confused with a standard championship round of the separate Australian Formula Powerboat Grand Prix series.
That series’ published 2025–26 calendar listed rounds at Lake Macquarie, Taree, Mildura and Lake Mulwala.
American champion adds international interest
One of the headline entrants at Dargle was American K-boat champion Ty Newton, who returned to Australia to drive the K-640 boat Mr Big Stuff.
Newton’s first Australian appearance earlier in the year ended in a rollover at Mildura following a mechanical problem.
The boat was subsequently rebuilt and prepared for the Dargle meeting, with its owners saying it had previously reached speeds of about 155 to 156 miles per hour in the United States.
The American driver’s appearance added international interest to a meeting already featuring many of Australia’s leading powerboat competitors.
The team had indicated it planned to contest both the Dargle round and the later Windsor meeting, subject to results and sponsorship support.
Close racing on the Hawkesbury
Public updates from the weekend described the six-litre A-main as one of the standout races, with close competition throughout the final.
Organisers also published hot-lap results, heat footage and onboard video from several boats, giving supporters a driver’s-eye view of racing on the river.
A publicly indexed result associated with the Formula competition listed Steve Rarity in Rastus first after the repechage and final grid had been determined, with Cory Marland also among the leading competitors.
However, a complete official results sheet covering every class, heat and final had not been located at the time of publication.
Individual placings should therefore be confirmed with the National Drivers’ Championship organisers before a complete results list is published.
Final-race incident
The meeting ended under serious circumstances following an incident during the final race on Sunday.
Soon afterwards, the National Drivers’ Championship organisers asked spectators not to publish or circulate photographs or video of what had occurred.
The statement confirmed that an incident had taken place but did not publicly identify the competitor or boat involved or provide an official medical update.
Reports circulating after the event indicated that a competitor may have been injured. However, at the time of publication, the Gazette had not located confirmation from NSW Ambulance, NSW Police, race organisers or the competitor’s family setting out the nature or severity of any injuries.
The Gazette has therefore chosen not to publish a name, unverified medical information or images of the incident.
Dargle’s place in Australian powerboat racing
Dargle has a long association with powerboat racing, water skiing and recreational activity on the Hawkesbury River.
Its riverside racing course, camping grounds, boat facilities and spectator areas allow teams and supporters to remain at the venue throughout a multi-day meeting.
That infrastructure makes Dargle one of the Hawkesbury’s most important venues for national water-based motorsport.
The championship also delivered economic benefits to Lower Portland and the wider Hawkesbury.
Competitors, crews and visitors required accommodation, fuel, food, mechanical services and other supplies during their stay.
Dargle’s published information showed that its cabins and ski beaches were unavailable from July 20 until August 7 because of events at the venue, illustrating the substantial preparation and pack-down period required for a championship of this scale.
The impact of the meeting therefore extended beyond the river, supporting local businesses and bringing visitors into the district.
Safety central to high-speed competition
Circuit powerboat racing is conducted under Australian Power Boat Association rules and requires extensive safety planning.
Controls generally include boat scrutineering, compulsory driver briefings, breath testing, rescue personnel, divers, paramedics, course officials and strict flag procedures.
The sport nevertheless remains inherently dangerous.
Boats compete at extremely high speeds and often race close together, particularly when approaching turns or attempting to overtake.
Drivers and participating crew at comparable association events are required to attend safety briefings and return a zero alcohol reading before competition begins.
The final-race incident was a reminder of the risks faced by competitors and the importance of the emergency crews and volunteers who support the sport.
Despite the sombre conclusion to the weekend, the Dargle meeting demonstrated that the Hawkesbury remains capable of hosting a genuinely national motorsport event.
For three days, Lower Portland welcomed some of Australia’s leading competitors, major racing teams and an American champion to compete on the Hawkesbury River.
With the National Drivers’ Championship due to return to the district for the Windsor Spectacular in September, the Hawkesbury continues to hold an important place on Australia’s powerboat racing calendar.
