HRT Hughes Reel Time; NZ 2009 season in review
HRT – Opening season review. Sam Hughes takes us back to 2009 and to New Zealand and looks back to the 2009 season with PowerboatPro. Read below how Sam did in continuing the Hughes legacy in New Zealand.
Coming into 2009 I had many thoughts and questions of how I would develop as a driver and how we would develop as a team. Where we would feature on the water? Would we be just another name? would we be just be a pack runner? Or could we win? Could we continue the Hughes name and become a front runner? And when would we take our first big victory? You always invision winning but its another thing to do it on the water.
In 2009 the formula 2 series did not take place due to a lack of entries for a number of reasons, so what little F2 boats we had, we ran along with the f1 boys. None of us featured in this f1 series, however I was pleased that dad (Steve Hughes) became the 2009 formula 1 champion, winning 7 or the 9 races.
With our racing we not only have our NZ titles but we also have one off regattas for different titles where classes of boats are mixed, us tunnel boat guys may come up against the likes of boats with big block super charged chev’s. Its how they say, run what your’ve brung! Thery are unrestricted races. If you’re fast enough on the day to make the final race then you’re in with a chance.
About midway through our season between our NZ title races we come to one of our annual races, The gold cup. This race takes place on a river and is a maximum of a 6 boat final race due to the river not being very wide. They run two heats and from these heats the six fastest boats go in to the final. The race is a rolling start inline with a start boat unlike our usual beach starts. The other cool factor about this race is that it starts so far up the river the crowd on the bank can not actually see the boats start and who is in the lead. All they hear is the engines getting louder as they roar down the river.
To me, to win this race is one of the top achievements in our sport. I remember as a young fella watching dad compete, it was always one he would gear up for, put his very best of everything together as all the drivers did to take home the gold cup. He has won it 6 times over. The first in 1988. It was something I most wanted to win as a driver.
The 2009 Gold cup is one I will never forget, I remember travelling to the race site wondering what the weekend would bring as I had never raced on a river before, led alone being entered in the feature race. With huge amounts of rain the first days, racing was cancelled. Nevertheless the weather gods produced a perfect day for us on the Sunday. I had an early phone call that morning from dad saying he could not make it down, I instantlly became nervous as with this in mind I new I was in with a greater chance.
Easyier siad than done right! Yes, it was a very up and down day but luck really was on our side. We went out for our first race before our heat and I managed to submerge the boat or all things, I fell into a great hole left by the start boat and being an open cockpit tunnel boat you can imagine how much water entered the boat.
No damage done and all the water out, we went to into our heat for the gold cup and came in second. But we were a little off the pace and the boat was handling badly. We took a punt on changing the engines ecu settings and also the engine height, and what a difference it made. It was like driving another boat, and right from the boat ramp driving up for the start I new we were going to be fast enough. I drew pole position 2 and my main rival was in 5. I had butterflies as we lined up for the start almost over thinking everything before it happened.
Once the flag dropped we were gone like a bullet from a gun, we flew down the front straight and around the first turn, I remember screaming and yelling to myself as we were out front. Once again luck was on my side, as I came around the top turn for the white flag I lost control of the boat and was heading out towards the trees on the bank! With this mistake my rival in second place took the lead and I was livered, my heart sank as I new this was my best chance to win.
Not to blow my own trumpet but I drove the rest of that last lap like a demon my foot did not come off the pedal as I chased the leader up the back straight, I could see that I was gaining ground and as we both turned in to the last corner, I drove around the out side of him and came out of the turn in first. We both sprinted to the finish line with me crossing first for my first gold cup victory and my first BIG win.
It was such a great feeling with all of the history watching this race as a kid and having so many friends and family all watching, people that had been around since dads first gold cup and were still there for mine. I remember my mum crying, not sure if it was because we won or because she was crapping her self watching. It was labelled as the best gold cup race in the history of the cup.
From there 2009 just rolled on with more great races and more victories, we then went on to win the Wanganui King of the River, The Wellington Winter Cup, and then we also took out the very prestigeous Moult Gold cup in our final regatta of the year.
The Business did just that The Business! Roll on 2010 and a possible NZ championship!
Sam Hughes
HRT – Hughes Reel Time
Pictures courtesy of HRT Racing team. Please also have a look at PowerboatPro video section for movie clips of Sam Hughes racing.
