Taranaki driver David Alexander took home the trophy for the New Zealand Grand Prix Hydroplane Championship as part of the Festival of Speed over the weekend, the first hydroplane racing event in Queenstown since 1983.
New Zealand Powerboat Federation president Denise Moughan, of Auckland, said the event tested the logistics of hosting hydroplane racing on Lake Wakatipu.
''What we're wanting to do in 2014 is run the World Grand Prix Hydroplane Championship in Queenstown, especially with the international airport.
''We can ship the boats into Christchurch and competitors can fly into here,'' she said.
Alexander and cousin Warwick Lupton, both of Waverley in Taranaki, were equal on race points over the two heats, so Acceleration on Water organisers referred to lap times to work out which driver had the fastest race.
The difference in points was 1.75 seconds and victory was Alexander's.
Ms Moughan said yesterday the first heat was won by Ken Lupton and he was winning in the second, until his propeller broke.
Lupton was uninjured but his boat had to be towed to shore.
Raymond Hart, of Christchurch, was running third until he spun out on the second lap in the first heat and had to cruise back to shore to check for damage. He won the second heat, but he was still short of points behind Alexander and Lupton.
There were eight drivers who competed in the championship and 18 drivers were at the wheels of outboards and smaller hydroplanes in various classes for the festival.
Queenstown drivers joined fellow competitors from Waverley, Wanganui, Christchurch, Cromwell and Invercargill.
