Defending world SuperBoat champion Peter Caughey and his ENZED team thought the defence of their SuperBoat world title had been fatally damaged last week when a vital fuel pump failed, and a replacement could not be obtained from the US until Thursday – just 24 hours before the flag dropped at day one of the two-day championship final, at Baypark.
“But Air New Zealand and Palmerston North’s Flight Centre came up trumps – between them they arranged to get the replacement pump to LA and on a flight to Auckland landing first thing Saturday, where a member of the team will collect it and hotfoot it to Baypark so we can fit it in time for the first elimination round.”
Caughey said Amy Hoeksema at Flight Centre Palmerston North had been on the phone since Monday, trying to smooth the way for the fuel-pump package, which was ready to leave the US on Thursday.
“I tell you, if I’m going anywhere I’ll be using Flight Centre to book, if this is any indication of their service. And I’ll be flying Air New Zealand,” said a relieved Caughey.
“We also have to thank Frank Gibbons, Jack Holman and Andrew Thompson, not to mention Shubika Khanna, at Air New Zealand Cargo in Auckland, who’s not only ensured her whole team knows a world championship is at stake, but has promised to leave her cell phone live early Saturday, when the flight is due.”
Caughey will send two team members to Auckland from Baypark, where practice is already underway. They’ll deliver tickets to that afternoon’s racing, collect the pump and drive straight back to Baypark, for a late breakfast as Caughey’s spannermen Jeremy Madeley and Ross Baynes join him to bolt the new pump in place before the flag drops on the final top 16 elimination rounds.
Meantime Caughey and his navigator, Shama Putaranui, are running the practice and qualifying rounds down on power, to learn the track so they can give it their all when the clock starts ticking in earnest.
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