What is the V8 Superboats?
Imagine a high-speed, high-stakes race where precision, power, and split-second decisions are the difference between glory and disaster. That’s the essence of V8 Superboats, Australia’s premier jet sprint racing series. Originating from New Zealand’s jetboat heritage, these races have evolved into a thrilling motorsport discipline that combines the agility of rallycross with the intensity of drag racing—all on water.
The Sport in a Nutshell
V8 Superboats are purpose-built, twin-seater jetboats designed to navigate tight, twisting courses carved into natural waterways or purpose-built arenas. Each boat is powered by a high-performance V8 engine, delivering up to 2,000 horsepower in the Unlimited class. The driver and navigator work in perfect harmony, with the navigator providing real-time directions via a helmet-mounted intercom, guiding the driver through a maze of sharp corners and straights at breakneck speeds.
Races are short but intense, typically lasting between 30 seconds to a minute, where every millisecond counts. The courses are designed to test the limits of both man and machine, featuring tight turns, jumps, and water hazards that demand exceptional skill and concentration.
Classes and Categories of Competition
V8 Superboats is divided into several classes, each catering to different levels of experience and technical specifications:
Unlimited Class: The pinnacle of the sport, featuring boats with unrestricted engine configurations, including supercharged and twin-turbo setups, producing over 2,000 horsepower.
Group A (400-Class): Internationally recognized by the UIM, this class features 413ci cast-iron V8 engines, traditionally with carburettor and cast-iron heads, with recent rules allowing alloy heads and methanol injection, delivering approximately 700+ horsepower.
LS Class: Featuring aluminium Chevrolet LS V8 engines (LS1–LS3, 5.7–6.2L), these boats produce up to 600 horsepower, offering a balance between performance and cost.
Junior Development: Aimed at young drivers aged 8–16, this class uses purpose-built, single-seater fibreglass boats with 215 horsepower Sea-Doo engines, providing a safe and controlled environment for the next generation of racers.
Why Be There in Person?
There’s nothing like experiencing the thrill of V8 Superboats live. Feel the ground shake as the engines roar to life, hear the crowd’s collective gasp as boats navigate hair-raising turns, and witness the intense competition up close. Being there allows you to:
Feel the Roar: The sound of the engines as they power through the course is an adrenaline rush like no other.
Engage with Teams: Get the chance to walk through the pits, meet the drivers and their crews, get signed memorabilia, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the machines.
Interactive Experiences: Some lucky fans, especially kids, have had the chance to sit in the boats and take photos—a memory they’ll cherish forever.
Weekend Getaway: Events are held in picturesque locations across Australia, offering a perfect blend of thrilling racing and scenic relaxation.
Tracks on the Current Calendar
The 2025/26 season of V8 Superboats features races at the following tracks:
Spitwater Arena – Keith, South Australia
Lake Centenary – Temora, New South Wales
Lake Wyangan – Griffith, New South Wales
Round Mountain Raceway (Cabarita) – Tweed Heads, New South Wales
These tracks offer a mix of day and night races, with some events spanning the entire weekend, providing fans with ample opportunities to enjoy the action.
News & Media
Champions crowned at V8 Superboats season finale
After a testing and at times, unpredictable season, the 2023/24 Penrite Australian V8 Superboats Championship concluded at the popular Cabarita venue on the north-coast of New South Wales, delivering two reigning World Champions and two former title-holders with the number one Australian plates to carry into the coming season.
Fields set for Cabarita’s season finale
The 2023/24 Penrite Australian V8 Superboats Championship heads into the final round of the season this weekend with a return to Cabarita Beach on the
V8 Superboats reveal 2024/25 season calendar
The Australian Formula Jet Sprint Association [AFJSA] has revealed their calendar for the 2024/24 Australian V8 Superboats Championship, a five round schedule stretching from July 2024 until April 2025, with a five-month mid-season break to allow for the 2025 UIM World Series in New Zealand in late January and early February.
Championships decided at Keith after some costly errors
In near perfect conditions, the Penrite Australian V8 Superboats Championship contested the penultimate round of the season at the immaculate ‘Spitwater Arena’ in Keith, an event which saw a mixture of celebration and heartache for the contenders, ahead of the season finale at Cabarita in early May.
Titles on the line as V8 Superboats head back to Keith
The Penrite Australian V8 Superboats Championship returns to Keith in South Australia for the penultimate round of the 2023/24 season, a round which will prove pivotal in the title fight with three of the four titles likely to be sealed ahead of Cabarita’s final in early May.
Dramatic night of V8 Superboats action at Griffith
The fifth round of the Penrite Australian V8 Superboats Championship was always going to provide a focal point in the season, not only as the start of the second half of the weather-affected six round schedule, but at the unforgiving Lake Wyangan circuit in Griffith, drivers would face a venue that has regularly had an impact on the Championship result, and this season would prove no different.
