| Jetsprinting is always a close fought competition. It is common for three or more competitors to post qualifying times within a few hundredths of a second of each other, especially in the highly competitive ChemZ Group A class. The do or die elimination system sees the field cut to the top 16, then progressively cut down to 8, 4 and then the final 2, and with previously recorded times being discarded, it is important that times are recorded accurately down to 100ths of a second every time. The NZ Jetsprint Association (NZJSA) which administers the sport in New Zealand has recently received NZ Community Trust grants funding which has helped it invest in the new transponder based system. For many years the sport has relied on a system based on the boats breaking a light beam. However with the large spray of Jetwash thrown up by the big horsepower V8’s running in the Parker ENZED Championship, from time to time the Jetwash would break the beam and stop the clocks, creating a nightmare for competitors and organisers alike. The new system should see the end of any timing errors for ever. The Mylaps.com system purchased by the NZJSA is the same |
system recently purchased by Australian Jetsprinting, meaning the lightweight units that each boat will carry will be able to be used on either side of the Tasman. With plans afoot to introduce a regular Aussie versus Kiwi shoot out, it is likely we will see more and more Kiwi and Aussie Jetsprint Teams crossing back and forward across the Tasman. “We are very thankful for the grant that helped to provide funding for the transponder system” said NZJSA President Garry Smith. “The teams drive their hearts out and often take big risks to try to post a time good enough to make the next stage of the competition. With a 1/100th of a second often making the difference between qualifying or going home, we need a 100% reliable system and we believe we have now got that thanks to the help from NZ Community Trust.” The grant helped the NZJSA to fund the base running system, while each competitor has purchased their own sender unit which identifies not just the boat but the driver to the timing base system. With several teams running two drivers in the same boat, each driver has their own sender unit to ensure a fully automated system. |
