Jetstream - The World Jet Boat Marathon

It's quite a skill, reading a river. Noting the colour of the water, the way the current moves, or the shape of the waves and that particular ripple that may be hiding a snag — not big, but at eighty knots it's enough to rip the bottom out of your boat.

– Narrator John Callen on the essential skills needed to race on South Island braided rivers

It all happened so quickly, you know, you don't really remember too much. It happens very quickly, and you stop quick when you hit too.

– A competitor describes his boat hitting a rock on the Whanganui River

We're now only seven seconds behind Max. And Max is going to be pushing it I'm sure and if anybody's going to do it he will. But we'll be hot on his tail.

– Competitor Howard Smith eyes up his chances against Max McKenzie on the Grey River

A navigator's nightmare, like trying to sprint through a maze. You could almost be forgiven for losing your way. But the most common danger is hitting the shallows, losing speed and putting the boat on the bottom. The solution's really quite simple: you make the boat lighter by getting out into the freezing cold water and proceed to push nearly a tonne and a half an indeterminate distance to deeper water.

– Narrator John Callen on the challenge of navigating the braided Taramakau river

We've got a good navigator and that made the difference. We have someone to tell us where the water's at. 

– American competitor Bob Bradley speaks optimistically about the last leg of the race

Two years ago in the Citizen Watch Marathon here, I was runner up to Reg Benton, last year in Mexico at the World Championships, I was runner up to John Hislop ... I'm sick of being the bridesmaid.

– Competitor Howard Smith is determined to win the final leg of the 1981 World Jet Boat Marathon

There's no a real reason not to doubt why New Zealand has the best drivers: they have the best rivers. If Americans could practise on these kinds of rivers, if Mexicans and Canadians could practise on New Zealand rivers they'd be as good...

– An American commentator on the reason why New Zealanders lead world jet boat events