Testing conditions at the Mount Maunganui Main Beach on Monday ‘separated the men from the boys'.
'It was a pretty rough day,” says Thundercat NZ vice president Kyle Burdett.
The morning races had to contend with a wind generated swell. Then the wind swung round and blew offshore lifting a lot of boats and blowing a couple over backwards.

Emma Morgan from Auckland said her ride was "Awesome!"

Kyle drives the day's third place getter TBS Group, and says he prefers the testing conditions.
'When it gets rough like that, driver skills count more, rather than having the fastest boat. In flat water the faster boats will go to the front and there's not much room for passing. When it gets rough like that the better driver will fly past the other boats.”

Children and adults got to experience the excitement of the Thundercats.

Kyle says he nearly got thrown out the back of his boat at one stage as they crossed a quite big shore break. It all added to the aches and pains.
After two days racing, first at Whangamata, and then at the Mount, most of the drivers were feeling sore on Tuesday, says Kyle.
'There will be a few sore teams today,” says Kyle.

The speed of the boats left some short of breath.

'I struggled to get out of bed. We've just come off two days. One day like that is enough. Two in a row gets your body.”
Novatech have stepped up to third place from fifth last year. They were the winner on the day. Jungle Coffee was second and TBS Group third. There are six meetings in the series, with the next one at Waihi Beach on January 16.

Novo from Auckland race up to the finish line.