Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival Fleet Solid and Still Growing

The teams on hand for the second Race World Offshore event of the season in Clearwater, Fla., appear to be poised to put on a great show for the fans who are going to be lined up tomorrow along the beach and amongst the fleet of spectator boats.

Although the race was not on the team’s schedule originally, Pro Floors Racing tested its Supercat-class MTI in Clearwater, Fla., today in anticipation of Sunday’s Clearwater Hooters Offshore Nationals. All photos by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

Ending what was a long and often contentious process for producing offshore powerboat races this November in Key West, Fla., the United States Coast Guard/Key West Sector has finalized and issued its permit for the contests to Race World Offshore. The organization, which is based in Key West, was awarded a five-year contract to produce the event, which was—for the past five years—handled by Super Boat International. Race World Offshore head Larry Bleil said he was notified yesterday that the permit was complete

The U.S. Coast Guard/Key West Sector has processed and issued Race World Offshore’s permit for races in November. Photo courtesy/copyright Andy Newman.

Fans attending Roar Offshore in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., the final event of the six-race American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship Series (Oct. 10-14), will get a long look at one of the more-unusual paceboats in offshore racing history. The event organizers have secured the first twin Mercury Racing 450R outboard engine-powered 27-foot Excalibur triple tube pontoon offering from Avalon Pontoon Boats, an event sponsor, to pace several races. With 250 dealers across the United States and Canada, the company—led by CEO Jim Wolf—reportedly is the third largest pontoon boat manufacturer in the world.

Roar Offshore will present an incredible showcase for Avalon’s new Mercury Racing 450R-powered 27-footer (click image to enlarge).

Well known to offshore racing fans, the former Cleveland Construction Skater Powerboats 388 catamaran will compete at the upcoming Race World Offshore Clearwater Hooters Offshore Nationals, Sept. 27-29, with a new name and cockpit crew. The 38-footer will run in the Southwest Florida event as Small Change Offshore Racing with the veteran crew of throttleman Chris Hanley of New Zealand and driver Chuck Broaddus of Michigan in the cockpit.

With a new name and cockpit crew, the former Cleveland Construction Skater 388 catamaran will compete at the RWO event in Clearwater, Fla., at the end of the month. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

While it was not beyond the realm of possibility that the new 39-foot offshore raceboat from Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats could be ready in time for Roar Offshore—the final event of the six-race American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship Series being produced by the Offshore Powerboat Association and Powerboat P1—October 10-12 in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., fans will get their first look at the canopied catamaran during the Race World Offshore Key West World Championships the following month. Given that the boat was not much more than a bare hull wrapped in graphics the day before its early August unveiling during the inaugural Outerlimits Factory Fun Run in Bristol, R.I., an early October completion was ambitious and optimistic from the start. So one involved with the project is particularly surprised at the time the project is taking.

The new 39-foot Outerlimits raceboat currently is being rigged in advance of the arrival of its Factory Billet engines at the headquarters for Miss GEICO offshore racing team (click image to enlarge).

Two weeks ago in Windsor, Colo., Florida racer Ashton Rinker earned his second straight NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship Formula One-class title after finishing the season with victories in all five of the 2019 series events. In winning five out of five races, Rinker became just the second F1 tunnel boat driver to finish a season undefeated. Since his father, Terry, one of sport’s all-time best drivers, is the only other person to accomplish that feat, you could say that Ashton Rinker had some big shoes to fill, and managed to do just that.

Ashton Rinker completed just the second perfect season in F1 tunnel-boat racing history after winning the fifth and final race of the NGK F1 Powerboat Championship in Windsor, Colo., on Sept. 1. Photos by Kevin Pyles/MOTO Marketing Group