Powerboat race brings thousands to Clearwater Beach
CLEARWATER — With a roar somewhere between a jet engine and a race car, the Sixth Annual Clearwater Super Boat National Championship ignited the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday.
The Rum Runners boat during the 2014 Clearwater Super Boat National Championship on Sunday. LUKE JOHNSON/ STAFF
Dozens of powerboats raced before thousands of spectators on Clearwater Beach during the grand finale of a three-day festival of seafood, boat parades and meet and greets with drivers.
The boats, which can reach speeds of 180 mph, came from across the country, bringing with them crews of six to 10 needed race them. The boats don’t have brakes, and require two people working in a delicate dance to drive down the 2.5 mile race course. A driver steers the boat as a throttleman operates the boat’s up to four 6,000 horsepower engines.
Most of the v-hull and catamaran boats are outfitted with F-16 jet canopies, radios for crew communication and other high-tech instruments. But one of the biggest challenges is just ensuring the boats stay on course and the crowds stay engaged, racers said.
While some, like Bob Noble Jr. with STIHL Offshore Racing, have managed to build careers and cult followings, the vast majority are in it for the love of the competition, said Clearwater native Mark Spates, a powerboat builder with Extreme Powerboat, Inc.
“I’ve been involved in this sport for about 18 years, but I don’t really know how I got started,” said Spates, who moved to Clearwater from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, about 35 years ago. “It’s one of those obsessive behaviors, the need for speed. You could say we’re all just adrenaline junkies.
Sunday was the first time Spates saw his new v-light class, single engine Sun Print-sponsored boat in action. While winning was a “50/50 shot,” the beautiful weather and promising practice runs left a seemingly permanent smile on his face.
But for Spate’s teenage son, Luke Spates, the biggest draw is spending time with his dad. The sport has struggled to keep a captive audience, the duo said. It can be an expensive hobby, and it’s “hard to stay interested in boating around in circles,” Luke Spates said.
When the economy collapsed in 2008, the pleasure sport was hit hard, and sponsorship money started drying up. The Clearwater National was suspended for several years due to low participation.
“If we could get more people out here, more action, I think I would be more into it,” said Luke Spates, an avid motocross racer. “It’s kind of like how no one watches NASCAR to watch cars go around in circles, it’s the gladiator part. You want the action.”
But things are looking up for powerboating, as race crowds have begun to climb in numbers during recent years, organizers said.
Last year the race returned to Clearwater and brought in about 50,000 spectators on more than 2,500 boats floating off the beach to take in the action from the water. Another 85,000 spread across the beach and in private parties at waterfront hotels and brought a substantial boost to the local tourism business, according to the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds from VIP ticket sales and other race sales benefitted local marine charities such as The Clearwater Sailing Center, the Make a Difference Fishing Tournament and Sailability.
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