Boat racers power through big waves

People from all over the country came to Lido Key to enjoy the 39th annual Powerboat Grand Prix.

IAN SWABY + PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITERS

Amid the intense heat of the summer, the 39th annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix still saw racers who were loving the energy of the event, which was held July 1 and 2 after kicking off with a downtown block party on June 30.

Karleigh Alday, a member of the Sarasota-based team OC Offshore Racing, said that to cope with this year’s weather conditions, the crew of their boat placed frozen bottles and cooling gels inside the bridge and in life vests and helmets.

Held by P1 Offshore, the event featured over 60 teams, some of them from outside the U.S., engaging in high-performance racing along Lido Beach, and drew spectators who lined a section of the shoreline with their tents.

“I love it. It’s just my passion. I love the adrenaline rush,” said OC Offshore Racing team member Joey Olivieri.

Despite the team’s boat ultimately breaking down and not finishing the race, he said he was eager to return next season.

The beach was the place to be to follow the action, as Lido Beach bustled on Saturday with people from across the country.

Many people swam or set up beach chairs in the water to watch the speeding boats pass by. A variety of genres of music could be heard from under almost every beach umbrella.

Leilani Danks came to Lido Key from Miami to support her boyfriend, Christopher Hopgood, who was driving the Celsius.

“It’s a little bit scary,” said Danks. “You may think it’s not that choppy, but it’s extremely choppy and windy for conditions to be driving a boat and these boats run about 120 miles per hour.”

James Watson from Tampa has been coming every year for 10 years along with going to a couple of the races in the ’90s.

“I used to race in lower class,” said Watson. “People don’t understand what it’s like to be (going) across the water in high speed. You’ve got to pull your throttles back when you come out of the air. It’s like being on a giant surfboard. So you’ve got that feeling when the boat’s trimmed out, just perfect and that’s what it’s all about.”

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