OCEAN CITY- The grand spectacle of offshore powerboat racing will return off the resort coast this summer after the Mayor and Council this week approved the Ocean City Grand Prix Powerboat Race in June.
In each of the last two years, Offshore Powerboat Racing (OPA) and its local partner Bull on the Beach have scheduled offshore powerboat races off the Ocean City coast near the end of the OPA’s summer-long series all over the country and each time the races here have been cancelled because of late summer and early fall storms. This year, however, the OPA has moved up its Ocean City stop earlier in the schedule with two races set for Sunday, June 24. The Mayor and Council approved the June 24 race with little discussion on Monday as part of its consent agenda.
The OPA’s tour stop in Ocean City in June is actually two races out in the ocean on a course laid out roughly from North Division Street to 20th Street. Each race will feature about 15-20 high-powered racing boats of various sizes and classes. The start-finish line will be roughly between 2nd Street and 3rd Street, with the first race beginning around noon and the second race beginning around 2 p.m.
For safety reasons, the ocean will be cleared of swimmers in the event area during the races only. The Bull on the Beach team and powerboat racing enthusiast Phil Houck is sponsoring the Ocean City event and the race headquarters will be centered at the Bull on the Beach’s new location in the Park Place Hotel. The sponsors will post signs at all beach entrances from North Division Street to 20th Street on race day advising beachgoers the event is going on.
Bull on the Beach Racing and OPA officials have already met with the U.S. Coast Guard and town staff to coordinate the events and the associated safety precautions. The Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) will also offer any support they can during the event including monitoring the beach and any potential swimmers during the races along with regular ATV patrols during the event.
In addition, there will be a 10’ by 10’ section the beach between 2nd and 3rd Streets cordoned off for a take-off and landing site for a drone that will provide aerial coverage of the powerboat races. The site will also host an area for race officials and town officials to speak on camera during the live broadcast of the powerboat races on the Internet.
Offshore racing is not just a visual experience. Beachgoers will be able to hear the roar of the engines as the powerboats pass and leap skyward through the unpredictable waves at speeds up to 160 miles per hour. In addition to the actual races on Sunday, June 24, the entire weekend will feature special events, parties at various locations and meet-and-greets and photo opportunities with the race teams.
