Powerboat Grand Prix roars through St. Pete over holiday weekend
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix kicked off in Vinoy Park on Friday, starting the holiday weekend-long event where powerboat and Jet Ski race teams from across the country will compete.
"It’s the perfect venue for powerboat racing, you can come here, walk down the pier, you just can’t help but think, powerboat racing, Jet Ski racing, would be perfect for this venue," said Thomas Covington from Powerboat P-1, the host of the event.
This is the first race of its kind in downtown in about 15 years.
"The water conditions are supposed to be really good so you’re going to see some fast speeds out there it’s going to be very exciting for the fans coming right here by the new pier," explained boat racer Stephen Kindahl.
The rain kept crowds away from the kick-off event Friday, but organizers say the weather should be perfect throughout the weekend. Fans say they cannot wait to hear the roar of the engines.
"We love the sport, we love the teams, much camaraderie, they are wonderful people, just very fortunate that Saint Petersburg is having one so close to our home in Bradenton," said Mickey Hooke, a powerboat racing fan. "These people work very hard, they bring a lot of equipment from faraway places, I saw EMCON here, there’s a boat, Sheriff Lobo from Trinidad that is here."
LINK: For more information on the event and a schedule of the races: https://www.p1offshore.com/St-Petersburg.
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