Sarasota news and events:
Sarasota Power Boat Races 2024
Powerboat P1 is heading to Sarasota later than normal on September 13th – 15th for the next round of the 2024 APBA National and UIM World Championships. Around 60 competitors are expected for two days of world-class marine motorsport action.
It is the 40th annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix. The weekend of 14th – 15th will see high-performance powerboats racing along Lido Beach.
It is the 40th annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix. The event is moving to September this year and the weekend of Sep 13th – Sep 15th will see high-performance racing along Lido Beach.
Located on Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, Sarasota County provides the quintessential white-sand beach getaway, perfect for absorbing the noise, power and excitement of a double-bill of powerboat and personal watercraft racing.
Dubbed the “Home of the American Circus,” Sarasota County served as the headquarters for the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus for 75 years, and fans can experience its special culture first-hand by following the circus trail or catching a performance by one of two local circus companies.
After the pounding Atlantic swell of Cocoa Beach, P1 Offshore now moves to the more tranquil, shallower waters of the Gulf of Mexico. However, if you are expecting a less exciting race, think again…
Sarasota is the second longest-running US powerboat race, after the Key West Championship. Compared to Cocoa Beach, Sarasota is a more technical course. Cocoa Beach is long and narrow, running up and down the beach, with two 180-degree turns. Sarasota has varying degrees of right turns and a leftward dog leg on the backward stretch. Although the water at Sarasota looks calmer, there are often holes, or variations on the seabed, which create voids on the surface. These can cause unexpected flights or hits and are difficult for drivers to anticipate.
The water will suit the Class 1 and Super Cat for top speeds. The light chop will be less likely to upset the bigger hulls and will be enough to keep traction high with the hull skimming the surface.
Super Stock has the most entries among the bigger boats and is one of the most competitive offshore classes for this reason.
Mod V teams will also be highly competitive. Sarasota will definitely be a driver’s race for these boats if the water remains relatively calm. The varied turns in calm waters can cause “chine walking” with their V hulls. “OK, so what is chine walking?” Chine walking is caused when a high-performance V-Hull starts to lift out of the water. In certain circumstances, as speed increases, the actual part of the hull in contact with the water becomes reduced, and the boat starts to rock from one side to another as it tries to balance the remaining hull in contact with the water. This gives the drivers more work to do. Boat set-up and trim also play an important part.
