The Gator Classic in Florida

[John Howe]

After a long absence, inboard hydroplane and runabout racing will return to south east Florida on Lake Okeechobee in the town of Pahokee the weekend of October 23 & 24. Pahokee is located approx, 15 miles west of Palm Beach International Airport. The event will feature the supercharged GP hydros as well as the supercharged K flat bottom class. Several other limited inboard classes are on the schedule, and vintage inboard hydros and runabouts are going to be on exhibition too.

http://www.gatorclassic.com/

Now as a long time race fan, I sure wish it was happening on another weekend,...as the UIM 2010 World event is happening that same weekend just a few hours north at Lake Alfred Florida!!!

[buz macdowell]

Thanks John, I think I will check it out....GN-41 Buz MacDowell.. U gonna be shooting any pics?

[John Howe]

I sure hope to be taking pics! I also hope it's a good turn out of boats. There's only 4~5 active inboards in Florida now days, The APBA sanction should be posted ant day now.

[John Howe]

I just now saw this update on the Yahoo inboard site. John Howe

.................................................. .................................................. .............................

From:
Jess Oconnor <treasurecoastregatta@yahoo.com>
...
Add to Contacts
To: inboardhydros@yahoogroups.com


The Gator Classic on Lake Okeechobee

October 23-24, 2010


I just want to take a moment to give everyone a full update on our progress. The race is 100% on schedule to be a HUGE success. I understand the confusion regarding our sanction. Let me clarify our sanction release. We have a $4,250 cash sponsorship package from the Palm Beach Sports Commission. In addition to our cash sponsorship they are providing awesome driver bags, an audio system, and all of our event fencing. It is a generous sponsorship. However, they are a direct pay sponsorship. This means that they pay the bill directly as part of their sponsorship. The contract states they have until October 1, 2010 to pay the APBA directly for our Sanction fee and insurance. If I pay for the sanction and insurance out of club funds we lose the $4250. I don’t know of any race club that can afford to turn down $4250. So, I hope everyone can wait just a few days longer and understand in these times it’s a blessing to have sponsors. It’s an even bigger blessing to have a sponsor this generous.

On to the good stuff.

The website is up and running and you can find lots of information on the site (www.gatorclassic.com)

We will be running GP, 5 liter, 2.5 Mod,2.5 Stock, JSS, KRR, PS, SS and all Vintage. I know it’s the end of the season and everyone is tired and broke. But, I hope everyone can find a few more vacation days and roll together a few more pennies. We are all working very hard to make sure this is a success and everyone has a great time both on the water and on land.

We have an outstanding “Welcome Party” planned for Friday night. The party is sponsored by Florida Vino Winery and Bob Zabady and the Showboat Team.

We have a fantastic Pit Party for Saturday night. This is being sponsored by Rippers Restaurant and Smokey’s BBQ.

We have an incredible race site. We have 3 miles of waterfront to accommodate everyone. We have 25 cabins and 75 RV spots with full hook ups and both cabins and RV are waterfront spots. We have handpicked several great hotels for teams and race fans.

Our committee has put together a great location, great fans, great food, tow money, prize money and trophies to show our appreciation for all our race teams.

I hope everyone will find a way to get here in October. We need a really good boat count to ensure the return of boat racing to the state of Florida. I know we all enjoyed racing here for many, many years. We hope to bring those good times back to Florida. Maybe, next year will be the year of the 1 2/3’s again! I know it’s the end of the season. But, I promise you won’t be disappointed you made the trip! So don’t cover up those race boats quite yet!

The skies are blue, the sun is shining and the water is warm and flat!


Hope to see you soon,

Treasure Coast Boat Racing Association

[buz macdowell]

APBA has nothing on it yet that I can find.....people need to know....at least a little ahead of time.....

[John Howe]

The sanction is up!!!

http://www.apba-racing.com/internal/show_sanction.php?EditID=10844

It has been mentioned numerous times in the recent past on the Yahoo inboard group site.

[buz macdowell]

Thats great.....Hope alot of boats show......but , I kinda doubt that there will be a large number of boats....I don't think Duff's going...maybe if the turnouts good you'll see him there next year....

[John Howe]

Of course I too hope there's a good turn out of boats,...or there probably won't be a "next year"! I know the race committee worked their keesters off to make this happen!!! Duff lives in Stuart FL, which is really very close by the race site, so I'm fairly certain he'll be there. He busted up his real K boat last November trying to up his kilo record but he has another hull which qualifies as a K boat. His back up hull is really a GN sized flat bottom boat, and last I saw he had the super charged hemi in the back. Man, I sure hope this event is a success!

[John Howe]

According to the Gator Classic Facebook site, they are expecting around 38 competition boats for the event, as well as numerous vintage inboard race boats. I sure hope that entry list continues to grow! The Yahoo inboard hydro site has been pretty much silent, so far, in regards to the race since the sanction was posted.

[buz macdowell]

Hey John, what exactly qualifies a vintage race boat....would a 1979 GN fit in there..?Also if you need a boat there is a good old 20' Howard wood decker on Ebay motors..& They are suppose to have an old switzer wing at Abacoa in Jupiter Friday nite....with a bunch of other old race boats...see Scream&Fly.com under Old fart's reunion..in events and races...

[John Howe]

Hey Buzz, if your serious about entering a vintage GN, ya might wanna give Duff a call. I have his phone number if ya need it. I know APBA is strict with the rules regarding vintage.

By the way, I checked out the UIM Lake Alfred event online, that's happening the same weekend, entry count.....109 entries!!! Now THAT'S a regatta!!! I went to it the last time it was at lake Alfred and had a GREAT time!!!

By the way, there's a Classic Raceboat Association event happening in November in Lakeland at Kermit Weeks air museum. That always draws a BIG bunch of "retired" race boats of all kinds of shapes and sizes, and the museum is jam packed with all kinds of flying machines!!!

[buz macdowell]

John, how many entries are they showing for the gator race now?..My boat is set-up for sking now...If they ever have any races in Fla or Miss again I would be glad to turn my motor around and go.....Are you talkng about the roar and soar event in November? Duff doesn't live very far from me.....If I had wings it would be about 5 or 10 min ...I just hate bothering him since he has retired and has all his projects....I know how I hate being bothered when I'm trying to get something done by myself...never enough clamps,stands, jacks,air pressure,thinner, gas,fittings, hose,light, space,tools ,etc.....you get the picture...don't Ya!

[John Howe]

Buzz, I'm not sure what the boat count is now as there hasn't been a web update in a few days. Most of the racing fleet is now located from about Virginia on north, so that's a long haul for the teams,

Yeah, that's the Roar and Soar event that happens in November that I was referring to,

[John Howe]

As in regards to entries for the Gator Classic, this was just now posted on the Yahoo inboard hydro site.
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1- Y (Running with S's)
4-S
2-A (Running with E's)
4-E
9-JS
5-SS or PS
2-K

5 vintage Hydro and 5 Vintage Skiffs

Little low, but that was also last week

John Krebs
Race Director

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I sure hope there's a last minute surge of entries!!!!

[buz macdowell]

I read in the palm beach post yesterday that the race is in question, because of manatee's...Is there a phone # to call to see if it's still gonna happen...This is such B.S.....Those poor people that are trying to put this race on....I think they should start eating manatees......the article stated that they have found 34 carcases since 1974 out there....somebody must already be eating them....& if this economy doesn't start improving....we all might have to try them.....

[John Howe]

This was posted on the Yahoo inboard hydro site this morning. Jessica O'Conor, whom I've never met, is clearly a STRONG willed woman to go through all this to put the event on!!!!


Racers,
I want to give everyone a heads up we are hitting the environmentalists extremely hard with newspaper articles and the 6 o'clock news. They are requesting a helicoptor. We have 2 choppers and are ready for them. However, I feel it's important to give a good fight! The Feds are applying Off Shore Powerboat Race guidelines to our little regatta and I am fighting to have us put in the boat regatta division where we belong. SO, we are running very intense articles.
This race is 100% ready to go! Lot's of racers got in last night and the party has begun! Come on down and join the fight!
Jessica O'Connor

P.S. I'll call Duff in a little while and see what he says. Man, I'm sooooo tempted to maybe just drive past lake Okeechobee Saturday morning and head on up to lake Alfred for the BIG UIM race up there!!!

[buz macdowell]

race was a Wind Blow Out,,,super rough water..they had a real good boat turnout...but did not need to get anybody hurt....It was white capping water Sat.....looked good for a GN Race.....super nice facility & marina....Somebody ought to contact them about a serious Marathon event there.....there is a whole lotta water there.....and a real lotta space.....I have lived here in West Palm Beach all my life and I did not know that it was that neat a place to race......Oh, and John I walked up to a guy that I thought was you after only meeting you once about twenty years ago at an inboard clubhouse meeting in Miami...and guess what...It wasn't you....I had been talking to Duff for a while joking around and this guy who I thought for sure was you was standing there with his nice camera...soo I said hi John.. I,m Buz....Thank God Duff was busy and did not catch it or I would never live it down....Ha Ha....I hope they have it again...and can race because...I have raced in alot of places and none have been as nice as this place...they even had a pool there.....tour bus parking...and a bunch of neat vendors....they were even selling wine & beer to the crowd....keep your fingers crossed for future races..They could have one every month or two there and I think people would really dig it......It kinda reminded me of Lake Maguire (sp) @ St. Pete....but much bigger.....

[John Howe]

Sorry I missed ya Buzz! I got there just before 11 Saturday morning and left about 3:30 in the afternoon when I realized nothing was going to happen. I didn't go at all today with the even rougher weather. Yeah that is a good facility, no doubt. I counted 7 hydros total for the 2 hydro classes, 4 ss/ps flatbottoms, and 2 K's. A good turn out of racing skiffs, with a bunch of vintage/river skiffs. Also 4 vintage hydros.

If this committee can pull together another event, the one thing they also really have to address is how they treat the spectators. There was no public address system so no one knew what was going on at all! Also I doubt any spectator got their $15 back.

I'll be at Roar and Soar on Saturday, so maybe I'll see ya there.

I KNEW I should have gone to Lake Alfred for the UIM race! I understand they did get the event completed!

[jimclauss]

the water wasn't very flat to say the least. Like lake Maguire in St Pete not even close. You got to be kiding me ... Lake Maquire is one of the best race courses in the country.

[jimclauss]

Boat race cancelled due to weather i never got my registration money back $250 what happened to that?// jim clauss ps 34 / ps 29 OH BUY THE WAY THERE WERE 5 PRO STOCKS AND NO SUPER STOCKS MY TWO/ HUGIE / ZABAI,S / TRUIT.S THAT'S FIVE