Hollywood Beach Super Boat Grand Prix Kicks Off This Friday

Powerboat racing enthusiasts can mingle with professional drivers, get a close-up look at these high-performance vessels and watch them in action this weekend at the first-ever Hollywood Beach Super Boat Grand Prix.

The Super Boat festivities will kick off at the official Racer’s Party from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Nick’s Bar & Grill, 1214 N. Broadwalk.

The Hollywood Beach Super Boat Grand Prix, which is sponsored by the Hollywood Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, will feature close to three dozen powerboats competing for $75,000 in prize money beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

The racing vessels will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the dry-pit area, the parking lot at the Millennium Mall at State Road 7 and Hollywood Boulevard. Testing will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with launching at the Hollywood Marina, 700 Polk St.

The powerboats will parade to the milling area on Hollywood Beach at 1 p.m. Sunday. The racecourse along Hollywood Beach will accommodate five categories of powerboats, with laps totaling between 42 and 90 miles.

Following the races, an awards ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Marriott Hollywood Beach, 2501 S. Ocean Drive, as part of a “Father’s Day Bash.”

Hollywood Beach’s participation in powerboat racing’s 2006 national schedule included serving as the official host city for the Fort Lauderdale Air & Sea Show Super Boat Grand Prix held May 6-7.

 “We are very happy to have Hollywood Beach as part of our 2006 national schedule. It is a beautiful city and easy to work with,” said John Carbonell, President of SBIP/APBA Offshore, the nationally recognized sanctioning body that conducts Offshore Powerboat Racing in the U.S. “SBIP/APBA is looking forward to a long relationship for many more years.”

Gil Martinez, Executive Director of the Hollywood Beach CRA, said the Beach District is thrilled to participate in the Super Boat Grand Prix events.

“These exciting, well-attended races will help draw attention to our award-winning beach, local businesses and ongoing redevelopment effort,” Martinez said.