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Milwaukee Race

Old 07-29-2004, 07:59 PM
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Default Milwaukee Race

I love Milwaukee - I wish I could make this one.

From the APBA website:

Safety is Key for GMC Milwaukee Powerboat Races, Boaters Asked to Assist

07/29/2004
Author: Michelle May-Schmidt
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MILWAUKEE, Wis (7/29/04) - - The key word in the upcoming APBA Offshore Racing Association's GMC Milwaukee Offshore Gran Prix this weekend will be safety. Not only will it involve a detailed safety and rescue program by event organizers, but the public is being asked to share in the responsibilities as well.
Safety has always been at the top of the list and when APBA Offshore President Jim Poplin brought their Safety Procedures and Rescue Plan to the Unites States Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office Milwaukee and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, an even more detailed plan came to fruition.

Poplin, founder of the STARS Rescue Team, has a 23-year background in rescue management, tactical deployment and rescue diver supervision. The team he has built and personally trained is comprised of a number of key members all who have certifications for dive rescue, and helicopter deployment in the event of an accident. They are the official safety and rescue team for APBA Offshore.

In fact, the team recently encountered their 492nd save in an event in Marathon earlier this year and that same team will be the ones flying their helicopters above the racing competitors who head from across the United States and Canada to compete in this 2nd annual event.

Following the requirements of the GMC Pro Grade National Tour, STARS also provides race team safety training so that competitors can be prepared in the event of an accident. That added to the required APBA Offshore Technical Inspections help to insure that both the equipment and the racer are ready for competition.

Then it comes down to the very citizens in the community to assist in following the guidelines set for their own safety and that of the competitors.

The APBA Offshore Racing Association has enlisted the support of a number of locally based volunteers who will act as a patrol fleet during the race competition and testing days.

David Thompson, Operations Director for APBA Offshore says that these local residents will be in the course area, just off the Race Village staged at Veterans Park and utilizing their own vessels and acting as turn boats, official Paceboats and a start-finish boat.

The Organization asks that the public follow the safety procedures established, which, along with a course map outlined with the designated, on-water spectator viewing areas and no anchor sectors of the inner harbor.

Some of those safety reminders include the adherence of the no wake zone inside the harbor for those vessels forty feet and above, and a no wake for all vessels at the North, south and center cuts into and exiting the harbor area.

Additional requests include that all boaters keep a safe distance from the race competitors when testing, which will occur on Friday from 9:00am until 5:00pm outside the harbor, and on Saturday, from 12:00 noon until 1:00pm and Sunday from 10:00am until 11:00am on course inside.

“These race-boats can excel to speeds in excess of 100+ miles per hour, which makes an immediate stop impossible. We are asking that the boaters refrain from running alongside the competitor boats, or crossing their paths to prevent any accidents from occurring,” said Poplin.
“Many are also in vessels with an enclosed canopies decreasing visibility, and noise from the engines can make is possible to hear if a boater is approaching too until it is too late, so we want to express to our water based fans to enjoy the show from a distance.”

While some movement will be allowed outside the designated “safety zones”, boaters wishing to view the competition itself are asked to be in the designated spectator zones by the allotted time, which will be marked, patrolled and policed by both volunteers and government officials.

Saturday competition begins at 3:00pm followed by Happy Hour Testing by Sunday Competitors which is expected to last to around 6:00pm. That means boaters need to be in the spectator zones and anchored no later than 2:30PM.

Sunday events on Lake Michigan will feature two race competitions at 12:00noon and 2:00pm, with all spectator vessels safely anchored in place no later than 11:30am.

Continued Below-
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Old 07-29-2004, 08:00 PM
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Default Re: Milwaukee Race

Continued from above

"We’d like to thank our entire group of volunteers, and especially the United States Coast Guard Group here in Milwaukee for assisting us in protection of our course and competitors, as well as the numerous spectators who will be able to view the races from their own vessels in our designated spectator zones,” said Thompson.

Official Race Control will be set up at the Pieces of Eight Restaurant off North Harbor Drive, for monitoring of the course and scoring of the competition.

APBA Offshore would also like to remind those enjoying the show by water that, like the professional racers in competition, they should also adhere to a no alcohol policy for the safety and enjoyment of their own passengers, stay well within the marked areas and have enough life jackets for all passengers on board.

Volunteers will attend a meeting on Thursday of Race Week at 6:00 P.M. at the Downtown Howard Johnson Inn and Suites, where they will pick up their duties roster, checklists. Each vessel will also be safety checked before the event, and prior to leaving the docks for their duty. An added bonus will be the awarding of a courtesy T-shirt.

A complete course map, with designated spectator zones is now available online at http://www.apbaoffshoreracing.com, along with other information such as the schedule of events, race village and hotel information. Fans are urged to visit the site, download the information and bring it with them on their vessel.

Course racing and testing is always subject to weather, so should any adjustments occur, they are asked to check the website prior to leaving for the waterways and course.

Those wishing to view the competition on land are encouraged to join in the fun at Race Village in Veterans Park where racing competition, and a view of the entire course can be seen from shore. There will also be live play-by-play racing commentary.

Fans will enjoy meeting the teams and watching testing on Friday designated as FREE ADMISSION day. On both Saturday and Sunday, admissions are $7 per person and kids 12 & under free. A special weekend pass is available for only $12, with premier VIP seating in hospitality Sky Box Suites for $200 a person. All information is available online.


The 2004 APBA Offshore GMC Pro Grade Series Sponsor Team includes GMC, Racing Communications, Bio Kleen, Snap On, Freeze Frame Video Productions, duPont Registry, Innovation Marine, Velocity Powerboats, Formula, Extreme Marine of Tampa Bay and Competitive EDGE Marine.

The 2004 GMC Milwaukee Offshore Gran Prix is presented by GMC and is hosted by the Milwaukee County Executive and the Milwaukee County Parks Systems, the Milwaukee Sailing Center and the Milwaukee Yacht Club. Host Hotel is the Downtown Howard Johnson Inn & Suites, joined by Sponsor Hotel, the Ramada Inn Downtown. Additional sponsors include Miller® Brewing Company, FM 106.1, OnMilwaukee.com, and Studio Gear by Bob Wiese.

For all information on the 2nd Annual GMC Milwaukee Offshore Gran Prix, the fourth stop on the APBA Offshore Racing Association GMC Pro Grade Series National Tour, including the Schedule, Veterans Park Race Village Map, Host Hotel, Course Map and News Updates, visit www.apbaoffshoreracing.com.
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Old 07-31-2004, 09:56 AM
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Default Re: Milwaukee Race

Powerboat rookie has racing in her blood
Posted: July 29, 2004
Racing Beat


Jen Youngblood grew up around sprint cars and midgets, stock cars and land-speed machines, and she once had a run-in with some kid named Kyle Petty.

"We were the first Los Angeles Times 500 in 1971 at Ontario Motor Speedway. I was 6," said Youngblood, whose father, Ray Carlson, built engines for Kyle's father, Richard Petty.

"We were in the infield, and Kyle Petty mashed spaghetti down my back and I chased him with a rock. My dad grabbed the back of my shirt and said, 'You can't chase the boys! Leave them alone!' "

But chasing the boys - around the sandbox, up trees and at the racetrack - served Youngblood well in preparation for her latest hobby, powerboat racing.

The 39-year-old rookie, a self-proclaimed California tomboy transplanted to Wisconsin, always figured she'd be involved in racing. The death of her father in 1977 set her back, and ultimately she ended up on the water instead of pavement.

Regardless, Youngblood is ready for her biggest race this weekend, the GMC Milwaukee Offshore Gran Prix, the second annual stop for the APBA at Veterans Park.

The race weekend opens Friday, with testing gates open to fans beginning at noon and testing until 4 p.m. Races are set for 3 p.m. Saturday and noon and 2 p.m. Sunday, with a $7 admission charged Saturday and Sunday for spectators older than 12.

Youngblood worked on a medical boat last year but this year is driving a "bat boat" in a class in which all boats are similarly designed, built and equipped, IROC-style.

"It's not, 'OK, you have more money, so you can put more money into your boat,' " said Youngblood, who leads the Central Division standings in her class. "It's, 'How good are you and your throttleman; how good are you communicating; how good are you working together as a team?' "

You don't have to be a boater to appreciate the hardware on display and in action this weekend, and the first-time event last year showed the racers eager to educate newcomers about their sport.

Certainly there will be owners and racers competing in classes where money counts. There will also be novices and hobbyists. And there'll be plenty of people, like Youngblood, who simply have interesting stories to tell.

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