Kw charges SBI for clean up after the St party and SBI had to pass the cost to the racers. Yes KW does give SBI money but not a fraction of what it cost to put a race like this on. They get the money back 3 fold with city service . Police, Fire rescue, Fire dept.and Sanitation just to mention a few.
If you think cost isnt an issue for the teams that arent coming to KW you are seriously mistaken not some but all of the smaller teams that would love to race KW cant afford it.

As a racer in a smaller boat I can only speak for what my fellow racers have discussed with me. Its ALL about the cost of the event that keeps most away. Its in most cases 1/2 of the years budget to due. If you never have done it I highly recommend you do it. Depending on how many boats in your class actually are going also has something to do with if its worth it or not. It is after all called the Word Championship and if there are only a fraction of the boats that have raced all year there then there is a problem with winning a world Championship title IMO. Imagine a World Championship race where everyone could be at OMG !!!! To be fair you have to consider the cost to race there is for a week and no matter where you race a week off work, hotels, travel ,food, drinks and mechanical expenses is expensive. If you cut the time too 4-5 days it may be more palatable for most.
Just a thought, Make KW a regular race (long weekend) and make the Worlds at Clear Water??

Faced with the possibility that the annual Super Boat World Championship races could be held elsewhere, the Key West City Commission on Wednesday directed city staff to work out a five-year deal with the event's producers.

The 33rd running of the Key West 'Worlds' is set for Nov. 3 through 10 in waters off the Southernmost City.

For years, the event put on by Key West native John Carbonell has garnered $120,000 in funding from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

But a reduction in that to $100,000 prompted Carbonell to consider alternative host cities, including Sarasota and Clearwater, which also hosts the Super Boat National Championship.

"I've been approached over the last few years by cities that want the world championship race," Carbonell said, "and I have to look at that."

"The main thing that's happening in Key West, it's not only the TDC, it's all of the businesses. When you go and ask them for a sponsorship or an ad in the program, the answer we get is, 'Why should we? [The event] is gonna happen anyway.' "

Smith Travel Research, a voluntary reporting group, said that using average hotel occupancy and daily rates for the 2012 races, running Nov. 4-11, Key West lodging revenue was $7,247,069 according to a report provided by the TDC.

But Carbonell estimates that, based on hotel occupancy and room rates, ticket sales and things visitors buy such as meals, the draw is 80,000 people generating local revenue of around $30 million.

According a permit application filed with the city, last year, Carbonell's outfit spent $437,870.69, including the TDC money and other sponsorships, on the 2012 races compared to receiving $440,661.72 in revenue.

That's a profit of $2,791.03. If expenses stay the same and the $20,000 reduction in TDC funding is factored in, the 2014 event would cost Carbonell around $18,000.

"It's just a bad situation," he continued. "My intent has been to try to keep it here."

Commissioner Tony Yaniz called the boat races a "clean event. We don't have a problem with nudity; we don't have a lot of problems with public drunkenness" in contrast with Fantasy Fest.


interesting article...all about money...It would br nice for local sponsorship help for the smaller clases to get them there...Ive been approached many times about increasing boat count at various events especially during the tough economy...You would think the answer is pretty sinmple


If it was me ide do the first city that "ponys up" to help the racers.....just my 2 cents
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How is the bum population in Clearwater? The true attraction of race week is the FPC event anyway. Let the races go to Clearwater. 90% of the time we don't watch the races anyway. We usually see the last lap or two anyway & rarely have a clue as to who won.
The neatest thing about the races in KW is the street party. It is amazing how a trashcan can be stacked with beer bottles & drink cups in 4 hours. It is quite the engineering accomplishment given it was erected by drunks.

There is no bum problem in Clearwater.

Downtown St. Pete has a small one but really it's Tampa. It's illegal to panhandle in Pinellas county and cops strickly enforce that on them.

Better than Key West...LOL

"WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO ABOUT KEY WEST’S HOMELESS POPULATION " http://thebluepaper.com/article/sloa...rbut-homeless/

"Are homeless people part of Key West’s One Human Family?" http://goodmorningkeywest.com/?p=16408

"Key West cracks down on homeless population" http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/trave...homeless_n.htm

"Homeless in Paradise" http://www.keywesting.com/key-west-i...ts-in-key-west

"Key West Warnings and Dangers" http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...st-TG-C-1.html

That sucks! Some of my best blurry memories of KW include bums. If you've never went booze shopping with a bum or given one a hundie & stipulated it must be used to buy booze, not food. You my friend haven't experienced Conch life!

I promise you'd go to jail in Clearwater for having 9 people in a GEM car driving drunk with open containers & the "trunk" full of ice & booze. In KW I was told I, the driver, needed to have my seatbelt on if I was going to drive on their streets.
Also, I'm 1000% sure I would have went to jail in Clearwater for fighting a bum. Not so in KW. The cops understood the issue & even though I was in the wrong I didn't get hooked up.
Bottom line is you can't run a redline in KW.

I have been going to the keys 2 times a year for the last 10+ years. Definitely have lived the counch life and had my fun with bums.

They can keep them down there for everyday life though.

No offence but I am 31 and party rather hard still cause I have no kids and refuse to grow up. That said I hope to god those actions would get you arrested and there is no bragging about the dumb actions you just posted about.