Offshoreonly.com - Ocean City Here we Come

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Roar won't be solely from waves
Powerboating GP returns to Ocean City
By Patrick Gavin
Staff Writer

If you ask Bull on the Beach owner Phil Houck, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte are a bunch of wimps.

OK, maybe he didn't go quite that far. But the restauranteur, instrumental in bringing powerboat racing to Ocean City, is rather vehement about the danger and excitement of racing over waves as opposed to concrete or asphalt.

"The difference between offshore racing and NASCAR is they're doing 100 mph on the ocean," Houck said. "You have to watch every wave that's coming at you. ... When you are doing 100 mph on the water, it feels like 300 mph in a car."

Houck owns the "Bull on the Beach" boat that last year won a world championship in Key West, Fla., in the Super Cat category. Last September, he brought back the races that used to be a staple of the Ocean City tourist season in the '90s. The event drew an estimated 200,000 spectators along the beach last year. This year, with the Ocean City Offshore Powerboat Grand Prix today-Sunday, even more are likely to enjoy the spectacle that will boast dozens of world-class competitors. OPA Racing and AMF Offshore have registered for the event.

"We will have 60 to 70 boats, but it's 60 to 70 world-class boats and racers," said Houck, who says the multimillion dollar production-class boats can reach in excess of 180 mph. "Just to hear the engines start up ..."

After a variety of fan-friendly meet-and-greets today and Saturday, the races officially kick off around noon Sunday. The course is a modified ocean rectangle, with boats running counter-clockwise from Fourth Street to 40th Street for a total of seven to 10 laps. The start and finish line is at 14th Street. The second race begins about 2:30 p.m.

A minimum of six scuba divers, two in helicopters, will be standing by in case of an overturned boat. Unlike stock-car racing, an overturned vehicle in powerboat racing obviously means drivers have to worry about water after the boat comes to a rest. The scuba divers in helicopters are vital in rescuing the victims in mere seconds, rather than minutes.

"If you aren't there in a minute, those guys are in trouble," Houck said. "Most boats do have oxygen inside in case they flip over."

Coast Guard, emergency medical personnel, additional privately owned helicopters and driver radios also help keep racers safe.

"In most races there are mishaps," Houck said. "Every race we have in Ocean City, there's always been a mishap, a boat roll. We call it controlled mass confusion."