A few vids from back in the late eightys This is when they were runing only a few laps and each lap was 17 miles or so

Good real offshore racing with tv coverage and quite a bit of hype Proof you do not need to go roundy round to have a great race with LOTS of spectators and participants

Ohhh i miss the good ole days of racing

I was in the boat spectator fleet that year in my 21 Scarab (see last video at 3:13 my boat was called "My Commision" ) Soon after this race i purchased my 38' Miami vice scarab

I was Hooked Big time

listen to the estimated spectators in first video

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3xr-3gVEEw[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHmxtn3SHDo[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7tq_ioo2gw[/youtube]

Ohh my gosh i just noticed that at the 7:35 mark (last Video)they pass the 38' scarab (Miami vice KV) i bought the following year how did I miss this before very cool

Great video's !! I loved that footage of INXS headed straight at the camera about halfway through the second video..

I also have to say "hats off" to the dude sitting out in the specator fleet in a Bayliner.. Quite possibly the bravest man on the water that day..

All jokes aside that was some great racing to say the least.. No doubt it took a rather large sack to climb in a race boat and strap on the gear in water like that water !! I lived in the keys as a kid during the 80's and it was like Christmas for me when it was race time.. Esp if it was Holiday Isle b/c I could get to it by boat on my own.. Not to mention how great P.E. and recess was during that time and getting to watch the boats headed south on US-1.. And to think the teachers had to ask why I daydreamed so much !!

Awesome! Brings back great memories!

I was in my 25' Wellcarft Nova with two people hurling over the sides Big wave day

NK

Great videos. Thats some real offshore racing. thanks for sharing.

That's where it all started for me. I was about 10 years old sitting on the beach loving every minute of it. It's crazy I can remember a lot of these boats. Really cool vids, thanks for posting.

Too bad that type of racing is gone...hell, we dont even have Smoke On The Water anymore!

Me too as far as what started it or me & the age is close too. Never saw them in real life until 2006 in Key West.

I remember a Skater in the 1990's named "How Sweet It Is". The guy who owned and raced the boat was my friends business partner. He was in the sugar business. That is when it all started for me.