Championship Power Boat Races come to Lake Hopatcong
HOPATCONG – No wake rules won’t apply to Hopatcong State Park this weekend, as the New Jersey State Championships Power Boat Races cruise into town.
The races, sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association, will be conducted by the Lake Hopatcong Racing Association, according to member David Shaw.
The races run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday at Hopatcong State Park. There is a suggested $10 donation for spectators.
The New Jersey State Power Boat Championships will feature the “Inboard” and Stock Outboard” categories. Competing boats are divided into classes based on hull size, type, weight, engine size, and modifications allowed.
Shaw said the Lake Hopatcong Racing Association was formed in the 1960s to promote power boating on the lake. The races were originally held at the Lake Forest Yacht Club on Lake Hopatcong’s north side before eventually moving to the state park near the southern tip of the lake.
Shaw said the state parks is an ideal location on the lake for spectators.
“The state park offers many advantages,” Shaw said. “Better parking, viewing, and a course that is more conducive to modern hydroplanes.”
The race length is five miles long, with racers taking five trips around a mile long course.
“The course at the Lake Hopatcong State Park offers wider turns, while still keeping the boats far enough off shore to keep spectators safe,” Shaw said. “The terraces lawn at the state park offers an excellent, but unique, view of the boats as they come towards the spectators while on the front straight and go through turn one.”
The oldest motor racing group in the country at more than 100 years, the American Power Boat Association is the only organization of its kind that can administer a World Championship or grant official world records for performances during races, according to Shaw.
Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com
If you go:
New Jersey State Championships Power Boat Races
Where: Hopatcong State Park, 6 Lakeside Boulevard in Landing
When: Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $10 donation for spectators