Ron P
01-04-2010, 02:59 PM
Hello OPA Racers,
Are you ready for the 2010 racing season?
Before discussing the upcoming season and the advancements that we’ve made, I’d like to take a moment to thank the people that made the 2009 season a great success. First I’d like to thank you for your support of OPA. In a year when making a buck seemed a little more difficult than normal, you guys still came out and supported the race sites. Dedicated racers that live for the thrill of competition have become the key to our growth. The little Jersey Boyz family that Augie and I started several years ago has now grown into the largest offshore racing organization in the United States. In 2009 we had a total of 75 registered teams that ran at least one race with us. At the other end of the spectrum we had 22 hard core teams that traveled to every race site in search of a National Championship and the prized Stuggots Cup. This gave us an average race site attendance of just over 40 boats per race. This is what race producers need to see after all the time, money and energy that it takes to put one of these races together.
I really need to give a HUGE THANK YOU to our race site producers. Without these people working year round to track down sponsors, work with local authorities, gain permits and build a volunteer fleet to keep you safe while racing, OPA couldn’t exist. When everyone does their part (which seems like almost every race) the events are successful on many levels. So thank you all for being involved and committed to the success of OPA.
Along the way, OPA has developed a staff of dedicated volunteers that spend their weekends producing our races and without them, we wouldn’t be able to get on the race course. They deserve everyone’s thanks and especially mine.
Toni and Sam Potoff – Our scorers that keep things sorted out.
Frank Vecci – The GPS Nazi – Nuff said.
Alan Petit – Spent countless hours developing our registration software and web site.
Mike Vollmuth – Alan’s co-author on the software and ever present at registration.
Bruce Johnson – Angels in the sky watching us race, ready to dive in when needed.
Anthony Smith – Keeping you guys honest.
This year we’ll be adding two more members to our staff. I’d like to welcome Ron Polli back into the OPA family. Ron was there at the beginning of OPA and helped to get us off the ground. For the last two years he worked as the President of OSS, but after Augie made Ron an offer that he couldn’t refuse, he’s back where he belongs and we’re glad to have him. Look for Ron to help out with race site development, on water activities and media relations.
The second new addition to the OPA family is Bob Owen. Bob has been involved with Offshore Racing for the last twenty years, as a racer, an APBA official, an inspector for OSS and will now come on board with OPA to work with Anthony to keep you guys honest. Bob will be checking your equipment to make sure everything is secure and race ready as well as inspecting the spec classes to insure that the rulebook is being followed without deviation. As you know, the only way to have a fair race is to make sure that all boats adhere to the rule book without deviation. Bob’s job will be to make sure that racers do not even consider trying to stretch the rules in order to find an advantage over their competitors. SO DON’T EVEN TRY.
I’d also like to thank Marty Russon and Mike Yowaiski for the tremendous job they do for OPA by broadcasting each race live over the Internet with streaming video. Sponsored by SuperCat Racing, this real time video production has gained a following of hardcore fans across the country that get to watch the OPA races live on their computer monitor. Thanks to Tony Marcantonio for bankrolling this startup venture, it really has made a difference.
Another group that made a difference was Mike Merola’s band of crazies from the East Coast Boat Racing Club. Having them at a few of our races really helped to round out the weekend of racing and added to the overall show. We are looking forward to working with Mike and his crew again in 2010.
I’d also like to thank my good friend John Haggin for his continued support of OPA and offshore racing in general. When I first met John in 2004 he wanted to race his 50’ turbine powered Outerlimits pleasure boat. Now five years and three turbine boats later, John has reached the pinnacle of the sport, having found the Holy Grail of boat racing…a sponsor by the name of Geico. For the past few years John and the AMF crew have worked to give Geico more than they expected, promoting their sponsor whenever and however possible. And for this year, John and his crew have talked Geico into sponsoring the entire OPA season. For that, I’d like to thank John and everyone at AMF and Geico for making this happen. This sponsorship will allow OPA to grow to the next level, bringing it to a higher level of race site appearance and professionalism.
Now what you’ve all been waiting for, the unveiling of the 2010, Geico Offshore Racing Series, sanctioned by OPA.
The season will start with a traditional offshore race in Ocean City MD – May 28 – 30. Think boardwalk, beaches, bikinis, Seacrets, and rough water. As we’ve found in the past, no one makes OPA racers feel more welcome than Ocean City MD. Damn, it’s still six months away.
Next we’ll head south to beautiful Sunny Isles Beach, FL – June 11 – 13. This will be the third year for racing in this jewel of South Florida. Sunny Isles Beach is located between Ft Lauderdale and Miami Beach with the dry and wet pits in Haulover Park. This event will include the annual run to Bimini and back which takes place on Saturday morning. It’s a 100 mile mad dash across the open Atlantic with winners in multiple classes. Last year, Aquamania made the run in just 43 minutes and 43 seconds. Click this link to watch a short video from last year’s event. http://www.vimeo.com/5212278 Expect to see lots of hardware in the pits as we’ll share the area with a poker run, the Bimini Run, exotic cars and more. Expect nothing less than a great time…Miami style. For more info, go to www.offshoreevents.net.
As summer gets too hot in the south, we’ll head north to Harrison Township, MI – July 16 – 18 for the third annual event. This is a home town type event where the boats race through people’s backyards along the river. It’s a blast and we look forward to visiting with some of the best fans in the world once again.
The party continues upriver just one week later in St Clair, MI July 23 – 25 where the OPA boats will rip up the clear blue waters for the sixth year in a row. This is a NOT TO BE MISSED race site. The local race producers, the local racing club and the town pull off an event unlike any other. It’s like Disneyland meets boat racing. PLAN TO BE THERE!
A month later we are all going to Louie’s house in Patchogue Long Island August 20-22 and have a party, a boat race and a hopefully another concert if Louie’s up for it. This will be the fourth year that Louie and his family have spent the time and money to put on a world class event on Long Island. From the party on Main St on Friday night to the action on the water, it’s New York at its finest.
Hide your wallet, we’re going to Atlantic City, NJ – Sept 10-12. This site has a lot of history going back to the APBA World Championships in November of 1988. It’s a true rough water race where big vee hulls have always done well. This race is sponsored by the new bars that have been built on the Atlantic City beaches. We fully expect to turn this into an annual event, so come get some!
After A/C the boats will continue south for the next stop in Cambridge Maryland – Sept 24-26. Bring the whole family as we head back to the Hyatt for another round of Golf and a race site that offers terrific spectator viewing. This is one of the premier sites on the OPA schedule so don’t miss it.
Gary Nichols just loves Offshore Powerboat Racing and when asked if he would get involved again to produce the OPA World Championship Races in Orange Beach, Alabama on October 19-24 he said “Hell yes, we want OPA in Orange Beach”. Orange Beach is the perfect place for OPA to hold its first World Championship Race. OB has a long history of hosting offshore races. SBI, APBA, and OSS have all raced there, and now it will become the home of the OPA Worlds. This will be an open invitational race for all teams to come and race with no excuses. Teams will find droves of fans and plenty of available beachfront condos at very reasonable prices.
This will conclude the 2010 OPA season. It is not our intention to compete with Key West and that’s the reason that our date is two weeks before Key West. We’ve found that a three race event in Key West is just too expensive for the majority of our teams to compete in. For this reason we’ve chosen to hold our own event in Orange Beach. At this event, OPA will extend the offer to any team from any organization to race with no entry fee. So let’s see whose best on the water and leave the BS on the beach.
We understand that sponsors like being seen on TV and of course, TV helps our teams and race producers find sponsors. We are working toward something and feel confident in saying that a few and possibly all of the OPA races will end up on TV at some point in 2010.
Now all you need to do is get through the winter and save up the registration fees – same as last year $700 per boat and $150 per team member. And make sure the tow rig, boat and team are ready for the season. At least you don’t have to worry about changes to the rule book, for the sixth year in a row, we have no changes to our rules! So get ready to bring your best cause you know everyone else in your class is doing their homework over the winter. I know I am…
Next stop!!! The OPA winter Awards Party on February 20th at the Oyster Creek Inn (see below). If you haven’t been to an OPA Winter Awards Party, you are missing the boat. In past years we tried going upscale by renting a yacht to take us around Manhattan as we partied, but it just didn’t feel right. So we found a little bar tucked away in the woods of South Jersey that feels like the OPA Safe House. We take over the whole place and have a blast. Please make the effort to attend this year, it’s only a mile from the hotel and we’ll have a meeting at the hotel prior to the party before you guys get anywhere near booze.
The highlight of the evening is always the passing of the Stuggots Cup from last year’s high points champion to the new champion. For this year, “The Godfather” has decided to step things up a notch. Augie recalls, “The Jersey Boyz was originally thirteen teams that traveled together, raced against each other and above all always remained friends. People think the Jersey Boyz stands for guns, baseball bats, tattoos and good food, but we know it’s much more than that. It’s about camaraderie, brotherhood and family. It’s about sportsmanship and respect for your fans and fellow racers on and off the water. It’s about love of the sport of Offshore Racing and the love of the competition and the rush it provides. It’s about a frame of mind and an attitude. It’s about a way of life and I want to honor the team that we feel exemplifies these qualities by presenting them with the biggest, badest trophy that anyone has ever seen. The ‘Godfather Cup’ will be handed down each year at the winter awards party to the team that most honors these qualities that OPA holds dear. You cannot win this award, you’ll have to earn it.
It all happens at the Oyster Creek Inn- http://www.oystercreekinnnj.com
41 N Oyster Creek Road
Leeds Point, NJ 08220
609-652-8565
The cost of the dinner is $60 a person and that includes full dinner and live music starting at 6pm sharp. The dress code is nice casual which means no ripped up jeans. Everyone will pay at the door and please bring cash only. No credit cards! You can book your hotel room right near the Oyster Creek Inn for a fee of $125 a night at the beautiful Marriott. Call 1-800-205-6518 to book the rooms. Please make sure you tell them you are with OPA Racing to receive the special room rate. Just click the MARRIOTT here to see the hotel.
For more info and menu, go to: http://oparacing.org/2010opaawardsparty.html
Happy New Year!
Smitty, Augie & Louie “The Rigger”
Are you ready for the 2010 racing season?
Before discussing the upcoming season and the advancements that we’ve made, I’d like to take a moment to thank the people that made the 2009 season a great success. First I’d like to thank you for your support of OPA. In a year when making a buck seemed a little more difficult than normal, you guys still came out and supported the race sites. Dedicated racers that live for the thrill of competition have become the key to our growth. The little Jersey Boyz family that Augie and I started several years ago has now grown into the largest offshore racing organization in the United States. In 2009 we had a total of 75 registered teams that ran at least one race with us. At the other end of the spectrum we had 22 hard core teams that traveled to every race site in search of a National Championship and the prized Stuggots Cup. This gave us an average race site attendance of just over 40 boats per race. This is what race producers need to see after all the time, money and energy that it takes to put one of these races together.
I really need to give a HUGE THANK YOU to our race site producers. Without these people working year round to track down sponsors, work with local authorities, gain permits and build a volunteer fleet to keep you safe while racing, OPA couldn’t exist. When everyone does their part (which seems like almost every race) the events are successful on many levels. So thank you all for being involved and committed to the success of OPA.
Along the way, OPA has developed a staff of dedicated volunteers that spend their weekends producing our races and without them, we wouldn’t be able to get on the race course. They deserve everyone’s thanks and especially mine.
Toni and Sam Potoff – Our scorers that keep things sorted out.
Frank Vecci – The GPS Nazi – Nuff said.
Alan Petit – Spent countless hours developing our registration software and web site.
Mike Vollmuth – Alan’s co-author on the software and ever present at registration.
Bruce Johnson – Angels in the sky watching us race, ready to dive in when needed.
Anthony Smith – Keeping you guys honest.
This year we’ll be adding two more members to our staff. I’d like to welcome Ron Polli back into the OPA family. Ron was there at the beginning of OPA and helped to get us off the ground. For the last two years he worked as the President of OSS, but after Augie made Ron an offer that he couldn’t refuse, he’s back where he belongs and we’re glad to have him. Look for Ron to help out with race site development, on water activities and media relations.
The second new addition to the OPA family is Bob Owen. Bob has been involved with Offshore Racing for the last twenty years, as a racer, an APBA official, an inspector for OSS and will now come on board with OPA to work with Anthony to keep you guys honest. Bob will be checking your equipment to make sure everything is secure and race ready as well as inspecting the spec classes to insure that the rulebook is being followed without deviation. As you know, the only way to have a fair race is to make sure that all boats adhere to the rule book without deviation. Bob’s job will be to make sure that racers do not even consider trying to stretch the rules in order to find an advantage over their competitors. SO DON’T EVEN TRY.
I’d also like to thank Marty Russon and Mike Yowaiski for the tremendous job they do for OPA by broadcasting each race live over the Internet with streaming video. Sponsored by SuperCat Racing, this real time video production has gained a following of hardcore fans across the country that get to watch the OPA races live on their computer monitor. Thanks to Tony Marcantonio for bankrolling this startup venture, it really has made a difference.
Another group that made a difference was Mike Merola’s band of crazies from the East Coast Boat Racing Club. Having them at a few of our races really helped to round out the weekend of racing and added to the overall show. We are looking forward to working with Mike and his crew again in 2010.
I’d also like to thank my good friend John Haggin for his continued support of OPA and offshore racing in general. When I first met John in 2004 he wanted to race his 50’ turbine powered Outerlimits pleasure boat. Now five years and three turbine boats later, John has reached the pinnacle of the sport, having found the Holy Grail of boat racing…a sponsor by the name of Geico. For the past few years John and the AMF crew have worked to give Geico more than they expected, promoting their sponsor whenever and however possible. And for this year, John and his crew have talked Geico into sponsoring the entire OPA season. For that, I’d like to thank John and everyone at AMF and Geico for making this happen. This sponsorship will allow OPA to grow to the next level, bringing it to a higher level of race site appearance and professionalism.
Now what you’ve all been waiting for, the unveiling of the 2010, Geico Offshore Racing Series, sanctioned by OPA.
The season will start with a traditional offshore race in Ocean City MD – May 28 – 30. Think boardwalk, beaches, bikinis, Seacrets, and rough water. As we’ve found in the past, no one makes OPA racers feel more welcome than Ocean City MD. Damn, it’s still six months away.
Next we’ll head south to beautiful Sunny Isles Beach, FL – June 11 – 13. This will be the third year for racing in this jewel of South Florida. Sunny Isles Beach is located between Ft Lauderdale and Miami Beach with the dry and wet pits in Haulover Park. This event will include the annual run to Bimini and back which takes place on Saturday morning. It’s a 100 mile mad dash across the open Atlantic with winners in multiple classes. Last year, Aquamania made the run in just 43 minutes and 43 seconds. Click this link to watch a short video from last year’s event. http://www.vimeo.com/5212278 Expect to see lots of hardware in the pits as we’ll share the area with a poker run, the Bimini Run, exotic cars and more. Expect nothing less than a great time…Miami style. For more info, go to www.offshoreevents.net.
As summer gets too hot in the south, we’ll head north to Harrison Township, MI – July 16 – 18 for the third annual event. This is a home town type event where the boats race through people’s backyards along the river. It’s a blast and we look forward to visiting with some of the best fans in the world once again.
The party continues upriver just one week later in St Clair, MI July 23 – 25 where the OPA boats will rip up the clear blue waters for the sixth year in a row. This is a NOT TO BE MISSED race site. The local race producers, the local racing club and the town pull off an event unlike any other. It’s like Disneyland meets boat racing. PLAN TO BE THERE!
A month later we are all going to Louie’s house in Patchogue Long Island August 20-22 and have a party, a boat race and a hopefully another concert if Louie’s up for it. This will be the fourth year that Louie and his family have spent the time and money to put on a world class event on Long Island. From the party on Main St on Friday night to the action on the water, it’s New York at its finest.
Hide your wallet, we’re going to Atlantic City, NJ – Sept 10-12. This site has a lot of history going back to the APBA World Championships in November of 1988. It’s a true rough water race where big vee hulls have always done well. This race is sponsored by the new bars that have been built on the Atlantic City beaches. We fully expect to turn this into an annual event, so come get some!
After A/C the boats will continue south for the next stop in Cambridge Maryland – Sept 24-26. Bring the whole family as we head back to the Hyatt for another round of Golf and a race site that offers terrific spectator viewing. This is one of the premier sites on the OPA schedule so don’t miss it.
Gary Nichols just loves Offshore Powerboat Racing and when asked if he would get involved again to produce the OPA World Championship Races in Orange Beach, Alabama on October 19-24 he said “Hell yes, we want OPA in Orange Beach”. Orange Beach is the perfect place for OPA to hold its first World Championship Race. OB has a long history of hosting offshore races. SBI, APBA, and OSS have all raced there, and now it will become the home of the OPA Worlds. This will be an open invitational race for all teams to come and race with no excuses. Teams will find droves of fans and plenty of available beachfront condos at very reasonable prices.
This will conclude the 2010 OPA season. It is not our intention to compete with Key West and that’s the reason that our date is two weeks before Key West. We’ve found that a three race event in Key West is just too expensive for the majority of our teams to compete in. For this reason we’ve chosen to hold our own event in Orange Beach. At this event, OPA will extend the offer to any team from any organization to race with no entry fee. So let’s see whose best on the water and leave the BS on the beach.
We understand that sponsors like being seen on TV and of course, TV helps our teams and race producers find sponsors. We are working toward something and feel confident in saying that a few and possibly all of the OPA races will end up on TV at some point in 2010.
Now all you need to do is get through the winter and save up the registration fees – same as last year $700 per boat and $150 per team member. And make sure the tow rig, boat and team are ready for the season. At least you don’t have to worry about changes to the rule book, for the sixth year in a row, we have no changes to our rules! So get ready to bring your best cause you know everyone else in your class is doing their homework over the winter. I know I am…
Next stop!!! The OPA winter Awards Party on February 20th at the Oyster Creek Inn (see below). If you haven’t been to an OPA Winter Awards Party, you are missing the boat. In past years we tried going upscale by renting a yacht to take us around Manhattan as we partied, but it just didn’t feel right. So we found a little bar tucked away in the woods of South Jersey that feels like the OPA Safe House. We take over the whole place and have a blast. Please make the effort to attend this year, it’s only a mile from the hotel and we’ll have a meeting at the hotel prior to the party before you guys get anywhere near booze.
The highlight of the evening is always the passing of the Stuggots Cup from last year’s high points champion to the new champion. For this year, “The Godfather” has decided to step things up a notch. Augie recalls, “The Jersey Boyz was originally thirteen teams that traveled together, raced against each other and above all always remained friends. People think the Jersey Boyz stands for guns, baseball bats, tattoos and good food, but we know it’s much more than that. It’s about camaraderie, brotherhood and family. It’s about sportsmanship and respect for your fans and fellow racers on and off the water. It’s about love of the sport of Offshore Racing and the love of the competition and the rush it provides. It’s about a frame of mind and an attitude. It’s about a way of life and I want to honor the team that we feel exemplifies these qualities by presenting them with the biggest, badest trophy that anyone has ever seen. The ‘Godfather Cup’ will be handed down each year at the winter awards party to the team that most honors these qualities that OPA holds dear. You cannot win this award, you’ll have to earn it.
It all happens at the Oyster Creek Inn- http://www.oystercreekinnnj.com
41 N Oyster Creek Road
Leeds Point, NJ 08220
609-652-8565
The cost of the dinner is $60 a person and that includes full dinner and live music starting at 6pm sharp. The dress code is nice casual which means no ripped up jeans. Everyone will pay at the door and please bring cash only. No credit cards! You can book your hotel room right near the Oyster Creek Inn for a fee of $125 a night at the beautiful Marriott. Call 1-800-205-6518 to book the rooms. Please make sure you tell them you are with OPA Racing to receive the special room rate. Just click the MARRIOTT here to see the hotel.
For more info and menu, go to: http://oparacing.org/2010opaawardsparty.html
Happy New Year!
Smitty, Augie & Louie “The Rigger”