SBI Charlotte Harbor Gran Prix, replaced by OPA/APBA Offshore World Championships, Nov. 18-22
I can personally tell you, the 2014 CHSBGP local organizers were more interested in 'being in control' that getting professional experienced help with the race management. They are out. Now for the press release:
The Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix, which had its inaugural event in April, will not return for an encore. The first ever 2014 Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix was held Sunday April 13, 2014 at Englewood Beach in Englewood Fl. Thousands showed up for the event and the audience was treated to races, food and drinks as well as plenty of sunshine
Charlotte County commisssioners recently voted not to renew funding for the event because of financial issues with the promoter.
But powerboat racing will go on under new organizers, who want to create a bigger economic impact.
A group of Englewood business leaders announced Thursday that they have secured the OPA/APBA Offshore World Championships, Nov. 18-22.
“This is all about celebrating the water components we have in this area,” said Elaine Miller, president of the Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Miller also is president of the Englewood Beach WaterFest Committee, which is seeking nonprofit status. Ken Stead, who will succeed Miller as chamber president, is vice president of the committee.
They are seeking ideas, volunteers and funding.
Manasota Key residents Donna Walters and Carol Ashton, who are among more than 550 members in the Manasota Sandpiper Key Association, said they welcome a second chance for the boat races.
The Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix in April was viewed by many as a mixed success.
Indeed, it drew only half the expected 40,000 to 50,000 visitors.
Chamber executive director Ed Hill said the races came during high season, when Englewood was already crowded with people staying in all available rentals and filling restaurant seats.
The boat races did not generate the economic impact that organizers envisioned. Residents and businesses were not involved in planning, and there was no charitable element to the event.
About a month after the races, in an effort to address the issues, the chamber formed the volunteer committee. It surveyed the community, both online and in person. Members solicited others to get involved, and the group met throughout the summer.
“We know there was potential for something good to happen in Englewood,” Stead said. “We wanted to bring back that focus to Englewood.”
Miller said they wanted to find ways to augment the race, not run it, but they found out there were financial issues surrounding the April event.
By November, Charlotte County had withdrawn its support for the former promoter, Jerry York, president of the Charlotte Harbor Super Boat Grand Prix.
The April event was funded by the Charlotte County Commission, which promised $250,000 to York's group to organize the races for two years, said Sean Doherty, sales and sports marketing manager for the Charlotte Harbor Visitor and Convention Bureau.
Results of a full audit did not sit well with commissioners, Doherty said, and they voted not to continue for 2015.
About $180,000 was given to York's group; the sticking point for commissioners was $10,000 York's organization did not reserve as a deposit for the next year's sanction fee to Super Boat International.
That is how the Englewood volunteers decided to take on the full challenge of putting on a big race in addition to related festival events.
The races will be sanctioned through the Offshore Powerboat Association and American Power Boat Association, which merged early last year.
With the volunteer committee seeking nonprofit status, a charitable cause will be determined, Hill said. There may be more than one, such as a nature beneficiary from the power boat races, another from planned kayak races and a third from concession stand sales.
Because Englewood straddles Sarasota and Charlotte counties, the event is being rebranded to attract more of a regional base.
“This really is the first event we've ever had that unites the two counties,” Miller said. “We have no borders.”
