Powerboat races returning to West Milford in June

By David M. Zimmer

American Powerboat Association racing is set to return to Greenwood Lake in West Milford on June 4 and 5 after the Greenwood Lake Power Boat Association received state and local approvals to use the venue.The Greenwood Lake Power Boat Association helped bring racing back to the lake in 2011 after more than a decade.

Powerboat racing is set to make its return to Greenwood Lake in the first week of June.

Last week, the West Milford Township Council approved a Greenwood Lake Power Boat Association (GLPBA) racing event at Brown's Point Park for June 4 and 5.

American Powerboat Association racing is set to return to Greenwood Lake in West Milford on June 4 and 5 after the Greenwood Lake Power Boat Association received state and local approvals to use the venue.The Greenwood Lake Power Boat Association helped bring racing back to the lake in 2011 after more than a decade.

The March 16 council decision follows previously granted authorization from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The Greenwood Lake Spring Race is once again due to be sanctioned by the American Powerboat Association (APBA).

The venue in West Milford's Hewitt section has held spring race events in each of the last two years under the GLPBA. The township-based association helped return racing to the lake in 2011 in a collaboration with the Lake Hopatcong Racing Association. A dispute between the groups as well as organizational issues delayed the race's subsequent return to 2014, however.

More than two decades ago, Greenwood Lake's 1-mile circuit provided a venue for nationally televised APBA races each May. Races in the calm waters continued regularly until a race-day cancellation in 1999 took Greenwood Lake off the APBA's yearly calendar. Cold-weather lake weeds were charged with ruining that event, and precautions have been taken since the event returned this decade to avoid a similar result.

The race dates have been pushed back into June from May, allowing the township additional time to employ its lake-weed trimming and harvesting barges on Greenwood Lake. Since 2014, the race has also benefitted from a relatively new property owners association that funds an herbicide treatment in select spots of the lake's New Jersey end each spring to cull invasive lake weeds curly pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil.

According to municipal records, race event organizers must work with the township to determine the traffic and crowd control plans by April 7 or risk the event's cancellation. The GLPBA must also provide $1 million in insurance coverage for personal injury as well as other insurance coverage. The organization has met these standards in each of the last two years.

Admission fees are set to be $10 for general admission with an additional $5 charge for a pit pass. For children aged 5 to 12, admission fees drop to $5. Admission is due to be free for children aged 4 and under.

Email: zimmer@northjersey.com

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