Boat racing is returning to the Derby City for the first time in nearly 25 years when the International Outboard Grand Prix will be held in Louisville Aug. 18-20.

The race, which will be held on the Ohio River adjacent to Louisville’s Waterfront Park, will feature two classes of outboard boats, the 17-foot Formula One Champ Boat series and the larger 30-foot X-Boat Off-Shore Series.

Unlike Unlimited hydroplanes and other inboards, which run on oval courses, the Formula One and X-Boat series run varied courses which put an emphasis on turning both left and right. The Rising Sun Regatta typically features the smaller Formula One boats.

“We knew there’s a lot of powerboat fans in this area,” Mike Schriefer, president and CEO of the IOGP, told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “We’re not only bringing in first-class powerboat racing, we’re bringing in the boating industry and the marine industry (with exhibits).”

General admission to the event will be $10.

http://www.madisoncourier.com/Conten.../18/289/104197