2017 Southern 80, These guys are nuts !!!

**Serious News** · 02-11-2017 01:16 AM

The Murray River comes alive on 11 and 12 February with the sound of roaring engines and skiers as they conquer the 124 + bends in the 2017 Southern 80 and the official event precinct at Victoria Park, Echuca is the place to see the race from start to finish.

The weekend of high-octane racing will begin on the Friday morning with the Breakfast with the Stars, at Kirrabee Sound Shell in Moama, New South Wales. From 7am to 9am the competing boats and teams will be presented, providing an opportunity for visitors to get up close and personal to see the stars of water ski racing. There will be poster signings, breakfast available from Beechworth Bakery and interviews with members of the ski racing community.

On Saturday the main shopping district of Echuca, Hare Street will come alive with highly polished boats in the Total Tools Static Display from 9am to 12 noon. Merchandise and poster signings will be available, along with interviews with some of the stars of ski racing.

The first boat hits the water on Saturday at 9am, with the social classes travelling the course from Five Mile Reserve in Moama to the finish line at Victoria Park, Echuca.

At the Victoria Park Finish line precinct, there will be live crosses on the Giant Screen to the start lines each day. Entry to the Victoria Park Finish Line is $35 for a weekend pass and $25 for a day pass. Tickets can be purchased at the gate. This is a No glass, No dogs, No BYO alcohol event. Please bring your own picnic rug and capture the magic of the Southern 80. The foreshore area has been opened up to allow spectators to sit on the banks of our mighty Murray River.

Half time entertainment will see the inaugural Southern 80 Paddle occur on the river, where selected spectators can participate in an 80-metre paddle on the Murray River. The Drag boats will then also put their roar onto the river as they display the speeds that they can travel in short distance.

The race that everyone is waiting for, is the Bakers Blitz and this will see last year’s winner ‘The Mistress’ leading the other six superclass boats down the river to determine the pole position for the Superclass event on Sunday. The Baker’s Blitz will commence at 2pm.

At the conclusion of racing, there will be live music until the presentation of trophies.

The racing will start at 8.30am on Sunday with some of the expert classes on the water. Here 120 boats leave the Torrumbarry start line and travel down the bends of the Murray River towards the Finish Line at Victoria Park.

At 12.30pm visitors can see the Superclass boats on the water, in the order that was determined from the placing in Saturday’s Bakers Blitz. Again, at the conclusion of racing there will be live music till the presentation of the winners with their trophies and the crowning of the presentation of the Leigh Johnson Trophy to the Outright winner of the 2107 Southern 80.

Come along and catch all the action on the waters of the Murray River – “See you at the Finish Line”..

http://www.skiracing.com.au/2017-sou...untdown-is-on/