Orange Beach Update

[Ron P]

It is with great disappointment that OPA must cancel the World Championship Races that were to be held in Orange Beach, Alabama during the week of October 11 – 17, 2010. Our primary concern is for the safety of the OPA Teams, their equipment and the people of Orange Beach and Gulf Coast.

We would like to thank the Gulf Coast Offshore Powerboat Association for the exceptional events previously hosted in Orange Beach. Orange Beach is considered to be one of the premier venues for Offshore Powerboat Racing in the United States and we hope to return to Orange Beach in 2011. Hopefully the beaches and Gulf waters will be back to their former beauty by then.

We look forward to a continuing relationship with the City of Orange Beach and the Gulf Coast Offshore Powerboat Association and wish our friends and fans along the Gulf Coast a speedy and full recovery.

In place of Orange Beach, we are working with the folks in Lake of the Ozarks, MO to move our Worlds to their inland protected lake during the same week in October. Hopefully they can raise the money and gain the permits needed to facilitate the OPA Worlds. Worst case scenario, we’ll try to race twice – Friday and Sunday in Maryland and call that our National Championship and World Championship event.

Stay tuned as things develop, we’ll keep you notified.

Smitty

[MANITIE]

That sucks...but safety first...

Any luck of having it up North.....

[Ratickle]

That does suck. I was planning on making that a vacation to watch the championship and look for a place to retire to....


Mobilemercman says it's one of the premier spots in the country....



Waht about the city on Lake Erie OPA was working with last year that didn't quite pan out? I think it was GlassDave and 2TR who were trying? Or Dean? Don't remember all the specifics.

[Dirty Pearl]

The World Championships need to be held in the ocean with real water virsus an inland lake with no water.

[MANITIE]

The World Championships need to be held in the ocean with real water virsus an inland lake with no water.

I'm all for it being a Ocean race....

[Ron P]

That does suck. I was planning on making that a vacation to watch the championship and look for a place to retire to....


Mobilemercman says it's one of the premier spots in the country....



Waht about the city on Lake Erie OPA was working with last year that didn't quite pan out? I think it was GlassDave and 2TR who were trying? Or Dean? Don't remember all the specifics.

Look at Destin too!!

[Ron P]

LOTO is awesome and there's no oil in the water there. Gotta do what ya gotta do.

[Mike A.]

LOTO is awesome and there's no oil in the water there. Gotta do what ya gotta do.

Damn, St. Pete is pretty nice too. Just sayin.

[Whoz Your Daddy]

I'm all for it being a Ocean race....

Just my 2 cents but the Ocean is where OPA worlds should be.

[skaterdave]

somewhere near jacksonville would be cool and centrally located. maybe talk with the guys that do the jax poker run. a combo event?

[Ron P]

The World should be in the ocean, that's why we worked with Orange Beach but as you know, there's problems with an oil spill down there right now.

Its not easy to find new race sites. Permits must be in 135 days before the event and raising the money to fund the race is another obsticle. LOTO is working hard to make this happen. If anyone else has a viable site with a built in racing organization and can raise the funds, lets hear it.

[Whoz Your Daddy]

How about Atlantic city in Sept? I remember them years ago. It was awesome

[MANITIE]

How about Atlantic city in Sept? I remember them years ago. It was awesome

That would be a good place...and if permits become a issue..let me see what I can get done with my folks in DC...

any chance of Phil getting things done to return us to Ocean City, MD

[Wanted Racing]

I will open the hotel up in October and will bills if u guys want to bring the race back to oc. and the town will probably give us the inlet parking lot at that time. just don't wait to long to make a decision.

[Bodyshot1]

..had a feeling this would happen..damn shame...for everyone!

[Whoz Your Daddy]

I will open the hotel up in October and will bills if u guys want to bring the race back to oc. and the town will probably give us the inlet parking lot at that time. just don't wait to long to make a decision.

[R&S OFFSHORE]

How about Key West, Work it out Ron and Smitty,

[Ron P]

How about Key West, Work it out Ron and Smitty,

That's been tried many times. It would be nice but,,,,everyone needs to want to make it happen.

[High Priority]

I vote for an ocean race somewhere, but we need to think about how the weather will be in mid/late Oct. too. It would not be any fun if we had to winterize boats after race testing and races.

[Trim'd Up]

LOTO would be great for me. I really enjoyed the races there the last couple of years. On the other hand, Oct. weather can be pretty hit or miss around here.