PowerBoat Races Canceled in Marathon?

[Bobcat]

www.keysnews.com

Weird story on the front page of the KW Citizen this AM.

Officials abruptly Canceled a professional Powerboat Grand Prix, after permit problems and protests by Commercial fishermen. The 2.5 mile race was scheduled for September 14th and 15th. It was supposed to start and finish in front of the Sunset Grille Northside of the 7mile bridge.

Still looking for info.:huh:

 

[Ratickle]

That would be the P1 race Martin was promoting as part of the P1 series this year.


Marathon Grand Prix of the Sea | American Power Boat Association

 

[Ratickle]

P1 Superstock: P1 forced to reschedule season finale in Marathon at the 11th hour! Event News

Date: Thu 05 Sep 2013

P1 forced to reschedule season finale in Marathon at the 11th hour

Unfortunately commercial fishermen have pulled the brakes on P1 hosting the final round of the 2013 SuperStock Championship in Marathon next weekend after they raised objections to the event moments before final permissions were due to be granted by city and coastguard officials.

Staff at P1 have been dealing with some issues with the race in Marathon where applications for the mandatory coastguard permits, as well as state and federal permits had been applied for some 6 months prior to the race, giving plenty of time for the coastguard to reach out to all necessary parties. However, despite this at the eleventh hour, the organization that represents the commercial fishermen in the area claim there are more than 400 lobster pots in the proximity of the race course. P1 were made aware of this at the end of last week and it has emerged that they are not in favour of the race taking place. Unfortunately without their approval, the city and coastguard will not let the race continue.

Since being notified staff at P1-USA have been doing everything possible to try and rectify the situation, attended meetings in Marathon and applying pressure from all quarters, but the fishermen are simply not willing to work with us for this year’s event.

US Championship Manager, Azam Rangoonwala, commented: "This is obviously of great frustration for us as it impacts on teams and volunteers, particularly those who travel from further afield for their racing. We have done everything we possibly could to try and resolve this or reschedule for the same date, but it now looks like we will have to put back the final race."

"Having this very difficult force majeure situation thrust upon us unexpectedly is most unfortunate but we are determined to stage a fifth and final event of the 2013 season and as such we are currently reviewing options at different venues and will have a plan in place by the end of the week. In all likelihood we will require a window of at least 60 days in order to achieve the necessary permits required for an alternative venue. We are doing everything we can to confirm details of the final round as soon as possible, at which we now plan to incorporate the championship awards dinner."

The USA team are equally frustrated given the extensive planning and resources already dedicated to the event and the logistical challenges faced with the boats, some of which were scheduled to be shipped to an event in India in December.

P1 appreciates all the support that their competitors, fans and volunteers have given over the course of the season and we sincerely hope that this unfortunate issue will not impact your ongoing enthusiasm and commitment.

Competitors will be contacted with details of the new date and venue before the end of the week, in the meantime if they have any queries please call Azam on +1 252-702-2771

 

[Ratickle]

Some of the Keys news editorials aren't too pleased with the race or promoters...


Logic missing on defunding Seafood Festival

Posted - Saturday, September 07, 2013 08:01 AM EDT

You might have heard that a group called Powerboat P1 USA was planning to stage its championship Superstock races the weekend of Sept. 14 in Marathon. Or not.

Likely the latter, since they weren’t advertised and were cancelled Wednesday because the promoter — who says he’s helped promote Marathon powerboat races in the past — bizarrely planned the competition during the eight-month commercial lobster season, crucial to the Keys economy. Powerboats built for racing, lobster buoys and lobster lines don’t mix.

You might have also heard that on Aug. 14, the Middle Keys District Advisory Committee (DAC 3) to the county Tourist Development Council, which promotes Keys tourism, voted to give Powerboat P1 USA $30,000 to promote its Marathon championship next September.

And you might have heard that at the same meeting, the DAC 3 voted to cut the Original Marathon Seafood Festival’s TDC advertising budget by 40 percent, from $50,000 this year to $30,000 in 2014. The DAC 3 then voted to increase Fantasy Fest funding from $10,000 to $30,000.

The stated reason? The Seafood Festival is a profit maker, so why do the Middle Keys need that $20,000 advertising money from the TDC? Let the Seafood Festival spend its profit marketing itself, or so goes the argument.

Man oh man, but that logic doesn’t fly — especially given the money-makers out there that could stand on their own without Marathon’s $20,000 DAC 3 gift. They would be Key West’s Fantasy Fest, Poker Run and motorcycle Poker Run — all of which do fine with DAC 1’s own advertising money.

Now back to Powerboat P1’s $30,000 allocation from DAC 3, even though the promoters were so inept at trying to put together their races this year — so inept, in fact, they canceled the races at the 11th hour.

DACs fund in two categories; destination event and turnkey event. Destination events can use the money for advertising only. Turnkey events get the money merely if they stage the event they said they would, no matter how successful.

Marathon’s DAC 3 had $200,000 to split for 2014 events. Voting to change the Seafood Festival’s category from destination to turnkey were Vicki Tashjian, George Shattuck, Ralph Lucignano, Wendy Hall and Bill Ehrhorn. That is where the festival’s $20,000 cut came from.

Opposing — meaning voting to maintain Seafood Festival funding — were Bernard Spinrad, Michael Horvat and Kelly McKinnon.

Seafood Festival funding is on the agenda for Tuesday’s Marathon City Council meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Marathon Government Center.

This deserves a thorough vetting.

And someone had better explain why Marathon event funding should help subsidize profitable events like Fantasy Fest while reducing funding to promote the city’s largest community event held every year.

Logic missing on defunding Seafood Festival - KeysNet.com

 

[Bobcat]

I never even knew it was scheduled....I would have made time to go up and take some fuzzy pictures.

 

[Ratickle]

This was their championship final. Hope they are able to come up with something.