After a 30-year hiatus, powerboat racing is set to return to the St. Johns River June 7-8 when the Powerboat P1 international racing series comes to Jacksonville.
Mayor Alvin Brown welcomed Powerboat P1 CEO James Durbin to the Jacksonville Landing on Thursday for the unveiling of the Visit Jacksonville race boat that will compete this year in the series.
The 28-foot, 250-horsepower stock racing boats will race on a 2-mile course near Memorial Park in Riverside, adjacent to the P1 Race Village, Durbin said.
Each boat is prepared identically, similar to the NASCAR auto racing series, he said, making the determining factors for victory the skill and teamwork of the driver and throttleman.
The plan to bring the Powerboat P1 series to Jacksonville began last year in London, when the city sent a delegation there in conjunction with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ game at Wembley Stadium.
Brown said that’s where he met Durbin, who became interested in making Jacksonville a venue for the series.
“Jacksonville is perfect. It’s internationally recognized as a sporting city,” said Durbin.
In addition to the 12 powerboats in the fleet, 60 P1 AquaX Jet Ski competitors also will hit the course, making for a full schedule of races.
“There will be four hours of white water on both days,” Durbin said. “It’s fast, furious and fun to watch.”
In February, the Duval County Tourist Development Council approved a grant up to $25,000 to be used to advertise and market the inaugural race weekend.
Brown said including the race teams and organizers and anticipated visitors, the event should generate an economic impact of about $2 million.
He estimated that 1,000 room nights will be booked for the race, including at the Omni Hotel Downtown, which has signed on as the official hotel for the event.
Powerboat P1 races are televised globally by Fox Sports International and the Sky Sports Network, putting Jacksonville on an international stage during the race weekend and throughout the series schedule now that one of the competitors carries the “Visit Jacksonville” message on its
hull.
“We have 1 billion potential viewers worldwide,” Durbin said.
Admission to the P1 racing Village at Memorial Park will be free and shuttle service will be available from designated parking areas.
For more information and race updates, visit powerboatp1.com.
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