Thunder On The Gulf Super Boat Grand Prix begins May 31st

by Rodrick Cox, SBI on 29 May 2013 Super Boat International (SBI) is happy to return to the Alabama coastline for the 10th Annual Thunder On The Gulf Super Boat Grand Prix. May 31st through June 2nd, teams will arrive and prepare their boats for the ‘Thunder On The Gulf’ event. This is the third stop on the SBI National Series race circuit that begins in April and ends in early October in Clearwater, Florida with the National Championship event.

Alabama hosts one of the most fun-filled and exciting races on the national circuit as they roll out the red carpet for SBI race teams and fans. The beachfront communities are always alive with summertime activity, as people from all around the country come to vacation along the beautiful beaches. It’s this same time of year that vacationers have booked their tickets to come stay and watch some of the most exciting offshore powerboats in the world.

'We are looking forward to returning to Alabama and working with a great group of people to put on what should be a very exciting race', comments SBI Founder, John Carbonell. 'The waters on this race course are sometimes unpredictable as they can be quite calm one day and rough the next. We have seen some good bumpy races here, as the waters in the lower Gulf of Mexico build and end up dumping right here. The unpredictable waters, along with the nice long straightaways down the beach, make it exciting for teams to race here.'

SBI is proud to showcase some of the most exciting classes in offshore racing. Unlimited: these are the biggest, fastest boats where horsepower and size doesn’t matter. It’s just a ‘run what you brung’ kind of class. Turbine: these powerboats boast the performance of typically a 44’ to 50’ boat powered by twin helicopter style engines, recognized by the high pitch noise they produce. Superboat: the fastest growing class in SBI, has catamaran style boats with twin engines exceeding 700 horsepower each and observe stringent inspection requirements. Extreme: the class that combines Cats and Vees, but requires a GPS so the raceboats do not breakout past 117 mph. Super Stock: these are identical twin outboard catamarans that fly across the water and always put on a show for the crowd. Superboat Vee: the single inboard 525hp class of boats… they always come to battle and tend to ‘rub paint’ sometimes. Production Classes: these classes showcase some of the most exciting races as boats of various makes and sizes have the opportunity to compete on a regular basis and are governed by a GPS with strict guidelines not to breakout of certain speed brackets.

Teams will be arriving Friday to the dry pits to set up their equipment. This is where fans can get an up-close look at all the boats and can get a chance to talk to their favorite teams. Teams and drivers always encourage the fans to come down and spend time in the pits, where they can get a chance to swap racing (boating) stories.

This year, our Sunday races will be streamed here, so you won’t miss any of the action, if you can’t make it to the beaches. Or if you’re on the beach, you can watch and listen to it on your smartphone.

The Super Boat schedule is posted through 2013 and 2014 with races coming up in Orange Beach, AL; Sarasota, FL; Michigan City IN; New York, NY; Clearwater and Key West, FL.

Orange Beach Event Schedule:

Friday • May 31, 2013
9:00 am	-	5:00 pm	Race Registration: Race Village – The Wharf - At the foot of the Foley Beach Express Bridge, Canal Rd.
9:00 am	-	8:00 pm	Race Village Open at The Wharf
5:00pm			VIP Pre-Party at Live Bait II
6:00pm	-	9:00pm	Meet the Race Teams at "Live Bait II" - 24281 Perdido Beach Blvd.

 

Saturday • June 1, 2013
9:00 am	-	8:00pm	Race Village Open
9:00 am	-	5:00 pm	Powerboats and Race Teams In Dry Pits: Race Village
9:00am	-	5:00pm	Wet Pits Viewing at Cobalt - VIP Viewing
12:00pm	-	5:00 pm	Launching: 28099 Perdido Beach Blvd.
12:00pm	-	5:00 pm	Testing: As per the SBIP Rulebook
12:00pm			Entertainment begins at Race Village - Featuring doo-wop band "Blend" and Top Hat & Jackie
3:00 pm			"Miss Thunder on the Gulf" Bikini Contest - Flora-Bama
6:00 pm			Party at Race Village - Featuring the dance band "Hotwire"

 

Sunday • June 2, 2013 - Race Day
9:00 am	-	4:00 pm	Launching : 28099 Perdido Beach Blvd.
9:00 am	-	4:00 pm	Powerboats in Dry Pits: Race Village
11:00am			Platinum & VIP Viewing Areas Open at Island House & Turquoise Place
11:00am			Mirams Viewing Party at Turquoise Place Opens
12:30pm			Boats of First Race Proceed to Milling Area
1:00pm			Start of 1st. Race
2:30 pm			Boats of Second Race Proceed to Milling Area
3:00 pm			Start of 2nd Race
6:00 pm			Awards Presentation: Race Village - The Wharf - Complete Angler Boat Bar

SBI website