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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

A need for speed

Power boats compete on Crane Lake this weekend

Tom Klein
Posted 8/5/15

CRANE LAKE – They look like miniature space shuttles and fly across the water at speeds of up to 135 miles per hout.

“They are absolutely amazing machines,” said Brian Tabara, president of …

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A need for speed

Power boats compete on Crane Lake this weekend

Posted

CRANE LAKE – They look like miniature space shuttles and fly across the water at speeds of up to 135 miles per hout.

“They are absolutely amazing machines,” said Brian Tabara, president of the Twin City Power Boat Association (TCPBA). “The Formula 150 is our biggest and baddest class.”

The TCPBA will have those boats as well as others in Crane Lake for races this weekend. Qualifying races start at noon on Saturday with the main event scheduled to start at noon on Sunday.

Boats will compete in seven racing classes from the GT Pro to Hobby Stock. Tabara explained the various classes are designed for different watercraft.

The GT Pro Class, for instance, is designed for watercraft which can reach a top speed of 50 mph. The class typically attracts contestants from 12 to 15-years-old, but has drawn some older contestants.

“It’s just a great way to introduce kids to competitive racing,” said Tabara.

The Hobby Stock division is also another entryway for new racers. “It’s the most economical approach,” said Tabara. The boats in this division are powered by 70 horsepower engines and can reach speeds in the high forties.

As the classes advance, the speed and design of the boats alters. The higher speed boats are specially built with cockpits made from Kevlar and other composite fibers. They are designed to be detachable from the boat’s main frame so if a collision occurs, the cockpit remains intact and the driver is protected.

Tabara said another key feature of the racing boats is the horsepower to weight ratio. A boat weighing 1,050 (including the driver) can still churn out 300 horsepower.

With speeds topping 100 mph, the boats sail over the water’s surface.

“The top of the boat is constructed like a wing,” Tabara said. “They’re flying over the water rather than through the water.”

Drivers make 10 laps of a oval-shaped, three-quarter mile course in qualifying runs. In the official races, drivers complete 15 laps of the course.

The races begin with a modified Lehman’s start, with up to 10 boats taking off from the starting line at the same time.

Tabara said the TCPBA has existed in some form for more than half a century. But interest in power boat racing has been on the rise in recent years.

“We have 120 members in the TCPBA, the most we’ve ever had,” he said, adding that attendance at races also points to the sport’s growing popularity. He expects at least 10,000 spectators at an upcoming race at Forest Lake. The championship will be determined in Superior, Wis., on Sept. 19-20.

Meanwhile, he said the TCPBA, which is returning to Crane Lake after two previous races there, loves coming to the tiny township in northern St. Louis County.

“We may not get as big a crowd as we do at other sites,” he said, “but there are a lot of racing fans there and they always treat us right.”

For more information on the TCPBA, visit the website at tcpoa.org or the Facebook page for TCPBA Power Boat Racing.