Home News Local news Festival Boat Races Fill Frederiksted

Festival Boat Races Fill Frederiksted

0
Festival Boat Races Fill Frederiksted

"Perfection" rounds the corner during the A-Class circular route race Sunday in Frederiksted (Bill Kossler photo).Speedboats cut snow-white swan wings of sea spray in water as clear as a window on the Frederiksted waterfront, as St. Croix boaters competed during the annual Crucian Christmas Festival Boat Races on Sunday.

The sky was blue and the sun scorching as hundreds of families picnicked on the shore and made a day of it, barbecuing, liming with friends, listening to thumping music – from Kes and the Band singing "Wotless" to this year’s YouTube sensation “Gangnam Style.”

A total of seven races took place, each containing an A, B, and C class. Each lettered category represents the parameters in horsepower that the boats had to meet:
– A-Class, 600 hp and higher, usually two or even three engine vessels;
– B-Class, 400-590 hp, usually with one or two engines;
– C-Class, 100-300 hp, generally single engine boats.

First there was a circuit race, in which the boats had to maneuver around several buoys and complete two laps. The middle class of boats went first – B-Class – while the organizers awaited the arrival of some contestants. Then came the smallest C- Class boats and finally the high powered A-Class boats.

Then came a straight line "drag race" for each class, and finally an open entry drag race for all comers, all classes of boat, for a total of seven races. Crowds line the beach for the Festival Boat Races in Frederiksted on Sunday (Bill Kossler photo).

Last year racer Harold “Rocky” Larsen was thrown from his boat and broke his leg while hot dogging between races after winning twice. Since he was not injured in the race, there has still never been an injury in a race, according to Freddy Pimentel, emcee, host and vice president of the Christmas Festival Boat Races. Pimentel “knocked on wood," but said safety was a top concern. "This year we have rescue on the scene and divers out on boats just in case," he said.

Rescue personnel were especially concerned about the C-Class races, saying the smaller vessels bounce and shimmy more as they shoot across the waves. They ordered vessels be cleared from around the fishing boat pier next to the Frederiksted while those boats ran.

The biggest, most powerful vessel this year was "Red Hot," a 32-foot Hustler with twin 800 hp engines. Pemberton, a long-time race participant, said he brought the vessel down from New York City around the beginning of December.

"It’s all stock engine. There’s no supercharger,” Pemberton said while preparing the boat before racing.

Pemberton and co-pilot Baja Andrew won the Class-A drag race, but scratched during the circular race with an engine problem, ceding that race to Terrance Melendez and "Tiger" Reynaldo Ilarraza from the west end of St. Croix, in "Perfection" a 30-foot vessel with twin 300 horsepower Mercury outboards.

"When he came out of the third turn, I knew he would win," said an excited Jungo Thou, a member of the Perfection team, after the race. "We just put it in the water and ran it, just like a horse," Thou said.

The races continued all afternoon and into the early dusk, with family and friends lining the shore, cheering their favorites.

Complete results below:

Circular Races A-Class

1: Terrance Melendez
2: Lucion Lake
3: Everette Sutton

Circular Races B-Class

1: Adrian Carvalho
2: Sharif Saab
3: Norman Smith
4: Vincent Petrus

Circular Races C-Class

1: Alvin Theophilus
2: Freddy Canton
3: Luis Cintron
4: Harold Larson

Drag Race A-Class

1: Festus Pemberton
2: Terrance Melendez

Drag Race B-Class

1: Norman Smith
2: Vincent Petrus

Drag Race C-Class

1: Alvin Theophilus
2: Luis Cintron

Open-entry Off Shore Drag Race

1: Terrance Melendez
2: Alvin Theophilus

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here