Engines will rev up when speed boats race off Fort Monroe during the nearly 100-year-old Hampton Cup Regatta, the East Coast’s premier inboard hydroplane race.
Hosted by the Hampton Cup Racing Club, the race attracts about 50 vessels and their crews from all over the United States and Canada to compete along 1.25 miles at 80 to 170 miles per hour.
The race is sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association as part of the association’s Region 4, according to Becky Skaar, hospitality chairperson and a 12-year volunteer for the race.
“This is Grand Prix style racing,” she said.
Founded in 1926, the Hampton Cup Racing Club is a 45-member volunteer organization that plans the event.
“This is a family-friendly free event, and you can’t turn on the TV to see this kind of action,” she said.
The free event starts Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m. with Bash on the Bridge. The local band Foxglove will play rock and pop music on the Mercury Boulevard bridge leading into Fort Monroe.
For the concert and the race, visitors can roam the bridge or sit in the shade to view the races that are held Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 beginning at 11 a.m. Gates open at 10:30 a.m.
While the bridge has been under construction, city officials have assured race organizers the work will be completed in time for spectators, Skaar noted.
The race schedule will not be finalized until the morning of each race day and is always subject to change based on tide and weather conditions.
“Weather plays a big role. Last year it was too windy on Saturday, so all races were held the next day,” Skaar said.
The event has a children’s area, craft vendors and food vendors. There are opportunities to meet the drivers and their pit crews. Visitors can view the boats up close to fully understand what it takes to race on the water.
Skaar warned that the boats are loud, so animals are not permitted except for service animals. Emotional support animals should be left at home.
“It is fireworks loud,”she said. “This event is not pet friendly. The noise is one thing, the asphalt also can get hot.”
In addition to fast boats, the Hampton Cup Car Show showcases antique, muscle, specialty cars, trucks and motorcycles while boats race.
