powerboat racing morehead city nc

Racing Starts at 11am on Sept 30th

Sept 28th - October 1st

RACES ARE ON SEPT 30TH

CRYSTAL COAST GRAND PRIX

Boat racing event in morehead city, north carolina, about the race.

Join us for the return of the “Crystal Coast Grand Prix – Race” inspired by a boyhood passion that has become an extremely popular event on the Morehead City Waterfront. A small group of volunteers put together an event for the locals and invited guests and participants for as far away as Florida, too from every corner of the United States. We welcome everyone to the Crystal Coast, one of the most beautiful coasts on the East coast.

NC East Sports, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to engage, gather and inspire family, friends and visitors of all ages from all over the country to the Crystal Coast, focusing on local support for a seasonal community and provide a fun boating event for participants and spectators and boating enthusiasts.

We consider this to be a welcome addition to all the activities that take place on and around the intracoastal waterway.

September 30th 2023 Race Schedule

Actual race start time will be based on number of teams and is adjusted within the window of closure as required based on number of participants.

Please fill out the form if you are interested in participating in the Lookout Shootout Poker Run.

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Morehead City hosts Crystal Coast Grand Prix over weekend

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WITN) - The 2020 Offshore Powerboat Racing season wrapped up its season-opening weekend in Morehead City on Sunday.

After a four-month delay to the start of the season because of the pandemic, teams from across the United States competed at this weekend’s Crystal Coast Grand Prix.

“We had great plans and a lot of anticipation for the 2020 season,” said OPA President Ed Smith. “In spite of early cancellations, we’re especially excited to finally return to racing with our season opener in Morehead City. We’ve partnered with local organizer, Jeff McCann, to create a safe event for racers and fans alike.”

The competition was highlighted by the Miss GEICO Racing Team out of Riviera Beach, FL, whose catamaran overturned in the final lap of the Sarasota race back in July of 2019.

The Crystal Coast Grand Prix is the team’s first competition after 13-months of repair and restoration work on the boat.

“Because of the pandemic, races have been canceled or postponed. Local ordinances forced us to close our facilities for a while,” said GEICO Crew Chief Gary Stray. “After returning to the shop, we had extra time to ensure the boat was in top performance condition. We’re looking forward to racing in Morehead City and seeing the restored Miss GEICO compete against some of the best racing teams in the U.S.”

The 11-time championship team’s boat was driven by extreme sports icon Travis Pastrana and APBA Hall of Champions inductee Brit Lilly.

The 47-foot catamaran travels with more than 2,200 horsepower at speeds up to 160 miles per hour.

More than 40 teams from across the country took part in the competition, with races beginning at noon on Sunday.

Spectators were given an opportunity to watch the races from designated areas on Sugar Loaf Island as well as the Morehead City waterfront.

The races were free and open to the public.

Copyright 2020 WITN. All rights reserved.

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Crystal Coast Grand Prix On Tap This Weekend

Called the Crystal Coast Grand Prix , the first race of the Offshore Powerboat Association season—the first race of the entire 2020 offshore season for that matter—is set for September 11-13 in Morehead City, N.C. OPA president Ed “Smitty” Smith said he is expecting 35 to 40 boats to compete in the contest, which was a new addition to the American Power Boat Association member-organization’s roster this year.

The Super Stock-class, Lake of the Ozarks-based CR Racing team of Casey Boaz and Rob Unnerstall are committed to competing in Morehead City, N.C., this weekend. Photo from the 2020 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix .          

Among the competitors committed to the Morehead City event is Ryan Beckley of Sarasota, Fla. Beckley will throttle his Super Stock-class 30-foot Skater Powerboats catamaran under the locally based Floyds 1921 Restaurant and Catering sponsorship banner with driver Tom Kennedy.

“I think we’ll have six or seven Super Stock boats there,” said Beckley.

Based in Illinois, Reese Langheim, Florida’s Ricky Maldonado and the entire Jackhammer team is looking forward to the Crystal Coast Grand Prix. A fellow 32-foot Victory catamaran owner, Floridian Gary Ballough will run FJ Propeller with Darren Kittredge in the event .

Though a Supercat-class contest likely won’t materialize at the North Carolina venue, the Super Stock boats will still have bigger catamaran company on the water with the Miss GEICO team’s recent commitment to participate in the event. Offshore racing fans will get their first view of extreme sports superstar Travis Pastrana driving his first race in the team’s 47-foot Victory cat alongside veteran throttleman Steve Curtis.

On the canopied V-bottom side of the equation, Smith said he expects six or seven Super Vee Light teams join the fray.

Two races in addition to the Morehead City contest currently remain on the OPA Roster:

• Offshore at The Ozarks – Cat Edition —October 2-3, Lake Ozarks, Mo.

• OPA World Championships —November 19-22, Englewood Beach, Fla.

Editor’s Note : Speedonthewater.com chief photographer Pete Boden will be on scene to capture the action from the Crystal Coast Grand Prix.

Related stories Super Stock Super Solid For Offshore At The Ozarks Clash Mungle Planning To Field Gone Again In Offshore At The Ozarks-Cat Edition Miss GEICO In For OPA Races In North Carolina And Missouri

Super Stock Super Solid For Offshore At The Ozarks Clash

Miss geico taking practice, seat-time and shakedown approach....

OPA Racing 2023 Season: Tour Stops Announced

Hot of a very fast 2022 season of racing, Offshore Powerboat Association released a full nine (9) stop national tour featuring long fan-favorite venues that culminate with both a National Championship (Morehead City, NC) and World Championship (Englewood, FL) race to closeout the 2023 racing season. Add your favorite race stop to the "must see" calendar.

• Jun 01-03 LOTO POWERFEST / Lake Ozark
• Jun 09-11 POINT PLEASANT BEACH GRAND PRIX / Point Pleasant Beach
• Jul 14-16 EASTLAKE GRAND PRIX / Eastlake
• Jul 28-30 ST CLAIR CLASSIC / Saint Clair
• Aug 03-06 GREAT LAKES GRAND PRIX / Michigan City
• Aug 8-19 OCEAN CITY GRAND PRIX / Ocean City
• Sep 08-10 LAKE HOPATCONG GRAND PRIX w/ JSBR / Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, USA
• Sep 29-31 CRYSTAL COAST GRAND PRIX - NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS / Morehead City
• Nov 16-19 ENGLEWOOD BEACH WATERFEST - OPA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Crystal Coast Grand Prix

Event Description

Join us for the return of the Crystal Coast Grand Prix in Morehead City, North Carolina. This offshore powerboat racing tournament draws hundreds of spectactor boats to the Morehead City waterfront to watch as these state-of-the-art racing boats speed down the Intracoastal Waterway.

The best viewing spots for the race are on the water, however, spectactors can watch from anywhere along the Morehead City waterfront. Sugarloaf Island is another popular spot.

2023 Race Schedule (Sep 30th)

7am: Team Physicals at Jack’s Waterfront Bar 8am: Racer Meeting at Jack’s Waterfront Bar 9am: Race Course bouys set up 9am: Medical and Dive team briefing at Jack’s Waterfront Bar 9am: Patrol Fleet briefing at Jack’s Waterfront Bar 9:30am: Crane and Ramp Operational 10am: Race Control Operational 10am: Race Village Open 11:15am: Race Patrol Fleet and Course Support Fleet on station 12pm-5pm: RACING 7pm: Awards Presentation at Jack’s Waterfront Bar

Actual race start time will be based on number of teams and is adjusted within the window of closure as required based on number of participants .

Ready to plan your stay?

Morehead City  offers a variety of restaurants, shops and plenty of things to do, from fishing to beaches to boating. Plan your stay with Emerald Isle Realty and choose from a great selection of  vacation rentals !

UPCOMING EMERALD ISLE EVENTS

Newport Pig Cooking Contest

Olde Beaufort Farmers’ Market

Beaufort Wine & Food Festival

Beaufort Wooden Boat Show

Crystal Coast Star Party

Bike the Banks

MCAS Cherry Point Air Show

Atlantic Beach International Food Festival

Beaufort Music Festival

AB Beach Music Festival

Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

Beaufort Historic Road Race

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Offshore racing in Morehead City

by Kiera Humes

MOREHEAD CITY, Carteret County — This year's Offshore Powerboat Racing (OPA) season will kick off September 11th-13th in Morehead City.

Racing teams from across the country will compete in the Crystal Coast Grand Prix, including the Miss GEICO Offshore Racing Team.

The Miss GEICO Team spent 13 months repairing and restoring the Miss GEICO boat. The 47-foot Victory catamaran overturned on the last turn of the final lap during the Sarasota race in July 2019.

The team will compete for the first time since the restoration at the Crystal Coast Grand Prix.

“After returning to the shop, we had extra time to ensure the boat was in top performance condition. We’re looking forward to racing in Morehead City and seeing the restored Miss GEICO compete against some of the best racing teams in the U.S.” GEICO Crew Chief Gary Stray said.

The United States Coast Guard has permitted some waterways surrounding the NC State Port in Morehead City to close for the special event.

The area inside the red box will be restricted. Only authorized vessels will be allowed passage during the powerboat races.

The racecourse is outlined in green and the spectator zone is highlighted in yellow.

Spectators will be able to view the races from boats in designated areas, on Sugar Loaf Island, and from the Morehead City waterfront.

The main races will include seven classes of race boats competing on Sunday, September 13th, 2020. The races are scheduled to begin at noon, along the shores of Morehead City. Pre-race events will kick off September 10th.