Now’s the time to book your stay at Hotel Cabana—our beautiful and historic Key West-style beachfront paradise—for front-row seats to one of the greatest aquatic spectacles you’ll find anywhere.
We’re talking about the Super Boat National Championships, an outstanding exhibition of offshore powerboat racing going down September 29 through October 1 right here at Clearwater Beach.
The event, held by Super Bowl International (based, appropriately enough, in Key West), brings thousands of boat- and beach-based spectators to the 2.5-mile-long liquid racecourse, within easy reach of our boutique hotel.
High-Thrills (and High-Skills) Watersports: Offshore Powerboat Racing
The racing itself takes place on Sunday, October 1, when you’ll see ultra-elite powerboaters square off (in a variety of different classes) in what’s been called “NASCAR on the water.” The sleek race vessels—mostly V-bottoms and catamarans—ride high as they attain speeds of up to 180 miles per hour: impressive, to put it mildly. As a 2015 Tampa Bay Times article on the Super Boat National Championships observed, these state-of-the-art powerboats “have more in common with fighter aircraft than your average weekend pleasure boat.”
Managing such lightning-fast movement over straightaways and tight turns is a two-person job: The driver steers while the throttleman handles the oomph. Yes, it’s about dizzying speed, but it’s also very much about nuanced, fine-tuned control.
More Than Just Racing
Much else goes on during the three-day festivities of the Super Boat National Championships, not least the popular Superboat Parade down Cleveland Street beginning at 5 PM on Friday and the Cleveland Street District Block Party that follows. On Saturday the Baystar Race Village in Coachman Park hosts an all-day Seafood Festival with great eats, drinks, and live entertainment; that evening there’ll be fireworks, ice cream, and more at the VIP Sunsets at Pier 60 event.
Meanwhile, you’ll have multiple opportunities to meet the powerboat racers, get autographs, and admire the featured watercraft at Baystar Race Village, including from noon to 10 PM on Friday and during Saturday’s seafood soiree.
You can eyeball the full Super Boat National Championships schedule right here.
Take in World-Class Offshore Powerboat Racing at Hotel Cabana
Needless to say, you won’t want to miss this riproaring on-the-water action along the Clearwater Beach sands, so lock down your boutique-chic accommodations at Hotel Cabana today! There’s nothing like combining some thrilling spectating with the fun-in-the-sun luxury our hotel has been providing since the 1940s. We’ll see you at the races September 29 through October 1.