The exciting Australian Offshore Superboat Championship will make its South Australian debut this April with the announcement that Port Adelaide has secured the fourth round of the season, operating from the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia in North Haven, just 25-kilometres north of the Adelaide city centre.
“This is an exciting development for the category,” Australian Offshore Powerboat Club Commodore Antony De Fina admitted. “It’s something we’ve been working on for more than six months, and finally we’re able to make public something we believe will have a big impact on both the sport, and Port Adelaide itself.”
Supported by the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council [City of PAE], the event – which is free to view for the general public – will take place off the beach opposite North Haven and run two-to-three kilometres down the coast to Largs Bay, with boats staged and launched from the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia [CYCSA] in North Haven, a popular area for Adelaide’s many boating enthusiasts.
“There’s a fantastic boating culture in that part of Adelaide, and the CYCSA is a picturesque venue with fantastic facilities that are really going to be popular with the teams,” De Fina added.
“We’re really looking forward to this and to introducing a new venue for the sport. This is our first foray into South Australia, and as a truly national category, it’s nice to expose the sport to new markets and take the sport to new fans that haven’t had the opportunity of seeing these impressive boats up close. We might be racing a couple of hundred metres off shore, but we’ll be moored at the CYCSA, giving fans a unique chance to come and see the boats first hand.”
“It is fantastic to bring yet another nationally recognised sporting event to the City of PAE through our grants program, and even better is that this action packed, high speed event is totally free to watch between Largs Bay and North Haven,” City of PAE Mayor, Claire Boan said. “See you on the water!”
“We are thrilled to be hosting the inaugural South Australian instalment of the Offshore Superboat Championship race in April,” Adam Hays the General Manager of the Cruising Yacht of South Australia added. “We’re proud to be part of this historic event, bringing world-class Offshore Powerboat racing to the Port Adelaide district. This championship is a significant milestone for both the sport and our community, and we look forward to welcoming racing teams, fans, and visitors to our stunning waterfront venue. It’s an exciting opportunity to showcase our facilities, our passion for boating, and the unique beauty of North Haven to a wider audience.”
Part of the development of the Adelaide event has come as a direct result of De Fina’s fellow Australian Power Boat Association [APBA] Director David Clark, a huge supporter of boat racing in Adelaide as patron of the Adelaide Speed Boat Club and a competitor in the popular Circuit Boat Championship in his iconic blue ‘Tuff’E’Nuff Racing’ Unlimited Displacement boat, but whilst Clark isn’t lining up to compete in April, he’ll still be a visible part of the project.
“This is fantastic for Port Adelaide, it’s fantastic for the Cruising Yacht Club and it’s fantastic for the race fans – it also puts Adelaide on the map for a sport that is viewed all around the world, so a win-win for everyone involved” Clark admitted.
“As a resident of the area, and a competitor myself, I’m passionate about Port Adelaide, so we did everything we could to work with Antony [De Fina] and the Offshore Superboat category to bring it to South Australia and I know the teams will do everything in their power to make it a great success.”
“This provides another great chapter to our story this season, alongside the announcement that we will be returning to television screens around the country in 2025 thanks to our new arrangement with Hornet property Services and the Seven Network to appear on 7mate and 7plus,” De Fina said. “Together with the introduction of the new Super V 85 class for Ski Racing entrants, the future of the sport is looking strong, with more boats coming out of sheds to be involved, so we’re definitely tracking in the right direction, the inclusion of Adelaide just adding that little bit of extra star power to an already engaging season!”
2024 Offshore Superboat Championships – calendar
R1. Lake Macquarie, NSW – 19-20 October, 2024
R2. Wyndham Harbour, VIC – 22-23 February, 2025 (sponsored by Hornet Property Services)
R3. Geelong Harbour, VIC – 15-16 March, 2025 (sponsored by Hornet Property Services)
R4. Port Adelaide, SA – 12-13 April, 2025
Further dates and venues released soon.
For more information on the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships, visit us at;
www.superboat.com.au
www.facebook.com/OffshoreSuperboats
www.facebook.com/ausopc
