Advertisement

Eastlake Willoughby Offshore Grand Prix returning this July

marah morrison, the news-herald, willoughby, ohio
·4 min read

May 23—The Great Lakes Offshore Powerboat Racing Association will be bringing back the roar of powerboats to Willoughby and Eastlake this summer.

Races for the Eastlake Willoughby Offshore Grand Prix are currently scheduled for July 10. Boats are scheduled to arrive in Eastlake at Chagrin Marine, 226 E. Island Drive, as early as July 7.

"This is our second year of bringing it back," said Kris Mendeszoon, of GLOPRA and co-chair of the offshore powerboat racing event alongside Steve Latinta. "We used to race forever and then we brought it back last year. We have one more year in this three-year contract, but we're hoping for another series of three years next year. We've got great support from both mayors of Eastlake as well as Willoughby. They're great people to work with."

On July 9, the boat parade will start at Chagrin Marine and will go to downtown Willoughby. The start time of the parade is to be announced.

"I believe this year, we're not going to be going up against the art festival, so we'll be able to bring them down earlier, stay a little longer and then people are more than welcome to see the boats and meet the racers," Mendeszoon said. "It's not as tight of a schedule, so we're trying to make that into a big event. It's great that we are able to get this different weekend so everybody can have their time in Willoughby and promote the downtown."

Last year, there were more than 20 boats that participated in the event. Between 30 and 40 boats are expected to participate this year, she said.

"There are several more who have told Steve that they will be there and there is one particular class that Eastlake-Willoughby will be part of their additional cash series," Mendeszoon said. "They're going to be doing like three races and we're part of that, so that should bring us even more boats. We're trying to get some of the big boats in as well, which I think would be the cat's meow for us as a race organization."

Despite the rain that took place during last year's event, racing teams still enjoyed the setup, she said. Racers were able to pull into Chagrin Marine's buildings to work on their boats to avoid the rain.

"I know the marina just put another storage building up over the winter, so it gives us more space to spread out and have teams covered, and not out in the elements if they don't want to be," Mendeszoon said.

The course for this year's races will be spectator friendly at Osborne Park, located at 38575 Lakeshore Blvd. in Willoughby. A DJ will be set up a the park and there will be possibly live radio coverage of the race.

From the park, the course will go down toward the mouth of the Chagrin River where Eastlake residents are able to watch.

"We couldn't close the river down because the Coast Guard did not want that, so we had to maneuver on their guidance," Mendeszoon said. "Last year, due to the weather, we had to shift the course out because of all the debris that was in the race course early in the day. For safety purposes, we moved it offshore a bit more."

Racers interested in registering may do so online through the Offshore Powerboat Association, GLOPRA's governing body out of New Jersey. According to OPA, all boats must register with OPA Racing and fees paid. Racers must be a registered member of OPA Racing as well as obtain an APBA membership. Participants may call or text 732-977-5638 will any questions.

Even though the organization took a hiatus for a few years, GLOPRA is now in its 50th year this year. Mendeszoon hopes the younger generation will come out for the event to meet the racers, who are excited and love to share their stories, she said.

"They believe in cultivating and having this sport move forward," Mendeszoon said. "We've got one of the most beautiful resources, Lake Erie, and both Steve and I are thrilled that we'll be able to bring it back to show people the sport we love."

OPA Racing welcomes racers from all over the world to come and race in one of their 15 classes, according to OPA. Offshore powerboat racing is among the most dangerous, yet exciting forms of motorsports today, and draws a wide variety of fans and interest.

"I want to send a thank you out to the Chagrin Tavern and the marina," Mendeszoon said. "They're hosting us and I'm excited to welcome Race Winning Brands out of Mentor as our title sponsor."