Boating

by Mitch Prentice &Joyce Miller, newsroom@lakesunonline.com

New offshore race this fall

Offshore At The Ozarks to bring new entertainment October 2 & 3

With so many lake events having to cancel in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, it may come as a surprise to hear that a brand new event is coming to the lake this October.

Offshore At The Ozarks-Cat Edition will make its way to mid-Missouri October 2 & 3, bringing a new weekend boat race to the Lake of the Ozarks.

Performance Boat Center, in collaboration with Offshore Powerboat Association, will serve as the title sponsor for the race, and Owner Mark Waddington says he feels “tremendously blessed”. Waddington says that he felt the lake was looking for a positive, new event this year amidst all of the cancellations, and is even more excited to give lake racers a chance to show off their talents.

In most cases, Waddington says lake races are sponsored by the local cities involved, as well as business sponsors in the area. With many businesses making cost-saving choices in these tough times, Waddington says Performance worked alongside OPA racing to sponsor the race and make it a reality.

The race will see both Super Stock and Supercat boats race in two classes, with two races on Friday for each class. Then, on Saturday, they will compete in a full lap race for the finish. Points will be added from Friday and Saturday to crown a winner. Currently, Waddington says they are expecting around 14-15 total racers.

According to the regatta permit issued by the Missouri Highway patrol Water patrol Division, the race event permit is listed under an organization called “Lake Charity Poker Run” although the event is not a poker run, it’s an offshore race. It will be similar to Lake Race, but not near as many boats.

Some residents were concerned that the race would impact the Big Bass Bash being held on the same weekend. Waddington confirmed that they were aware of the event, though were not responsible for the permit date decision, as this date was granted by the water patrol. However, he says the race should not be an issue as the

Saturday racing won’t start until after 3:00 p.m., which follows the final weigh-in for the fishing competition.

“I know how big that event is and I didn’t want to get in the way,” Waddington said.

Waddington hopes the race will give lake residents and visitors a live-sporting event to enjoy that won’t require a large crowd.

He says they plan to stream the races as well, with many public viewing locations and restaurants available. The race will take place right outside of Camden on the Lake, the same course as Lake Race.