PORT ANGELES – Several of the nation’s top Jet Ski riders will hit the choppy, gray waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca for the first-ever Race the Strait on Friday.
It’s a full-throttle endurance run between Port Angeles and Victoria.
The only race of its kind in the Pacific Northwest for the zippy watercraft, it is a new addition to the fifth annual Strait Thunder hydroplane races this weekend.
About 10 runabouts and two stand-up watercraft racers – including a 71-year -old Port Angeles man – will hit the water at 11 a.m. Friday en route to Esquimalt, on the west entrance of Victoria’s outer harbor.
The runabouts should make the 20.75-mile trip to the Esquimalt Angler’s Association boat launch and park without refueling.
The stand-ups will likely have to fuel somewhere mid-Strait on each leg of the race as well as on Vancouver Island.
Once reaching Vancouver Island, riders will have a mandatory pit stop at the park, where they will check in with race officials before making the trip back to Port Angeles.
The racers will be monitored by a chase plane and a Powerboats Northwest support vessel.
Following the race, there will be an awards ceremony at Red Lion Hotel for the riders who complete the grueling race.
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be closed-course racing by the Jet Skiers as well as freestyle competitions interspersed with the hydroplane heats.
Strait Thunder is the last race of the season sanctioned by the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association.
Strait Thunder hydroplanes are 20- to 26-feet long, with up to 800-horsepower gasoline engines that can push the boats up to 165 mph.
Admission to the races is free. Strait Thunder is sponsored by the Peninsula Water Sports Association.
Mary Buck, president of the water sports association, said the organization is excited about the inaugural Jet Ski race.
“It’s a great addition,” she said.
