Records could fall at second Bradenton Area River Regatta

BRADENTON -- Chris Caputo calls the unlimited category Jet Ski speed record a fluke.

Miami's Maikel Gonzalez set the mark of 112 mph nearly two years ago and hasn't touched it since. Caputo believes it's time for someone to pass it.

Three years ago, Caputo became only the third racer to hit 100 mph in a sanctioned competition. For most of the past decade, he has chased speed records, and when he places his homemade craft in the Manatee River on Saturday for his first race since November, he expects to become the new record-holder.

"They just got lucky and got a good run. It hasn't been the same since," Caputo said. "It's taken a lot to get to that 110 mph."

Caputo's fastest recorded speed is 109.5 mph, which was set on a freshwater course. Speeds can increase by three or four mph on saltwater, so when HydroCross Qualifying Mayor's Cup gets underway at 12:30 p.m. between Bradenton and Palmetto he will have a chance to topple the world record at the second Bradenton Area River Regatta.

The first races of the River Regatta began at 10 a.m. with Formula 2 PowerBoat qualifying. F2 PowerBoat Division 2 races begin at 11 a.m. and Division 1 races close the day on the river at 2 p.m.

For most racers, the regatta is the first competitive race in months. Caputo lives in New Jersey and hasn't taken his jet ski out since November. He spent Friday afternoon plowing snow in New Jersey before hopping on a plane to Manatee County less than 24 hours before his first race of 2016.

Last time he rode his personal watecraft, he topped out at 107.4 mph in self-described poor conditions. His craft is entirely made by hand -- he says it's the only such one in Saturday's field -- and he installed a new engine during the past two months. The combination the saltwater conditions and offseason tinkering gives him a realistic shot to open the season with a record-setting run.

"It's the first time we're racing in saltwater instead of freshwater," said Caputo, who was the first racer to hit 105 mph. "We've been competing for 10 years at it."

He'll have an unprecedented crowd watching him try Saturday. Caputo didn't compete in the inaugural Bradenton Area River Regatta when Powerboat Superleague drew its third largest crowd ever with an estimated 80,000. This year's crowd could be bigger.

Ashton Rinker is the headliner in the F2 PowerBoat races. The Riverview native was the 2015 Superleague champion and finished second at the inaugural River Regatta behind his brother, Rob Rinker. Rinker knows he'll have a target on his back. Okeechobee's Jeff Reno and Ohioan John Ludwig, who finished second and third last year, respectively, also are scheduled to race.

"We're expecting it to be even bigger than it was last year," said Ashton Rinker, whose brother will not race Saturday. "With what we did last year and with the work we put in this year we definitely expect to do well."

David Wilson, Herald sports writer, can be contacted at 941-745-7057 or on Twitter @DBWilson2.

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Records could fall at second Bradenton Area River Regatta ."