Formula 2 Superleague powerboats to headline first Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta

Organizers have packed an amazing amount of entertainment into the first Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta, a one-day event taking place Saturday along the Manatee River.

But there can be only one headliner.

Introducing the Formula 2 Powerboat Superleague, a group of 12 tunnel-boat drivers who plan to make waves between the DeSoto and Green bridges at speeds of 120 mph.

The boats go so fast, in fact, it will look like they are flying over the water, according to Superleague President Sam Winer.

"If the water is (calm) like this, they actually get on plane and sit on top of the water," Winer said during an introductory press conference. "Very little of the boat touches the water. The tunnel that goes underneath the boat creates the lift that gets the boat up."

The powerboat races will serve as the main -- but hardly the only -- draw at the regatta. The inaugural event also features a full day of concerts, BMX and pogo stunt performances, a food festival and a 5K run and will be topped off by a fireworks display. It originated through Bradenton's sister-city relationship with Pittsburgh, which hosts the Three Rivers Regatta, the country's largest inland regatta.

The Superleague series' reigning champion, Jeff "The Jet" Reno, is a Bradenton native. Now an Okeechobee resident, Reno spent the first 13 years of his life in Manatee County. He fell in love with powerboats 30 years ago near Stuart when he watched a

competition after a fishing trip was canceled.

"It's like any kind of racing," Reno said. "It's like sprint-car racing, like the winged sprint cars. ... But what is really invigorating to me is the G-force you turn in the turns. You pull three to five G's in a turn, then you are back doing 90 miles an hour in five seconds.

"You prepare as much as you can. You keep your equipment good and tight. You just try to out-drive and out-think all your competitors."

The powerboats will run a rectangular course with four pins, or turns. There will be testing, time trials, a series of qualifying heats and a championship race. Qualifying begins at noon Saturday with the championship race set for 5 p.m.

Fans can get a close-up look at the boats on the north side of the river beginning at 11 a.m. at Riverside Boat Ramp in Palmetto.

The Superleague plans to make the most of its first trip to Bradenton for the Florida Championship, Winer said.

"We'll actually do a drag race to get out to a predetermined point called the commitment point, and then they'll get into the actual race. Right now, between noon and 5 o'clock on the 7th, we have five races planned. We've got four 15-lap races and probably a last race will be 10 laps, assuming we've got weather and everything. It's going to be a lot of racing for one day. So everybody will be running about 70 laps. They're also going to do a timed lap for starting positions. So it should be very spectator-friendly, especially with the Green Bridge and the Riverwalk," Winer said.

While most of the competitors and spectators will be hoping for fair weather Saturday, Reno wouldn't mind a little chop to the river.

"I like the water rougher, because most people can't drive it. For some reason, I can see what the water is doing and that gives me a little bit of advantage," he said.

Either way, the powerboats plan to live up to their headliner status.

"We've done 18 races in Florida. First time in Bradenton, so anytime we do a new race, there's a novelty effect attached to it," Winer said. "People have never seen it here. I'm sure it will be exciting for them."

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Formula 2 Superleague powerboats to headline first Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta ."