Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix to propel into its 31st year

The Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival is back for its 31st year from June 27 to July 5.

The event will kick off June 27 with a golf tournament at the Meadows Country Club and will end with powerboat and jet ski races July 4 and 5.

“There’s two full days of racing now with both powerboats and jet skis,” Festival Director Lucy Nicandri said. “The event, of course, revolves around the powerboat races, but we’re excited to introduce the Jet Skiing as well. It’s something new and different.”

Thirty powerboat and more than 60 Jet Ski racers are registered to participate.

For the first time, the races will be televised nationally on CBS Sports, Fox Sun Sports and MAVTV.

“I’m so excited for that,” Nicandri said. “Sarasota will really be put on the spotlight this year with the national exposure. That’s a huge accomplishment because it not only helps the event, but it helps the racers and their sponsors.”

Also different this year is the change in name from the Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix.

“It really came down to branding,” Nicandri said. “When you say Suncoast, what is that? It can be from Destin all the way down to Naples. Suncoast is too ambiguous. We used to say offshore too, but a lot of our events are on shore. It just made more sense.”

Nicandri estimates 100,000 people attended the festival last year, which yielded a $26 million economic impact. She hopes to increase both numbers this year.

The festival is hosted by Suncoast Charities for Children, a nonprofit organization that supports children and teenagers with special needs and their families.

The money raised from the festival has gone toward more than $14 million worth of buildings constructed in Sarasota, Venice and North Port. The buildings are occupied by other nonprofits, such as Children First, Sarasota County Special Olympics, Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities and the Florida Center for Early Childhood. Suncoast Charities for Children allows these nonprofits to lease these buildings for only $1 per year.

“A lot of people don’t realize it’s the charity that puts on the festival,” Nicandri said. “Although a lot of the events are free to the public. It’s thanks to our big events and our sponsors that the money raised will help go toward the charity.”

Last year’s event raised $80,000 for the charity after expenses.

“We try to make it a festival where there’s something for everyone,” Nicandri said. “Even if you don’t want to go to the powerboat race, you can go to the car show or you can golf. It’s family friendly, and there’s something for everyone.”

For more information, visit sarasotapowerboatgrandprix.org.