For well over 100 years now the Cambridge Classic has been a long standing APBA race steeped deep in tradition. This coming May the venue will no longer be a premier APBA event, there’s new sheriff in town.
Cambridge Power Boat Regatta Association CHANGE IS HARD. The dwindling spectator fleet and the dwindling race boat counts forced us to try this route. Sometimes it is not much fun to watch 3 boats on the course, 1 breaks down and the other 2 aren’t even close or the 2 boats left are putting on an exhibition. Or 2 boats show up to race and they can’t race because there isn’t a 3rd to start, so a lower class boat steps in only to get the race started and then drops out. Sometimes when you’ve done something for 106 years, you have to change things up a bit and try something different to see if it is the committee that is getting stale or the sport. It wasn’t our date of choice but the only one offered to us. If you really like the sport of boat racing, I think you will enjoy watching 6+ boats on the course for each heat. And I’m sure you will enjoy 12 Grand Prix boats racing on the Choptank. Maybe it’s time to plan a Mother’s Day cookout and try something new like we are going to try something new. We know your family always has a big shoreline spectator fleet and we hope you will continue to do so.
Katelyn Shaw Although I am saddened that my class will not be participating at this years Cambridge Classic, it is important to look past your own garages. It is the clubs responsibility to put on the best race possible for their fans and financial backers. HRL puts on a great show and has a good CONSISTENT boat count. APBA cannot say the same at this time. I wish Cambridge all the best with this endeavor and plan to attend as a spectator to support this event which gave so much to APBA over the past 106 years. This is something that we should be looking into (What can we do to make our show better in APBA, what are the spectators looking for, etc. The national meeting is in January, feel free to send me your ideas and I will make sure that they are heard.) I think that this should be a wake up call to our ORGANIZATION, not the a bashing of the club CBRA. They are doing what is best for their event and tried other things before heading to HRL. Let’s not forget the prize money, special awards and free entry that they afforded us to try to improve the boat count and show. And to be honest, if the events that I am a part of could afford to make the change, it is something that we could consider. When one of the longest standing events parts ways, it is time to reflect.
http://hrlhydroplane.com/en/
http://hrlhydroplane.com/en/
http://hrlhydroplane.com/en/
http://hrlhydroplane.com/en/
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