Powerboat P1/OPA To Bid For Key West Races

Partners in a six-race offshore racing series this season, Powerboat P1 and the Offshore Powerboat Association are submitting a Request For Proposal for the November 2019-2024 races in Key West, Fla. With the Race World Offshore and Super Boat International organizations having already announced their intentions to secure race-promoter privileges for the weeklong event for the next five years, the P1/OPA plan brings the current list of bidders to three.

Leaders of the Powerboat P1/OPA group are hoping to produce offshore racing in contests in Key West, Fla., after their six-race series this season. Photo from the 2017 OPA Resorts World Bimini Grand Prix courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

In late 2018, the P1/OPA group had planned to work with RWO on securing the Key West races. But within the past two weeks those plans changed for undisclosed reasons and now P1/OPA will submit its own Request For Proposal bid, which will be filed next week.

“Key West won’t be part of the six-race series but it will be run, if we’re awarded the races, by the same P1/OPA management team,” said Azam Rangoonwala, the chief executive officer of Powerboat P1. “We want to keep consistency within the sport and Key West is almost like a missing piece of the puzzle.

“If you look at the RFP, securing the races requires a promoter with a lot of experience and between Powerboat P1 and OPA we definitely have it,” he continued. “We’re excited about the opportunity and the possibilities for the future.”

Rangoonwala, who visited Key West last week, said he plans on holding a joint Powerboat P1/OPA press conference in the city next Tuesday. Representatives of the group also will attend the city’s pre-bid-selection meeting on Feb. 22.

Related stories
Key West Opens Request For Proposal For 2019-2024 Races
Key West In The Balance