The speed and excitement of world-class powerboat and personal watercraft racing will take over downtown St. Petersburg's waterfront March 27-29, 2026.
The 6th Annual Monster Energy St. Petersburg Powerboat Grand Prix, with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater as the presenting sponsor, attracts offshore powerboat teams from across the United States, plus Canada and Bermuda.
Some of the fastest powerboats in the world will be on the Tampa Bay waterfront just beyond the end of the St. Pete Pier. Spectators will be even closer to the action of personal watercraft zipping around a course near the St. Pete Pier’s Spa Beach Park.
What is the weekend schedule for the event?
The action-packed weekend kicks off with a free Friday Night Pit Party at Albert Whitted Park from 6-8pm. Fans and families are welcomed to come see the offshore powerboats and personal watercraft up-close, meet the drivers and riders, grab bites from local food trucks, browse vendors and enjoy live music.
Races to compete for multiple prize purses will take place across Saturday and Sunday with free admission to all.
Is there a VIP area where spectators can watch the Grand Prix Races?
Although all of the races will be easily visible from anywhere on the downtown waterfront, there will be a IHRA Offshore VIP Experience on the St. Pete Pier. A limited number of VIP tickets are available with rooftop access and an elevated private viewing deck overlooking that race course at Pier Teaki, located at the end of the pier.
This exclusive waterfront location puts you above the action with one of the best views of offshore racing anywhere on the circuit.
VIP guests will also enjoy complimentary food service, open bar and live streaming of the full race broadcast. Other upgrade perks can be purchased, including reserved parking.
How fast are the powerboats and how big are they?
The St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix puts the power in powerboat! Its fastest Class One boats slash through the water at up to 160 mph. The boats are more than 40 feet long and have two 1,000-horsepower engines and two hulls. With their sleek, enclosed cockpits, they look more like flying saucers than boats.
The Class 1 boats are in just one of 10 classes of an expected 50 boats of different sizes and power racing in the St. Pete event. Although most of the classes are for boats in the 30- to 40-foot range, the smallest group is 21 feet long.
The class that tends to have the largest number of entries, Superstock, has boats about 30 feet long and equipped with two 300-hp outboards.
All of the boats have a crew of two — one person steers while the other controls the throttle, making the race a test of the crews’ ability to work together to handle the competition, wind and waves while going as fast as possible.
Where can spectators see the IHRA Professional Watercraft Series?
Even closer to spectators will be the racing of elite personal watercraft, also known as jet skis, competing at speeds up to 80 mph on a course near the St. Pete Pier’s Spa Beach. About 30 of these “marine motorcycles” are expected to battle in tight, technical competition.
About Our Writer:
Terry Galvin's ties to St. Pete run deep and decades-long. His grandfather was a photographer who would roam the streets of St. Pete with a big camera around his neck, taking black-and-white photos of tourists, printing them overnight with “St. Petersburg, Florida” in the margin, and delivering them next morning to their hotels. His grandparents also managed the Alexander Hotel in the 500 block of Central Avenue in the 1960s. Terry grew up on the water in Largo, where he learned to love sailing. He has worked as a writer, designer and editor for the Virgin Islands Daily News and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. A resident of Sarasota with his wife and son, Terry enjoys sailing, rowing and bicycling.
Event Category
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