Monster Energy St. Pete Powerboat P1 Grand Prix

The speed and excitement of world-class powerboat and personal watercraft racing will take over the downtown St. Pete waterfront October 18-20, 2024. 

World-class powerboat and personal watercraft racing will bring color and high-speed action to downtown St. Petersburg the weekend of October 18-20, 2024, during the 4th Annual Monster Energy St. Pete Powerboat P1 Grand Prix. 

The event, with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater as the presenting sponsor, attracts offshore powerboat teams from across the United States, plus Canada and Bermuda. The St. Pete races are the last in the series, determining which boats qualify for the World Championships in Key West in November.

The big powerboats will be on the 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 as part of the P1 AquaX series.

Where can spectators see the St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix Races?

The six-mile racecourse will be a mere half-mile from the waterfront near the St. Pete Pier, putting spectators thrillingly close to the action from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 19 and 20. About 50 powerboat race teams are expected. The races will also be broadcast nationally.

Is there a VIP area where spectators can watch the Grand Prix Races?

Although all of the races will be easily visible for free from anywhere on the downtown waterfront, VIP tickets will offer dedicated seating in the shade of the P1 VIP tent, where drinks, food and service are available and fans can watch a live stream of the event. Other upgrade perks can be purchased, including VIP parking, guided pit tours, meet-and-greets, and photos with racing teams, as well as the chance to sit in the cockpit of a Class 1 race boat. 

How fast are the powerboats and how big are they?

The Monster Energy 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 AquaX Series jetski races?

Even closer to spectators will be the racing by 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. 

The P1 Offshore AquaX series has several divisions. The main ones are Pro (for accomplished riders with proven experience) and Amateur. The race formats are Sprint, which lasts roughly 15 minutes and has more turns, and Enduro, which lasts 30 minutes. The Enduro personal watercraft have higher horsepower and one or more seats. The Sprint racers still have 200 or 300 horsepower and have one seat — or none, forcing the rider to stand throughout the races.
 

Are there pit parties and other activities surrounding the races?

The day before the races, on Friday, October 18, the public is invited to a free-entry Pit Party at Albert Whitted Park, near the Dalí Museum and Albert Whitted Airport, featuring food trucks, live music and — best of all — a display of race boats that fans can see up close. The party will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. 

The pits will also welcome spectators throughout the weekend to meet race-team members and to check out food and merchandise vendors.
 

What's the history around the St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix?

The Monster Energy St. Pete Powerboat P1 Grand Prix, which moved near the St. Pete Pier in 2021 after being held off St. Pete Beach since 2017, is the fifth and final event in the Offshore National Championship series of the American Powerboat Association. The earlier races in the 2024 series were in Cocoa Beach and Sarasota, Florida; Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; and Sheboygan, Wisconsin. 

How much prize money is awarded during the St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix? And does the event benefit any charities?

In addition to awarding more than $130,000 in total prize money, the 2024 Monster Energy St. Pete Powerboat P1 Grand Prix’s net proceeds will benefit the P1 Marine Foundation, which this year has partnered with two local charities, John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Tampa Bay Watch. Each will receive donations during the Race Awards.

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.