Gentlemen, start your powerboats

CLEARWATER BEACH - Offshore powerboat racing is coming to Clearwater Beach for at least the next three Octobers.

The "Super Boat" series will hold its national championship races off Pier 60, starting October 2 through 4.

"It's economic development for us," said Mayor Frank Hibbard. "We want to make sure our restaurants are full, our hotels are full...once you get to October...tourism really drops."

The largest class of offshore powerboats can be 50 feet long and approach 200 miles per hour. Race speeds are typically in the 140- to 150-mph range.

Promoter Bill Carbonell says the course will be a two and a half mile long loop from Pier 60 to the north.

There is no charge for watching the races from the shore, and Carbonell says the races attract tens of thousands of spectators.

"But the problem is you can't substantiate the numbers," he explained.

That could change with a series of races broadcast on CBS.

"In the history of offshore racing, there's never been a network series on TV. And this is a major step for us in order to bring in the advertisers," Carbonell added.

The Clearwater National Championship will be among those that are televised.