Boat racing
Powerboat Racing for Kids
If you are looking for a fun family sport that the whole family can be involved in, and you love racing, Powerboat Racing might be what you need!
Most of the raceboats used in these classes of racing can also be used at the cottage, and in the case of the stock outboards, can be launched almost anywhere.
A number of classes are available across North America for kids to begin racing, from ages starting at 6 years old.
Mercury Watermouse Racing
A new, primarily for fun class is the APBA sanctioned Mercury Watermouse class. The Mercury Watermouse is a small, stable, V-bottom boat built by Mercury, and powered by a small outboard. It was originally designed for use in amusement parks, and consequently is a very stable and safe boat. the APBA has organized a series of races for this fun little boat in conjunction with some of the other powerboat races across the country.
The Watermouse series is open to racers from 6 to 14 years old. Although there is competition on the water, all the racers receive awards, and points are not accumulated. The objective of the series is to provide fun entertainment for the young racers and spectators. For more information about Mercury Watermouse Racing, visit the Mercury Watermouse page.
J-Stock Outboards
If you are looking for a more competitive form of racing for the younger generation, most of the stock outboard organizations offer races in the J-stock Hydroplanes or J-stock Runabouts. These classes are targeted for 9 to 15 year old racers. The boats themselves must meet the same requirements as the faster A-stock Hydro or A-stock Runabout classes of stock outboards, but with restrictor plates added to the engines to keep speeds down and thereby increase safety. Also, in the interest of controlling costs and speed, the propellers used in the J-Stock classes are provided by the APBA. For more information about these and other classes of stock outboard racing, or to find a stock outboard club near you, visit the page of Stock Outboard links.
One of the advantages of the J-Stock classes is the possibility of using much of the same equipment as the racer moves up into the A-stock classes. For a team where the parent wants to race as well as the child, some of the same equipment can potentially be used for both.
The stock outboard classes of racing have the true potential of getting many family members involved. For families where there is someone with woodworking ability, the boats can be built at home, thus helping to keep costs to a minimum. Building the boat at home also provides more opportunity for parents to work together with their children toward a common goal. Plans for building your own stock outboard raceboats are available from some organizations on the web. One of the boat builders and plan providers is Fralick Boats.
The stock outboard boats are relatively small in size and are quite light in weight, and are consequently very easy to launch and transport. With the small size outboards, essentially racing versions of 15 hp models, parts and maintenance are not prohibitively expensive.
If you are part of a boat racing organization, and know of other classes of racing available for young racers, please contact me so I can include the information on this site.