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By Sarah Burgen / Winona Daily News
Three drivers wait to start their second race Saturday at Lake Winona during the US Title Series Hydroplane Boat Races. (Photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News)
The engines roared to life as the drivers headed toward the starting line.
A green flag went up, and the boats accelerated.
Then it happened. A few minutes into the race, a boat flipped upside down, and the remaining drivers headed toward land.
The U.S. Title Series Hydroplane Boat Races visited Winona’s East Lake on Friday and Saturday, with boats of different sizes and drivers of different ages competing.
Lauren Johnson, 14, of Vacaville, Calif., is a third-generation driver who started competing when she was 9 years old. Since then, she has completed 50 races, set two straightaway records and won top awards at national competitions.
Friday night, her boat overturned.
“(Being underwater) seemed like a lot longer than it really was,” said Johnson, who will start her freshman year of high school in the fall.
Rick Widoe, also of Vacaville, accompanied Johnson and her family. He explained how the race starts. “The drivers get in a gaggle and after the three-minute gun and mill around,” he said. “Then, the one-minute gun sounds and the drivers start heading toward the starting line.”
It’s important for the drivers to not go too fast, because if they cross the line before the green flag goes up, they are disqualified, he said.
This isn’t the first time Winona has hosted the boat races. Joyce Klapperich of Winona attended last year and brought her daughter, nieces and nephews along.
“They were pretty fun to watch, and we didn’t get to see the whole thing last time,” she said.
Kali, her 11-year-old daughter, thought the races were “cool” but said the engines were too loud.
Winona is a prime racing location, racers said, because the bluffs block the wind. But even with the bluffs, the lake was a little windy Saturday.
“This is nothing. We’ve had boats blown out and boats fly off,” Johnson said. “This is probably one of the favorite places I’ve raced.”
Three drivers wait to start their second race Saturday at Lake Winona during the US Title Series Hydroplane Boat Races. (Photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News)
The engines roared to life as the drivers headed toward the starting line.
A green flag went up, and the boats accelerated.
Then it happened. A few minutes into the race, a boat flipped upside down, and the remaining drivers headed toward land.
The U.S. Title Series Hydroplane Boat Races visited Winona’s East Lake on Friday and Saturday, with boats of different sizes and drivers of different ages competing.
Lauren Johnson, 14, of Vacaville, Calif., is a third-generation driver who started competing when she was 9 years old. Since then, she has completed 50 races, set two straightaway records and won top awards at national competitions.
Friday night, her boat overturned.
“(Being underwater) seemed like a lot longer than it really was,” said Johnson, who will start her freshman year of high school in the fall.
Rick Widoe, also of Vacaville, accompanied Johnson and her family. He explained how the race starts. “The drivers get in a gaggle and after the three-minute gun and mill around,” he said. “Then, the one-minute gun sounds and the drivers start heading toward the starting line.”
It’s important for the drivers to not go too fast, because if they cross the line before the green flag goes up, they are disqualified, he said.
This isn’t the first time Winona has hosted the boat races. Joyce Klapperich of Winona attended last year and brought her daughter, nieces and nephews along.
“They were pretty fun to watch, and we didn’t get to see the whole thing last time,” she said.
Kali, her 11-year-old daughter, thought the races were “cool” but said the engines were too loud.
Winona is a prime racing location, racers said, because the bluffs block the wind. But even with the bluffs, the lake was a little windy Saturday.
“This is nothing. We’ve had boats blown out and boats fly off,” Johnson said. “This is probably one of the favorite places I’ve raced.”
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