Wakefield to host national boat races throughout next week

By P.J. GLISSON

[email protected]

Wakefield — In the coming week, for the 18th time since 1980, Wakefield will feature the American Power Boat Association’s National Boat Races on Sunday Lake.

Trials will take place on Monday, followed by races from Tuesday through Saturday.

Sunday Lake will be closed to public use during those six days.

The town is ready, said John Siira, president of Forward Wakefield, on Monday.

“We’ve been working on it for months,” he said. “Now we’re making sure everything falls into place.”

He estimates that nearly 400 racers will attend, but he is not aware of any local contenders.

“There will be a lot of people in town,” said Siira, adding that many “family-oriented” racers will bring loved ones, along with crew members.

Final preparations include setting up a tent as a base of operations, establishing start and finish lines, marking temporary campground lots, setting up fencing as needed, and positioning pontoon boats that will hold both observers and safety personnel to act — if needed — as first responders for Beacon Ambulance onshore.

Siira defined the “observers” as people who will study racers to be sure that they are following proper protocol.

Eddy Park, in itself, will be full of activity, with boats launching from pits that Siira said will “go basically from one pavilion to the other.”

Some campers will set up within the park while others will use a specially permitted area on the north side of Eddy Park and Chicago Mine Road.

This year’s APBA National Championships will include Stock, Modified and Junior divisions. As a new feature, a marathon boat exhibition race also will take place.

Helping Forward Wakefield to bring the event back to Sunday Lake is the Badger State Outboard Association of Wisconsin. Wakefield City Manager Robert Brown, Jr. also was part of the planning.

Admission to the races is free, and food and beverages will be available via concessions in Eddy Park. Bleachers will be set up near the starting line by the dock. According to Siira, a small craft show also will be included on Friday and Saturday.

A 20-page program will be available at no cost at the site, which includes a tentative schedule. Siira said the program also will include directions on “how to watch the race.”

He warned that the exact length and arrangement of the race schedule is tentative due to unknown factors such as weather patterns and how quickly each division proceeds. He expects that racing days will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but added that even a sunny day could close the races earlier due to racers’ vision of the finish line being diminished by glare.

Safety, said Siira, will be the primary consideration each day.