ENGLEWOOD — The Englewood Beach Waterfest board of directors announced Friday the decision to cancel November’s OPA World Championship Race on Englewood Beach after damages sustained by Hurricane Helene.
The weekend event brings in thousands from around the country to watch high-powered boat racing while enjoying the restaurants and amenities of Manasota Key.
However, devastation on the key, unsafe shoaling conditions on the course and problems throughout the Gulf Coast make the races unsafe for boaters and viewers, according to board member Ray LaBadie.
Restoration efforts for both residents and businesses take priority. Currently, Englewood Beach is being used by the county to store sand.
“The parking lot (at Englewood Beach) is where we park and stage the boats,” LaBadie said.
The lot was inundated with seawater and sand, and has been closed since the the hurricane’s surge on Sept. 27, as crews use it as a staging area for cleaning and replacing the beach sand.
“The county is working diligently on this process, but a timetable for completion has not been established,” LaBadie said Friday.