Bayfair is a San Diego tradition of boat racing that celebrates the end of summer. At least that is what their website says. To our family it meant spending precious time with Pappa Nels and Aunt Leslie, Uncle David, & Cousin Keara.
It also was Hydroplane racing at it's finest! Prior to Bayfair we had only watched Hydroplane races in Seattle at Seafair or on TV. For those of you who don't know what a hydroplane the definition follows: A hydroplane (or hydro, or thunderboat) is a type of motorboat used exclusively for racing. One of the unique things about these boats is that they only use the water they're on for propulsion and steering (not for flotation)—when going at full speed they are primarily held aloft by a principle of fluid dynamics known as "planing", with only a tiny fraction of their hull actually touching the water. If you are really interested in learning more check out the hyrdoinsider for all the specific details. Hydroplanes were a new thing to me when Anthony and I married. They have been raced on Lake Washington in Seattle for years but I had never heard of them. It is very hard for me to explain the experience let's just say AWESOME! The boats race on fresh and salt water and can race at speeds of over 200 miles an hour. They use jet engines so they are loud, but that is part of the appeal. The race course at Mission Bay was right in front of us, it was so close that during the races the kids couldn't even be on the beach. We all loved it! The kids even picked their favorite boats. 
Kierstin picked Graham trucking because their colors were green and yellow like the Oregon Ducks. Noah picked Oh Boy Oberto because it was red and the logo had a shark face on the boat. Anthony & I picked the Miss Beacon Plumbing for Jonah because it was the only booth that had a shirt small enough to fit him. It was fun to watch them cheer for their boats. One of the coolest things about hydro races is visiting the pits where you can see the boats up close. You can also see them repair the boats or just observe all the mechanics checking over all the parts. This year Boeing created a green hydroplane. It runs on coconut oil. What a cool concept! Fun and ecofriendly at the same time. Unfortunately, they didn't race the boat because they were afraid the salt water might ruin the new engine they had just built. Lucky for us they had it on display and Kierstin and Noah were able to sit in a real hydroplane cockpit that was raced by Chip Hanauer. We also had a chance to get all of the drivers autographs along with Chip Hanauer and Steve Reynolds both racing legends. Race on!
It also was Hydroplane racing at it's finest! Prior to Bayfair we had only watched Hydroplane races in Seattle at Seafair or on TV. For those of you who don't know what a hydroplane the definition follows: A hydroplane (or hydro, or thunderboat) is a type of motorboat used exclusively for racing. One of the unique things about these boats is that they only use the water they're on for propulsion and steering (not for flotation)—when going at full speed they are primarily held aloft by a principle of fluid dynamics known as "planing", with only a tiny fraction of their hull actually touching the water. If you are really interested in learning more check out the hyrdoinsider for all the specific details. Hydroplanes were a new thing to me when Anthony and I married. They have been raced on Lake Washington in Seattle for years but I had never heard of them. It is very hard for me to explain the experience let's just say AWESOME! The boats race on fresh and salt water and can race at speeds of over 200 miles an hour. They use jet engines so they are loud, but that is part of the appeal. The race course at Mission Bay was right in front of us, it was so close that during the races the kids couldn't even be on the beach. We all loved it! The kids even picked their favorite boats. Kierstin picked Graham trucking because their colors were green and yellow like the Oregon Ducks. Noah picked Oh Boy Oberto because it was red and the logo had a shark face on the boat. Anthony & I picked the Miss Beacon Plumbing for Jonah because it was the only booth that had a shirt small enough to fit him. It was fun to watch them cheer for their boats. One of the coolest things about hydro races is visiting the pits where you can see the boats up close. You can also see them repair the boats or just observe all the mechanics checking over all the parts. This year Boeing created a green hydroplane. It runs on coconut oil. What a cool concept! Fun and ecofriendly at the same time. Unfortunately, they didn't race the boat because they were afraid the salt water might ruin the new engine they had just built. Lucky for us they had it on display and Kierstin and Noah were able to sit in a real hydroplane cockpit that was raced by Chip Hanauer. We also had a chance to get all of the drivers autographs along with Chip Hanauer and Steve Reynolds both racing legends. Race on!
1 comment:
Wow, how cool is that! Sounds like a lot of fun!
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