A few months ago the state of Georgia passed a law stating that nobody under the age of 16 could pilot any sort of power boat, in turn this essentially ended all APBA Junior Class events in the state.
"The new Georgia regulations were aimed mostly toward personal water crafts. We have had a couple of deaths recently here at Lake Lanier and they were able to get some legislation pretty quickly passed that said anybody under 16 years-old had to have somebody 18 years or older with them on the boat whether it was a personal water craft or a boat of any kind," APBA member Herb Lanphear said. "It went into affect either a month or two months ago."
Taking place in Evans, Ga., June 22 and 23 is the Wildwood Park Regatta. Originally planned to host the Stock Outboard, Modified Outboard, PRO and Junior Classes; as of two months ago, with the passge of this new law juniors and some A-Stock drivers weren't allowed to race.
After hearing of this new law that was passed Lanphear, assistant referee for the race, thought that the race would be ruined if children 16 years and younger wouldn't be allowed to race. So he made some phone calls and worked with several people to try and do anything he could to allow everybody to drive at the Wildwood Park Regatta. With much work he was able to get an amendment to the legislation and now anybody can race like originally planned.
"I just got off the phone the the Department of Natural Resources and we are officialy on for anyone that is a current APBA member, if your nine, 10 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 years-old; this is a closed course, private affair and the DNR has signed off on the sanction for our village with anybody that is a current member," Lanphear said. "They do not have to take the current boater safety rules as if they were public nor do they fall under any of the requirements of natural regulations."
Through all of his hard work and persistance, Lanphear and his team were able to get perminant "verbiage" added to the legislation that will allows all APBA members, regardless of age to participate in any race at anytime in the state of Georgia.
