Written by ALLISON PETTY
Hearld-Review.COM
DECATUR — Memorial Day powerboat races could return to Decatur, but it will take approval from the city, tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorship money and a lot of effort from one resident.
The Decatur Park District Board of Commissioners voted to allow resident Sean Bowsher to move ahead with his plan to organize boat races in 2013. Bowsher, a Decatur police officer, said he also would need to get permission from the city and find roughly $30,000 in sponsorship money.
“I’m going to be going beating doors down, as soon as I get the go-ahead from you guys to have a race,” he told the commissioners.
Boat races were a Lake Decatur fixture from 1970-86, then returned in 1991 until 2004. The events were expensive to host, and tempestuous weather sometimes forced cancellations.
“As you all know, the weather dictates a lot about boat racing. When there’s wind and rain, the boat racing doesn’t happen. I want to have something else to do” so people can still enjoy the event if the races do not happen, Bowsher said.
Bowsher said he is an avid boat racer who travels roughly 25,000 miles every year to events, and he would like to bring one closer to home. He said the “family-oriented” event would feature about 75 boats and end at 5 p.m. each evening. It would be sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association.
