On Saturday, June 22nd the Calvert Marine Museum hosted a reunion of Southern Maryland’s former powerboat racers. Over 270 people including the racers, their families, and fans attended the catered event and were treated to a special preview of the new exhibit "Thrills and Spills: The Golden Era of Powerboat Racing in Southern Maryland." Many of those in attendance had been interviewed in the course of the museum’s research for the exhibit and had shared photographs and memorabilia to display.
Several generations of former powerboat racers from the region’s boat clubs were in attendance. These included the Solomons Island Outboard Club that raced in the 1950s, the Solomons Island Yacht Club that held regattas through 1965, the Southern Maryland Boat Club that raced from the late 1950s through the 1970s, and the Speedmasters Racing Team from Washington, DC whose members raced in the 1970s and 1980s.
Most of the attendees were associated with the Southern Maryland Boat Club and the Speedmasters Racing Team. The Speedmasters competed in most of the local races and the two clubs often traveled together to compete in American Power Boat Association-sanctioned races outside the area. After so many events together, members from both clubs expressed the view that they all felt like family.
