Hampton Cup Regatta
Watch over 75 hydroplane boats and Jersey Speed Skiffs compete as Hampton hosts the national championships! The fun kicks off on Friday August 10, 2012 at 5 p.m. at the Paradise Ocean Club with the Bash on the Beach – a free event featuring live music, food & more! Racing starts Saturday at noon. Mill Creek, Fort Monroe entrance.
in 1926, a group of Hampton Yacht Club members decided to have a race to see who had the best navigation skills and which of their boats was the fastest. That spirit of friendly competition endured, and decades later it still serves as the catalyst for one of the most popular competitions in the speedboat racing world.
The modern Hampton Cup Regatta attracts vessels and crews from all corners of the U.S. It has seen racing teams from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is the place where regional and world records have been set. It has truly blossomed into an international affair. Top speeds for the boats ranges from 80 to 170 mph.
But the one thing that has not changed through all these years is the notion of good-spirited fun, and bragging rights of course, among an ever-growing community of boat-lovers.
The local regatta begins on the Hampton River in the area between the downtown Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina Hotel and the inlet near the Veterans Administration Medical Center. You can come visit the children’s area or one of the many food vendors. Spectators can also meet the drivers and pit crews, look at the boats up close and really get a feel for what goes into keeping these boats running by signing a waiver to enter the pits
Where is the best place to watch the race?
The Mercury Boulevard bridge is the best place to see the huge rooster tails up close.
Free admission.
Friday, Aug. 10-Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012
DIRECTIONS TO THE HAMPTON CUP REGATTA
From Norfolk Area
I-64 West thru Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel
Take Mallory St Exit (First Exit-Exit 268)
Take a right at end the end of the ramp onto Mallory St.
Go to 3rd stoplight and take a right onto Mercury Blvd.
Follow parking signs
From Richmond Area
I-64 East to Mallory St Exit (Exit 268)
Take left at top of the ramp onto Mallory St.
Go to the 4th stoplight and turn right onto Mercury Blvd.
Follow parking signs