Opinion: Power boat races have no business on Lake Tahoe

To the community,

For everyone who remembers summer days when being outdoors meant hearing the roar of motorboat races on Lake Tahoe, the bad old days may be on their way back. The Pacific Outdoor Powerboat Racing Association plans to bring powerboat racing back to Lake Tahoe on Sept. 10-11, 2011.

Check out the details online. They say: “Offshore race boats will compete from all over the U.S., ranging from 22 feet to over 50 feet and will hit speeds upwards of 150 MPH in some of the Pro classes. The action starts Saturday, September 10th, with the teams competing in a three and a half (3½) mile sprint to achieve speed and handling domination over the rest of the teams. Sunday September 11th the Lake Tahoe Fun Run can test the skill and equipment of the most seasoned veteran as well as the novice racer over fifty (50) miles of the most beautiful shoreline anywhere in the world with the 50 mile test of endurance that can trace it’s roots to the very start of Tahoe Powerboat racing 100 years ago.”

This type of event is utterly incompatible with sustainable recreation and the outdoor events scheduled for the 2011 Tahoe Expo that same weekend. It will also impact the outdoor experience of every other user within the entire region, including hikers, bikers, and backyard barbecues.

In the last cigarette boat race held here in the 1980s, the boats could be heard in Meiss Meadows. Apparently this event needs a marine event permit from the U.S. Coast Guard; it is unclear if it has one yet. If you think this event is a bad idea for Lake Tahoe, contact the U.S. Coast Guard, San Francisco Sector, and talk to the Marine Event Permits Coordinator, Joshua Clark, at (415) 399.7440.

Sue Rae Irelan, Homewood