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Organizers expect 31 teams for Memorial Day weekend event
COEUR d'ALENE - Race The Joe 2015 is taking shape as the largest jet boat race in the United States since the early 2000s, organizers said on Monday.
"We are anticipating a really big race this year," said Kyla Sawyer, one of the event organizers. "Right now we are expecting 31 teams to sign up, but those numbers are based on rumors for now."
Sawyer said registration will begin Friday and the teams that make it through the technical inspections will be allowed to race.
She said the jet boat racing teams are readying for the world championship, which will be held in Canada in July, and many of them want to run the St. Joe River race in St. Maries to ready for that.
The free racing event will be held in St. Maries on Memorial Day weekend, starting on May 22, and ending May 24.
"St. Maries and surrounding areas are anticipating record crowds," race director Shirley Ackerman said in a press release. "It's going to be a great community event."
The weekend will kick off with a Show and Shine event on Friday starting at 6 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to come out and talk with the teams, take photos and get autographs.
There will be refreshments available and a free fireworks show on Friday evening.
Racing will start at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Each team will race eight legs of the 200-mile course that stretches from Idaho Forest Industries Landing to Calder.
Spectators may watch the races for free from any riverbank along the course, but they are asked to respect the race officials and the areas marked off limits for safety purposes.
Sawyer said to compete in the championship race, teams will have to complete 373 miles of racing, and the St. Joe race is a total of almost 200 miles long.
Many of them will bring new boats or new engines to test their limits at Race The Joe, she added.
Racers will also have an entirely new course to maneuver this year, and Sawyer said some of the teams are already training on the river.
"They like the new course because the water is shallower and they can see the channel better," she said, adding it is also a challenging course.
Four teams from New Zealand will also race this year. Sawyer said all four teams are either champion racers or they are upcoming in the racing circuit.
"Having four teams from New Zealand is quite a big deal," she said.
She said there will also be teams from Canada and of course the United States.
For more information on the race visit the "racethejoe" page on Facebook or visit the St. Maries Chamber of Commerce website.
https://www.facebook.com/racethejoe
