Fast and Loud!

The  Solomons Off Shore Grand PRix was held this weekend.  It would easy to just talk about the race  itself, the different classes of boats and the thunderous noise they make, and how fast they go. Those statistics would not give you any real idea of what it's like to experience the race at Solomons. This event truly covers the whole island.  Race Teams stayed at the Solomons Holiday Inn which technically is not even on the Island, the boats used the parking lot and ramp under the Thomas Johnson Bridge, and there were stops by the racers at several restaurants and bars through the weekend evenings.  

Let's take a tour of the things any family could have seen.  And I'll mention there was no fee for the event at all.

If you came in from St. Mary's County across the bridge, the crane was the most noticeable sign that something was going on. Once extended, the top was higher than the bridge deck next to it!

 Not all of the boats used the crane.  Some backed down the ramp like any other recreational boat might do.

The great part was that all of the boats were in the lot and you could walk right up and look closely at them.  The crew were available to answer questions as well.

 These little guys ran between heats, and they were quite quick.

Fun.. I wouldn't drive it, but fun.

There were a number of scooters that the crews used to get around from the Pits to the Riverwalk.



















All of the boats were amazing.  Most of the boats had great paint, and cool names...


But, Batman and Gotham City.. just stood out for its detailed artwork.

 

 

 
You may have noticed in the photo up top with the boat on the crane there are pilings in the water..  if you look close you will see that the deck is underwater.  Saturday had an unusually high tide.

 The kids are playing in the submerged parking lot, in this case the dock's deck is above the water.

Plenty of food concessions

Just watch out for the Pirates!










By now you want to see the boats, right?  Well, let's do that!

Towed home,, not a good day

I started off by saying the boats are just part of the story.  Solomons retained the character of being friendly.  The guy and his wife standing next to me gave me a run down on what was happening.  For example, there's a sort of warm up lap that is paced by three boats before the race begins.  Each race has multiple classes of boats in it, with staggered starts.  I found it confusing, because it was hard to tell who was really leading.  But the people and dogs, the kids and birds brought smiles just like every other Solomons' day.









 Some were really well prepared for tailgating.  Many pickups were backed into the river walk.

This included several of the race teams.

It was fairly crowded, but still room to walk down the length of the Riverwalk.

 The sun wasn't out all day, but it brightened up nicely, and a good hat was a bit of welcomed relief.












I think everyone was having a really good time.

















So what else should you expect if you go the the Grand Prix next year?  As usual for Solomons there were quite the variety of dogs,  and a good number of photographers... though most (unlike me) were solely focused on the boats.

Not sure what to comment on this guy

  This miniature Collie was being walked by the young lady below.  She was shy, but willing to let me take her photo.  Adorable.

 The boats are really loud and fast.  The capabilities, of course, vary by class, but I tried to capture a sense of speed with a slow shutter speed and panning with the passing boats.

 I mentioned the photographers.  Amateurs and pros alike were abundant.

 How do I get this gig?


I think he took a shot of me taking a shot of him.. maybe anyway?

 There was even air support:  An ultralight, twin engined float plane... wonder how they got clearance to fly so close to Pax NAS.

Sunday was very much the same, with some new faces..

This guy even 'sat' for me.  I was told he knows when he's getting his picture taken.  :)




















This is his happy owner to the left.

















 There was even one guy selling trinkets..



The two labs were so well behaved. A month ago the senior dog wanted nothing to do with the little guy that was brought into the pack.  Now, they are actually laying on top of one another at times.















Solomons is not just for medium and big dogs though.. Take a look:

This little guy was ready to take on any canine of any size that walked by.  He the size of a Guinea Pig, with a whole lot of moxie.

 The little boy to the right was more exited to be 'talking' to the Mallards than watching the boats.  I don't recall him being vocal at all about the boats.  He was very excited by the ducks, screaming "squawk" to talk to them.









The start of one race.

 The crowd taking it in.

 This Rottie/Pitt mix was a rescue.  He's doing very well, and isn't afraid of people any longer, though he prefers to approach you rather than have the people approach him.

I'll close with my favorite shot.  The first turn, a left before the boats reach the bridge was fairly choppy Saturday.  Look at the wall of water the racers sometimes find in front of them.

To sum it all up, the Solomon's Off Shore Grand Prix is a fabulous event.  It's virtually no cost - assuming you don't buy souveniers and refreshments while you're there.  It's friendly, somewhat laid back, but still exciting to watch.  If you didn't come out this year, plan on coming out next year.

Blessings,
Brian