Boat races returning to Detroit River in 2023, but are the unlimited hydros?

Detroit — Boat racing is coming back to the Detroit River.

What exactly that will look like, however, remains to be seen.

Officials with Detroit Riverfront Events made some waves Monday, officially announcing that Hydrofest is scheduled to return in 2023, for the first time since 2019. The once-uber-popular boat races were canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and still haven't returned mostly because of sponsorship issues, but also because of the unstable state of hydroplane racing's top circuit.

The last races held in Detroit were in 2019, but didn't include unlimited boats, the top performers in the sport. Unlimited boats last raced in Detroit in 2018, which also was the last time the Gold Cup, North America's oldest motorsports trophy, was contested on the Detroit River.

It's not yet clear if unlimited boats will be part of Hydroftest in 2023, set for August — and if they are, if they'll bring the Gold Cup with them. The Gold Cup has been contested 53 times in Detroit, first in 1916, and every year from 1990 through 2014.

"We have talked to many of the unlimited owners and they've made it clear they want to come to Detroit," said Mark Weber, president of DREI.

The Detroit boat races date to 1916, with unlimited boats, which these days can reach speeds of more than 200 mph, racing here every year since the end of World War II until 2019.

But the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Series has had its struggles filling out the docket in recent years. 

Only five unlimited boats participated in a race in Seattle earlier this month. The last time hydroplanes raced in Detroit, in 2018, there were only six boats. As recently as 2015, the total was in the double digits.

When the boat races took place in Detroit in 2019, organizers put out a field of smaller boats, which meant smaller purses and, thus, fewer sponsor needs. But it also meant less enthusiasm, and smaller crowds.

"We are attempting to ensure that the show that we put on is not only good for our fans but good for our sponsors," said Bruce Madej, a DREI board member who's been attending Detroit races since the 1950s.

"We're trying to find a way to put on a good show."

Walled Lake's Andrew Tate helped organizers do just that in 2018, winning the Gold Cup in Detroit.

In its heyday, with the likes of Miss Detroit, Miss Budweiser and others, the Detroit boat races drew tens of thousands to the riverfront, including on Belle Isle.

Speaking of which, Michele Hodges, president and CEO of the Belle Isle Conservancy, announced Monday that her organization was teaming up with DREI for the 2023 races. It's a natural fit, Hodges said in an interview on WJR on Monday morning. The boats often reach their top speeds passing by Belle Isle.

That partnership, Hodges said, means Hydrofest will be more than just racing.

"Partnerships are so important," Hodges said on WJR.

Weber said the timing finally seemed right to partner with Belle Isle — where the retired and renowned Miss Pepsi unlimited boat is housed at the island's museum — particularly with the IndyCar race moving off the island to the streets of downtown, starting in 2023. The races provide another draw to the island, he said.

That partnership could mean more activities along the riverfront, besides just the boat heats. It also could mean more free places from which to watch the races. Event organizers are contemplating selling tickets only for the main grandstands, and allowing for free attendance everywhere else.

The next step will be securing sponsorships, with about $500,000 needed. Longtime title sponsor Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers is out, though Weber said other businesses are expressing interest.

"We have to have a sustainable plan, not a passionate plan," said Weber, who's joined on the volunteer DREI board by Madej and Doug Bernstein. "We have to have a sustainable plan, and we've been working on that for months. Well, actually longer.

"We're not gonna run this event if everything's not in place.

"Failure is not an option, short of weather."

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tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984