Boat racing thrills at Milton Summer Kickoff

South Shore Outboard Association's Steve Noury, obscured, calls the race as three boats start the final lap of one of Saturday's races. Below, Mike Akerstrom gets congratulations from Noury after the first race, and a hyrdroplane. (Harrison Thorp photos)

MILTON - Mike Akerstrom of Westford, Mass., is on his way to Italy today to assist a private driving team in the world championships of these modified racing boats, but on Saturday he was behind the wheel riding to victory in the first race of Milton's Summer Kickoff party at Town Beach.

Akerstrom easily beat out two other boats to tke the checkered flag in the first of many races put on by the South Shore Outboard Association during its 2^nd Annual Three Ponds Challenge.

The group used to represent just the South Shore of Boston, but now various groups from all over New England are represented, said the association’s lead organizer, Steve Noury.

Noury said many group members had opted for other venues to race on Saturday due to early weather predictions of a heavy impact by Tropical Storm Andrea, but by noon when the races started condition were actually perfect.

Akerstrom was able to plane out on his runabout into the low 60 mph range, he said.

Noury explained there are only two types of boats in his organization – runabouts and hydroplanes, but 10 different classes, based on variables like driver age, boat weight, horsepower and size of boat.

Some of the hydroplanes can go nearly 80 mph, he said, though he doubted that would happen on the ¾-mile course set up about a 100 yards out from Milton Town Beach.

Each race comprised three laps around the course, but one of the biggest keys to winning, explained Noury, is the start.

Once a green flag signaled drivers to get into  their starting position, they motored their boats out to the north end of the course, waiting for a giant clock on the back side of the official race boat to start ticking off the seconds. The clock counts down from 60 seconds to zero, which is when the race begins. Drivers try to time it so their boat is going across the start line as fast as it can when the clock finishes its 60-second countdown.

The racing continues today at noon at Milton Town Beach as Milton Summer Kickoff continues.