Commentary: When Two Is One Too Many

Created: September 27, 2025

A number caught my eye when I first scanned the registration sheet for this weekend’s Race World Offshore-produced Clearwater Nationals, the final race of the 2025 regular season. The number was seven—that’s how many Mod V-class teams had registered as of Thursday. It was the largest Mod-V fleet of the season, and it piqued my curiosity.

The final of the regular offshore racing season, the Clearwater Nationals begins today. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Why would seven Mod V teams commit to the Clearwater Nationals? National titles are established by points accrued during each season. “National champions” are often decided before Clearwater

It is not like the Race World Offshore Key West World Champions, a stand-alone affair where points zero out before the first of the three races used to determine the world champs begin.

Granted, Clearwater “Nationals” does has a nice ring. It sure sounds important. But the title is mostly a marketing contrivance.

Still, I wondered what inspired seven Mod V teams to register for Clearwater. If they all showed—and I understand one team has dropped for personal/family reasons—it would make for the biggest Mod V class fleet of regular season.

So I asked veteran Mod V class driver Stephen Kildahl, who shares the cockpit of the Boatfloater.com/Scott Free Racing team with his throttleman/father, Steve.

“This is the first race of the season where the teams racing American Power Boat Association and World Powerboat Racing Association events have combined,” he said.

Sit with that first sentence for a minute. Let it sink. Read it again and let it sink deeper.

For the record, Kildahl wasn’t trying to start a fire. He was giving a straight answer to reasonable question.

And from his honest answer, the mighty elephant in the room arises.

There are two sanctioning bodies now in a sport that can barely sustain one. Each group has its own reasons for being, some valid, others not. Each group is convinced it commands offshore powerboat racing’s moral high group. Each believes its messianic cause is just, it’s mission sacred. Like Jake and Elwood Blues, they’re both a mission from God.

But on whatever side you fall—and I’ve heard both and and neither sways me—one truth is as undeniable as it is inconvenient.

There isn’t room for two.