Organizer Jeff McCann will meet with the Morehead City, N.C., city council this coming Wednesday with the goal of securing a permit for the Offshore Powerboat Association’s World Championships for October 23-25. If approved—and with the recent success of the organization’s Crystal Coast Grand Prix in the coastal North Carolina city McCann is optimistic—the event will follow OPA’s traditional two-day race format (Friday and Sunday) used in Englewood Beach, Fla., for the past five years. (Englewood Beach officials announced they were cancelling their annual late-November Waterfest event, which included the OPA World Championships, last week.)

If current plans hold, Super Stock-class teams and more will return Morehead City, N.C., next month. Photo from the 2020 Crystal Coast Grand Prix by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

“The city council meets Wednesday night and I’ll make the official proposal, and then there will be public comment during the meeting,” said McCann. “By Thursday morning, we should have an official announcement.”

United States Coast Guard approval, which is the final step in permitting the event, follows city council approval. McCann explained that while the Coast Guard typically requires 120 days of notice prior to approval, his event “has been in the COLREGS since 2004, which means they can keep the permit open for certain dates.” He is equally optimistic about that Coast Guard permit outcome.

“The Coast Guard has always told me they want to work with me and not against me, so I’m feeing good about it,” said McCann “Our course goes through our state port and the Intracoastal Waterway and the Coast Guard handles all of that.”

In addition the Crystal Coast event, McCann and his wife, Keri, produced a same-weekend poker run that likely will end up raising between $15,000 to $20,000 for the Carteret Cancer Crew.

“The money is still coming in,” he said.

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