LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (AP) — A speedboat went airborne and did a complete backward flip while racing at about 200 mph (322kph) before crashing into an Arizona lake.
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Two racers inside the boat’s covered cabin survived the event, which saw the boat go over 30 feet (9 meters) in the air. They wore harnesses and helmets, and “were just a little banged up,” according to a social media post on Facebook by the Freedom One Racing team and an account by a race witness.
Speedboat attempting to break 206 mph record flips dramatically on Lake Havasu, crashing into the water. Both racers from Freedom One Racing sustained minor injuries but are OK. High winds may have contributed to the incident. pic.twitter.com/wJvmKTuk76
— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) April 27, 2025
The Saturday crash took place on a 3/4-mile course (1.2 kilometer) at an annual speedboat race.
The flying boat still managed to cross the finish line and win the contest by registering a top speed of 200.1 mph (322 kph), Speedboat Magazine Publisher Ray Lee said.
Lee said the twin-hull Skater boat is designed to rise up and hydroplane across the surface of the water. Windy conditions and propeller adjustments called trims likely contributed to the boat taking flight, he said.
Cockpit footage of the speedboat that flipped during the 2025 Lake Havasu Desert Storm Shugrue’s Shootout. https://t.co/MHY7J8L8UA pic.twitter.com/N1fAtwMUl4
— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) April 27, 2025
Lee says it’s an inherently dangerous sport, through courses have been shortened from a previous length of 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) that produced speeds in excess of 240 mph (386 kph). Safety precautions include reinforced cockpits with underwater diving gear.
Freedom One Racing released a video saying its boat operators got out safely and that the vessel was now back on a trailer. The video showed extensive damage to the boat, including splintered fiberglass.
Representatives for Freedom One Racing did not immediately respond to email and phone messages. The team emphasizes fundraising for charity.
Dramatic moment speedboat flips going 200mph. pic.twitter.com/4nJzBKKxhF
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 28, 2025
The headline is misleading. This was not a “race;” it was a “shootout,” a.k.a. a “time trial.”
The difference is significant. In a race, competitors compete simultaneously to see who will cross the finish line first.
The headline thus implies that despite the crash, the boat was able to continue the “race” and finish first. The implication is thus that the “crash” was not so serious as to disable the boat, as the boat was still able to beat all competitors to the finish line.
In fact, however, the boat won the “time trial,” posting the fastest time of all before it crashed and wrecked. Indeed, the event is not called a “race,” but rather the “2025 Desert Storm Shootout.”
Given the boat’s tumultuous ending, the article should have contained a warning that the contents of the video may be disturbing to some viewers.
And anyway, what about this article qualifies it for publication on this site, which states that it publishes “news for the Jewish world”?
Definitely a better performance than what the Miami Heat did, or didn’t do, tonight. What a pathetic team. They got swept 4 straight. Didn’t even put up a fight. Went down like lead. Shame on the Organization.
Why are there no videos?
A frum bochur
Does anyone know of any google chats/hangouts? thanks
A frum bochur