During the weekend of the seventh annual Brighthouse Clearwater Super Boat National Championship, it was clear that Clearwater, Florida, has a healthy fleet of performance boaters who call the area home. A 36-foot Nor-Tech catamaran, a classic 26-foot Corsa V-bottom and a beautifully restored Scarab performance boat all rumbled through the wet pits to the delight of fans on shore.
As a destination, the Clearwater area offers a mix of protected bodies of water and the open ocean to entice performance boaters. Clearwater Beach Marina and Clearwater Harbor Marina both offer slip rentals and fuel docks, and there is a public launch with six lanes at Seminole Boat Ramp. Learn more at myclearwater.com.
If you don’t bring your own boat, there are rentals in the area. If you prefer to let someone else do the driving, you can take a charter fishing trip or, for something more exciting, you can go for a ride on The Thriller, a 50 mph speedboat. The trip includes a dolphin encounter that’s sure to excite the kids. You can get rates at thrillerclearwater.com.
Speaking of dolphins, the city is home to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which is home to Winter, the famous dolphin with the prosthetic tail from the Dolphin Tale movies. It’s a great attraction for the whole family and there’s even a Winter Adventure boat ride. Meet Winter at seewinter.com.
