Whether you like a fast boat or are an adrenaline junkie, make a stop Tuesday at the Saratoga Resort & Spa to see the fastest racing boat in the world.
Dr. Mike Janssen, the owner of Saratoga Resort & Spa, owns the racing boat, which is the Snowy Range Brewery racing boat.
"This is the first time the boat is going to be west of the Mississippi [River]," Janssen said in an interview.
The racing boat has broken so many speed records that last year parity restrictions were set on the boat. "It's like taking a quarterback like Peyton Manning and asking him to tie his shoes together," Janssen said.
The boat was required to add weight to give other racers a chance to compete. While Janssen's boat weighed in at 5,000 pounds, the competing boats were at 4,750 pounds.
Janssen's boat still won ... for the third year in a row.
A parity restriction either adds weight to the boat or raises the propeller, Janssen explained.
Janssen designed and built the boat with the help of Mike Fiore, owner of Outerlimits Powerboats, in 2011. The boat is built out of carbon fiber where other racing boats are built with fiberglass.
Janssen has been racing the boat since 2012 and it has never lost a race. He has raced it in New York, Key West and Missouri. The world championships take place in Key West and Janssen has brought home the trophy since 2012.
Sadly, Fiore, died in a boating accident last August. He was racing a boat in the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout when the powerboat flipped into the air and crash-landed. Janssen said Fiore was going about 200 miles per hour. Fiore was 43 at the time of this death, according to Janssen, and left behind a family. In January, the Saratoga Resort & Spa hosted a private snowmobile poker run and raised $45,000 for an education fund for Fiore's children.
"Powerboat racers came from all over the world in tribute to Mike and raise money," Janssen said.
Janssen had a client in 2008 that led him to the sport of powerboat racing. His first boat was the Saratoga Stampede, which was sold and now races out of South America. It still races under the name Saratoga Stampede.
His second racing boat was "Watch Your Back". Janssen is a spine surgeon professionally.
Powerboats take two people to operate – one at the steering wheel and the other at the throttle. Janssen usually operates the throttle.
"It's kind of like right brain and left brain," Janssen said. He tries to practice at both ends and has run races with his children Madison and Matthew.
Janssen, who has an eight-man crew to take care of the boat and a racing crew tries to race anywhere from six to 10 races and then competes in the world championship in Florida.
His racing schedule is prone to his professional practice, which takes priority for Janssen.
This year for the first time, the team is racing at Lake Havasu, so Janssen told his driver, Mark James, to make a stop in Saratoga for people to see the boat.
While people won't be able to climb in the boat, they will have an opportunity to view the boat from the outside looking in, Janssen said. The motor will be viewable as well, Janssen said.
The powerboat is one of kind. It is an amazing watercraft with the way it is designed and built, Janssen said.
"People always ask where Snowy Mountain Brewery is," Janssen said.
The race boat will be at the Saratoga Resort & Spa courtyard beginning at noon Monday. From 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, the Resort & Spa will be offering a special, which includes one free 16-ounce craft beer and half-price appetizers.
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