San Diego Bayfair Postpones Event Until 2024
San Diego Bayfair on Mission Bay, the region’s largest annual beach festival and powerboat competition is postponing the September event until 2024, the Board of Governors announced Monday.
Facing steep increases in production costs due to inflation and unexpected sponsorship losses, the non-profit’s Board voted to pause the event, slated for September 15-17, to ensure the fiscal health of Bayfair is not negatively impacted long term. The new date is September 13-15, 2024.
“While we know our supporters will be disappointed with this difficult decision, the Board of Governors wants to ensure Bayfair continues for decades to come,” said Bob Davies, Bayfair’s Race Director. “We’re working hard to continue the Bayfair traditions of the past, and its San Diego legacy as the nation’s premier beach festival and powerboat competition.”
Bayfair, which staged its first festival and unlimited hydroplane race in 1964, the year construction was completed on Mission Bay Park. Held every September, Bayfair is a family friendly beach elements including was completed as it is today, is comprised of family friendly beach elements including live music, vendors and the fastest powerboats in the world.
Races on Mission Bay is in San Diego’s City Municipal Code, and Bayfair’s efforts generate tax dollars and hotel room nights that benefit the San Diego economy through the 75,000 people that attend the festival. Ticket sales had not yet started for 2023.
The Board of Governors are committed to keeping San Diego Bayfair an affordable family event and that wasn’t possible in the current economic environment, Davies said. Bayfair is an all-volunteer organization with more than 700 volunteers to stage the three-day festival and powerboat race.
“We thank our fans, volunteers and sponsors for their support and passion for San Diego Bayfair,” Davies said. “Rest assured, we’ll return in 2024 even better.”
HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair Back on Mission Bay, Sept. 16-18
San Diego, Calif.—September 9, 2022—San Diego’s end-of-summer tradition HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair returns to Mission Bay, September 16-18, featuring the world’s fastest boats and fun for the family.
About 70,000 spectators and RVers are expected as the family-friendly festival spreads out over East Vacation Island, Crown Point and Fiesta Island. Celebrating its 58th year, HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair is one of California’s largest on-water events.
Bayfair offers a variety of events on land and water over the three-day festival. The 200-mph H1 Unlimited hydroplanes headline the on-water racing and will be joined Grand Prix America and Pro-Lite as well as grass-roots racers. This year marks the return of the BBQ Festival on Crown Point and the popular car and motorcycle shows.
Hydro Games Returns to 2022 HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair
After making its debut in 2019, the Hydro Games will return to Crown Point at HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair, September 16-18, 2022.
Competitors will participate in what organizers call the most progressive, modern, multi-platform extreme sports event of its kind.
Hydro Games will consist of Jet boards, Jet Packs, Jet bikes, E-foils, PWC, Sea Breachers, LED night shows and OneWheel skateboard demonstrations on land. There will be some highly entertaining events such as jousting, tug-o-war, e-foil racing, jet ski racing and more. (Click on map to enlarge)
HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair Returns to Mission Bay, September 17-19, Features Family Fun with Hydro-Flight Games, Car Shows and World’s Fastest Boats
HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair returns to the great outdoors on Mission Bay, September 17-19, featuring the world’s fastest boats, Hydro-Flight Games, and fun for the whole family.
Bayfair, which staged its first event on Mission Bay in 1964, was postponed last year because of the pandemic. It’s the first time Bayfair hasn’t held an event since the oil embargo in the 1970s.
About 70,000 spectators and RVers are expected to be part of the end-of-summer tradition as the family-friendly festival spreads out over East Vacation Island, Crown Point and Fiesta Island. Celebrating its 57th year, HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair is one of California’s largest on-water events.
“Our fans have waited two long years for HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair to return and we couldn’t be more excited to be back,” said Bob Davies, race director for HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair. “The last couple of years has been a reminder of the importance of spending time with family and friends.”
Bayfair offers a variety of events on land and water over the three-day family festival. The 200-mph H1 Unlimited hydroplanes headline the on-water racing. The tour is wrapping up its 2021 season on Mission Bay and Miss Tri-Cities driver J. Michael Kelly is looking to secure the driver points championship over San Diego favorite Jimmy Shane and the Miss HomeStreet boat. About 200 points separate the competitors, so the championship won’t likely be determined until Sunday’s final race.
Joining the H1 Unlimiteds on the racecourse is the popular piston-powered Grand Prix America boats. The boats are load and bring a lot of attention when they go on the 2-1/2 mile oval racecourse that was purpose-built for hydroplane racing.
“We hope race fans are just as excited as we are to be back in San Diego and racing on Mission Bay,” said Jeff Bernard, driver of the GP-79 Bad Influence. “It is my family and my favorite place to come and race and we are ready for fans to see some exciting racing after the COVID shutdowns. The San Diego race fans are some of our most loyal on our circuit.”
Additional on-water entertainment includes several classes of amateur racing from the American Power Boat Association including 1 Liters, Stock Hydros and tunnel boats.
After making its debut in 2019, the Hydro-Flight Games will return to Crown Point for events Friday-Sunday. More than 75 competitors will participate in what organizers call the most progressive, modern multiplatform extreme sports and leisure event. Hydroflight competitions are popular overseas but there are few events in North America.
Pairing with the Hydro-Games on Crown Point is a large motorcycle and car show. Up to 100 motorcycles will be on display during Saturday and 250 cars are expected for Sunday’s event. Both shows are included with the purchase of a ticket to Bayfair.
Other activities at Bayfair include beer gardens, a large vendor area open to the public on East Vacation Island and activities for the kids. San Diego Bayfair also offers RV spaces to rent on Mission Bay, one of the few opportunities to stay overnight in Mission Bay Park. RV Packages include four nights and five days, plus tickets to the event.
Testing and qualifying with limited racing is on Friday, September 17. Heat races and championship races are on Saturday and Sunday. The Bill Muncey Cup for H1 Unlimited is Sunday afternoon, September 19.
HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair will follow the Covid-19 protocols set by the County of San Diego for the outdoor event. Additional handwashing and hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the event.
Single-day tickets start at $25 and a three-day Super Pass is available for $45. Children under age 12 are free. For more information or to purchase advance tickets online, visit www.sandiegobayfair.org.
HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair Ready to Roar, Sept. 17-19, 2021
The Board of Governors is excited to announce it will stage HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair on Mission Bay, September 17-19, 2021. We know you have lots of questions and we’ll answer them below.
Q: When will RV spaces go on sale?
A: RV spaces are open for sale. Those returning must by for their space by July 16, 2021.
Q: Will I be able to keep the same RV space when I attended Bayfair in 2019?
A: Yes, provided you meet the deposit deadlines.
Q: When will tickets be available for sale?
A: We anticipate ticket sales will start in early in June through our ticket partner Saffire.
Q: What will San Diego Bayfair look like this year?
A: We are awaiting guidance from local and state government on social distancing requirements, and will follow those protocols. We will clearly convey the requirements prior to the event. You can do your part by encouraging friends and family to get the Covid-19 vaccine for the health of attendees.
Q: What if the state cancels large events because a Covid-19 outbreak?
A: Bayfair will issue refunds for those who purchased RV spaces or tickets.
Q: How can I help?
A: Bayfair is run entirely by volunteers and needs sponsors to pay the increased costs. If you own a business or have a friend who is a business owner, encourage them to be a sponsor at San Diego Bayfair.
HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair Postponed Until 2021
Due to the ongoing public health safety concerns and guidance from state government, the 56th running of HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair on Mission Bay set for September 18-20 has been postponed until 2021.
The Board of Governors voted unanimously Tuesday to reschedule Bayfair and America’s Finest BBQ Festival for September 17-19, 2021. It is the first time that San Diego Bayfair hasn’t hosted a race since 1973.
“We’re disappointed that San Diego Bayfair won’t take place this year,” said Bob Davies, race director for San Diego Bayfair. “We evaluated various ways to stage Bayfair during the COVID-19 pandemic and felt we couldn’t ensure the health of our fans, volunteers, sponsors and race teams.”
San Diego is traditionally the last race of the season for H1 Unlimited and Grand Prix America hydroplane tours. Both tours have not raced this year because of event cancellations tied to the pandemic.
Bayfair had delayed the start of RV space registration and ticket sales awaiting on greater guidance from local and county officials. The event is staged in Mission Bay Park, which is controlled by the City of San Diego.
“We look forward to getting together again with friends and family in September 2021, in the meantime please stay safe and healthy,” Davies said.
Bayfair is one of San Diego’s largest beach festivals with more than 70,000 people annually drawn to Mission Bay for three days of boat racing, barbecue and craft beer festival, and family fun activities.
Shane Clinches Points Title as HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair Rolls into Final Day
Jimmy Shane, driver of the U-6 “Miss HomeStreet” unlimited hydroplane clinched his sixth H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Series national championship after scoring top qualifier points and winning his preliminary heat Saturday scoring enough points win the title on Mission Bay.
Shane has won the championship six of the past seven years, five with his team current team, Miss Madison Racing owned by the citizens of Madison, Indiana. Shane won the championship in 2013-17, and now in 2019.
After Saturday’s racing, Shane said, “It feels great to win my sixth championship, we are going to stay clean during tomorrow’s two sets of heats and go into the final and lay it all on the line.”
“We are going to race smart leading up to the final of the HomeStreet Bank Cup and through everything we got at it,” Shane said.
Shane said he has to stay away from the saltwater tossed in the air from the other race boats, keeping the engine from digesting the salt that could lead to damage and “stay out of trouble.”
Shane biggest challenge of the day came from his teammate, Jeff Bernard, driver of the U-1918 “Oberto Super Salami” who nearly caught him at the finish of the four-lap heat. Bernard finished a boat length behind Shane. Third place went to Jamie Nilsen, driving the U-11 “J&D’s presented by Reliable Diamond Tool.” Fourth place went to Canadian driver Bert Henderson in the “Spirit of Detroit.”
In the second heat of the day, J. Michael Kelly in the U-12 “Graham Trucking” made a parade out of the preliminary heat easily beating Bernard in the “Oberto Super Salami” and U-11 “J&D’s presented by Reliable Diamond Tool.” Corey Peabody driving the U-98 “Graham Trucking American Dream” failed to finish.
“We need to keep getting this boat going faster and faster,” Kelly said.
Kelly said they are going to try different things Sunday because he was unable to get good timing marks Saturday after his boat suffered steering issues during qualifying.
“The guys worked hard to find the issue which is nice, you want your steering to work when you are going 200 mph on the water,” Kelly said.
Kelly said he didn’t know exactly what went wrong with his steering other than it wasn’t right.
“I’m just the driver, I just turn the wheel and I knew something wasn’t right,” he said. “I explained it to my crew and they thankfully figured it out.”
Racing continues Sunday at the HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair on Mission Bay with two additional preliminary heat races and with the winner-take-all final scheduled for 4 pm (PDT).
HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair on Mission Bay, September 13-15, Features Family Fun with Hydro-Flight Games, BBQ Championship and World’s Fastest Boats
San Diego, Calif.—September 4, 2019—HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair presented by Davies Electric has something for the whole family when the event takes over Mission Bay, September 13-15. Whether the kids want to see the extreme Hydro-Flight Games or the parents are interested in barbecue and fast boats, Bayfair has you covered.
Over 70,000 spectators and RVers are expected to be part of the end-of-summer tradition as the family-friendly festival takes over East Vacation Island, Crown Point and Fiesta Island. Celebrating its 55th year, HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair is one of California’s largest on-water events.
“HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair continues to grow by offering more activities on land and on Mission Bay,” said Bob Davies, race director for HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair. “From the new Hydro-Flight games and America’s Finest BBQ competition to the fastest boats on the water, we’ve got a memorable weekend ahead of us.”
The newest addition to Bayfair is the Hydro-Flight Games, set for Friday-Sunday on Crown Point. More than 45 competitors from around the world will participate in the exhibition. It features Jetboard competitions, JetBike, JetPacks and a junior competition doing incredible tricks. Hydroflight competitions are popular overseas but there are few events in North America.
“This is a unique opportunity to see these world-class competitors right in your backyard,” Davies said. “They are incredible athletes who will put on a great show for the fans.”
Returning for the second year is the popular America’s Finest BBQ State Championship on Saturday, September 14. The competition will feature more than 50 teams firing up barbecues for the best pork, beef brisket, chicken and pulled pork. The championship event is sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society.
Attendees can purchase food tokens to sample the food and learn from the best in the business on how to barbecue. Tickets to America’s Finest BBQ State Championship are $10; free for Bayfair fans with a 3-day Super Pass. The barbecue competition will have a beer garden and music with proceeds benefitting the San Diego Police Historical Association.
On-water activities are led by the H1 Unlimited hydroplanes, which is wrapping up its 2019 season in Mission Bay. Driver Andrew Tate is defending back-to-back Bill Muncey Cup victories in San Diego but expect Miss HomeStreet Bank driver Jimmy Shane to have a say before the weekend is over. Shane of Maple Valley, Washington, is expected to lock up the individual driver and team points championship in San Diego.
Fans who love big piston-power will want to catch the Grand Prix World Supercharged Hydroplanes as they’ll race throughout the weekend. This year the eight teams will be racing for the Secretary of the Navy Cup. The cup, which is on loan from the American Power Boat Association, was last contested in 1931.
“San Diego has such a proud military tradition, we wanted to honor the servicemen and servicewomen,” said Sam Cole, chairman of the Grand Prix World Supercharged Hydroplanes. “The fact the Secretary of the Navy Cup hasn’t been contested for nearly 90 years should be exciting for fans and the racers.”
Bayfair supports the military too by providing free admission to active military and reservists with current identification. Dependents receive 50 percent off their ticket and children under 12 are free.
Rounding out the on-water entertainment are several classes of amateur racing from the American Power Boat Association. The classes expected to participate include 1 Liters, Crackerbox, Stock Hydros, SST and Seabreachers.
Other activities at Bayfair include beer gardens, a large vendor area open to the public on East Vacation Island and activities for the kids. San Diego Bayfair also offers RV spaces to rent on Mission Bay, one of the few opportunities to stay overnight in Mission Bay Park. RV Packages include four nights and five days, plus tickets to the event.
Testing and qualifying with limited racing is on Friday, September 13. Heat races and championship races are on Saturday and Sunday. The Bill Muncey Cup for H1 Unlimited is Sunday afternoon, September 15.
“San Diego is one of the favorite destinations for boat-racing fans across the country,” Davies said. “We see families that attended as a child and are now bring their children and grandchildren to Bayfair. It speaks to how family oriented Bayfair is.”
Single-day tickets start at $25 and a three-day Super Pass is available for $45. Children under age 12 are free. For more information or to purchase advance tickets online, visit www.sandiegobayfair.org.
