Story sponsored by Lake Macquarie City Council.
Australia's most powerful racing boats will thunder across Lake Macquarie in a weekend of action and excitement next month, which is primed to get hearts pumping.
Round three of the 2019 Offshore Superboat Championships, held October 19-20, will see super-sleek vessels reach speeds of up to 200kph as they negotiate a 7km course, starting at Marmong Point Foreshore Reserve.
This year's contest will see a return of crowd favourite race teams, including Maritimo Australia, and Simrad SUV - piloted by local boating identity and Marmong Point Marina owner Les Binkin.
Mr Binkin will be hoping to cross the finish line first in front of a parochial home crowd after dramatically rolling his vessel in Round Two in Queensland.
"Going fast is one thing, but being able to round buoys and know where all the other teams and competitors are is quite difficult. It's hard to practice for something like this - it's really a matter of training on the job," he said.
The superboats will race at 1.20pm on Saturday, October 19, and twice on Sunday, October 20, at both 11am and 1pm.
The best viewing spots include Eleebana, Marmong Point and Warners Bay foreshore, with the latter also home to the event's first-ever ticketed VIP marquee.
Lake Macquarie City Council Manager Arts, Culture and Tourism Jacqui Hemsley said the marquee offered five-star views of the action, with food and drink to match.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for work colleagues, friends, families or simply fans of superboat and Jetski racing to get front-row seats for all the action," Ms Hemsley said.
"Daily VIP tickets day are only $90 and include all-day marquee access, five drink vouchers for beer, wine and champagne, a full buffet lunch, live entertainment and prime position on the water's edge."
Action on the water will continue throughout the weekend, with junior boat categories racing the superboat course on both days, and jet-ski racing from 10am to 3pm both days from Lions Park at Eleebana.
Crowds at Warners Bay can enjoy markets and a pop-up licensed bar, open from 10am to 3pm both event days. A vintage car display will also take place at the southern end of the foreshore during Saturday's competition.
Free family water sports will be on offer at Marmong Point Sailing Club on Saturday and a Food and Wine Festival at Speers Point Park from noon to 8pm. On Sunday, Speers Point Park will hold a Show and Shine competition.
"Last year's inaugural food and wine festival was a massive hit," Ms Hemsley said.
"This year, we've pushed it later in the day to help activate our City's night-time economy and take advantage of spring's evening warmth."
For more information, visit: https://www.lakemac.com.au/superboats.
Story sponsored by Lake Macquarie City Council.