What does a racer do during downtime besides work on racecars? How about watching other types of motorsport? And that is precisely what I did the first weekend of June when Hydrofest rolled into Lake Guntersville, AL, just down the street.
What is Hydrofest?
Hydrofest is an annual boat racing event held on Lake Gunterville in Alabama since the 1960s. It also features the F1 cars of the boating world, also known as hydroplanes, which can reach speeds of up to 200 mph, along with a myriad of other racing classes.
This year, it is also the season opener for the H1 Unlimited class, which is the sanctioning body for unlimited hydroplane racing in the US. I mention H1 Unlimited because they have one of the most useful FAQ pages I have ever seen. I was a bit unfamiliar with the nuances of the boat racing world until I read their site.
But yeah, beautiful weather, excessive speed, and significant sponsorship money, sounds like a blast.
The Races … or Lack Thereof
I planned to catch the big races on Sunday. Storms rolled through on Saturday, so I held off and monitored the weather closely.
Unfortunately, two accidents during the Sunday morning heats prompted officials to delay the finals until winds died down. And when I say “winds,” I mean something that felt like a typical breezy day on the lake. Still, the gusts created unpredictable and dangerous water conditions for the hydroplanes.
By 5 p.m., the finals were officially canceled.
Silver Lining
But all was not lost. Hydrofest is an interactive event of sorts. The organizers made it super easy to funnel spectators to the pits, where the boats can be viewed up close. There are also dozens of food vendors, simulators, and giveaways.
And most importantly, every race team’s social media is on point. Which meant I could see multiple angles of the morning’s incidents. After viewing them, the hesitation to continue racing was easily justified.
Hydrofest Hydroplane Incidents
Below, you will find a few snapshots from the race teams of the Sunday morning incidents along with links to their socials if you want to see more. (Everyone was ok btw)
And then a gallery of photos I took, mainly of the pits.
Hydrofest 2026
Would I go again next year, even though I saw zero racing?
Absolutely.
As they say, that’s racing. Sometimes the show doesn’t go on. But the atmosphere, the machines, and the people made Hydrofest an awesome way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
I’ll be back with hopefully some racing next time.
