IN PICTURES: WILD CONDITIONS PUSH DRIVERS TO THE BRINK IN 7-MILE GRAND PRIX

Keys Weekly photographer Barry Gaukel documents scenes from Saturday’s races.

More than 60 teams that were registered for the weekend’s races found smooth sailing on Saturday, with throngs of spectators lined up on land and on the water to watch them. But Sunday’s unusually terrible conditions, with winds over 30 mph and waves to match, tested the mettle of race crews as they battled to complete laps in weather windows between torrential downpours, reminding them that no matter how well they planned, Mother Nature is still in control.

In a weekend that saw five total crashes, Sunday afternoon’s first race saw two boats in the 450R Stock class overturned in just two laps. Race World Offshore and APBA officials made the decision to cancel the rest of the day’s races after consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard. No significant injuries were reported.

Alex Rickert made the perfectly natural career progression from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor in 2021 after freelancing for Keys Weekly while working full time at Dolphin Research Center. A resident of Marathon since 2015, he fell in love with the Florida Keys community by helping multiple organizations and friends rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. An avid runner, actor, and spearfisherman, he spends as much of his time outside of work on or under the sea having civil disagreements with sharks.