Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix Fatal Affected Many, Mayor Says

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ - Mayor Stephen Reid promised to bring back the famed Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix when he was elected to office. And he did. The race was revived in 2016, after an absence of many years.

The weather was perfect for the race on Sunday afternoon. Temperatures were cool, but the sun shone down on a sparkling Barnegat Bay as nearly 40 powerboats revved up for the competition.

"Everyone was out on the water," Mayor Stephen Reid said. "The weather was absolutely perfect. The crowds were very exited."

All that came too an end too quickly when David Raabe's powerboat "Repeat Offender" collided with "Smith Brothers" at the first turn of the race, off Bay Head, he said.

Enthusiastic visitors who came to enjoy the sun and the scene fell silent, shocked as word spread that first there had been an accident and then that someone had just died, he said.

"I'm very, very sad," Reid said. "I'm still in shock over it. I don't know if it will ever go away."

Raabe, 38, Lacey Township, was the owner of Repeat Offender Offshore Racing. He was behind the throttle of his powerboat of the same name when it collided with "Smith Brothers." He died with his boat of head injuries when the other boat landed on top of his, tearing off the transom.

His wife and three children, all wearing "Repeat Offender" T-shirts, were on the beach at the time of the crash, Reid said.

The New Jersey Offshore Powerboat Association made the decision to cancel the rest of the races.

The powerboat racing community is a very tight community, like a family, the mayor said.

They all understand the risk involved in powerboat racing, where boats reach speeds up to 80 miles an hour, he said.

"They understand," he said. "They know what they are doing out there. They know what can happen in a minute."

If you click on the New Jersey Offshore Powerboat Association's website today, there won't be any information. Just a simple black screen with the words:

IN MEMORY OF

David Raabe

Repeat Offender

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Image: New Jersey Offshore Powerboat Association, David Raabe's Facebook page.