CLEAR LAKE, Texas – A ride on the performance boat the “Phantom” gives you an idea of what it’s like to skim across the water at nearly 150 miles an hour. It’s one of hundreds of boats in Clear Lake and Galveston Bay this weekend for the Texas Outlaw Challenge.
Boats at the “Shootout” topped 100 miles an hour.
“The excitement and the thrill of just being out in the water and the ocean and the sun beating down on you,” said the owner and captain of the “Phantom.” He said, “And the waves bouncing against the boat. It's just exciting and thrilling!"
The record for this course is 200 miles an hour. There are about 200 boats on the water this weekend from all over the country in the biggest performance boat event in Texas. Some of the boats cost more than a million dollars. That included our ride, the “Phantom.” It is decorated like the “Phantom of the Opera” but was named for the owner’s Rolls Royce Phantom. A trip across Clear Lake was like a rocket kissing the water’s surface.
Carl Michael, a boater, said, "Give you the feeling you're completely off of the water. Just like flying above water. It's amazing!" Another boater, Alex Heath added, "It's scary but it's also so much fun! Words can't describe it. But it's so fast. It's over in a second! You’re like 'let's do it again!'”
It was not just about super-fast boats but cars and cycles too. The event is all over Clear Lake and Galveston Bay supporting eight charities. Jolanta Dryden of the Texas Outlaw Challenge said, ""Then we have the bike rallies on Sunday. Giving a veteran a bike. We have a car show tonight at one of the marinas. You'll see all of the exotics. We're all about power boating, performance and adrenaline!" For more information visit http://www.TexasOutlawChallenge.com.