San Diego Roundup : Thunderboat Regatta Begins Today on Mission Bay

The $125,000 Miller High Life Thunderboat Regatta starts today and runs through Sunday on Mission Bay. Miller American, 7-Eleven, Oh Boy Oberto and last year’s winner, Miss Budweiser, will compete on the 2 1/2-mile Bill Muncey Memorial Oval. Muncey, who was from San Diego, died in a hydroplane accident in Acapulco in 1981.

Qualifying rounds will start at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. today and Saturday, and at 10 a.m. Sunday. The finals will begin Sunday at noon. Three-day tickets are $15 and $20 for pit admission, and $8 for general admission. Children 12 and under are free.

THUNDERBOAT FACTS

What: The 23rd annual Miller High Life Thunderboat Regatta is the eighth race on the 1986 schedule for the Unlimited Racing Commission of the American Power Boat Assn.

When: Qualifying from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 5 p.m. today and Saturday. Qualifying from 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday, with heats at 10:05 a.m. and 12:35, 2:05 and 2:35 p.m.The Miller High Life Trophy Race begins at 4:10.

Where: The 37.5-mile race is held on a 2.5-mile oval course on Mission Bay. The course is one of the fastest on the circuit and provides additional problems for hydroplanes with turbine engines because of the bay’s saltwater content.

Ticket gates are located at East Vacation Island and Fiesta Island. On Sunday only, tickets will also be sold at the entrance to Crown Point Shore. Gates open at 7 a.m. each day.

The first $100,000 Audi Challenge begins Thursday at the Rancho Bernardo Inn.

Gabriela Sabatini, Pam Shriver, Zina Garrison, Bonnie Gadusek, Carling Bassett, Stephanie Rehe, Kathy Horvath and Liz Smylie will play singles and doubles matches throughout the four-day, five-session tournament. Tickets range from $8 to $20.

The third $28,000 Stubbies Pro International Surfing Tournament for men will start Tuesday and continue through Sept. 28 at Oceanside Harbor Beach. Southern Californians Tom Curren and Brad Gerlach, Mark Occhilupo of Australia, Shaun Thompson of South Africa will be among surfers competing for the $4,000 first prize.

At the same place and time, the $8,000 Michelob Cup of Women’s Surfing will take place. Alisa Schwarzstein of Laguna Beach, Frieda Zamba of Florida, Pam Burridge of Australia and Tricia Gill of Newport Beach will compete against other top surfers for the $2,000 first prize.

The street and bomber stocks will settle their respective championships Saturday at Cajon Speedway. Jerry Gay of Lakeside has 2,835 points to lead the street stock division and John Tipps of El Cajon is in second at 2,500. Paul Fletcher (2,410) of Bonita leads Dennis Taylor of San Carlos (2,390) in the bomber stocks.

Mike Hagerman of Lakeside (468) is ahead of Mark Norris (416), also of Lakeside, in the super stocks but the final day of racing in that division is next Saturday.

Gates will open at 3:30 p.m. and qualifying starts at 6. Racing begins at 7:30. West side tickets are $6, east side are $5, tickets for children 6 to 12 are $2 and those under 6 are free.

The 14th Naval Training Center Criterium will take place Sunday at 7 a.m. Fees for most of the races are $10. There will be 11 events ranging from 5- to 40-mile races.

The seventh Rosarito to Ensenada 50-mile bicycle ride will be Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. The field will be limited to 10,000 entrants. Entry blanks are available in San Diego bicycle shops or can be obtained by mailing a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Bicycling West, P.O. Box 15128, San Diego 92115-0128. The entry fee is $16 and includes ride support and a T-shirt. Entries postmarked after today will be charged an additional $2.