Ventura : Powerboat Race to Benefit DARE

The Warcry, a $250,000 powerboat, was built from scratch by a four-man crew with today’s Ventura Dash for DARE race in mind--not to mention a trophy and some deep satisfaction.

“When you go out there to the start line, that’s when it’s worth it,” said Barry Garfinkle, 49, the boat’s proud owner. “I think we’re going to come back with a checkered flag.”

Garfinkle stood on the Ventura Harbor dock Friday, showing off his 40-foot baby whose shiny white nose is emblazoned with an eagle and whose body is decorated with neon logos. Its two engines, gleaming in the sun, were on display for looky-loos inspecting the powerboats.

Warcry will compete against 19 boats in the annual race sponsored by the Pacific Offshore Powerboat Racing Assn., one of six races the association runs up and down the West Coast each year.

The proceeds of the race and money from an auction of DARE program jackets and other items Friday will benefit the Ventura Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, program. Race organizers said Friday they expect to raise at least $10,000 at the auction that night.

Although the Warcry can reach speeds of 115 m.p.h., the boat may face some tough competition from Powerboat Magazine, another boat that will be driven by 79-year-old Bob Nordskog.

For Nordskog, who said he has won more offshore powerboat races than anyone in the world, a life of racing has been like winning at the slot machines in Las Vegas.

The race starts at 10 a.m. at the Ventura Harbor.