The Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 will bring visitors to Sand Key this weekend. The event takes place Saturday morning in Clearwater Beach, and the Harborview Center and Sheraton Sand Key Resort are hosting pre and post race activities.
The race begins and ends at Pier 60 consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run, will start and finish at Pier 60.
High surf and possible rip currents in the Gulf have closed parts of Clearwater Beach.
Yesterday, buoys were supposed to be placed for the swim portion of the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 but dangerous waters did not allow for it. The Ironman staff is meeting this morning to determine whether the swim should be moved from the Gulf of Mexico to the Intracoastal.
The Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championship is Saturday, with 1800 competitors traversing Clearwater, Largo, Safety Harbor and East Lake.
The race will begin and end at Pier 60, beginning at 6:45 am and lasting about 7.5 hours. There will be a 1.2 mile swim on Clearwater Beach followed by a 56 mile bike course on the Memorial Causeway Bridge, Drew St, Countryside Blvd, McMullen-Booth Rd, East Lake Rd, Bayside Bridge, Roosevelt Blvd, Belcher Rd and Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. It will be capped off with a 13.1 mile run through Clearwater Beach, downtown Clearwater, and Harbor Oaks.
The swim can be watched from Pier 60, and the bike and run can be best veiwed from the courthouse and the causeway. Parking in downtown Clearwater is recommended, there will be shuttles available for spectators.
Police will be present to help drivers at traffic signals along the route. At intersections without signals, bikes have the right of way on the course.
Starting 3 a.m. Saturday, drivers won't be permitted south of the Clearwater Beach roundabout. People needing access to and from the south Clearwater Beach will need to use the Belleair Causeway. There will also be delays at the following intersections, most will be blocked during the race.
• Coronado Dr at the roundabout, 3 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• MLK Jr. Ave and Court St, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Drew St and Keene Rd, 7:15 to 9:30 a.m.
• Drew St and Belcher Rd, 7:15 to 10 a.m.
• Countryside Blvd and SR 580, 7:15 to 9:45 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth and Curlew roads, 7:30 to 11:15 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth and Keystone roads, 8 to 11 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth and Enterprise roads, 8:15 to 11:30 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth Rd and Drew St, 8:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• McMullen-Booth Rd and Roosevelt Blvd, 8:30 a.m. to noon.
• East Bay Dr and Belcher Rd, 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• Belcher and Belleair roads, 8:45 to 12:15 p.m.
• Belcher Rd and Gulf-to-Bay Blvd, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Gulf-to-Bay Blvd to Clearwater Beach, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Medians along East Lake Rd between Tampa Rd and Trinity Blvd will be closed.
City Council has decided to put navigational warning lights on the Clearwater Pass jetty, by installing a series of yellow flashing lights on the jetty to warn boaters to steer clear.
The rock jetty was built in 1975 to prevent beach erosion and extends hundreds of feet into the gulf from Sand Key Park and stands about 7 feet above the water. Boaters are supposed to stay in the marked channel north of the jetty, which has its lights but the jetty has been the scene of several boat crashes. The channel between Sand Key and Clearwater Beach is narrow and heavily traveled. Despite being well lit inexperience, bad weather, or carelessness can cause boaters to strike the jetty in the dark.
Another boating hazard will also be removed. There is an 85,000-pound block of concrete submerged in Clearwater Harbor off the Seminole Boat Ramp, the remains of the base of a turnstile that was in the middle of the Seminole Bridge, built in 1917. Concrete can still be seen at very low tides and has been struck several times by vessels.
Governor Charlie Crist recently asked the U.S. Coast Guard to install lights on the Bayboro jetty in St Petersburg after a fatal accident on October 2nd where a boat struck the jetty.
The 19th Edition of the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic continues in the fine tradition of Dixieland Fun in the Florida Sun. The Sheraton Sand Key Resort and Marriott Suites on Sand Key will be transformed into the headquarters hotel for this year's Jazz Classic.
The festival runs Friday through Sunday, Nov. 20 - 22nd and will feature bands such as Titan Hot Seven, Wally’s Warehouse Waifs, St. Louis Stompers, Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band, Cornet Chop Suey, Bill Allred’s Classic Jazz Band, Dave Greer’s Classic Jazz Stompers, Red Lehr’s Powerhouse Five, Wolverine Jazz Band, the Dixie Chaps, Naples Dixieland Jazz Band, the Original All Stars, Palm City Jazz, Pepper and Fine Thyme and Valerie Gillespie Trio.
Cost: Friday or Sunday $40, Saturday $50. Weekend badge $100.
Sheraton Sand Key Resort 1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater
Marriott Suites on Sand Key, 1201 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater
Call 536-0064 or visit www.JazzClassic.net for more info.
Congratulations to the winners of the 20th Annual Taste of Clearwater.
Best Themed Booth - Sand Pearl Resort Caretta's on the Gulf
Best Entree - Salt Rock Grill for their Crab Cake
Best Appetizer - Sand Pearl Caretta's on the Gulf for their BBQ Oysters
Best Dessert - Oaks of Clearwater for their outstanding Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Best Beverage - Great Bay Distributors for the Gordon Blersch Beer
Best of Taste 2009 (The Peoples Choice) - Watercolour Steakhouse and Grill located at the Marriott Suites on Sand Key.
Residents with northward gulf views will have a bird's eye view of the Super Boat International race on October 4th. Boats will be racing at speeds up to 140 mph off Clearwater Beach on October 4th when the offshore powerboating race comes to town. Some proceeds from the race will benefit the Clearwater Community Sailing Center located in Sand Key.
