Boat race organizers search for new home

Organizers of The Battle on the Bay, an annual powerboat race that resulted in the deaths of two racers in 2008, are looking for a new place to stage the event after Islip Town nixed their plans to move the race from Patchogue to Sayville.

The town board had authorized negotiations in June, but on Tuesday refused to issue final approval for the event, scheduled to take place Aug. 26-28 in the Great South Bay.

At a regular board meeting Tuesday, a resolution to authorize the town to enter into a contract with the race's organizers failed when no one on the board would make a motion to bring it to a vote.

"A tremendous amount of concern has been brought to our attention," said Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan. "It became a situation where we all felt that it wasn't in the best interest of the Town of Islip to expend public funds on this event."

Islip officials had said the event would cost the town between $5,000 and $10,000.

The board's action stemmed largely from concerns about the status of Great South Bay Racing, the company that runs the event, Nolan said. Town officials in June dealt with the company as a nonprofit but learned Monday that it was in fact a corporation that has made money, he said.

"It's not a 501(c) 3 although they have that on their letterhead, which concerns me quite a bit," Nolan said.

Louis Giancontieri, president of Great South Bay Racing, said he never told the town his company was a nonprofit. The company has made money from the event but donated it to charities and emergency personnel who helped the day of the event, he said.

Other factors influenced the town's action. Emergency personnel, including the West Sayville and Sayville fire departments, expressed concern over safety and security issues, Nolan said. Officials also were concerned, he said, that there was too much activity in the town scheduled for that weekend, including the Long Island Maritime Museum's annual Seafood Festival in West Sayville.

In its second year, the 2008 race was marred when a high-speed catamaran flipped, killing two racers onboard.

Paul Pontieri, mayor of Patchogue, where the race had been staged the four years since the race began, had said he was "relieved" when organizers looked to move.

Giancontieri said he is shopping for new locations but maintains the event will happen because a permit has already been issued by the Town of Brookhaven to race in its waters.

"The race is on," he said. "The logistics will work out."