Thunder struck Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - Excitement filled the air at Connelly Park Saturday for the seventh annual Solar Cup hydroplane regatta.

The race was hosted by the Moses Lake Irrigation Rehabilitation District and put on by the Seattle Drag & Ski Sprint Boat Association, said Race Director Ana Cappelletti.

"I want to thank all of our sponsors and the community for allowing us to be here," she said.

Joseph Bleile, 15, and James Scott, 15, both from Puyallup, watched the race from the shores of Connelly Park, where the races took place. Bleile said his dad Curtis Bleile is a crew chief for some of the competing boats. While his dad's been racing for five or six years, this is his second or third year racing at the Solar Cup, he said. 

"It's just fun to watch them race," Bleile said.

Both Bleile and Scott said they had ambitions to race in the future.

Katrina Hines was out watching the race with her mother, Debora Jansen, and children: Lilah, Sierra and Xavier.

Hines, who moved to Moses Lake last June, said she thought it would be a great activity for her kids.

"It's great. It's a beautiful day and the kids are having fun. And it was cheap to get in, too," she said with a laugh. "It's something exciting for the kids to do."