Traditionally, the weekend of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach marks the informal spring season opener for Long Beach Transit’s on-the-water fleet.
To avoid the downtown traffic — and expensive parking — arrive by water at the Grand Prix’s back door by starting and finishing race day at Alamitos Bay Landing. There is free public parking in the Alamitos Bay Marina parking lots (avoid red-curbed spots reserved for boat owners).
AquaLink Service arrives about every 45 minutes during peak times, in the morning and later afternoon, and operates from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m
Customers can ride AquaLink from Alamitos Bay to the race for $5 one-way. It is suggested that those planning to arrive by boat come early and check the schedules because the 75-foot catamarans fill fast and can only hold about 75 people.
The AquaBus takes customers from the Queen Mary to the race. The smaller 35-foot Aquabus Water Taxi will run the entirety of Grand Prix weekend, from April 17-19, exclusively in Queensway Bay.
Guest ride the Aqualink water taxi and enjoy a view of the landscape in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, May 28, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
A Long Beach Transit Aqualink boat ferries passengers from Alamitos Bay to the aquarium in Long Beach. The service has been suspended. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
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Guest ride the Aqualink water taxi and enjoy a view of the landscape in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, May 28, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
It operates from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with service every 30 minutes between Queen Mary and Dock 4. The fare is $1.
Both vessels drop off and pick up customers at Dock 4, near the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Customers can pay with cash or credit card on board the boats or download the RideLBT app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
The fleet is managed by the same folks who operate Catalina Express — so you will find those legendary bloody Mary cocktails on board.
“Not only does the AquaLink feature the bloody Mary,” Long Beach Transit spokesperson Mike Gold said, “recently, customers picked a new drink, the AquaDrink, a version of a tequila sunrise, featuring the colors of the boat.”
For more details, go to lbtransit.com/grandprix.
Bring your own boat
Many Southern California boaters rent slips in Rainbow Harbor and Shoreline Marina for Grand Prix weekend. Weekend docking for recreational boaters is available from the Long Beach Marine Bureau.
Rainbow Harbor slips next to the racecourse are $6 per foot per day, with a three-day minimum — so a 50-foot boat could be docked all Grand Prix weekend for $900.
Shoreline Marina has the same offer at half the price, $3 per foot. Water traffic to the Rainbow Harbor and Shoreline Marinas is limited to those who have assigned slips.
The Long Beach Marine Department starts accepting reservations for Grand Prix weekend guest slips on Jan. 2 every year. Slip availability goes quickly, and usually a waitlist develops, according to Marine Department staff.
Guest permittees are provided with Marina-specific wristbands that allow them to enter and exit the marina areas, which are otherwise closed off during race weekend. Guest permittees still need to purchase Grand Prix tickets if they wish to attend race events inside the track areas.
Parking during Grand Prix weekend is limited. Marina parking spaces are reserved for boat owners with permanent slip permits and no guest parking passes are provided during race weekend.
“We have boats coming from San Diego, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Marina del Rey, and Santa Barbara and we are expecting approximately 50 boats between Rainbow Harbor and Shoreline Marina to join us this year for the LBGP,” said Bryan Plante, superintendent of Marina Operations.
The boats range in size from 30 to 70 feet.
“We do expect that many current permit holders in our Downtown Marinas will be attending the festivities as well,” Plante said. “We will be fully staffed for the event, helping to coordinate access in and out of the marina, monitoring the marina grounds, and answering any questions that our boaters and guests to the area have.”
Other “racy” yachts
Roger Penske’s 240-foot motor yacht “Podium” is decorated in Indy memorabilia. The value is estimated to be around $120 million, and the vessel’s annual running costs are about $12 million.
The yacht can accommodate up to 12 guests and a crew of 14. She is currently in the Cayman Islands, so no 200-mph beach party for her.
The Firestone family boat is Tamsen, named after the stepmother and mother of the Firestone children. It was custom-built and was designed specifically for their big, extended family.
For instance, they needed large communal dining spaces and the galley is on the main deck instead of below deck. Its last reported location was Savannah, Georgia.
Grand Prix founder Chris Pook’s boat — “Prix Occupied” — is berthed near his Long Beach home.