Ladies and gentlemen, start your crustaceans. For the 30th year, the crab races are coming back to the Westport Marina.
It’s part of the Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce annual “world class” crab races, where participants can put their own crab, or one they purchase at the event, in eyestalk to eyestalk competition with other hard shelled hotrodders. These races are open to all ages, and young children can be assisted by an adult as they line up their crab for the race.
Admission to the races “under the big tent” at the marina is $2. There’s a crab feed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that offers whole and half crab dinners for $24 and $19 respectively — they come with salad, baked beans, garlic bread and a beverage. Race fans can also get a shrimp Louie for $10, a quarter pound of smoked oysters for $7, or a shrimp cocktail or hot dog and soda for $4 each.
There is a $3 entry fee if you want to participate in the money races. And if you want in on the money action, you’d best get registered early; space is limited.
“Everyone gets a chance to race, but if you want in on the money prize, you need to sign up and register early,” said Leslie Eichner with the Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce. “The tent opens at 11 a.m.” There are adult and childrens divisions, and racers with the quickest crab in each must get through several heats to get a chance at the division title and the $100 top prize that goes along with it.
If you don’t register in time, have some cash in your pocket and your crab at the ready anyway. In between the money races, which are scheduled for specific times during the event, announcers will call out for contestants for other races that feature prizes. The entry fee for each of these races depends on the prize for that race; most races cost $2 to $5, but the more valuable the prize, the more it will cost racers to compete. “Fishing poles and clam guns might even bring $10 races,” said Eichner.
The annual crab fishing derby also starts Saturday and continues into Sunday. The derby runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to noon Sunday; a derby ticket is $5. The event is sponsored by the Washington Dungeness Crab Fisherman’s Association and WEfish and offers a top cash prize of $500. Raffle prizes will be awarded throughout the derby.
There will be plenty of crab in the marina to make it worth your while whether you win a derby prize or not. Eichner said the sponsoring organizations donated and will seed the marina with “ocean sized” Dungeness crab for the event.
