LAKE HOPATCONG, N.J. — The 2026 Lake Hopatcong Boat Races scheduled for this weekend at Hopatcong State Park have been canceled because organizers were unable to meet an insurance requirement, the Lake Hopatcong Racing Association announced Tuesday.
The races were scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27.
According to the association, it submitted its American Power Boat Association sanction paperwork in April and spent the past several months preparing for this year’s event.
About two weeks before race weekend, the association said it was informed that event insurance would not be released without additional insurance documentation from the company providing cranes used to launch and retrieve the race boats.
For generations, the Koerner family has donated crane services for the Lake Hopatcong races, according to the association. Organizers said the additional insurance requirement had not been enforced under that longstanding arrangement in previous years.
After learning the requirement would be enforced for the 2026 event, the association said it worked with the APBA, insurance representatives, its longtime crane provider and alternative crane companies in an effort to meet the requirements and allow the races to proceed.
Organizers also explored a potential exception that was under consideration as recently as this week, but said they ultimately could not obtain the documentation necessary to secure final approval for the event.
“With race weekend only days away, we have no responsible alternative but to cancel,” the association said.
The association said preparations had already been made for rescue services, law enforcement, park operations, livestream and drone production, merchandise, race officials, volunteers and other aspects of the event. Organizers said the association also incurred significant financial commitments that cannot be recovered.
Powerboat racing on Lake Hopatcong has been a tradition for more than 60 years, according to the association, involving generations of racers, families, volunteers, sponsors and spectators.
“LHRA is an organization run by volunteers. No one does this for a paycheck. People give hundreds of hours of their time because they care about this race, this lake, this sport and the tradition that generations before us worked so hard to preserve,” the association said.
The organization thanked racers who were preparing to travel to New Jersey, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, State Park partners, rescue personnel, law enforcement, APBA officials and others who worked on the event.
“And to everyone who planned to join us at Lake Hopatcong next weekend, we are deeply sorry,” the association said. “We did everything within our power to save the 2026 race.”
