The Hoverclub of America welcomes it's members and the general public to attend Hoverally 2009. This year marks a new beginning for Hoverally at our new location in Riverside Iowa. We thank Riverside Casino and Golf Resort for being our newest sponsor and host for this year's Hoverally.

This is the official site of Hoverally - quickly becoming the largest hovercraft event in the world!  Whether you are a Hoverclub of America member or just a spectator, there is plenty of action for you.  Here is a brief description of what's happening this year:

Register Now

(On-line Registration will close June 12 2009)

Download the Hoverally Registration form

After you fill it out, email it to the Hoverclub office, but print off a copy for your own records and bring it with you to Hoverally as proof of registration (just in case)

Riverside Casino and Golf Resort - (text courtesy of the RCGR web site)

What does it mean to “Live it up?” You’ll find out the moment you enter Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. From the magnificent fountains that greet you as you drive up to the luxurious surroundings of our hotel and casino, every aspect is designed for one very special purpose — your total enjoyment.

For a night out, a weekend away or a week long retreat, Riverside Casino & Golf Resort is the place to “Get away with it!”: Exciting gaming in our Vegas-inspired casino, a world-class golf course designed by Rees Jones, one of a kind shopping opportunities, luxurious hotel rooms, top-notch live entertainment, a relaxing spa, first class culinary delights at our five restaurants, and more.

Discover what it’s like to “Live it up!” and “Get away with it!” at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort!

RCGR Front entrance

Outdoor Pool area

Aerial view of RCGR property

Rally Site - Click the link for a birds-eye-view of the Casino and Rally Site.

Site Layout - Click the link to view a layout diagram of the Rally Site.

$$ Appearance Money for Cruisers and Racers $$ - New this year - $2500 in appearance money! The first 50 race and cruise participants to register for Hoverally (on-line or on-site), may be eligible to receive a check for $50 from the Hoverclub of America! Click the link for rules and eligibility requirements.

Hovercraft Racing - Watch some of the most talented hovercraft racers in North America battle it out to see who's #1!  There are many different classes of racing ranging from the 15 hp Entry Level beginners to the 100+ hp Formula 1 experts.  This year over $3,300 in prize money is up for grabs in 8 different racing classes, with cash prizes for the top 3 finishers in each class. This year the prize money is more evenly distributed among racing classes.

Watch the Races live!! with the WebTV system (courtesy of Keith Oakley and the Hoverclub of Great Britain). Click on the WebTV link and tune in on Sat. June 20 and Sun. June 21 to watch the Hovercraft races. Check the Schedule of Events for detailed race times. All times are U.S. Central time. Please Note: WebTV availability will be subject to obtaining sufficient wireless broadband capability at the Rally site.

Click here to view the race/Challenge purse.

Endurance Race - Witness the exciting 40-lap racing marathon as all different types of hovercraft compete on the track all at once! Witness the mad dash LeMans style start as pilots race to their machines to be the first to start their engines and head out over the water on a cushion of air!!

Trophies and Plaques - In addition to cash prizes, trophies and plaques for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in Racing and Challenge events will be awarded. Plaques for Quality construction and Technical Innovation will also be awarded.

Hovercraft Cruising - Bring your hovercraft and cruise with hovercrafters from all over the United States, Canada, and beyond.  The Iowa River, the Cedar River and the English River offers hundreds of miles of scenic cruising.  Join us for our 50 mile national cruise on Friday and have lunch on us! Cruisers can depart from the Riverside Boat launch on the English River or the "River Junction" boat launch on the Iowa River, then head southward to our stopping point near the towns of Columbus Junction and Fredonia at the Sand bar/Island where the Cedar and the Iowa Rivers meet.

Important Please Read!! - Boater Education Information. Click the link for important information concerning Iowa watercraft rules and regulations especially for youths under the age of 18. This applies to Cruising activities only.

Enjoy the camraderie of hovering with your friends on the HCA National Cruise. New members are always welcomed as friends.

Model Hovercraft Activity Tent Sponsored by Universal Hovercraft - Children can build a miniature model hovercraft on-site in a matter of minutes! 

We Challenge you!!

RCGR Point-to-Point Challenge - Scramble around the Rally lake on a Poker Run for a chance to win $$. Click the link for game description. Over $500 prize purse to be split between top 3 finishers!

RCGR Slalom Skills Challenge - Test your piloting skills at the Slalom challange for a chance to win $$. This is an opportunity for Cruisers and Racers alike to showcase their piloting skills as they manuever their craft around and over an obstacle course. The course will involve obstacles on land and water, as well as a slalom section between buoys in the water. It is a timed event. You will be racing against the clock, one at a time, to complete the course as fast as possible, while not violating the course boundaries. Over $500 prize purse to be split between top 3 finishers!

Click here to view the Race/Challenge purse.

NEW - "Builders Corner" - Hoverally 2009 will feature a Saturday program called "Builders Corner", covering "Home Built Hovercraft Construction". The event will be held at the rally site. We will have amateur and professionals performing demonstrations and discussions on specific techniques and processes used in home built hovercraft. There will be discussions on Composite as well as wood construction. Several hands on techniques will be discussed in depth. These discussions will be on Saturday afternoon. As the racing ends around 7:00 PM we will be convening a "Roundtable Discussion" about home built hovercraft. We hope to include some of the country's foremost experts and seasoned amateurs in home built hovercraft construction and design. This should be a lively discussion with many diverse opinions being shared. This roundtable discussion will last about 1 hour where we will continue the party at the camp site.

Hovercraft Dinner Banquet & Annual HCA Membership Meeting - We will be having our awards banquet and annual club meeting Friday, June 19th at the Casino event center. (Take note: This marks a change from previous years in which the event was held on Saturday evening).  The dinner menu is as follows:

Riverside Buffet

Tossed Salad
Blackened Catfish
Chicken Breast Chardonnay
Oven roasted potato
Fresh vegetables
Carrott cake

Comes with : coffee, iced tea and water

VIP Guest speaker - Keith Oakley from the Hoverclub of Great Britain will be our guest speaker this year at the Friday night Awards Banquet in the Casino event center. In addition to sharing anecdotes from his 42 years in the sport of Hovercrafting, Keith will be discussing three electronic systems that he has developed and are currently in use in Europe.

The first is ELS, an electronic Lap Scoring System, which enables drivers to compare laptimes and thus improve their performance. The second is the WebTV system which broadcasts live video of racing events across the internet, in an attempt to reach out to potential new members. The third is the NoiseCam system which enables owners to 'see' exactly where their loudest noise sources are, which has led to improvements in silencers and reduced air turbulence. Keith is hopeful that versions of all 3 will be in use at HoverRally 09.

Young Racer Training Program - New to the event calendar this year is a unique opportunity for the younger racers to learn tips and tricks from champion racer Kent Gano. Topics to be covered include safety equipment, rules & regulations, grid positioning, weather and racing, setting up for turns, passing safely, sportsmanship, and much more. For children 18 & under.

Quality Construction Contest - Hoverclub members can enter the Quality construction contest at no cost. The club gives an annual award for Quality construction.

Quality Construction entries for members in absentia - HCA members who are unable to attend Hoverally, and wish to enter the Quality construction contest, may now do so in absentia. Click here to download the entry form and instructions.

Technical Innovation Contest - Hoverclub members can enter the Technical Innovation contest at no cost. The club gives an annual award for Technical innovations.

Look for more information to be added as the event gets closer.  For additional information please see the links below.  Please contact the Hoverclub of America for any other questions.

Click on the links below for more detailed information: