"It's not if, it's when you're going to crash."

Rob DiNicolantonio of Lakeland said high-speed powerboat racers will get wet this weekend in the Orange Cup Regatta on Lake Hollingsworth, not by choice but when their boats blow over backward.

"You will see people flip their boats. It's inevitable. It's just part of the sport," DiNicolantonio said.

"It's not if, it's when you're going to crash," he said.

DiNicolantonio, 48, knows better than most what it takes to have the fastest boat, owning national and world titles as well as two Orange Cup trophies in Formula 2 tunnel-hull boats that reach 120 mph.

"If you're not driving by the seat of your pants, right on the edge, you're not going to win," DiNicolantonio said.

The Orange Cup Regatta is celebrating its 75th anniversary Friday through Sunday on Lake Hollingsworth, known as the "Lake of Records."

Read more at the Lakeland Ledger.