Preparations are underway today for a very big weekend in Stresa. For the first time, Stresa is hosting the Class-1 World Powerboat Championship. The eleven stars, the big powerboats, have been arriving in town, one was seen yesterday outside the Regina Palace Hotel, police are preparing to close certain roads and divert cars to parking areas for what is expected to be very heavy traffic, and even the weather is cooperating, with unseasonally warm temperatures up near the 80s. This will be helpful come the weekend, as the event has in the past also included appearances by bikini-clad models and, maybe this will also be a first for Stresa, Playboy bunnies!

Throughout the year seven teams consisting of a total of eleven boats take part in six Gran Prix events around the world. The Gran Prix races have taken place, or will take place, in Qatar, Norway, Romania, Italy, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. Ultimately, the winning team will be awarded the most coveted prize in the world of powerboat racing, the Sam Griffith Trophy.

Events in Stresa begin on Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3, with testing of the boats for positioning in the Borromeo Gulf. The main event is on Sunday, October 4. This will be a breathtaking site. In each boat two drivers are strapped into an enclosed safety cockpit. One has the throttle controls while the other controls the steering. The boats they are encased in are monsters -- five-ton, state-of-the-art carbon kevlar composite powerhouses -- each with two 900 hp engines capable of speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour. It promises to be an incredibile event, and with several miles of lakefront surrounding the Borromeo Gulf, there is no lack of excellent viewing spots.

Restaurants all over town, and especially those along the lake, are organizing events of their own and special meals to coordinate with the Gran Prix. This will truly be a weekend to remember. And yet, in many ways, it's just another day here in Stresa... that's what's really incredibile!