Swimmer Who Shut Down Clearwater Race Booked & Charged
A naked and apparently intoxicated man who swam into the way of competing offshore race boats in Clearwater, FL, on Sunday has been arrested and charged by Pinellas County law enforcement, it was reported.
Richard Clayton, 25, was charged with disorderly intoxication-disturbance after the incident, which effectively ended Super Boat International’s Unlimited class race on Sunday afternoon after he swam into the middle of the Clearwater race course.
He was also charged with violating his parole on a DUI conviction in Seminole County.
Offshore competitors Miss Geico, Wake Effects, DF Young (the old Cintron Mystic hull) and two Team Victory boats from Dubai were in the first 20 minutes of racing when the Coast Guard shut down the race in order to safely remove Clayton from the path of the boats. Deputies said that the man was disorderly when he was removed from the water at approximately 3:45 p.m.
