SAN DIEGO -  

A drag boat racer was uninjured when his boat broke apart at high speed on Mission Bay during a qualifying race at San Diego Bayfair, event officials said Sunday.

Competitor Joe Blattler was driving a "top alcohol hydroplane" named Pure Nasty about 3 p.m. Saturday when he lost control, according to Gregg Mansfield of Bayfair.

"The drivers are in a capsule and so it's designed to break apart in the event of an accident," Mansfield said.

High-powered hydroplanes can top 200 mph. How fast Blattler was going when the boat broke up was not disclosed.

Blattler was was checked out by paramedics and released, Mansfield said.

The crash did not delay racing.