By ELLEN TUMPOSKY

Two powerboat racers were killed Wednesday when their catamaran went straight up into the air and landed backwards in the water during a race at the Key West World Championship.

Jeff Tillman and Robert Morgan,  the driver and throttleman of Big Thunder Marine, a 46-foot powerboat, died in the accident, Superboat International said in a statement.

Superboat International President John Carbonell, who witnessed the crash, told the Associated Press that the boat was travelling at 130 mph when the incident occurred close to a spectator area.

He said Morgan had come out of retirement to participate in the race as a “last hurrah.”

Despite the fatal crash, the races will continue Friday, he told the AP. “This is a very dangerous sport, and the racers know that,” Carbonell said.