In California's southeast corner is the Salton Sea, where the salinated water has buoyancy that allows small craft to set speed records. Racers come from around the U.S. Boats arrive by car, truck, and train; they're carefully unloaded; they're weighed and classified; and, time trials and races begin. A few women compete. Pete Smith narrates. The film uses slow motion and running the film backwards to examine occasional gaffes, but the emphasis is on speed and the difficult turns.