CIGARETTE RENDEZVOUS

CIGARETTE

RENDEZVOUS

Performance Boat Center’s four-day extravaganza becomes the bestattended of the brand’s incredible reunions.

Cigarette Racing has experienced a number of recent milestones. Former Mercury Racing General Manager Erik Christ-iansen became president of the company in 2019. In May, Lionheart Capital founder and CEO Ophir Sternberg partnered with entrepreneur John Ruiz to purchase the company from Skip Braver, who had owned it for 20 years. And this year, Lake of the Ozarksbased Performance Boat Center broke its own attendance record at the annual Cigarette Rendezvous. Last year, the event drew 105 boats; this year, attendance spiked at 111.

“We had a great group of people,” said PBC co-owner Brett Manire. “Everything went tremendously, no issues. The weather was hot, but everybody had a good time and I’m already looking forward to next June.”

The four-day event kicked off with an impromptu meet-and-greet at PBC’s famous Redhead Tiki Bar on Thursday night. After breakfast and a driver’s meeting on Friday, the helicopter landed promptly at 10:30 and everybody set course for Coconuts Caribbean Beach Bar and Grill in Gravois Mills for the aerial photo shoot. The rest of the weekend incorporated jaunts to all of the traditional venues, restaurants and hangouts for food, refreshments and pool fun: Backwater Jacks Bar & Restaurant, Big Dick’s Halfway Inn, Dog Days Bar & Grill and, of course, the Redhead Yacht Club back at PBC.

As always, the weekend culminated with the awards dinner, where the following people were recognized: Andrew Make and Jeremy Riggs & family (Spirit), Bill Hendrix (Classic), Michael McClelland (Congeniality), Jimmy Kirkland (Travel), and Kent Weizner & family (Trendy).

“Obviously, this is a longer and more challenging event than our one-day fun run,” Manire says. “But it’s also more rewarding, with all walks of life and all kinds of successful people telling us what a great time they had and how great of a job we did with the event.”

Michael McClelland drives his 38 Top Gun, Loaded Gun, powered by Mercury Racing 525s.

Above: Strip Poker is owned by Gary Maxwell of Iowa. It’s powered by Mercury Racing 900SCs. Below: This beautiful 42X owned by Jeff Wrona of Arkansas features staggered Mercury Racing 700 SCi engines.

Ricky Lamberti pilots his 38 Top Gun.

This extraordinary 42' Tiger is owned and operated by offshore racer Larry Pinegar. It’s powered by a pair of Mercury Racing 525s.

Tracy Bauman of Vandalia, MO, drives his 38' Top Gun, powered by Mercury Racing 525s.

Below: Jeremy Riggs drives Bad Ass Rig, a 41' SD with twin HP520s. Riggs won the event’s Spirit Award. Below right: Tyler Miller—throttleman of offshore racing’s famed Supercat competitor M-CON—enjoys his 41' Nighthawk with wife Lindsey and friends. Left: Todd Fountain and friends in his 41' GTR, powered by quad Mercury Racing 450R outboards. Below: Here’s Scott Rosenbach of Chicago, IL, aboard his 42 GTO Reserve, powered by quad Mercury Racing 400R outboards.