Speedboat Magazine - December 2014

MTI’S IRON GIANT!

SWIMSUIT BONANZA

TEENY BIKINIS! PLUS: NEW COBRA DECKBOAT

TABLE OF CONTENTS DECEMBER 2014

COLUMNS

6 RAY LEE 8 ALEXI SAHAGIAN 10 JIM WILKES

30 ANATOMY OF A BLOWOVER

FEATURES

36 DCB REGATTA

BONUS: OIL ABOARD!

In this exclusive online feature, we take a look at the best engine oils on the market.

12 GIRLY EDITION

Celebrating sexy, perfectly sculpted objects of beauty—and the gals who pose on them!

26 ON DECK

Cobra Performance Boats unveils its latest model: the 270 Python deckboat.

Why do tunnel boats blow over? Our expert explains the aerodynamic balance of go-fast tunnel hulls.

Dave Hemmingson & Co. welcome owners for a weekend of kickass fun in Lake Havasu.

40 SCOPE POKER RUN

The Southern California group flexes its muscle—and raises $10K for its favorite military charity.

44 SNAKE CHARMERS

Darren Weaver negotiates virulent waters to win the fourth annual Thunder on the Snake.

48 BACK TO THE FUTURE

Theodoros Fotiadis’s IF60 is a unique craft that’s still awaiting its moment in the sun.

52 IRON GIANT

Speedboat pays tribute to the late, great Art Carlson—one of the most innovative boat designers in the history of the sport.

Speedboat.com To find your nearest location to purchase a copy of Speedboat Magazine go to: www.WheresMyMagazine.com

Published by DCO Enterprises, LLC Publishers Ray Lee ray@speedboat.com

Chris Davidson chris@speedboat.com

Editor Brett Bayne brett@speedboat.com

Senior Tech Editors Jim Wilkes jim@speedboat.com

Alexi Sahagian alexi@speedboat.com

BRETT’S COVE 58 B FOR BEAUTIFUL Billy B’s hot-boat bash keeps ’em coming back to Needles, CA.

64 LAST CALL Stacey Bogenschutz gives up drinking to restore a delapidated hull he found on Craigslist.

Tech Editors Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins National Sales Kerri Trapani Director kerri@speedboat.com Art Director Gail Hada-Insley Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com

Photographers Todd Taylor, Jay Nichols Randy Nuzzo, Kenny Dunlop, Stu Jones, Jeff Girardi, Andrew Gates Operations Manager Michele Plummer michele@speedboat.com

70 BOWLES AT THE CONTROLS Dave Bowles shows off his extraordinary 1981 19’ Eliminator Daytona.

74 SAN DIEGO SPEED DEMONS Bayfair provides thrills galore—especially in the hydroplane class.

Cover photo by Todd Taylor Editorial: Speedboat Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. All manuscripts, materials, photographs and artwork submitted are at mailer’s risk and must include self-addressed envelope with proper postage if requested to be returned. All letters sent to Speedboat will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes, and are subject to Performance Boats’ right to edit and comment editorially. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is expressly forbidden, except by written permission of the publisher.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Postmaster: Send address changes to Speedboat Magazine, 9216 Bally Court, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

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SPEEDBOAT |

November 2014

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE

Saying Farewell It’s difficult to gauge what kind of impact you are, or will be, leaving on the world. I suppose the love of your family and friends is a good place to start. Another would be the respect you have earned from your peers and colleagues. Well, if these are a couple of the determining factors, then founder of Outerlimits Powerboats, Mike Fiore was a wrecking ball.

On September 20, 2014, Mike’s family, friends, peers and local news crews showed up in droves to the elegantly decorated Wedgewood Banquet Center in Fresno, CA. to take part in his “Celebration of Life.” Rows of colorful flowers and large photo blowups of precious moments in Mike’s short but eventful life adorned the vast hall.

Members of the Boating Industry abandoned their boardshorts, crew shirts and flip-flops for neckties, slacks and blazers on this warm Central California day. Mike’s father and founder of Hustler Powerboats, Paul Fiore, Erik Christiansen and Michael Griffiths from Mercury Racing, Rob Blair and daughter Kim, along with Tony Chiaramonte from DCB, Bob Leach from Eliminator Boats, Jeff and Nicole Johnston from Hering

Propellers, members of the Rhode Island based Outerlimits Powerboats and the entire Teague family of Teague Custom Marine all made the trek to pay their respects to the fallen innovator.

The mood was somber yet upbeat and Mike’s “wifey” Shonda and brother-in-law Dustin Whipple, of Whipple Superchargers, were making their rounds, greeting the guests as they arrived. We were seated and treated to a beautiful slideshow highlighting flashes of Mike’s life set to music. This is when the tears started to flow. Glimpses of his home life with his children glowed off of the three large screens. They overshadowed the shots in or around the gorgeous Outerlimits boats, as it was glaringly apparent that his family was the spotlight of his existence.

Then guest speakers went up to the microphone to share their personal tales of life with the powerboating prodigy.

Longtime friend and owner of 13 previous Outerlimits boats, Bob Russell recalled his memories of Mike building and then selling his boats and other toys (most of which Bob was told about, after the fact.)

Matt Trulio of Speed on the Water, Owner and throttleman of the OL SV-29 race boat “Doc” Michael Jannsen and Dustin Whipple followed with their own stories that brought both laughter and tears to the 200+ people in attendance.

Then it was over… But the crowd wasn’t ready for it to be. We convened around the room and continued to reminisce about the joys of knowing Mike Fiore. Like that he loved McDonald’s french fries, chocolate milk, pancakes on Sunday mornings, “creative” profanity and In-n-Out Burger. But most of all, he cherished and adored his wife Shonda, son Jet (18 months) who rocked a stylish black skull-and-crossbones clip-on tie, and daughters Moxie (4 months)

and Sophia (10 years old).

There’s no question that he’ll be missed… And there’s no denying the indelible mark he has left on the world of high-performance boating. But those who will miss him most are the ones that were closest to him. His family struggles dayby-day, if not minute-by-minute, with the sad and sudden loss of their patriarch. His young children must now grow with only their memories and celebrated tales of a man they knew as “Daddy.”

The future for Outerlimits Powerboats, however, continues to shine. Led by father Paul, Joe Sgro, Art and Dustin Whipple, Steve Curtis and the rest of the devoted OL team, they vow to carry on Mike’s legacy and dream with no plans to cease production or compromise the quality in which their boats are built. An official announcement from Outerlimits is expected soon and will be published here in Speedboat Magazine.

Finally, Speedboat Magazine would like to clear up all of the rumors and speculations that continue to circle haphazardly. Mike passed from an extremely rare post-leg surgery complication, fat embolism to the lungs. Mike survived the crash with just a broken leg and some broken ribs. Many stated he had head damage. He didn’t. He had a bad concussion, but the helmet did its job and the boat did, as well. The boat, which had a devastating landing, for the most part, held together. The canopy structurally sustained damage but the carbon roll bars held. Mike held the hands of his wife, Shonda and other family members, answered questions directed to him and passed all tests. It was thought that he was going to be going home the following week. Shonda held him in her arms as he passed.

Rest in peace, Mike, and godspeed…

Please help, if you’re able, by donating to the FIORE FAMLY FUND.(www.youcaring.com/fiorefamilyfund) 6

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

speedboat.com

ON THE DYNO ALEXI SAHAGIAN Engine Shut-Off

Oil in My Bilge

Dear Alexi: I have a 1997 Schiada River Tunnel.

It is equipped with a Stock 502 MPI MerCruiser engine. When I am driving along for about 10 minutes, all of a sudden the boat dies. Upon cranking, the engine will not start—however, if I wait 10 minutes, it will restart and act normal.

It seems to only do this when the weather is very hot. Other than that, it has been a great boat. Any ideas?

William Stone Danville, CA

Dear Alexi: I have a 42 Fountain Lightning equipped with a custom-built pair of 632-c.i. engines. The engines run well. However, when I get to 4500 rpm or higher, it seems to push oil out of every orifice, making a mess in my bilge. I had the engines leaked down and checked for leaks and two shops said that they leak good and the pans and valve covers are sealed. I just don’t know what to do. Please help!

Jason Smith Lake Travis, Texas

It sounds like you may have a few thinks going on or possibly things to check out. You may have a vapor lock situation. What that means is when it’s hot, the fuel virtually stops flowing into your engine, causing it to shut down. I will assume you have changed the fuel filter regularly, and made sure your fuel cooler is flowing good water. If not, I would check those out anyway. The other area to check is to see if your fuel fill vents are vented and or if the vents are clogged. If the vents are clogged, it will do just that. On those Schiadas, we usually drill a second vent to assure proper flow. Next time you go out on a hot day, loosen the cap after it stalls out and see if it hisses like a snake at you. If it does, then it needs more ventilation. We drill secondary vents on all older high-performance boats. Bottom line: Check the filter, cooler and venting for starters and let me know.

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As you may know, 632-c.i. motors are fairly big and are usually built with a 4.750-stroke crankshaft swinging around in the pan. This will create serious windage. Think of it as a fan with big blades making air in your pan. It travels to the lifter valley, then to the valve covers, and then—once it can’t get out—it squeezes out from any spot! I would say if all checks well, you need more ventilation in your engine. Perhaps 2 -16 lines from the valve covers to a large puke/breather tank will help. I’ll bet if you put a pressure gauge in your fill cap, you will see 5+ pounds of crankcase pressure. When

you are below 3,000 rpm, the pressure is closer to zero. So, I recommend a large oil pan, tall valve covers and excessive venting to keep the pressure down. At times, the rings can be an issue. However, yours leaks well. By the way, this is a common issue for all builders building big power, we control ours by venting and or dry sump vacuum pumps and it was a challenge when large strokes came into play.

Try to better vent the system.

Winter Spruce-Up Dear Alexi: I have a pair of carbureted small block Chevy engines in an older Hallett 270. It has always been a good boat. I wanted to change the rocker arms, heads and camshaft to spruce em up a bit this winter as it is time for a top-end service. Any suggestions?

Stuart Jameson Washington, NC

Those 270s are cool! I think dual small blocks are the perfect setup in that boat.

As for the small blocks, I will assume they are just MerCruiser 350s of some type with the Rochester carbs on them. In this case, we suggest an Edelbrock Performer RPM camshaft and heads (along with their intake). However, have someone set up a custom Holley or equivalent carb for the system. If you upgrade to these parts, you must change the ignition normally to an MSD or modify your stock Thunderbolt ignition to move the revs up. This little upgrade usually adds some decent power and ends up at a solid 400+ hp per engine. The bottom ends usually like this upgrade. I would also recommend headers or some type of upgraded exhaust to allow the upgrade to flow and minimize water reversion. Try to get tail pipes that introduce the water to the exhaust stream all the way at the tip.

This will be a cool project! Please send in photos. To review some of these parts: go to Holley.com and Edelbrock.com to see the items. They can be purchased through your high-performance marine vendor. speedboat.com

V-DRIVE TECH JIM WILKES An Enduro Story Dear Jim: I thought you and your readers might find this story interesting. In 1966, the late Bernie Buck and I were partners in a 18’ Hallett Enduro Boat (Yellow #13). I owned the boat and Bernie supplied the engine (a 396 Chevy). In January of 1967, Bernie built his own Hallett Enduro boat (called Mr. B’s Peanutbutter Boat), and installed his 396 Chevy in it. I was planning to retire my Hallett to a skitype boat and install a Chrysler Hemi, which I had on hand. About three weeks

before the 1967 Parker 9-Hour Enduro, I got a call from Fred Inman. He said, “Hey, Pie! Let’s put my ski boat engine (a 427 Chevy) in your yellow boat and run the Enduro.”

For lack of a better answer, I said, “Why not?” We thrashed for two weekends getting things ready, except for the 10

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

headers, which were out for re-coating.

Four days before our to-go day, Fred called and said the headers would not be ready, but not to worry—he had a set of “Zoomies” he had built for a deep-vee type boat and we would just use them.

After an hour or two of testing at the river, we decided to shorten the zoomies a little. Our #3 driver and race team leader, Don Braun, assured us that he could cut (hack-saw) those pipes off perfectly at a 90% angle, so he was elected to do the job. As he was on his third cut, we noticed that we had about 20 or so people standing around watching. Finally, one guy walks up to the transom and asks, “What the heck are you doing”? Don set the saw down and looked the guy straight in the face and, in a very serious tone of voice, said, “We’ve discovered that for every inch of pipe we cut off, we gain six or seven horsepower and about nine foot/ pounds of torque.”

“How do you know that?” the guy asked.

Don said, “You just take the boat out in the river and run about 5,500 rpm, stand on the “loud pedal,” and you can just feel it in the seat of your pants!”

The guy just shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

For the next six months, Don was known as “Dyno-Butt Don.” And that, my friend, is a true story!

Lynn “Chicken Pie” Youngs Via the Internet Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lynn! Bernie Buck of Peanutbutter Boats fame was a good friend of mine for many years. When I started racing boats in 1973, Bernie was one of the first guys that gave me some help on an installation I was doing. I always thought Bernie’s workmanship was some of the best in the day. Bernie was a great guy.

No hair, always had a baseball cap on and a deep voice for a guy his size. I like the picture with the very young Fred Inman in the driver’s seat!

One final thing, Lynn— it seems some things haven’t changed. It’s obvious that there’s always someone on the beach to tell you what you need to do and how to make it better. Some folks who don’t even own a boat think they have all the answers. Your story brought back some great memories of friends and days gone by. Thanks!

Whirl-Away Query Dear Jim: I have Casale V-drive with a Whirl-away on it, but I think it’s going to only release if the prop shaft were to spin right-hand.

The motor is in backwards, driving off the flywheel going in to the V-drive. If I hold the input shaft and try to spin the prop shaft to the left, it won’t release.

However, if I hold the input shaft and spin the prop shaft to the right, it releases. I’m guessing the Whirl-away could be for a motor if it were being driven off the front of the crank, but I’m still learning. I might be overthinking the whole thing. What’s your opinion? The motor is a BBC. Tim Snyder Atlanta, GA Your engine is installed with the flywheel facing forward, meaning you have a left-hand drive system with a left-hand rotation propeller. To drive the boat, the Whirl-away needs to lock up while you spin the drive shaft to the left. If not, your Whirl-away would just ratchet. It should ratchet to the right if you spin the prop shaft to the right.

Remember, when you decelerate, your propeller will want to keep spinning, but your engine wants to slow down.

Your prop release will ratchet or if your engine were to lock up, it would allow the release to ratchet, keeping your boat from rolling over. It sounds like everything is installed correctly. speedboat.com

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10/25/14 10:37 AM

OIL

Speedboat’s handy guide to the very best oils available for your marine engine.

ABOARD! New text to follow

W

hat kind of oil should you use in your high-performance engine? When are synthetic oils ideal? What are the differences between the various types of oil? Is it OK to use an automotive oil in your boat’s engine?

These are all legitimate questions, and to answer them, Speedboat is launching a new series of articles designed to guide you toward a healthy, problem-free engine. We’ll be taking a look at all of the additives, fuel treatments, greases and fluids available, and try to make sense of everything that’s on the market.

We’re launching this series with a look at the vast array of engine oils designed specifically by Lucas Oil products for the

marine market.

Founded by Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte in 1989, Lucas Oil produces a premium line of marine products, oils, greases and problem solving additives for the automotive and marine industries, as well as a heavy-duty line of products for the industrial and agricultural markets. Theirs is one of the fastest-growing lines in the world, employing a first-rate staff and a world of technology gained through years of research. Lucas has long been directly involved in the American racing industry, with top competitors in both the offshore and drag-boat circuits.

Tony Scarlata drives the Shazam TAF for Tommy Thompson Motorsports in the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing series.

Lucas Extreme Duty Marine ATF Lucas Extreme Duty Marine ATF is a blend of specific synthetic-base oils and a special Lucas additive package designed to create a high friction fluid that allows shifting clutches in the transmission to lock up and engage quickly. A pure synthetic oil product, it’s ideal for use in offshore boat racing transmissions. A faster shift means less clutch slippage, therefore, less heat and wear in the transmission. It’s fortified with special synthetic additives that coat moving parts to protect against rust and moisture during storage.

Lucas Oil’s Extreme Duty Marine ATF is a pure synthetic oil that contains special antifoaming agents.

Key Benefits: • An easy-flowing fluid with superior heat transfer capabilities.

• Expect excellent performance, cold or hot.

• Contains special anti-foaming agents.

• A stable long life fluid, perfect for irregular maintenance.

• Safely blends with other synthetic and non-synthetic fluids.

Lucas Stern Drive Inboard Engine Oil 25W-40 Lucas Stern Drive Inboard Engine Oil SAE 25W-40 is designed to improve wear protection and increase catalyst life in newer inboards using catalytic converters. It meets or exceeds NMMA FC-W (CAT) performance, and may be used in automotive applications where API SM oils are called for.

It’s also appropriate for use in four-stroke outboards and fourstroke personal watercraft. This oil is fortified with special synthetic additives that coat all moving parts to guard against rust, corrosion and moisture during long storage periods. It meets or exceeds MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard marine performance requirements.

The Extreme Duty Stern Drive Marine Oil protects against rust, corrosion and moisture.

Lucas Extreme Duty Marine 20W-50 Oil Lucas Extreme Duty Marine SAE 20W-50 Engine Oil is designed for use in high-performance boats requiring the ultimate protection. It’s manufactured with the highestquality paraffinic base oils and is fortified with an exclusive additive package containing high levels of zinc, moly and phosphorus that provides a tougher, thicker additive film for maximum protection even under the most severe conditions.

It lowers oil temperatures, extends oil life and minimizes metal fatigue. SAE 20W-50 also improves the film strength between the cylinder wall and piston rings and slows oil burning while improving pressure levels in worn engines. It has good cold temperature properties and stands up to high operating temperatures. This product is compatible with methanol and all racing fuels.

Key benefits: • Excellent for use with supercharged, turbo charged or nitrous oxide high performance engines.

• Protects against rust and moisture during long periods of storage.

• Safely blends and is compatible with synthetic and nonsynthetic oils.

• Dropping point 540 lbs.

• Provides rust and corrosion protection in both fresh water and salt water environments.

• Effective water resistance.

• Long-lasting.

• Extreme friction-reducer.

Lucas Synthetic Outboard Engine Oils Lucas Synthetic SAE 10W-30 and 10W-40 Outboard Engine Oils are formulated especially for the harsh conditions of high speed watercrafts. These outboard engine oils are catalyst compatible and designed for 4-Stroke applications but also work well in I/Os and personal watercraft. This oil is longlasting and safely blends with synthetic and non-synthetic oils. Lucas oils are fortified with a special blend of synthetic additives that coat all moving parts to guard against rust and moisture during long periods of storage.

Key benefits: • Excellent for use with supercharged, turbo charged or nitrous oxide high performance engines.

• Protects against rust and moisture during long periods of storage.

• Safely blends and is compatible with synthetic and nonsynthetic oils.

• Provides rust and corrosion protection in both fresh water and salt water environments.

• Provides effective water resistance.

• Resists extreme pressure and is an extreme friction reducer.

• Contains a special additive package to improve wear protection and increase catalyst life in newer outboards using catalytic converters.

Above: The Extreme Duty Marine 20W-50 engine oil is longlasting and designed for the most severe conditions.

Below: The 10W-40 Engine Oil for Outboard Engines is ideal for use with supercharged, turbocharged or nitrous oxide high-performance engines.

Eddie Knox Racing / PROBLEM CHILD Top Fuel Hydro ‘06, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13 World Champion TFH World Record: Speed 262.238mph / ET 3.3

Tony Scarlata, Team Driver 28X World Champion / Top Alcohol Flat World Record: 5.168 ET Sudden Force Racing Water Ski Team

K-711 Eason & Irlick Racing #512 WOT Marine Racing Team

K-69 Freedom Child, Jennings/Rankin Racing. World Champion 2011, ‘12, ‘13

P-74 Crackerbox Pro 2014 Lucas Oil World Champion

These champions choose NRI. Bad Attitude Racing 1st in Class 175 mph at 2014 LOTO

Insurance coverage for ALL types of boats.

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NickRoseInsurance.com

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Girly Celebrating sexy, perfectly sculpted l t d objects bj t off b beauty t (and the gals who pose on them)

Photos by Andrew

12

Edition

Gates, Todd Taylor and Brett Bayne

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Red Hot Drake Kelly of Roke Trailers (Lake Elsinore, CA) is the proud owner of this 21' Hallett Vector, one of only two jets in this hull configuration ever produced. It has a 555-c.i. engine with 1071 reverse blower and dual 950 carbs.

I

n late September, the staff of Speedboat assembled at the Nautical Resort in Lake Havasu City, AZ, to test a dozen impressive thoroughbreds from the likes of DCB, Skater, Eliminator and Shockwave. As the team congregated at

the docks, something magical was happening mere feet away, on the other side of the famous Naked Turtle bar—an entirely different kind of photo shoot. Beached at the Nautical’s cove were another dozen boats, mostly flatbottoms, from a bygone era. Posing on these magical representatives of big-muscle history were the hottest group of swimsuit models we’ve ever hired, and believe me, this amalgam of beauty resulted in roughly a thousand photographs. We think the pages ahead show off the best of the best, but fear not—more will be available at Speedboat.com. So after you peruse these amazing shots, head over to the website for much more. You’ll be glad you did. speedboat.com

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Girly Edition

I Gotcha Gotcha, a 46' Skater that has dazzled the crowds at both Desert Storm and the Lake of the Ozarks poker runs, is rigged with a Mercury Racing QC4v 1350 turbo package.

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Cat’s Meow Here’s a 2008-model Eliminator 27' Daytona Speedster with a beautiful canopies and a first-rate gelcoat scheme. The Speedster continues to be among Eliminator’s best-sellers.

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Girly Edition

A Summer Place Tim Place of Place Diverter & Controls (La Habra, CA) originally found his 1974 Rogers Bonneville on Craigslist. His extensive renovation of this classic hull was immortalized in our March 2011 issue.

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Girly Edition

Like Magic Bob Prigmore’s Abracadabra is a 2011 Placecraft laid up by Tom Peterson. He races it in Top Eliminator class on the Lucas Oil circuit.

Sexy Schiada

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Ex-raceboat champion Bill Odiorne and wife Barbara enjoy their 1979 21' Schiada River Cruiser, which is powered by a 461 big-block Chevy with Casale V-drive.

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Taking Advantage Walter Temple is the original owner of this 2000 27' Advantage Victory, which is powered by a 500EFI MerCruiser. Top speed is 73 mph. He uses the boat on Lake Havasu and the all along the Colorado River. He reckons the motor has 700 hours on it.

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Girly Edition

Pole Dancer Scott Morrow has owned his 1963 Howard for 26 years. It’s been painted a total three times. After blowing up his big cubic-inch engine, he opted to replace it with a stock 454.

Original Syn

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Along with the Howard, Morrow also owns this 18' Syndicate, a line built by Jimmy LaRicca beginning in 1979 and through the 1990s. It’s powered by a 454 with a 1450 Holley carb.

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Girly Edition

Racing Stripes Mark and Jordan Endler of Saint Ynez, CA, are the fatherand-son partners in this 1978 Cole TR-2, which sports a paint job by the late, legendary Dick Vale. It’s got a 496c.i. big block Chevy.

Woman in Red Josh Doyle of Havasu—a prison guard working in Kingman— loves his two-seater 18' Rogers, which is pushed by a 496 aluminum-headed Chevy. It runs on pump gas and features a light layup hull (300 lbs.).

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Girly Edition

Top Secret Shawn Reed, winner of Lucas Oil’s Pro Driver of the Year Award in 2012, continues to rack up points in Pro Mod class this year in his dazzling Top Secret hydro.

Schi Girl

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Joe Irick’s 1973 Schiada daycruiser sports a gelcoat by Superior Fiberglass (Lake Havasu), 355 blown injected small-block Chevy, turbo 400 trans and Casale V-drive.

It’s been in the Irick family for about 20 years.

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3/28/14 2:58 PM

Photos by Kenny

Dunlop

ON

DECK

Cobra Performance Boats unveils its latest model: the 270 Python deckboat.

W

hen Jeff Bohn founded Cobra two-step performance bowrider that practically screamed Performance Boats nearly 15 years “state of the art.”

Alas, as a new era of recession obliterated the brisk busiago, tthe time was ideal for marketing the

company’s imaginatively sculpted customs.

They had a flair for the dramatic, and his staff had the sound engineering to back up the drama. Cobra struck gold with its solid lake-boat lineup, offering vees 21' to 32' and a few cats (26' and 28') as well. Cobra excelled at virtually every level in building its big, fast, solid boats, which showcased the full arsenal of a talented and thorough builder. In recent years, our test team was delighted to encounter its magnificently crafted 270 Razor, a ventilated

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

ness of yesteryear, Cobra’s business slowed to a crawl. Bohn reacted to the slowing economy by conceiving a new model to capture the imagination of potential customers. Initially, the idea was to tool a closed-bow cat, but after huddling with his staff, it was decided that a deckboat would be a better direction. Working with veteran designer Rob King, the project officially started in November 2013 and took about five months to tool up. The resulting 270 Python—which features essentially the same Ron Edhe-designed bottom as

speedboat.com

Cobra President Jeff Bohn (above) launched plans for the new 270 Python beginning in November 2013.

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On Deck Cobra’s 28 deck boat—was a nice bridge between the company’s 26 and 28 decks, with Bohn and Cobra General Manager Hernando Rodriguez each contributing their ideas to the project.

For the 270 Python, the team wanted a traditional windshield look rather than canopies. “Our old models kind of have a canopy look to them,” Bohn says. “We had to change that. In addition, we got rid of a lot of doors and sinks and stuff like that. We found that our customers didn’t really use the sinks or the portapotties, so we eliminated the features they didn’t use.” The result was a boat that was, frankly, simpler to build—and one that’s bound to please customers with a smooth, fast ride.

“We had luck with our 28-footer as powered by a 525,” Bohn says. “We got about 85 mph with the 525, and with the 565, it was closer to 91 mph.” Pricing on the 270 Python should be right around $106,900 with the standard 8.2 engine.

At press time, the first 270s had just come out of the mold, with more to follow.

(Sean Seawright of Chino Hills, CA, is the owner of the first 270; he previously owned Cobra’s 26-foot deckboat.) The new boat features a 104-inch beam—an inch wider on both sides than the 28, in fact. Cobra’s standard gelcoats are available; first boat out of the mold featured pearl in every color, including lime green, gold and silver.

It was also 100 percent capped, which gives the 270 a nice, clean look. “It turned out really bitchin’,” Bohn says. “To see it in pictures is really nothing compared to seeing it in person—this thing just pops.”

Among the boat’s many cool features is the way soft coolers were designed to fit comfortably under both the driver and passenger seats (the coolers come standard bearing Cobra logos). The first 270 Python also features a luxurious Alcantara fabric in the interior, which is the same material used in Lamborghini automobiles. “It costs about $125 a yard.

It’s expensive stuff,” Bohn says.

Look for Speedboat Magazine’s test of the 270 Python in 2015.

The plug under construction: the 270 Python starts to come to life.

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speedboat.com

Cobra’s first Python out of the mold sports a 565 Mercury Racing engine. A closed-deck version of this boat is likely to follow the deckboat application.

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November 2014 29

PHOTO: JAY NICHOLS

Mike Fiore and Joel Begin in the 48’ Outerlimits that took Fiore’s life at the LOTO Shootout in August 2014.

Anatomy of a

Blowover Why do tunnel boats blow over? Our expert explains the aerodynamic balance of go-fast tunnel hulls.

Every once in a while, in the world of extreme powerby Jim Russell, AeroMarine Research

PHOTO: GREG TERZIAN

A 20’ STV sport tunnel hull blows over at Swannee River, FL, in March 2005.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

boat racing, there is a severe accident or crash that raises the question, Why do they do that? Sometimes these mishaps result in severe damage, injury and sometimes even fatality, as we saw with the horrific crash of Mike Fiore at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in August.

When the worst happens, it is a tragedy, and all of us in the powerboating industry mourn for the drivers, families, crews and friends of those involved. Often the most dramatic of these frightening mishaps is when a boat takes off unpredictably and uncontrollably to the air. It’s called the “blowover,” and we’re left questioning why something like this happens.

The 48' Outerlimits offshore catamaran driven by Joel Begin and throttled by Fiore experienced a massive blowover during a high-speed run on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. Fiore, who is the founder of Outerlimits, passed away from injuries sustained in the crash and Begin was seriously injured. My heart goes out to their families as they try to endure the ultimate cost of their loved ones who lived their passion.

Blowover accidents are nothing new. The LOTO crash isn’t the first we’ve had to watch and it undoubtedly won’t be the last. It can happen with proven powerboat designs and the most experienced drivers. speedboat.com

In December 2009, two Victory 1 team drivers died when their 36-foot, 140-mph Class 1 catamaran blew over in Dubai, UAE. Jeff Tillman and Bob Morgan perished when their 46-foot, 4x1,200-hp Skater catamaran Big Thunder went airborne at 130+ mph at the Key West World Finals in November 2011.

Offshore cats are not the only hulls capable of experiencing these horrific blowover phenomena. Performance vee hulls that use aerodynamic lift are also susceptible to instability and blowover. Hydroplane and tunnel hull designs employ more aerodynamic lift and realize more of the associated benefits—but also accept some potential of instability if pressed to the edge. Hank Hogan survived a dramatic 135-mph blowover crash in his 20-foot STV sport tunnel hull at a Swannee River, FL, shootout in March 2005. Remarkably, Unlimited hydroplane driver Jon Zimmerman walked away from a dramatic blowover accident in his U-9 Red Dot/Spirit of Qatar at the July 2012 Detroit Gold Cup Unlimited hydroplane race.

Formula One tunnel boat drivers Pierre Lundin and Jonas Andersson experienced a dramatic dual blowover crash at the UIM F1 Powerboat Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi in December 2009.

The Unlimited hydroplane U-9 Red Dot/Spirit of Qatar blows over at the Detroit Gold Cup, July 2012.

And blowover accidents are not a modern-day development of high performance powerboating, either. One of the first well-publicized race boat blowovers occurred on Lake Washington in 1955 with the 3-point prop-rider Slo Mo V, with driver Lou Fageol surviving the accident. The boat did a complete 360-degree flip and landed right side up.

World Speed Record holder Don Campbell died in January 1967 in a 297 mph blowover crash of his 26-foot, 4,600-bhp, Bluebird K7 outrigger hydroplane during a WSR attempt on Coniston Water, England.

So how does a blowover happen?

There is no definitive way to know exactly how any of these specific incidents occurred or what the root causes were.

There are hundreds of things going on in a high-performance powerboat, especially at high speeds. Of course, hull design is always important and sometimes it’s a mechanical failure—but it’s not always the cause. speedboat.com

The bases for the potential for a tunnel boat to experience a “blowover” are: • Outside influences cause forces to get out of balance.

• Tunnel hulls are aerodynamically “unstable.”

• Performance boats must run at the knife-edge interface of water and air.

When taken to speeds near-maximum design capabilities, sometimes just a small change in conditions can trigger the imbalance that initiates a dreaded head-over-heels blowover.

The situation is most stressed when the boat is going fast, because changes happen quickly. A trigger can cause undesired results when pushed to the limits of hull design/setup or when operating in wind gusts or boat wakes or abnormal weather conditions–and sometimes these can occur at the same time.

While every boat has its own unique design, the forces and reactions acting on a tunnel boat are similar in all situations. I will explain the physics of how these contribute to the extraordinary performance of a tunnel boat and how it works when things go wrong.

Boat or Plane?

The offshore catamaran or tunnel hull is like an exotic bird. The tunnel hull derives much of its extraordinary high performance from the aerodynamic lift gained from the “wing” or aerofoil built-in to their design. It also relies on its interaction with the water to maintain a stable and controlled flight. It is really part boat and part airplane.

Tunnel hulls, offshore catamarans and many high-performance hulls are designed to operate with an equilibrium of aerodynamic and hydrodynamic lift and drag forces that must be kept in balance in order to keep upright.

Design Rule #1: Balance of Forces—Any boat must generate exactly enough lift to overcome its weight. Not enough lift and the boat sinks – too much lift and the boat takes off like an airplane. This total lift can be produced from hydrodynamic (water) lift or aerodynamic (air) lift, or both. The formula may be noted this way:

LAero + LWater = Weight

Any boat must generate exactly enough lift to balance its weight. Not enough lift and the boat sinks; too much lift and it takes off like an airplane.

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November 2014 31

Anatomy of a Blowover In a tunnel boat or catamaran, “water lift” comes from the sponson planing surfaces. Aerodynamic lift is generated by the “ground effect” of the aerofoil (wing section formed by the upper deck and tunnel roof ) operating in close proximity to the water surface. These lift forces increase dramatically as the velocity increases. Lift also increases when the angle of attack (trim angle) increases. Thus, more trim angle = more lift.

Any boat must generate exactly enough lift to balance its weight. Not enough lift and the boat sinks; too much lift and it takes off like an airplane.

Drag is expensive!

With any kind of lift, there comes some drag—it’s just an unavoidable law of energy. It is these drags (hydrodynamic and aerodynamic) that limit how fast a boat will go and how efficient it will operate. So designers want to minimize “total drag.”

The cost in horsepower of water-drag is 800 times more than that the cost of air-drag, so high performance hull designs try to reduce the need for water-lift and its associated drag by incorporating aerodynamic (air) lift into the hull design.

At 150-mph an offshore racing cat can generate 20% to 30% (or more) of its total weight by aerodynamic lift surfaces. Smaller tunnels, like F1 circuit racing tunnels can generate 60%+ of their lift aerodynamically. It’s this high amount of aero lift that contributes to the hulls’ fantastic performance…but it also makes it susceptible to dramatic changes to conditions. Aerodynamic lift is generated by the “ground effect” of the wing section formed by the upper deck and tunnel.

Dynamic Balance

Big Thunder Motorsports, a 46’ Skater driven

by Jeff Tillman and throttled by Bob Morgan, crashed in Key West in 2011. The crash claimed the lives of both men.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

Remember that the boat must always have exactly the amount of lift to balance its weight. This balance of forces means we’re considering all of the aerodynamic lift and drag (from tunnel, decks, wing, cockpit configuration, engine cowl, etc.) and all of the hydrodynamic lift and drag (from sponsons, lower unit, propeller, etc.) and the thrust components of the drive system.

More importantly, we need to think of these forces dynamically, which means we’re considering all of the forces as they act differently at every discrete velocity throughout the operating range of the boat. For example, there is more aero lift (and less water lift) at 150 mph than there is at 100 mph–and this constantly changes the dynamic balance of the hull.

The location of aerodynamic lift occurs at the “aerodynamic center” of the aerofoil, approximately 1/3 distance from the leading edge. The location of the hydrodynamic lift changes with velocity, depending on how much of the sponson length is wetted–this can be located at amidships at slower speeds or only a few inches at the transom at high speed.

When we consider the amount of each component of lift and drag, together with its location on the hull, we get an overall “center of dynamic balance” (or XCGDynamic) that changes with speed. This “moving around” of the center of water lift, center of aero lift and XCGDynamic makes it tricky to keep the boat in balance, and the experienced driver must adjust throtspeedboat.com

02,07,09,11,21,31,41-Brett,51,81_0514_newADS.indd 9

6/11/14 10:13 PM

Anatomy of a Blowover PHOTO: GREG TERZIAN

Formula One tunnel boats blow over at the UIM F1 Powerboat Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi in December 2009. tles, trim angles, etc., to keep the total lift equal to the hull weight (LAero + LWater = Weight).

If the amount of aero lift or water lift changes due to a wind gust, a wake bump, a sponson skip, driver trim change, even a wind direction change or water current change, the force balance is upset, and the driver must make corrections to get things back into balance again.

For example, consider a 46’ offshore catamaran at a stable speed of 150 mph, generating just the right amount of total lift (LAero + LWater = Weight). A wind gust of 5 mph can instantly create an additional 300 lbs. of aerodynamic lift. So we are no longer in balance–we have too much lift! This means that without some kind of instantaneous action, the hull will be airborne.

Aerodynamic Stability Design Rule #2: From aerodynamic theory… “For a vehicle in “level flight” to be longitudinally stable, a small increase in angle of attack should cause a “pitching moment” so that the angle of attack tends to decrease again. Similarly, a small decrease in angle of attack will cause a pitching moment so

An airplane is aerodynamically stable. A disturbance causing a nose-up rotation results in increased tail lift that causes the airplane to rotate nose-down, selfcorrecting the disturbance.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

that the angle of attack tends to increases again.” [Note: A moment is the tendency of a force to produce rotation about a point (CofG) and is equal to a force multiplied by a distance or length.]

Here’s what this means to powerboat design: Any vehicle in flight, such as an airplane or a high performance powerboat, will experience minor changes to the forces that act on it, and to its speed. If such a change tends to restore the vehicle to its original speed and orientation, then the vehicle is said to be “inherently stable.” If such a change tends to drive the vehicle away from its original speed and orientation, the vehicle is said to be “inherently unstable.”

An airplane is aerodynamically “stable.”

A disturbance causing a nose-up rotation results in increased tail lift that causes the airplane to rotate nose down, self-correcting the disturbance. Conversely, a tunnel boat design is “inherently unstable,” aerodynamically speaking.

An airplane can be designed to be inherently stable. A tunnel hull cannot be inherently stable, and here’s why: When an airplane is properly trimmed in level flight, if it experiences a disturbance that causes a nose-up rotation about it’s CG, this causes the tail wing surface to increase its angle of attack and thus increase the lift it generates. This in turn causes the tail to raise up and the airplane to rotate nose down about its CG. It’s “self-correcting” to such disturbances.

The airplane can do this because it’s designed to have its main lifting surfaces (wings) located right at its CofG, and it’s tail section located aft of its CofG, so that the resulting moment caused by increased tail lift is nose-down. These design capabilities make the airplane “inherently stable.”

Let’s consider what happens when a tunnel hull experiences a similar “disturbance” that causes a “nose-up” rotation about its CofG. The increase in angle of attack causes an increase in aerodynamic lift, which causes the boat to rotate “nose-up” about its CofG. A small increase in angle of attack tends to cause a bigger increase in angle of attack, rather than tending to “restore” things to the original state. This means the tunnel hull is “inherently unstable.”

To be aerodynamically “inherently stable”, the tunnel boat would have to have it’s CofG ahead of the aerodynamic center (AC), so that an increase in angle of attack (Wangle) would cause an increase in LAero and a “nose-down” reaction.

It’s difficult to design a tunnel boat to meet Design Rule #2: The heaviest part of the boat’s weight (the engine) is necessarily located far aft in the boat where it’s needed to drive the propeller. This makes the CofG of the boat almost ALWAYS aft of the aerodynamic center of lift. So an increase in aero lift for any reason, causes a further nose-up condition. This is usually bad for a boat.

A boat doesn’t have a second aerodynamic lifting surface (like an airplane’s tail) aft of its CofG to help “self-correct” dynamic stability. What’s more, if it did, the resulting lift would be lifting the aft of boat OFF the water—this is also bad for a boat!

The tunnel boat has more than just aero lift, has hydrodynamic lift too, and relies on this for control. If we lose this speedboat.com

contact with the water, the driver has zero control of speed or trim angle (angle of attack) or direction.

So, if a tunnel boat experiences a disturbance that causes a nose-up motion, the result is more lift that causes more nose-up motion, which causes more lift causing more nose-up. In this condition of dynamic instability even small changes tend to cause bigger changes. We are now in the region of easy blowover.

Performance boats must run at the knife-edge interface of water and air. A tunnel boat gets its performance from its use of aerodynamic lift. It maintains its thrust (propeller) and control (steering, trim, etc.) by contact with the water surface.

The performance boat must make most efficient use of aerodynamic lift while never losing contact with the water surface.

When a inherently stable airplane experiences a wind gust that causes nose-up and increased lift, it gains a little altitude and inherently rotates nose-down to restore itself to level flight orientation.

Consider a tunnel hull under similar circumstances. Let’s pretend that we could (which we can’t) design the tunnel hull to behave “just like an airplane” so it inherently tries to restore itself to its original level flight orientation by use of lift surfaces aft of CofG. The tunnel hull can’t tolerate the resulting “gain of a little altitude” because this alone would lift the boat off the water surface, making it airborne and without control…blowover!

Sometimes these boats fly high, twisting and turning.

When a disturbance triggers a blowover and the hull takes to the air, it is now completely unstable and can take almost any path. Initially the boat may rotate around the prop, but as soon as the prop is out of the water, the boat rotates around the center of gravity. This is why some boats hang with the nose up for a short period of time, then quickly do some type of loop, somersault or roll.

Can Blowover Be Prevented?

There are hull design practices that can make a hull behave better more predictably than others. But since we can’t change the basic laws of physics and aerodynamics, we’ve seen that the performance tunnel boat can always have the potential to react to disturbances as it does now.

When a performance catamaran is operating at high speed, at its outer envelope of design, any outside disturbance can trigger a blowover. Once the sequence has started (lift

is greater than weight) and the boat control surfaces lose contact with the water, there is simply nothing that the driver can do to get things back into control.

Design alternatives have been tried. Application of canard wings, rear wings, air dumps, water or air brakes are examples of design applications that alter aerodynamic lift and drag but must be ‘activated’ before the sequence of instability begins. Even with computer-aided “flight” sensing and control of lifting surfaces, once a hull is close to its design performance design limits (lift = weight) any disturbance or change will cause instantaneous instability and the ultimate outcome. We would need systems that “read” what’s coming to the boat far down the course, to make the adjustments in time to prevent a problem. So far, only the driver can do that today.

Of course, the best performance analysis and design practices that account for all of the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces and hull dynamic stability behavior are important when designing high-performance powerboats.

While it’s not realistic to ask professional boat racers to hold back the pursuit for the “edge,” as recreational performance boat drivers it’s prudent to avoid pushing your boat to the boundary of its design intentions. We shouldn’t over-power a hull that was designed for less HP, and we shouldn’t drive at outer envelope of design–this is when unpredictable disturbances can trigger instability and undesirable hull behavior.

To protect our drivers of super-fast, high performance boats, our best actions are the design and regulation of highstrength, energy absorbing, safety capsules and under-water survival equipment. The risks of blowover may still be there, so protection is a prudent objective.

Conclusion Through the magic of engineering analysis, it is very possible to determine how the boat will react in most all conditions. When performance hulls are operated within their design intentions, reactions and behavior to influencing factors are predictable. At moderate speeds, the needed corrections can become “second nature” for the experienced driver. But at very high speeds, changes happen very quickly, and influencing factors can cause abrupt, rapid changes and instability can get out of control before the needed corrections can be made–and a problem can result—blowover.

Jim Russell is a professional engineer with a mechanical and aeronautics background. His published works and papers are highly acclaimed, and are specifically related to the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics of high performance catamarans and tunnel boats, vee and vee-pad hulls. Russell has designed and built many tunnel and performance boats. He has appeared on SpeedVision’s ‘Powerboat Television’ as a guest expert on ‘Tunnel Hulls’, was performance/design technical consultant on National Geographic’s ‘Thrill Zone’ TV show, and editorial consultant on Discovery Channel’s ‘What Happened Next’ TV show. Russell is the author of the books “Secrets of Tunnel Boat Design,” “The Wing in Ground Effect - Their relation to Powerboats,” and “Secrets of Propeller Design.” speedboat.com

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DCB

REGATTA

Dave & Co. welcome owners for a weekend of kick-ass fun.

Opposite top left: Dave & Buffie Megugorac’s new DCB M-35R, called “Bananas.” Opposite top right: Craig and Allison Krumwiede’s DCB M-31. Below: Carlton Bass’s M-35.

Photos by Kenny

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Dunlop and Tom Leigh

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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W

hen Dave Hemmingson and his crew at DCB throw a party, you can bet there’ll be a special theme. At this year’s

DCB Regatta, participants were encouraged to dress up in black and white for an evening of monochromatic fun. The event drew nearly 60 boats and 270 people to Lake Havasu for the annual shindig, which featured great weather and a cool photo booth. Event coordinator Peggi Vincent worked overtime to ensure everybody had a blast—perhaps no one more so than Scott and Shelly Fodder, who won the poker run in their F-29 powered by Teague 800s. “Furthest traveled” honors went to Brian and Janet Lundy, who made the trek to Arizona from Ontario, Canada. “It was just a stellar event,” said Hemmingson, “casual and fun.”

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November 2014 37

DCB Regatta

Far left: Justin Bach of British Columbia, Canada, in his F29, powered by 710 Ilmors. Below left: Brian Lundy of Ontario, Canada, in his M35, powered by 1,100 Mercury engines.

Below: Bob Teague in his F32 with TCM 1200s.

The DCB Regatta drew nearly 60 boats and 270 people to Lake Havasu for the annual shindig, which featured great weather and a cool photo booth.

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Above: Steve and Katrina Sundling were the best-dressed family; their kids Jacob and Krista were named Prince and Princess.

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Photos by Ray

Lee

Below: the 2005 39' Outerlimits Habanera, owned by Dana Woudenberg.

scope POKER RUN

The Southern California group flexes its muscle— and raises $10K for its favorite military charity

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Gary Smith in Alien, a 42' Outerlimits.

T

his year, in keeping with recent tradition,

the Southern California Offshore Powerboat Elite (SCOPE) dedicated its event to the Operation Gratitude charity, which sends care packages to our troops overseas—more than $10,000 was raised for the organization this year. In addition, SCOPE gave away a Cadillac to a wounded veteran in San Diego, along with auto insurance and $600 worth of credit toward gasoline. There was plenty of muscle on display: Bob Nixon’s new Outerlimits was on hand, as was Sean Moore in his Lick This raceboat and Dave Talley and Ed Bostock in their respective 38' Fountains. Music was provided by the Grand Junction Band. Says SCOPE member Bill Steiner, “I felt bad that they were performing for free, so I collected about $700 for them. You know what they did with the money? They wadded it up in a ball and handed it back to us.”

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November 2014 41

SCOPE Poker Run

Left: Pete Boyer and Bob Pantus in their 34' Shockwave.

Below: Vern Gilbert in his 1991 40' Skater, Predator 1.

Opposite top: Clay Rodrigues shoots past the U.S.S. Midway in his 48’ Skater vee bottom.

Opposite bottom: Bill Steiner in his 38' Cigarette Top Gun has a close encounter with a seal at the docks.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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At this year’s poker run, SCOPE raised $10,000 for Operation Gratitude, a charity that sends care packages to our troops overseas.

speedboat.com

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Photos by Frank

Mignerey

Darren Weaver of Peace River, Alberta, Canada, finished all four legs of the race in 50 minutes and 53 seconds, traveling at speeds approaching 130 mph at times.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

speedboat.com peedbo m

snake CHARMERS Darren Weaver negotiates the raging Snake River to victory.

T

he fastest jetboat participating in the In an interesting twist, Peters, of Clarkston, ID, ended up fourth annual Thunder on the Snake competing with a friend who was running in a boat powrace in Lewiston, ID, was Darren Weaver, who ered by Peters’ own engine. When Lewiston resident Trevor

drove almost 18 hours from Peace River in Alberta, Canada, to compete in Unlimited class.

His efforts paid off in spades—Weaver’s #204 boat was not only first in its class, but won the overall race with a final overall time of 1:06:31.

The Snake River brought together participants in several classes, including A Class (won by Ryan Rogers), FX Class (won by brothers Shay and Grady White) and CX Class (won

by Gary Peters). Rogers’ time of 1:11:36 helped win him second overall, while Peters’ time of 1:19:16 clinched his third overall trophy. speedboat.com

Yochum experienced motor problems, Peters lent him an engine so that Yochum could participate in the race. By the end of the final day of racing, Peters had the narrow lead in CX Class over Yochum, who finished in second place.

In typical fashion, a boat flipped during the Snake River race. Brothers Jim and Jeff Edwardsen of Lewiston, driving their #313 boat, “cartwheeled” during the first day of racing, but rebounded to finish their run, even as water flooded their hull. They finished in third place in A Class with a final overall time of 1:43:00. Meanwhile, FX competitor Ryan Hudson spun out his Sneaky Snake boat at Wild Goose Rapid.

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November No vember 2 2014 014 45 45

Snake Charmers

FX Class

3rd

A Class 1st

Top: Chris Barger finished third in FX Class.

Above: Ryan Rogers was first in A Class.

Below: Keith Kendall was second in A Class.

CX Class 1st

2nd

2nd CX Class competitors included winner Gary Peters (top), Trevor Yochum (center) and Jake Barney (below).

3rd

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Spinout

Ryan Hudson, with navigator Nick George, spun their #12 boat out at Wild Goose Rapid, but still finished second in FX Class.

speedboat.com

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November 2014 47

by Brett

Bayne

Fotiadis with his wife, Ruza.

FUTURE 48

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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The reason? Nobody has ordered one.

Yet. Fotiadis’s deal with Mystic owner John Cosker is simply that when a customer places an order for the boat, Mystic will produce it. It’s not an unusual agreement—Cosker has taken a variety of contract orders in the past, from builders such as Powerplay and Powerboat P1 USA. What does seem unusual is that some wealthy, adventurous client hasn’t come forward to take the bait. Of course, we’re talking about very expensive bait—this boat will cost upwards of $3.6 million, and that’s without the many options that will be available. Even so, this is an incredible concept, one that emerges from a visionary imagination that has conceived designs as diverse

1,600-hp MTU turbo-diesel engines. The interior layout for the yacht includes a master stateroom and guest stateroom, an aft salon and a seven-seat cockpit.

We invited Fotiadis to share his thoughts about the boating business and his own creations with Speedboat.

Speedboat: Tell us about your day job—what do you do, who do you do it for, and what you’re working on now.

Theodoros Fotiadis: I run two companies related to design: Hermes & Zeus and T. Fotiadis. The first is an advanced digital media company involved with visualizations, animations and post-production. T. Fotiadis is a design firm that creates everything from jewels to superyachts. In 2014, we started off with three

Theodoros Fotiadis’s IF60 is a unique craft that’s still awaiting its moment in the sun.

Two years ago, it was reported that European megayacht designer Theodoros Fotiadis’s futuristic hull design known as the IF60—a powerboat designed to combine luxury and speed—would be built by Mystic Powerboats of Deland, FL. The collaboration seemed like a natural: Mystic is the builder of numerous go-fast competitors on the offshore circuit, among them the famous #96 Spirit of Qatar machine that shattered the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout event this year with an amazing 244-mph run. And so we waited to see this extraordinary boat leap from the artist’s rendering to the beckoning sea.

Fast-forward to 2014, and no boat has materialized. speedboat.com

as luxury clocks, furniture, automobiles and exquisite hand-crafted jewelry. In 2003, he was invited to take a ride on a 50-foot Magnum powerboat. “I had no idea what that Magnum 50 was,” he said.

“The next day I went on a ride with my brother and Captain Mike Stocker. Its twin engines produced 1,200-hp apiece, coupled on Arneson surface drives.”

What followed was the ride of his life, as the hull became airborne as it negotiated four-foot swells and rollers.

The experience led Fotiadis to immerse himself in various nauticalrelated books and periodicals, and eventually his interest drifted from designing cars to yachts. Some time later, Greekborn Fotiadis attended design school in Fort Lauderdale and eventually relocated to Berlin, where he launched his own company, Hermes & Zeus Design.

His projects include various megayachts and superyachts; the IF60 is his first foray into luxury high-performance craft. The 60-footer is stepped-hull designed to achieve speeds surpassing 200 mph equipped with twin 2,200 turbine engines, or 104 mph with twin

very interesting developments: a 120meter Axe Bow Superyacht, a custom made interior for a Gulfstream G650, and the Four Seasons pendulum clock—all special orders for private customers.

SB: You were born in Greece, studied in Germany and the USA. Why do you live in Berlin? How has living all over the planet shaped your worldview? Who appreciates powerboating the most?

TF: I live in Berlin because I believe that it has a bright future and for sure a lot of interesting developments. Also, Berlin is known for its quality of life and, compared to other capitals, it’s one of the most relaxed. Living around the world and being an international citizen for more than nine years has taught me a lot. I’ve kept what’s good from each corner of the planet, organized like a German, closing deals like an American would and finding random solutions, if needed, like a Greek.

Powerboating is, of course, more appreciated in the States, and undoubtedly more enjoyable, as I had the luck to ride on poker runs when in Europe.

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Back to the Future

That trend doesn’t apply, as owners are focused on more luxury vessels.

SB: You’ve designed all kinds of boats.

Can you list and describe your most notable creations?

TF: The most notable in terms of boating is for sure the 135-meter Axe Bow from 2012, and the IF60 Luxury Powerboat. The first craft happened to be also the biggest—it was in 2009 when the 170-meter Gigayacht Princess Renee emerged from my studio.

SB: Your experience riding in the Magnum 50 is classic. Tell us more about it.

TF: It’s a remarkable vessel, built by Magnum Marine in the Aventura area of Miami. It was powered by a double MTU V12 diesel producing around 1,250 hp, coupled to a DDC transmission system.

In 2001, it was pretty much the biggest engine set you could fit in that hull. At that time, it was a real forerunner.

back in 2003), John Cosker of Mystic Powerboats and Stu Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club.

SB: Your expertise is in designing superyachts. Are there any specific challenges that come with designing a powerboat?

TF: Yes, there is—space. The challenge is in the layout, and how to combine luxurious and lightweight as it comes to terms of materials, textures and shapes.

SB: Your IF60 is a very state-of-the-art luxury powerboat introduced a couple of years ago. It’s a twin-step vee with carbon fiber and lightweight construction. How did this boat come to be? How,

and to whom, is it being marketed? Are there any in the USA? How many have been built? Does it have an American dealer? How fast does it go, and with what power? What sets it apart from other powerboats?

TF: The IF60 was designed to fill the gap between the “naked” powerboats and the [Italian yacht] Mangustas in the need to create something new that will not just be fast, but capable of a smooth ride and cozy overnights. It’s a design introduced two years ago marketed through our yacht brokers in the U.S. Emirates, as well as Europe. It is going to be made by Mystic Powerboats in Deland, FL. We have a European who wants to build four identical boats and use them in four different locations.

SB: Are there powerboats currently on the market, either from the U.S. or internationally, that inspire you or that you admire?

TF: Nor-Tech is building superior hulls, but for sure Mystic Powerboats stands out. They’re a company that breaks its own records with an unbreakable hull and incredible knowhow.

This is why I chose to build my IF60 Powerboat design with Mystic.

SB: Do you travel to any boat shows?

Who are your friends in the U.S. marine industry?

TF: Due to my busy schedule, I choose to visit only two boat shows—the one in Monaco and then the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. I haven’t been to Miami for the last two years, but it will get back in our agenda soon. I do have a lot of friends in the U.S. marine industry. One would be my dear friend and mentor in the yachting industry, Capt. Mike Stocker, who is also the trial captain of Magnum Marine (also skipper on Ozlem 50

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

Two more overhead renderings of the IF60. speedboat.com

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IRON

GIANT NFL Superhero Brad Benson takes on MTI’s 52-footer. by Brett Bayne

Two views of the MTI’s helm reveal the sleek, state-of-the-art dash with a clean row of switches above the wheel.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Photos by Randy

Nuzzo

Readers with excellent memories—as well as Benson’s new ride is bigger, better and—in his words— fans of NFL history—will undoubtedly recall a story safer. It’s a 52’ MTI with 1,650 Mercs, and delivers an even from our January 2013 issue, in which we commemorated the 48' MTI owned by former New York Giant Brad Benson.

The ex-offensive lineman played for the team during a 10-year period that saw them defeat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI on Jan. 25, 1987. Today he’s famous for selling Hyundais and Mitsubishis at his dealership in South Brunswick, NJ, but the MTI is long gone, having been sold to a buyer in Connecticut. (“I don’t think he goes to poker runs too much with it, or really goes that fast with it,” Benson shrugs.)

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faster ride than his 48’, as powered by 1,350s. Although Benson freely admits he hasn’t taken the boat to wide-open throttle just yet. “We’ve gone about 185, and I know we can go faster if we changed props. But I’m very happy with the speed and performance.”

Benson grew up in Altoona, PA, and loved cars and waterskiing as a kid. One of his first rigs was a small center-console fishing boat that he used on the Delaware River; later he traded it for a 32’ Fountain, which in turn was traded for a 35’ Fountain with HP500EFIs. He has also owned a 37’ and

SPEEDBOAT |

November 2014 53

Iron Giant

The 52' MTI is powered by 1,650 Mercs, and delivers an even faster ride than his 48' MTI, which was powered by 1,350s. The new boat features a pop-up docking camera and two extra cameras on each side of the boat that give the driver an expansive view of his surroundings.

“I am extremely happy with the service I got from MTI, and how Randy Scism was willing to work with me and really make sure this boat was what I was looking for.”—Brad Benson 54

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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a 42’ Outerlimits, as well as various other craft. We sat down with Benson to talk about his 52’ MTI. Speedboat: Besides four more feet, what are you gaining with the 52’?

Brad Benson: Well, with the 52’ MTI, you drop about 1,800 pounds with the carbon fiber. It’s a big weight savings.

SB: Like the 48’, it’s got an amazing color scheme and killer graphics.

BB: Mark from Visual Imagination of Missouri did it. We were really happy with the graphic design of the 48’, and I was worried about making the 52’ just as aesthetically pleasing. The 52’ is a canopy boat, so that was going to change things up a little bit. I came to him with ideas; I said I wanted a lot of carbon fiber and blue. There really aren’t a lot of blue boats out there, and that’s why I decided to go with blue.

And he nailed it on the first try.

SB: Why did you decide to trade up from a 48’ to a 52’?

BB: First of all, the boat was going to be laid up for a year as I had major back surgery. I just didn’t want the boat to sit for a year and depreciate without being used. Then I was talking to Randy Scism one day, and he said, “What would make you want to buy a new boat, if you were going to buy one?” And I said, “If it were bigger, faster and safer, I would sign up and order a new boat.” And he said, “Well, I’ve got something that is going to be bigger, faster and safer.” And it is. This was before he told too many people that he was going to build a 52.

Mine was the second out of the mold.

SB: In addition to a plethora of Garmin and SmartCraft electronics at the control panel, you’ve got suspension seats in the 52’.

BB: The seats are incredibly cool.

They give you a nice, smooth ride.

I did not have suspension seats in the 48’. It makes a huge difference in rough water—it feels safer and more controllable. Especially when you encounter those 4’ and 5’ rollers.

Iron Giant

Brett’s LAST CALL

RESTO! ALSO: • Billy B’s Bash • 19' Daytona • San Diego Bayfair

Photos by Kenny

B 58

Dunlop

for Beautiful

Every year, “Billy B” Berkenheger of Krazy Kolors (Upland, CA) heads to Needles, CA, to oversee two showand-shine events he organizes: one in February (the Route 66 Hot Boat and Custom Car Show) and one in September at the Pirate Cove Resort. This year’s 4th Annual Hot Boat Show—exclusively for boats under 25 feet—is growing so

Billy B’s hot-boat bash keeps ’em coming back to Needles.

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Known officially as the Hot Boat Show, the Pirate Cove Resort event is open exclusively to boats 25 feet and under. It encompasses the Campbell Boats Regatta.

rapidly that crowd control is starting to become an issue.

“The first couple of years, if you were there by 9 a.m., you’d have no problem getting a decent beach spot,” Billy says.

“This year, they started rolling in at 7 a.m.”

Along with the crowds, the show is showing a spike in beautiful jetboats, Billy observes. “There were a lot of jetboats that I had never seen before,” he says. “That segment has really picked up. It’s nice to see that those guys are building quality pieces and are coming out there to show off their stuff.” speedboat.com

For Berkenheger, these boat shows represent a variety of opportunities. First, there’s the chance to give something back to the hot-boat community—he’s providing a service that isn’t available anywhere else, and this is his main impetus for keeping it going. But one of the side benefits is to maintain relationships with his customers and, ultimately, make contacts for potential new ones. “I don’t want people to think that’s why I’m doing this,” he says. “I genuinely do enjoy seeing other people’s work, and seeing what they do. It’s invigorating.”

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November 2014 59

The show gives Billy B a chance to give something back to the hot-boat community—he’s providing a service that isn’t available anywhere else, and this is his main impetus for keeping it going.

B for Beautiful

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Although the Hot Boat Show is a popular haven for V-drives, this year’s event drew more jetboats than ever before.

“A guy came up and introduced himself,” says Billy. “He said, ‘I just want to shake your hand and thank you for doing this show. It was on my bucket list.’ It’s just nice to hear that stuff.”

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November 2014 61

“There were quite a few nostalgia ski boats there this year,” Billy B says. “There were four or five Howards that came all the way from Oklahoma.”

B for Beautiful

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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“A lot of guys have supported these shows for a very long time, and they still have really bitchin’ stuff,” says Billy B. “And the greatest part of it is that everybody gets along.” He adds that the show continues to grow—not only in the boat count, but in attendance as well. “The old adage of growing pains is sort of a cliche, but it’s true,” he says. “You can’t make everybody happy...but I try to do it anyway. That’s just always been in my nature to do that. I’m always trying to make everybody happy.” speedboat.com

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November 2014 63

RESTORATION Story by Brett

Bayne

Last Call

His drinking days over, Stacey Bogenschutz redirected his his booze budget to restore a delapidated hull he found on Craigslist.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Step one: Bogenschutz found a trailer for the boat. This is how it looked when he acquired it from the Craigslist seller.

Bogenschutz gutted the interior with a chisel, hammer and grinder, removing all of the debris from the hull. Only the middle rib running down the center (above right) was part of the actual interior. Below left and right: The boat was flipped upside down so he could work on the fatigued fiberglass. The boat was then moved into his garage.

W

hen Stacey Bogenschutz of Lake hull. He started by flipping the boat over and refiberglassing Alfred, FL, found his boat on Craigslist the bottom, then added extra reinforcement by constructing

a couple of years ago, it hadn’t seen the water in eons, and was in truly disgraceful shape.

Full of leaves and debris, it sat in the owner’s yard without a trailer, its fiberglass bottom having turned soft and spongy. After buying it for next to nothing, he transferred it to his own yard—where it promptly sat for six months.

“I was drinking pretty heavily at that time, and all I did was just think about restoring it,” Bogenschutz recalls. “My wife, Debbie, said that I would never have enough money to restore the boat if I kept drinking. So that’s why I quit drinking. I saved all the money I would have spent on alcohol and put it into this boat.”

A former iron worker, 49-year-old Bogenschutz set about restoring the boat, which he suspects may be an old Sanger speedboat.com

new ribs and a new floor for the aging hull, all in his garage.

He set up a makeshift paint booth in the garage and added primer sealer, then painted the hull yellow. From there, he added a cool checkerboard paint scheme to the deck, taking a cue from an remote-control boat he’d spotted online. He added some seats and a Johnson outboard he got from a bass boat he’d purchased, rigged the boat up and voila! His masterpiece was finished.

Last month, Bogenschutz celebrated a year of sobriety, and his boat is named Last Call as a tribute to his new life. He uses the boat on Florida’s Chain of Lakes. So far, he hasn’t revealed his handiwork to the previous owner, but he’s growing to like the idea. “I may show it to him after this article is published,” he says. “I’ll definitely have to look him up.”

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November 2014 65

Last Call

Bogenschutz begins to completely re-fiberglass the bottom of the hull, cutting out and laying down reinforcing sheets.

August 2013, Bogenschutz starts to work on removing scrape marks and other flaws from the boat’s bottom.

Bogenschutz hand-built all new ribs for the bottom of the floor (left), adding a new keel board up the center. Then 3/4-inch plywood was added (right) and fiberglassed it inside and out.

Left: the boat was coated with primer sealer in his garage, where Bogenschutz made a mini paint booth. Above: the bottom of the boat was then painted yellow with enamel paint that he purchased from a local tractor supply store.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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Bogenschutz got these seats out of a Skeeter Wrangler bass boat. A box for the seats (above) was fabricated by Bogenschutz himself.

The boat was flipped back over and the top of the boat was painted yellow. speedboat.com

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November 2014 67

Last Call

Bogenschutz laid out the design on the deck. His actually discovered this design on an RC boat he saw on the Internet. The checkerboard layout (right) had to executed with extreme care and precision.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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The 115 Johnson outboard came from a bass boat. It was painted to match the boat.

Even the cowling (below) was painted to match the design.

The boat was complete in January of 2014. Bogenschutz brought his parents to the lake when it was first put in the water. The boat currently goes 60 mph, but he is planning to re-prop the outboard to get more speed.

He uses the boat on Florida’s Chain of Lakes.

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SPEEDBOAT |

November 2014 69

BOWLES at the

CONTROLS

Dave Bowles shows off his extraordinary 1981 19’ Eliminator Daytona.

Story and photos by Brett

O

Bayne

ne of the more eye-catching boats we’ve had the pleasure of photographing as part of our day-to-day routine

has been this 1981 19' Eliminator Daytona, a spectacular piece of machinery that its owner, Dave Bowles, brought to Irvine Lake earlier this year.

It was relegated to be part of our swimsuit feature back in the May issue—problem was, you saw a lot of the girls and only a tiny bit of the boat. This feature corrects that oversight quite handily.

Bowles, who previously owned a 1976 Spectra Mini Day 70

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

Cruiser 18' Jet with a BBF, as well as a 1973 Glencoe Jet, 1973 Sanger bubble deck circle flat bottom and 1977 Hondo T-Deck Jet, found the Eliminator listed on Craigslist two years ago.

“The Daytona has always been my dream boat,” he declares.

“I have always loved the look of a picklefork.”

After taking possession of the boat, Bowles tore it down to a bare hull, then rebuilt the pump, changed the intake, rewired the entire boat, added a rail kit with custom engine plates and re-rigged the interior. The bottom, which was changed to a rounded keel, has been blueprinted and speed coated. Among the boat’s more awesome qualities: the front seats, which are speedboat.com

made from 100% aircraft quality carbon fiber, and the engine, which sports mechanical fuel injection. “That’s something you don’t see on a jetboat or daily driver style boat,” he says. “And I think that the paint job on the boat makes it stand out the most. I don’t know how many thumbs-ups I got on the way to Parker, Aha Quinn and Big River,” he adds. “Everyone would love to come and look at the boat because of the injection set up. That’s something that a lot of people do not run, and mine ran all the time.”

On the debit side, one of the weaknesses for Bowles has been the light layup and the lack of room. “The boat speedboat.com

is super light—between 350 and 375 pounds,” he reports.

“With a family and a love for boating, the Daytona could only go to certain places—and even then it was hard to do because of the light hull. This weakness for me would be a strength for some because the boat was extremely fast with little power.”

Bowles, who handles the design and qualification of pressure gauges used on aircraft as part of his product engineering gig at an aerospace mechanical pressure gauge company, reported a top speed of 98 on GPS. He sold the boat earlier this year.

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November 2014 71

Bowles at the Controls

ENGINE SPECS: Make: Chevy

Among the boat’s best qualities: the front seats, which are made from 100% aircraft quality carbon fiber, and the engine, which sports mechanical fuel injection.

Displacement: 477 c.i.

Cylinder block: 4 bolt Chevy Crankshaft: 4.0" Chevy forged 7416 Pistons: SRP 10.25:1 Connecting rods: Carrillo forged steel rods 6.135" stock length BBC, floating wrist pins Camshaft: Custom Grind setup by Jimmy VanDyke Cylinder heads: Brodix Race Rite heads, polished, 2.250 intake valve, 1.880 exhaust valve.

Valvetrain: Crower 1.7:1 Gold rockers, custom pushrods and roller lifters set up by Jimmy VanDyke Fuel delivery system: Crower 3" mechanical stack fuel injection Exhaust: Bassett short headers ceramic coated black, dry Ignition system: MSD pro billet with 7AL box Drive: Custom built Berkeley jet pump Additional upgrades: Ride plate, shoe, stuffer, AQ shaft, detailed bowl, detailed impeller

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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November 2014 73

SAN DIEGO

Photos by Mark

McLaughlin

Shawn Naffzinger, driving John Grijalva’s Pro Stock #640, took the Heat 1 win Sunday as Ty Newton looks over in the Wild Child boat (also at bottom).

SPEED DEMONS

Bayfair provides thrills galore—especially in the hydroplane class.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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1st

1st SST-45

Above: R.J. West takes the checkered flag after winning in SST-45 class.

Pro Stock Left: Shawn Naffzinger (near lane) and Mark LoPresti finish Saturday’s Pro Stock heat first and second.

CSH Justin Gabrielson turns the corner in his 103C hydro.

S 2nd speedboat.com

an Diego Bayfair is one of the brightest highlights of the racing season, featuring a mixture of dragboats, Unlimited hydros and Formula Lights. It’s basically

the World Series of powerboat racing—a family festival tradition for over 40 years speeds to the finish line.

This year’s competition saw H1 Unlimited driver Jimmy Shane of Oh Boy! Oberto enjoying a great weekend…only to fall in the finals to fourth place. Shane had qualified #1 with a speed of over 162 mph over the 2½-mile course. He also won Heats 1B and 3B, and finished second in the 2A heat. But first overall in the H1 class was J. Michael Kelly, driving the Graham Trucking entry. He finished fourth in qualifying with a very respectable 157+ mph lap, ended up second in Heat 1B behind Oberto, and first place in Heat 2A, another second in Heat 3B—and then taking the final with the win.

[Continues on page 80] SPEEDBOAT |

November 2014 75

San Diego Speed Demons

1st

AXH 2-US champion Gordon Jennings III (left) took the overall win in the AXH class. Below: Casey Jones finished 2nd on Saturday in the AXH class.

Below left: Below: Andy Jones passes by the rescue team as they watch him fly his boat.

Andy finished 3rd on Saturday in the AXH class. Andy and Casey drove all weekend in almost every class.

2nd

3rd

Kent’s Krash

SSH

Below: Gordon Jennings III drives Greg Foster’s 53C in the 20SSH class. Bottom: David Hale was second in ASH and 20SSH classes.

1st

Kent Gabrielson looks over at his boat as he takes a tumble in the 49C boat. Both Kent and boat were OK.

76

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

2nd

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2nd

H1 Unlimited Left: First overall in points and your winner of the Bayfair trophy: J. Michael Kelly driving the Graham Trucking boat.

1st

Above: H1 Unlimited driver Jimmy Shane had a great weekend in Oh Boy, Oberto, only to fall in the finals to 4th place. He qualified #1 with a speed of over 162 mph. He also won heats 1B, 3B and finished 2nd in the 2A heat.

Unlimited Blowover Jamie Nilsen, driving the Grand Prix West #55 for Scott Pierce, was running right on the tail of the leader before going through the roostertail and climbing upwards into a blowover. The boat ended upright. Nilsen was fine, but boat had some damage. It was towed back to pits, ending his weekend.

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November 2014 77

San Diego Speed Demons

78

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

Comp Jet Collision

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Comp Jets came out Friday and most of them blew up their equipment, only to get towed away. That left three boats to compete on Saturday. Shirl Dickey in the CJ60 took the early lead off turn 2 when Mark Yunker in the CJ 169 cut a little too close to Shirl in the turn, spinning the boat out and pitching Mark over the deck. He checked out OK and the Comp Jet class ended its weekend after this incident due to lack of running boats.

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November 2014 79

San Diego Speed Demons

GN The Grand National boats put on a good show, with five competitors in the field.

1st

2nd

Above: Dave Rankin drives for Darrin Sousamian in the GN 44 took the first-place trophy.

Above right: Andrew Barker in his GN 227 chased down Dave all weekend, only to end up short again, finishing second in all the heats.

Middle right: Chris Kohles was consistant in his GN 50, finishing third for the weekend.

Below right: Dan Normandin was strong but fell to fourth overall by the end of the weekend in his GN 99.

[Continued from page 75] Gordon Jennings III was a superstar all weekend, competing in multiple classes with more than one boat. Driving Greg Foster’s 53C in the 20SSH category, he finished second on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, driving the 2-US boat, Jennings took the overall win in AXH class; rounding out the top three were Casey Jones and Andy Jones, who drove all weekend in practically every class. Also competing in multiple classes was David Hale, who won in ASH class and as well as 20SSH. Comp Jets came out Friday, but most of them blew up their equipment, only to get towed off. That left three boats in competition on Saturday. Shirl Dickey, in the CJ60, [Continues on page 82] 80

S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

3rd

4th

speedboat.com

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San Diego Speed Demons [Continued from page 80] took the early leadoff in turn 2 when Mark Yunker (in the CJ 169) cut a little too close to Dickey in the turn, spinning the boat out and pitching Yunker over the deck. He was not injured, and the Comp Jet class ended their weekend after this incident due to lack of running boats.

In Pro Stock action, Shawn Naffzinger— driving John Grijalva’s #640 machine—took the Heat 1 win Sunday battling Ty Newton in the Dave Rankin’s Wild Child boat; Newton finished second for the weekend, with Mark LoPresti in third place. Newton did double duty over the weekend, also driving in the Super Stock class. Robbie Devine, driving for Tom Buckles, was victorious in Super Stock, with Newton coming in second for the weekend and Sean Naffziger in third place.

In SST45 action, R.J. West took the checkered flag after yet another win in the class. Following West were Jason Williams, Spenser Love and Warren West.

The Grand National competitors put on a good show with five boats in the field.

Dave Rankin, driving for Darrin Sousamian in the GN 44, took the 1st place trophy.

Andrew Barker, in his GN 227, chased down Dave all weekend only to end up short again, finishing second in all the heats.

Chris Kohles was consistant in his GN 50, finishing third for the weekend. Dan Normandin was strong, but fell to fourth overall by the end of the weekend in his GN 99.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2014

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