Sept. - Oct. 2020 Speedboat

S PEEDBO AT M A G A ZINE

INSIDE: WE GET BEHIND THE WHEEL!

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LOTO:

The Shootout They Wouldn’t Dare Cancel Full Event Coverage Page 16

SE PT EM B ER / OC TO B E R 2 020

IT’S HERE!

DCB’s Smokin’ M37R Catamaran SEPT/ OCT 2020

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TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

COLUMNS

8 RAY LEE 10 BOB TEAGUE 12 INDUSTRY NEWS

FEATURES 16 LOTO SHOOTOUT

As the nation continued to reel from the pandemic, boaters flocked to the Lake of the Ozarks in droves for the year’s only truly huge event.

36 DCB M37R

Years in development, DCB Performance Boats finally unveils its latest luxurious outboard catamaran.

40 ALL THE WRIGHT MOVES

Jeffrey and April Lamb take the plunge into high-performance outboard performance with their first Wright Performance 360.

44 BFD FUN RUN

The entire crew at Big Thunder Marine pitches in to make the third annual Baja, Fountain & Donzi Fun Run a tremendous success.

50 DIVERTING DESTIN-ATIONS

Led by Stu Jones, the Florida Powerboat Club is back on the course and carving up the waves of the Gulf!

56 BIKINI LIVES MATTER

Bikini Lives Matter, a “pool tour” event, gets its second official exhibition mere weeks prior to Super Cat Fest's Bikini Contest at the Lake of the Ozarks.

60 KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

Meet Timothy and Miranda Jones, owners of “his and hers” Skater catamarans—each packed with their own custom fire-breathing Carson Brummett twin-supercharged engines.

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speedboat.com

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Cover Photos by Todd Taylor and Tom Leigh Table of Contents photo by Todd Taylor

Speedboat.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 Bob Teague

bobteague@teaguecustommarine.com

Jim Wilkes

jim@speedboat.com

Tech Editors Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins

National Sales Ray Lee Director ray@speedboat.com

Art Director Gail Hada-Insley

Helicopter Services Fred Young

fyoung@live.com

BRETT’S COVE 64 FOREVER 21'

How Joe Cassani revived a piece of his childhood by restoring this gorgeous 1973 Hallett daycruiser.

70 BATTLE IN BURLEY

With most of racing a bust for the 2020 season, competitors trek to Burley, ID, for a spirited 45th running of the Idaho Regatta.

76 ECHO LODGE MADNESS

With the Colorado River open to the public, speed-starved boaters jumped at the chance to enjoy some much-needed fun.

Photographers

Todd Taylor, Kenny Dunlop, Mark McLaughlin, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Gerardi, Daren Van Ryte

Operations Manager Michele Plummer and Subscriptions michele@speedboat.com

5840 W. Craig Rd Suite 120, #386

Las Vegas, NV 89130-2730

Webmaster Craig Lathrop

craig@speedboat.com

Web Design Blair Davidson

Market It Mobile, Las Vegas, NV blair@speedboat.com

Editorial Offices 9216 Bally Court

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (702) 313-1400

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 8 times plus a bonus issue this year by DCO Enterprises LLC.

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

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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 Speedboat's right to edit and comment editorially. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is expressly forbidden, except by written permission of the publisher.

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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2020

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9/21/20 8:28 PM

OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE

Q: What is the largest unsanctioned boat race in the United States?

A: The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, held annually in late August.

2020 marked the 32nd running of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in central Missouri, and it was another awesome showing. In a year fraught with most boating events and races being cancelled or

The View from Behind the Wheel

postponed due to the global pandemic Coronavirus, LOTO has shown the world that life goes on and in spectacular, unapologetic fashion.

Our Speedboat team traveled in force to the Midwest to cover the weeklong festivities that has identified the Lake of the Ozarks as one of the premier high-performance boating venues. Boat manufacturers and enthusiasts from nearly everywhere, all make the pilgrimage to experience the baddest, fastest boats in the world. It also provides us with a plethora of content to bring to you, so we try to pack as much into that one week, as possible.

As publisher of this magazine, I’ve been covering this “unsanctioned boat race” for years and have always admired those who braved the all-out speed runs down the liquid course. From multi-time Top Gun recipient, 200+ mph club member John Cosker of Mystic Powerboats (whose boats continually record the fastest speeds) to Carrie Sixkiller, who pilots her 1993 24' Baja into the 60-mile-an-hour range, consistently year after year—and everyone in between.

The objective of the Shootout is to reach your boat’s top speed within the designated ¾-mile course (formerly one-mile), while being allowed to enter the start box on plane at no faster than 40 mph and all boats are welcome to enter. The superb-

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ly talented radar crew of Sandy Laffoon, Michael Wagner and Toni “Juggs” Wagner are ever-present on the infamous bluff near the finish buoys to record the speed of every run and we are blessed to know them as friends.

Maybe there was something in the Ozarks air or perhaps they had a touch of the Covid that clouded their better judgment, but racers Reese Langheim, Ricky and Julian Maldonado from Team JackHammer Offshore Racing offered me the rare and unique opportunity to handle the driving duties on a coveted fast pass down the aqua track. I think it took me all of 0.0004 seconds to accept. From then on, it was trying to figure out the logistics of how this would actually happen.

The boat owned by Langheim is a 32' Victory hull from Dubai with twin Mercury 300XS outboard engines that races in the ultracompetitive Super Stock class of offshore racing. Most recently, the boat gained national recognition when it dramatically flipped on Day Two of competition at Race World Offshore’s Key West World Championships–– just days after Team LPC and Team Allen Lawn Care did the same, in perfect synchronicity. All racers escaped serious injury and all three Super Stocks have been repaired and are ready to compete again.

It had been decided that I would join

Top: Team CR Racing, with Rob Unnerstall and Casey Boaz, takes on Team JackHammer in an exhibition drag race on the Shootout course.

Bottom left and right: Cockpit views with Ricky Maldonado.

Ricky in the cockpit on Sunday afternoon to make the final pass of the weekend for the boat. By then, the team had already recorded an impressive 114 mph run on Saturday, but it was 3 mph short of the class record for the weekend’s Top Gun honors, which was then held by Rob Unnerstall and Casey Boaz of Team CR Racing—a fellow Super Stock competitor. Like all racing teams, Team Jackhammer wanted to win!

Before I knew it, it was Sunday afternoon and it was our time to go. I climbed into the starboard side of the spacious cockpit and took my place behind the steering wheel.

Ricky pulled the Victory away from the dock and out to the lineup, to join the twenty-something other boats patiently await[Continues on page 54] speedboat.com

9/19/20 1:25 PM

TEAGUE ON TECH BOB TEAGUE

Flat Tappet Lifters Are Yesterday’s News Dear Bob: I have a Mercury Racing HP575SCi (serial number: OM905374) engine that is in need of lifters. This engine has hydraulic flat tappet lifters from the factory. The engine is stock except for the valve springs (Comp Cams 929-16), rocker arms (SRP TMC2014), and Manley Retainers & Locks. What lifters do you recommend for this application?

Greg Neisel Dover, OH The HP575SCi was one of the last engines that Mercury Racing built that has flat tappet lifters. Since then, the entire marine (and automotive) industry has switched to roller lifters. And at the same time, zinc and other additives that are beneficial for flat tappet lifters have been reduced in motor oils. The result is that flat tappet cams (which are cast iron) and lifters are wearing at an accelerated rate which usually results in a lobe going flat on the camshaft. Enthusiasts that are driving older muscle cars with flat tappet cams, are now required to use specialty motor oils and additives.

In the last ten years, the quality of cast iron camshaft cores and flat tappet lifters has deteriorated to the point that it is likely you will experience a cam lobe going flat even with a proper break in procedure. The Comp Cams 929 springs that you installed are actually designed for hydraulic roller applications (they came stock on the Mercury Racing 500EFIs) and are too much spring pressure for a flat tappet cam. This might be the reason that you need to replace your lifters. If you have a lifter that is worn on the face, it is likely that your camshaft is also on

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A complete Gen VI Hydraulic roller cam shaft kit.

the way out.

In order to resolve this situation, we have developed a hydraulic roller camshaft on an 8620 core with an iron distributor gear that mimics the stock cam profile. This way, your current program will work fine. The camshaft is available in two versions: Gen V, and Gen VI with a stepped nose. Flat tappet cams do not require a cam button to control the end play. If your engine is a Gen V, and you use the Gen IV/V camshaft, you will also need to use a cam button. If your engine is a Gen VI (6 bolt timing cover), use the step nose camshaft with the factory retaining plate. Both the Gen V and Gen VI blocks have the provision for the camshaft retaining plate. On any Big Block Chevy engine that is using the cam gear to drive the oil pump, it is necessary to use a camshaft that has an iron gear with a melonized distributor gear. Not using this combination will result in damage to the camshaft and distributor gears.

We use a proprietary lifter made for us

by Johnson Lifters. This is one place that you do not want to cut corners. There are many different manufactures of hydraulic roller lifters that are not suited for the rigors of performance boating engines.

We have seen failures with just about every brand except the ones made for us

by Johnson. Going to the hydraulic roller lifters will also require that you replace the push rods for the correct length.

Normally, we would suggest that the valve springs be changed from the stock 575SCi springs which have a very low on-the-seat pressure. But in your case,

A pair of TCM Johnson hydraulic roller lifters.

The iron gear on TCM’s 8620 camshaft core.

you won’t need to change the springs.

The Comp Cams 929 spring should be installed at a height of 1.880” for proper seat pressure.

Going to the hydraulic roller set up with the increased valve spring tension will enable you to increase the top RPM safely. The rev-limiter in the MEFI 3 ECU can be raised which will increase your overall performance. I suggest a revlimiter setting of around 5,800 rpm. speedboat.com

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9/18/20 11:23 AM

INDUSTRY NEWS

Industry Mourns 2 Speedboating Greats George Argyros Jr., Philanthropist

T

he world has lost one of the giants in speedboating.

George Argyros Jr., 55, suffered a fatal heart attack, bringing shock to the thousands who either knew him personally or admired his devotion to philanthropic efforts, notably the money he donated to causes like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in conjunction with the Lake Powell Challenge, the poker run he regularly attended.

Argyros was the son of billionaire George Leon Argyros, a former United States ambassador to Spain and the owner of the Seattle Mariners from 1981 to 1989.

George Jr., meanwhile, was president and CEO of Elite Financial Group, the Newport Beach, CA-based company he founded in 2003. Over the years, he owned numerous powerboats—each one for a different “mission,” as he told Speedboat. He was the owner of the famous 43' Donzi Donzilla vee hull, a classic 1970s Rogers hull, a 39' Cigarette center console, and a variety of MTIs. Most recently, Speedboat photographed a pair of his newest boats: Chaos, an 42' MTI center console, and Mayhem, a 48' MTI catamaran.

“We started out with two WaveRunners that we used in Laughlin,” Argyros told Speedboat in 2018. “Then, about 25 years ago, I bought my mid-1970s Rogers, and we ran that boat in Laughlin for 11 years.

Eventually, we decided that we wanted to move to Havasu, and bought a single-engine 28' Tall Deck Eliminator.” By 2010, Argyros decided to buy a bigger boat. He wound up with the 43' Donzi known as Donzilla.

He built his first Mayhem boat, a 44' MTI, out of a desire to go even faster on the water. That same need for speed resulted in his trading up to a new Mayhem boat, a 48' MTI with seating for eight.

Argyros’s passion for supporting charities was legendary.

“We kind of focus on children, the elderly, animals and education,” he told Speedboat. “My wife Shannon, me and the Argyros Family Foundation are responsible for giving somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million a year to charity. For example, we’ve donated to the Elephant Cooperation; we gave $350,000 to Child Help; I spent $200,000 at Lake Powell Challenge. And we plan on increasing our charitable donations.”

He was also passionate about flying planes, a hobby he started at age 16. “The first time I went up in an airplane, I was addicted,” he said. “I have thousands of hours of pilot time. I currently fly a Citation jet, a float plane, and a biplane.”

Argyros Jr. is survived by his wife, Shannon Argyros, as well as an 8-year-old son, George Argyros III, known as “G3.”

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Tracy Hawkins, Formula 1 Hero

Powerboat racing was dealt an enormous blow on Aug. 9, when a tragic racing accident at “Wake the Lake 4” in Springfield, OH, took the life of one of the most beloved stars of the F1 fraternity and fans worldwide: Tracy “T-Hawk” Hawkins.

Hawkins was known as an icon to thousands and loved by all for his outgoing spirit and willingness to help anyone he met. His magnetism was evident as you watched his competitors stop what they were doing to take time to chat with Hawkins and he walked through the race pit. In his 41 years of racing, he acquired an enormous database of OPC racing knowledge that he passed on to many drivers, especially the young new drivers who had the good fortune to be invited into

Hawkins’s Blackhawk Racing camp in Willis, TX. During their racing apprenticeship, Hawkins would mentor the rookies on racing as well as give them guidance in all facets of life. Some would say the relationship was similar to a family, but in truth, they were more like a tribe, with Hawkins as their chief. In this process, Hawkins would often help the young pilots with other things, such as career paths and skill building, and on another day, they would find their boats sitting out in a pasture to chastise them for not showing up on time.

These Young Guns who were the beneficiaries of the T-Hawk “school of life”, and who now will carry on his legacy, include talented Texas drivers Wesley Cheatham, Austin Cheatham and Kris Hilton among others.

Hawkins’s start in boat racing can be traced to his father, the late “Mean” Gene Hawkins who imprinted the love of speed [continues on page 82] speedboat.com

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2/18/20 10:34 PM

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LOTO 2020 photography by

As the nation continued to reel from the pandemic, boaters flocked to the Lake of the Ozarks in droves for the year’s only truly huge event.

Todd Taylor, Tom Leigh, David Dilks and Ray Lee

Above: American Ethanol on the way to taking its sixth Top Gun honors.

Below: Don Onken, John Cosker and Tony Battiato accept their Top Gun trophy.

H

owever you slice it, it was really the only major speedboating event of the year 2020. With all of the

big-name poker runs, shootouts and races canceled because of Covid19 fears, Missouri became the nation’s “home away from home,” with enthusiasts traveling from coast to coast to get in on the action on a lake located in a state unwilling to relinquish its passion for powerboating.

The 2020 Lake of the Ozarks Poker Run & Shootout, as a result, ended up hosting one of its biggest events of all time.

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“Honestly, everything was up this year because of Covid,” says organizer Capt. Ron Duggan. “I think people were tired of being stuck in their houses. So many people I talked to said they were tired of everything being shut down, but they saw people here at the lake having fun and enjoying boating.” These sentiments helped boost first-time attendees; Duggan reports that at one point early on, he had 32 registered to participate in the shootout, of which 15 were new. “We had a lot of new faces this year,” he confirms.

Among the more familiar attendees were John Cosker and Tony Battiato behind the

wheel of Don Onken’s American Ethanol, the 2013 51' carbon-fiber Mystic with quad engines totalling 9,000+ hp that took its sixth consecutive Top Gun award with a speed of 202 mph.

“I’m happy we were safe and everything ran well,” Cosker told Speedboat following his run with Battiato. “Don’s smiling again— that’s kind of my job. The boat ran well, but we had some of the worst weather at LOTO that I can remember in years. The water was choppy, but the boat just had so much air with the wind down its tunnel on our first run that I really didn’t feel the chop at all; speedboat.com

9/17/20 10:09 PM

Top: The start of the poker run. Above: The Street Party drew big crowds. Right: Performance Boat Center’s Wright Performance raceboat goes up against Brian Correll’s plane at the famous exhibition race.

we basically just flew over it.” (For his part, Onken told Speedboat, “I’m pleased, but I’m not satisfied.”)

American Ethanol made two passes on Saturday, but was not back on the water for Sunday’s second day of Shootout action.

“There’s a lot of risk in running the boat and it’s sometimes just not worth it to beat yourself,” Cosker told Speedboat.

Also involved in this year’s Shootout were Myrick Coil and Rusty Williams in their Performance Boat Center 32' Wright Performance raceboat; 2017 Shootout Hall of Fame recipient Carrie Sixkiller in her 24' speedboat.com

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Baja Outlaw (her 13th year running in the Shootout); John Caparell, driving his new 24’ Twister Widebody catamaran; and Tony Chiaramonte of DCB Performance Boats, driving a 2021 DCB M37R (see Page 36). In addition to clocking the boat at 120 mph, Coil was also inducted into the Shootout Hall of Fame (See Page 24), along with fellow Speedboat magazine test driver Bob Teague, the world-champion marathon racer and owner/founder of Teague Custom Marine of Valencia, CA; Tiffany Maasen, wife of Poly Lift Boat Lifts co-owner Mark Maasen, volunteer and raiser of countless dollars to help

needy kids; Brad Harrington, owner/throttleman of the 1990 Saber Cyclone Team Kansas, a frequent Shootout participant; and Tim Kowalski, owner of Bio-Kleen (Kalamazoo, MI). Each of the Hall of Famers will have a plaque in their name added to the famous Bob Morgan Memorial Shootout Hall of Fame wall at the Lake of the Ozarks.

“The Hall of Fame induction was really, really exciting,” Duggan says. “We had about 180 people come to the Hall of Fame dinner.

It was a very cool evening.”

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9/17/20 10:09 PM

LOTO STREET PARTY Below: The new 38’ Renegade center console, powered by triple Mercury Racing 400Rs. Below center: The new Wright Performance 360 All Carbon Edition sits on a custom MYCO trailer.

Dave Scotto’s SL50X Outerlimits, Gotta Go IV, is powered by Mercury Racing dual-calibration 1550/1350 engines and painted by Stephen Miles Design.

Derek Wachob’s famous canopied 52 MTI Black Diamond.

Above: Jason and Laurie Moe’s SC46 Outerlimits after dark. Right: Alex Pratt displayed his 48' MTI to celebrate the launch of his new company; both are known as Good Boy Vodka.

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9/18/20 11:23 AM

LOTO POKER RUN Brad Ekstam of FASS Fuel Systems takes flight in his Wright Performance 420.

Left: William Nixon drives his Donzi 35ZR. Above: Jamie Clemons of Oklahoma and crew in her 42 MTI-V, Make It Happen.

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Above: Tim Wenk in his 2008 Fountain Lightning.

Below: Mark and Tiffany Maasen of Poly Lift in their 340 Nor-Tech center console ‘Merica.

Above: Mike Dewitt drives his Wright Performance 360.

Above right: Ross Ingersoll in his 2004 Nordic Flame.

Right: Jack Stewart drives his 2016 32' Doug Wright catamaran.

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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2020

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LOTO SHOOTOUT

Jackhammer’s Reese Langheim and Ricky Maldonado clocked a top speed of 114 mph.

ELIMINATOR

JACKHAMMER

Cory Schmitz achieved 162 mph in his 33' Eliminator.

Right: Cory Schmitz shows off his plaque for winning his class, NC3P2R-1, running his Eliminator to 162 mph.

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speedboat.com

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John Caparell hit 100 mph in his 24' Twister Widebody by Simmons Marine.

Team M CON accepts its award for the boat’s 120-mph pass.

speedboat.com

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M-CON

TWISTER

Below and left: Craig Amptmeyer, Tyler Miller, Jake Leckliter and Myrick Coil of Team M CON. Miller and Coil ran the Super Cat competitor, a Skater 438, to 120 mph.

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9/17/20 10:10 PM

LOTO SHOOTOUT HALL OF FAME

Honorees Brad Harrington, Tiffany Maasen, Tim Kowalski, Bob Teague and Myrick Coil.

Created in 2013, the Bob Morgan Memorial Shootout Hall of Fame

Above: Myrick Coil and Bob Teague with their Hall of Fame plaques.

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paid tribute to the beloved, longtime boat racer who never missed a shootout—and who lost his life while experiencing his passion in Key West two years earlier. In the seven years that have passed, the Hall of Fame has commemorated more than 40 legends, both living and deceased, who have left their indelible mark on the sport.

This year’s inductees (Bob Teague, Myrick Coil, Tiffany Maasen, Brad Harrington and Tim Kowalski) include two Speedboat test drivers. Teague, owner and founder of Teague Custom Marine, previously worked as an editor of Powerboat Magazine, and is currently the tech editor of Speedboat, as well as lead test driver. “I was honored and humbled,” he said. “I’ve achieved several world and national championships, but all of them were based on a points system. But the Shootout Hall of Fame uses no specific criteria. It’s a human thing, and that makes it more special. It’s more emotional.”

Meanwhile, Myrick Coil—who works for the already-inducted Performance Boat Center—said that his induction was “definitely an honor,” adding that “I went out there for the Shootout on Saturday, walked by the Hall of Fame wall there and saw my name on there. I never even imagined that my name would be on there someday.”

Coil was the driver of the American Ethanol

Mystic in 2015, the first of the boat’s six consecutive Top Gun championships.

Also inducted to this year’s Hall of Fame: • Tiffany Maasen, wife of Poly Lift Boat Lifts co-owner Mark Maasen, volunteer and raiser of countless dollars to help needy kids.

• Brad Harrington, owner/throttleman of the 1990 Saber Cyclone Team Kansas, a frequent Shootout participant.

• Tim Kowalski, owner of Bio-Kleen (Kalamazoo, MI).

These five individuals join the previous Shootout Hall of Famers: Fran Steingrubey, John Page, Randy Scism, John Sullentrop, David Callan, Jeff Dorhauer, Dave Scott, George Denny, Ron & Margie Frazier, Bob Morgan (2013); Bill Swineburg, Diana Dorhauer, Brad Smith, Bill Seebold, Ed Hancock, Scott Poest, Leo Case (2014), Mike Fiore, Dustin Hancock, Justin Martin, Steve Wallace (2015); Tom Newby, Rick Smith, Jim and Carolyn Dorris, John Cosker (2016), Carrie Sixkiller, Richie Prince, Bob Bull, Garth Tagge and Jim Melley, John Tomlinson (2017), Michael “Doc” Janssen, Jason Johnson, Rob Lauer, Dennis Parvey, Performance Boat Center (2018), Ron Duggan, Charlie Schaefer, Kent Morris, Brad Rowland, Don Onken, and David Leathers (2019).

The staff of Speedboat congratulations to all five of this year’s inductees! speedboat.com

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7/16/20 7:01 PM

LOTO SHOOTOUT

Dale Dondel of Victory Powerboats ran the VTX 36' to 122 mph.

VICTORY HP MAFIA

Top: Twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards helped Dale Dondel of Victory Powerboats West run his VTX 36' to 122 mph.

WIA

Anthony Smith and Anthony Smith Jr. were clocked at 160 mph.

Carrie Sixkiller, driving her 1993 24' Baja Outlaw, achieved a speed of 64 mph.

Above: The father-son team of Anthony Smith (throttles) and Anthony Smith Jr. (driver) achieved a top speed of 160 in their one and only pass.

Right: Perpetual Shootout competitor and Hall of Famer Carrie Sixkiller took her WIA Insurance-sponsored 1993 24’ Baja Outlaw to 64 mph, her best speed of two passes.

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9/18/20 11:23 AM

LOTO SHOOTOUT

PLAYCRAFT

Carolyn Dorris hit 78 mph driving this Playcraft pontoon.

Above: Carolyn Dorris and her husband, Jim Dorris, each drive a pontoon in the Shootout every year. She took hers to 78 mph (best of three passes), Jim hit 67 mph in his).

INSANITY

Charlie Schaefer achieved 122 mph in this 42' Cigarette, Xtreme Insanity.

Right: Xtreme Insanity, a 42’ Cigarette, hit 122 mph with Charlie Schaefer at the wheel.

Below: Rusty Williams of Performance Boat Center got to 88 mph in this 42 MTI-V.

MTI 42V

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Rusty Williams made a single pass in this 42 MTI-V and achieved 88 mph.

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LOTO SHOOTOUT Left: Frequent Shootout participant John Humphrey, driving his Powerplay, achieved a top speed of 88 mph.

John Humphrey in Powerplay Racing hit 88 mph.

DCB

POWERPLAY

DCB’s Tony Chiaramonte hit 147 mph in this DCB M31.

Jeff Casebier grabbed a speed of 92 mph in his 36 Sunsation.

SUNSATION

Above: In addition to driving a new M37R at the Shootout, Tony Chiaramonte of DCB also jumped behind the wheel of this M31 to yield a top speed of 147.

Left: Jeff Casebier made a total of five passes in his 36 Sunsation; his best speed was 92 mph. He achieved 93 mph at last year’s Shootout in the same boat.

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MTI

Rich Bennett drove his 52' MTI to a speed of 129 mph.

Patrick Koch of Dallas achieved a speed of 98 mph in his 29' Shockwave.

SHOCK THERAPY

Top: South Carolina native Rich Bennett drove his canopied 52' MTI catamaran (powered by twin Mercury Racing 1650 engines) for a top speed of 129 mph. (Bennett also owns a 57’ MTI-SV with quad Mercury Racing 400Rs. Above: Patrick Koch (with wife Shelly, right) of Dallas took his Shockwave 29' Magnatude, powered by a Teague Custom Marine 1050 engine, to a speed of 98 mph. speedboat.com

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LOTO CHARITY BIKINI CONTEST

One of the week’s genuine highlights is the Bikini Contest, held in conjunction with Super Cat Fest at the Camden on the Lake Resort. The event helped raise over $300,000 for Make-a-Wish and other children’s charities. Eileen McAllister (right) was crowned Miss Super Cat Fest 2020 and drew the coveted Windship sash. Below: Among the beauties strutting their stuff included (left to right) Rachel Edwards, McAllister, Vivian Mason (who raised most money in donations) and Jen Vrbanac. Special thanks to Alvin Heathman and Nikki Sorenson for organizing a typically first-rate Super Cat Fest and Bikini Contest!

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LOTO SHAWN MOE

MTI Delivers New 390X Cat to Three-peat Customer Shawn Moe at LOTO

A

fter purchasing an MTI 340X catamaran a few years ago, Shawn Moe and his wife

Sieglinde Moe bought an MTI 42V center console with quad 400Rs, and put about 280 hours on it in a year and a half. Eventually, they started thinking about buying another catamaran. Fast-forward to this week’s Lake of the Ozarks shootout, and MTI‘s Randy Scism has just handed Shawn the keys to his new rocketship—a brand-new 390X powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards. And he’s overjoyed.

“It’s so much fun!” he exclaims. “Everything about the MTI—the ride, the handling, the fit and finish. But the boat is just part of the experience. Every boat brand talks about being part of the family, but nobody does it like Randy Scism and his team. And it extends into their service department, and their fun runs—we’ve literally been staying at Randy’s house during the Shootout. They’ve truly taken us in like family.”

Shawn and Sieglinde’s lives revolve around powerboating: “It’s not a hobby—

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Above: The Moes opted for the new eight-seat configuration of MTI’s 390X. it’s more of a passion,” he says. Both of the Moes are 34 years old and live in Las Vegas; every year, they travel as far as Key West, Miami, the Bahamas and New York to attend poker runs. And once Covid-19 is just a bad memory, they’ll be back to participating in all of their favorite events. For now, they’re at LOTO and massively enjoying it.

The Moes opted for the new eight-seat configuration of the 390X, which features

the standard driver and passenger seats, two additional “jump seats,” and the four individually molded seats in the rear. “My wife and I have a 2½-year-old daughter, Saylor,” he tells Speedboat. “We’ve been out here at LOTO all week, and Saylor will not get out of the passenger seat. She’s my throttle person now—she’s kicked my wife to jump seat.”

Among the many cool things about the boat is something MTI’s top interior designer, speedboat.com

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Carlos Lafarga, made for Saylor: her own custom built-in fabric handles inside of the seat, which she holds onto adorably.

Another awesome touch Lafarga added to the interior is some intricate cross-pattern baseball stitching in the seats.

So now that he’s had some time to run the 390X, what’s the ride like?

“The performance and handling is amazing,” he says. “Like every other MTI, there’s no getting on plane. It just goes from idle to 2,000 rpm and you’re on plane in 2.6 seconds. At speed, it just feels like it’s on rails. It goes through the rough water like it’s not even there. It’s a blast, because you don’t feel any wind in the four front seats,”

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Moe adds.

He also raved to Speedboat about the paint job—the creation of Missouri’s Prodigy Paint & Design. “They painted the boat in just three and a half weeks,” Moe says. “I have to give them huge kudos—the paint is just remarkable, and they just did phenomenal work.”

This is the Moes’ first 450R-powered craft, and Shawn is enthusiastic about what these engines bring to the table, to say the least. “Honestly, what the 450s brought back to the sport for me is fun, reliability, low cost on fuel, low cost on maintenance— all of those things. As these outboards keep evolving, there’s no substitution for them.

Yes, there’s always going to be that guy who wants a big-powered stern-drive boat.

But as you can see, the sport is just leaning heavily toward the 450, because you don’t have the stress of the major maintenance.

I’d spend 30 grand in service—and that’s if nothing breaks! If I have a problem with my 450s, I go to Performance Boat Center and it’s fixed in an hour.”

Shawn Moe is a division manager for Las Vegas Paving, a large, heavy civil contractor.

“I’ve been with them for 12 years, and will probably retire there,” he says. Sieglinde Moe is a domestic engineer and manages the Moe family’s commercial and residential properties.

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photography by

Tom Leigh

DCB

I

n August 2019, DCB Performance Boats of El Cajon, CA—builder of the popular “M” series of luxury go-fast catamarans—announced

plans to add another “M” to its growing stable that currently includes models 28 to 44 feet. The project, already in the works for more than a year, was intended to fill a void between the M35 and the M41 models.

In the interim, Speedboat has been keeping readers informed about each step of the build process, providing behindthe-scenes glimpses of the model coming together. “The M37R is a whole new design for us,” DCB’s Tony Chiaramonte told Speedboat. “It’s a true tunnel, so there’s no center pod. It’s 10½ feet wide and 37 feet long. That’s kind of what everybody wants right now. We thought about it and realized we needed to get in the game here, so we did.” DCB had pondered the idea of doing a true tunnel in an inboard version

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M37R Years in development, DCB finally unveils its latest luxurious cat.

a few years ago, but with the advent of Mercury Racing’s new 450R outboard, “it’s a whole new ballgame,” he said. “We’re going to have a 125-mph outboard boat, which is unheard of. The shift and throttle will be in the middle of the boat now, so it’s a whole new venture for us. We’re getting lots of good play on it.”

Now the first M37R has been delivered to DCB customers Kris and Shelby Hansen of Canyon Lake, CA—but after giving Kris some quick seat time, Chiaramonte then immediately hauled the boat to run it in the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout (see Page 16), where he drove it to a top speed of 120 mph on the 3/4-mile course.

This isn’t Kris Hansen’s first DCB; he previously owned an F29 powered by an 825 Teague engine. When he heard about the M37R, he knew the boat was probably a bit outside his budget, but hurriedly put down a deposit anyway. “I was in the num-

ber-two spot,” he recalls. “Then it turned out to be bad timing for the gentleman who was in the number-one spot, so I got a phone call and was able to slide into the number-one spot. So I took it.” His M37R would be powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards—his first time operating a boat with that powertrain.

“I had never been in an outboard boat until Tony took me for a ride in the M28,” he says. Later, he hitched a ride in a friend’s 34-foot boat that was powered by the 450s.

“That’s what really sold me,” Hansen says.

“I fell in love with the performance and loved how quiet it was. And I knew that being in a boat that was three feet longer and 10 inches wider was going to excite me that much more.”

Hansen says being a previous DCB customer gave him the confidence that the M37R’s fit and finish would be nothing [text continues on page 59] speedboat.com

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2020 DCB M37R SPECS Beam: 10’6” LOA: 37’10”

Engines: Twin Mercury Racing 450Rs • 36’ 6” running surface

• Merc 5-blade CNC cleavers

• Billet foot shower at front, as well as a secondary billet foot shower on transom step area with retractable nozzle • Two 85-gallon fuel tanks

• Shaun Torrente Racing X-Act engine brackets • 60% Alcantara/40% Marine CoolTouch interior package • Adjustable electric front seats • Adjustable billet foot rests

• Custom three-color SeaDek kit

• Custom Isotta XO steering wheel (black with red stitching to match interior) • Phase I gelcoat scheme (all white) • Half cap with Black SS rub rail

• Vacuum Infused Resin (VIR) process, foam-cored, with carbon-fiber and carbonkevlar layup • Garmin 8622 GPS monitor

• Two Mercury VV9 touch-screen monitors

• Two 2.75” billet vents on dash with adjustable air blower • 6-person intercom system, with boat-to-boat VHF radio “DCB Channel”

• RGBW – full LED lighting package (mood lighting, courtesy lighting, LED cupholders)

• Three 10” Shadow Caster underwater LED lights • Two 6” Shadow Caster LED tunnel lights

• SeaDek lining on three-step bustle, with flush under-mounted telescoping retractable ladder for easy boarding • Dedicated fender storage (x3 under each storage locker at transom) • Stage II stereo system • Mercury DTS controls

• Upgraded triple-axle MYCO aluminum trailer speedboat.com

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DCB M37R

At the helm, the pilot uses a Garmin 8622 GPS monitor, two Mercury VV9 touch-screen monitors and a custom Isotta XO steering wheel.

Opposite top: DCB’s Tony Chiaramonte drives the boat at this year’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

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“We wantd solid whites—no no graphics at all,” Hansen says. “Then, for anything that would normally be polished on the boat, we went with a satin black. We also liked the idea of an accent decal across the deck in black and grays, and the M37R logo in the interior. We love the supercars—my wife is a McLaren fan, so she was inspired by their interiors and the accents.

She sent photos of them to DCB, and they just totally ran with it. We ended up getting exactly what we wanted.” speedboat.com

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photography by

Todd Taylor and Kenny Dunlop

All the

P

hoenix resident Jeffrey Lamb cut his teeth on 18-foot jeboats (including a Cole) back in the 1990s before transitioning to larger West Coast I/O-powered

catamarans. This year represents his latest bold move: he just took delivery of a Wright Performance 360 with twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards.

“When I started looking around for a new boat, I test drove a bunch of different outboard boats, and was just very impressed by the Wright Performance,” says Lamb, who uses his boats on lakes Havasu and Powell.

“Then the 450R came out, and it was right up our alley. I love the way the boat drives and handles the big water.” Lamb and his wife April actually took delivery of the WP360 after it was displayed at February’s Miami Boat Show; immediately afterwards, they drove it in the Florida Powerboat Club’s poker run to the Keys. Putting the boat to the ultimate test

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Moves in these rough offshore waters was “a total blast,” he says, enhanced by the on-water tutelage of offshore racer Rusty Williams of Performance Boat Center. “We were lucky to have Rusty with us on the trip,” Lamb says.

“He was my pilot and my guide, if you will.

That was our first time in the Florida Keys, so it was great to have him with us.”

The 360 is a collaboration between Melbourne, FL-based Doug Wright Designs and Performance Boat Center, the power gurus based in the Lake of the Ozarks; the model debuted in 2017, while a second model, the 420, was unveiled at this year’s Miami International Boat Show. Williams not only works for Performance Boat Center, but drives a Doug Wright hull with Myrick Coil in the offshore racing circuit.

Williams says he and Myrick met Jeffrey and April during the Desert Storm Poker Run. They gave the couple a ride in a Wright Performance and a friendship developed

from there. Soon after the event, the Lambs ordered their 360. “It was very nice working with them,” Williams says. “He did help us modify his interior—the headrests are different, as are some of the patterns through the middle. We used some different materials, and Jeff’s boat has JL Audio’s new LED speakers. On the SeaDek flooring, usually we do some kind of pattern, but on his 360, we tried to flow the paint scheme through the SeaDek, which was very cool.” Indeed, the completed interior, by Ryan Schwarzen of Kutting Edge Interiors (O’Fallon, MO), is one of Lamb’s favorite things about the WP360.

Lamb says the boat’s construction was a terrific prelude to taking delivery of it. “It was a great build process with the team at a Performance Boat Center,” he says. “From the paint to the interior design, it was kind of unique. It was definitely a great building experience, with great communication from everybody, from top to bottom.” speedboat.com

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Jeffrey and April Lamb take the plunge into high-performance outboard performance with their first Wright Performance 360.

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ALL THE WRIGHT MOVES

The Lambs’ Wright Performance 360, which features port-side steering, offers an array of top-of-the-line electronics, including a large Garmin screen, Mercury Vessel View, and a new JL Audio sytem stereo with LED speakers.

Jeffrey Lamb had the crew at Performance Boat Center make some slight modifications to the WP360, including some different headrests and a different SeaDek flooring concept that ties in to the boat’s paint scheme.

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When the Wright Performance 360 was first released, the only outboards available for it was the 400Rs. The Lambs’ 360 was only the third or fourth to be powered by Mercury Racing’s 450Rs, according to Rusty Williams at Performance Boat Center. speedboat.com

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photography by

Todd Taylor, Ray Lee and Brad Glidewell

BFDPoker Run

The entire crew at Big Thunder Marine pitches in to make the third annual Baja, Donzi & Fountain Fun Run a tremendous success.

A

veritable stampede of events hosted by the Lake of the Ozarks resolutely salvaged the powerboating season in 2020.

Barely a week after organi-zing

the Support Our Troops Poker Run, Jeremy Anderson, Ed Champion and their team at Big Thunder Marine staged the third annual Baja, Fountain & Donzi Fun Run (aka the BFD Run). The event is a showcase for Big Thunder Marine’s brands—particularly those built by NC-based Iconic Marine Group.

“Everything turned out very well,” Champion told Speedboat following the event. “We had 115 boats sign up—a very good turnout, with a great mix of brands and a good mix of people—young, old, retired, working, vacationers and full-time residents.”

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The fun began with a registration party Thursday night, July 23, at the Big Thunder showroom, with food catered by Barn-b-que, a cash bar and a few new boats on display— including a red 34' Fountain Thunder Cat recently sold by the firm. Beginning at 6 a.m.

Friday morning, boats were being set up for the run at Camden on the Lake Resort and H. Toad’s Marina. After a captain’s meeting and breakfast, the Water Patrol laid out the safety guidelines and criteria. Boats took off from Camden on the Lake at about 11 a.m., with stops at Bear Bottom Resort, Paradise Restaurant & Bar, Tap & Grill Lakeside Brew Haus, and Coconuts Caribbean Beach Bar & Grill. (Bonus stops included Lake Burger, Millstone Marina Fuel Dock & Sea Store, and Glencove Marina Fuel Dock & Sea Store).

Champion ran a 43 Fountain NX powered by quad Mercury Racing 450R outboards; also turning heads were Big Thunder Marine General Manager Jeremy Anderson driving a new Donzi 41 GTZ (with triple 400R Verados) that sported a cool acrylic T-top, as well as an orange Baja 35 Outlaw powered by Mercury Racing 1100s that Champion calls the world’s fastest Baja. It was painted by Mark Morris of Visual Imagination.

According to Champion, the greatest reward of the BFD Fun Run is watching everybody at Big Thunder Marine help to make the event such a success. “It’s nice to get our whole team involved, from our GM to our sales manager and everybody in the organization participating. It’s kind of neat to be able to work and play together.” speedboat.com

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Above: Jon and Adrienne Mills in their 2005 35 Fountain powered by twin 525 EFIs. Right: Iconic Marine Group owner Fred Ross.

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BFD POKER RUN Left: Brad Beech in his 42' Fountain Lightning. He went from a 29' Baja to a Fountain 38' Lightning and now eight years in his 42' Lightning. Loyal to the Iconic brands!

Right: Ed and Kathy Champion pilot a Fountain 43 NX powered by quad Mercury Racing 450R outboards. Also on board are offshore racer Billy Moore and Speedboat publisher Ray Lee.

Left: Chad Prater and Erik Andre Radzins pilot Hammer Down, a 2010 Baja 35 Outlaw. It’s got Smith Power motors with 8.3L Whipple Chargers, IMCO drives and boxes and props from BBlades. The boat was painted by Mark Morris at Visual Imagination.

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Speedboat’s helicopter photo crew captured this cool “splashdown” sequence as Kennett Falls of Lake Ozark, MO, made a spectacular—and very soggy—adventure through the lake in his Baja 33 Outlaw.

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BFD POKER RUN

Top left: Bill Richerson and his family enjoy their patriotic 27' Fountain Fever.

Top: Glen Davenport and crew aboard his 1998 35' Lightning.

Above: Adam Detrich owns this 2009 Baja 35 Outlaw, powered by 525 EFIs. Left: Eric Sallinger drives his 2004 42 Executioner.

Bottom left: Ed and Kathy Champion with Ryan and Lisa Leifheit in a 2007 47' Fountain Lightning with a Mercury Racing 1550/1350 engine.

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Jeff & Megan Fiehler in Fountain’s 34' Thunder Cat, powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards.

Big Thunder Marine GM Jeremy Anderson drives this 41' Donzi GT, powered by triple Mercury Racing 400R outboards.

Tom Cline, piloting his helicopter, chases Jeremy Kirkland in his Baja 35 Outlaw, powered by twin Mercury Racing 496 HOs.

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by

Stu Jones

photography by

James Stuart, Florida Powerboat Club

Diverting

DESTIN-ATIONS DESTIN -ATIONS The Florida Powerboat Club is back on the course and carving up the waves of the Gulf!

T

he first event since February 2020 for the Florida Powerboat Club was its Emerald Coast

Powerboat Week. For this event, a very different format had to be established. We had 70 registered teams on the roster, and a few cancelled at the 11th hour—some due to Covid concerns, others because of boat issues. But in the end, 65 teams attended the event.

It was headquartered at Emerald Grande Resort in Destin, FL, where guests enjoy luxury accommodations. Docking took place at various locations in Fort Walton Beach and Destin, including

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Brooks Bridge Marina, Legendary Marina and AJ’s in Destin. The most convenient feature was having a large secure parking lot right near the Marler Park boat ramp, making it easy for all participants to arrive and stage their boats.

Activities were changed quite a bit.

Parties at night had to be cancelled because the restaurants and hotel facilities did not want crowding, so we reserved most of our agenda for boating-only activities. We did have one big party on Saturday night, which was well-managed by the team at the Destin FWB Convention Center, a county-owned special-event facility that

holds up to 1,500 guests. But with just 250 attending, it was easy to set up good social distancing floor plans for dining, poker cards and awards.

The poker run agenda started Thursday with a lunch fun run, which was planned for Niceville, FL. However, an afternoon shower forced boaters to head westbound to Navarre instead. The usual Friday Fun Run took about 40 boats to Juana’s in Navarre, the area’s most popular waterfront restaurant. Then, on Saturday, the 110-mile poker run course took boaters from Destin Harbour in a counter-clockwise course direction to checkpoints in Sandestin, speedboat.com

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Never Enough is a 38 Fountain Lightning owned by Bill & Meghan Wiles of Texas.

Niceville, Shalimar, Fort Walton Beach and Navarre Beach; the farthest point to the west was Pensacola Beach, almost at the Florida-Alabama state line. At least five restaurants on the poker run course offered poker runners lunch options, giving them the choice of upscale dining in air conditioning at Hemingways, or more casual beachside dining at places like Juana’s Pagodas or Flounder’s Chowder House on Pensacola Beach.

A total of seven card vouchers were available on the poker run course, and teams turned these in for playing cards at the Saturday night bash. All teams got four hands with the poker run entry, but were allowed to play up to an extra six hands, for a total of then poker hands on their playing board. When all of the hands were tallied up the top nine went to the poker run final table to play for top three prizes. A 10th seat was auctioned off for charity, with the playing paying $1,000 for that privilege.

While the cards were being played out, the President’s Choice Awards were presented in a variety of categories, and sponsors were recognized for their participation. The final table got started late in the evening just before 11 p.m., so I expedited the game with straight five-card hands and no draws to get through the 10-player game. Congratulations to Bret Laso from South Carolina, who attended his first FPC event in his 1988 40' Fountain ICBM, and won the $10,000 grand prize. The Saturday night party was also focused on raising some funds for local charities, and FPC is pleased to announce that $10,000 has been awarded to five local charities in the Destin/FWB area.

Shelbie, a poker card checkpoint girl—and second runner-up in the new Miss Powerboat Week Photo Contest, judged by all the participants (rather than a bikini show in a bar).

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DIVERTING DESTIN-ATIONS

Left: Keepin’ It Real is a SV43 Outerlimits owned by Jim and Lynne Archambault of Georgia.

Right: This 36' Sunsation is owned and driven by Terrel and Clara Clark of Texas. It’s powered by twin Mercury Racing 540 engines.

Below: Jerry Swanson of Mississippi drives his 46 Skater.

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Left: The Florida Powerboat Club’s Bell helicopter chases Derek Wachob of Oklahoma in the 52 MTI Black Diamond (center lane), along with Black Diamond Express, a 34 MTI 340X (near lane) and the 59’ Cigarette Tirranna Six Carat (far lane).

Below left: Stephen and Kelly Marino drive their DCB M35 Widebody Twin Ladies.

Below right: Scott and Monica James drive their DCB M33R, Coast to Coast.

Sweetwater Landing is Brandon Mayer’s 40' Mystic, powered by a pair of Mercury Racing 450R outboards.

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE [Continued from page 8] Left: Lake TV’s broadcast shows Team CR Racing edging out Team Jackhammer near the finish line. The title graphic incorrectly dubbed CR Racing as “Anthony Smith in a 38’ Skater.” It is a 32’ Doug Wright with Rob Unnerstall and Casey Boaz.

ing their turn to run. Saturday’s three-hour rain delay forced a lot of the participants to roll over into Sunday, causing the backlog.

While idling out, we heard on the radio that the Water Patrol were going to close the course at 3:00 p.m. sharp, as planned. It was 2:30. With all of the boats in front of us, there was no chance that we would get to run the speed pass…or my very first Shootout run. I

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was crestfallen.

Just as we were about to turn around and head back to the docks, we received direct communication from the start boat informing us that the Performance Boat Center Super Stock race boat was low on fuel and unable to run the scheduled exhibition drag race, ironically against CR Racing—the very team that we were gunning for.

The question was then, “would you guys like to fill in?” I think it took us all of 0.0002 seconds to accept.

It was on! A drag race between two of the top Super Stock offshore race teams in front of the Sunday Shootout spectator fleet and I was literally in the driver’s seat. My adrenaline was off the charts with anticipation.

We lined up across from each other and paced evenly toward the start buoys. The next thing I knew, Ricky dropped the hammer and we were instantly halfway down the course. I was trying diligently to hold my line and not scrub any speed, glancing over maybe once or twice to see where our competitors were.

They were just ahead of us and they ultimately beat us to the finish line by about a boat-length. But it didn’t matter. It was such a thrill to run against (and with) such talented offshore racing champions and for that one shining moment, pretend to be one of them.

I would like to profusely thank Ricky and Julian Maldonado, Reese and Sara Langheim and the rest of Team JackHammer Offshore Racing for helping me cross off one of my top “bucket list” items and allow me to do it in such extraordinary fashion. I will never forget that day, nor that experience, nor your generosity for allowing me into your world.

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9/19/20 1:23 PM

photography by

Todd Taylor

Above: Rachel Peneston, Nikki Sorenson, Kimi Gier, Chelle Yonke, Christy Wright and Jordan Gumm.

BIKINI Lives Matter B ikini Lives Matter—a “pool tour” event conceived by fashion entrepreneuer Nikki Sorenson and Super Cat Fest organizer Alvin Heathman—

got its second official exhibition mere weeks prior to the real deal at the Lake of the Ozarks.

After debuting as part of the 2019 offshore Lake Race awards ceremony, this year’s bash was held concurrently with the BFD Poker Run (see Page 44), with headquarters at the Camden on the Lake resort.

In addition to Nikki’s stunning swimsuitclad beauties, a belly-flop contest was held poolside, featuring an outrageous parade

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of attention-seeking athletes with their own peculiar set of fashion choices. “It was just a five-hour pool party, which we’ve never done before,” Heathman says. “And I think it turned out to be a pretty good success.”

Sorenson pays tribute to Speedboat Magazine co-publisher Ray Lee and superstar photographer Todd Taylor for helping to transform Bikini Lives Matter into a memorable and spectacle: “They were kind enough to put their time and effort into making the pool party event über-successful, just by promoting us and putting it on everybody’s radar,” she says.

Bikini Lives Matter also acted as a kind

of sneak preview to the famous bikini contest that runs during Super Cat Fest at the same hotel venue. “I’m always looking for fresh faces from beyond our boating circle,” she says. “It was executed beautifully and it was an awesome peek to see what’s to come at Super Cat Fast. Judging by Bikini Lives Matter, it looks like we’re really going to have record numbers of people in attendance that week.”

The pool party also gave Sorenson a chance to market her line of apparel, which includes T-shirts, hats, tanks for men and women; check out some of the merch at BikiniLivesMatter.com. speedboat.com

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Right: Jamie Norris and Emily English aboard Slug Hefner’s Mystic M4200 center console Dirty Duck.

Below: An aerial view of the pool party at the Camden on the Lake resort.

Above: Kimi Gier strikes a pose aboard a Skater.

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Left: A view of the popular swim-up bar at Camden on the Lake. Below: Rachel Peneston poses on Brad Ekstam’s Wright Performance 420.

Right: Ryan Capabarra of St. Louis, MO, was undisputed winner of the Belly Flop Contest.

Below: Fallon Thibodeaux on board Bill Pyburn’s MTI 42V center console Pure Platinum.

Jordan Gumm poses on Chuck and Nikki Sorenson’s 38' Scarab.

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DCB M37R [Continued from page 35] short of exemplary. “There are a lot of good boats out there, but everybody else is missing the DCB touch,” he says.

Originally, Hansen’s plan was to go to the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout with the DCB: “I had the plane tickets, and everything scheduled,” he says. “But then I just realized that Jeff [Johnston] and Tony had put so much blood, sweat, and tears into this project, and the right thing would be to let them shine. So I backed out of the trip and let them show it off at the lake.”

Hansen won’t forget getting his first seat time in the boat. “It felt like I was driving a Tesla,” he says. “I went from a rather loud motor to something real quiet—at 100 mph, you can have a conversation with everybody in the cockpit. The boat lays really nicely in the water and takes off in that same position—it comes out of the hole immediately. From 90 to 120, it was just so stable.”

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story by

Ford Melillo

|

photography by

Todd Taylor and Kenny Dunlop

Keeping up with the

JONESES I

t’s always exciting to see a husband and wife share an equally

powerful passion for boating. It’s even more exciting to see them express their love in a unique way. Timothy and Miranda Jones both sport powerful Skater catamarans—each packed with their own custom motors. Tim runs their newly acquired, sleek white, black, and red 2010 388 Skater, infamously known as Dial 911, while wife Miranda pilots their polished white and orange 2007 40SS Skater—both with fire-breathing Carson Brummett engines (Tim’s are twin turbocharged, Miranda’s are supercharged).

In the Jones family, boating has always been a favorite activity. Since their children Tyler and Amanda were very young, the family has enjoyed boating trips and made memories on a variety of lakes and waterways.

“Our favorite has always been Lake Havasu,” Miranda recalls. “I love the [text continues on page 64]

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KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

Last year, the Joneses purchased their 2010 388 Skater from close friend and fellow Skater enthusiast, Don London. Dial 911 is the same boat that London had previously earned the coveted King of the Desert title of the Desert Storm Shootout back in 2012 and again in 2018. Their daughter, Summer LondonRichardson, ran it herself and earned the Queen of the Desert titles in 2016 and 2018, along with her father.

Dial 911 is powered by twin turbocharged Carson Brummett engines; on E85 fuel, they put out about 2,200 hp; 1,750 to 1,800 on 110; and 1,400 to 1,500 hp on pump gas, according to Timothy.

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Top left: The Joneses pose with their children, Amanda and Tyler Jones. Middle left: Tyler with a bevy of swimsuit beauties at the Lake Havasu photo shoot. Above: The 2007 Skater 40SS is powered by 1,350-hp Whipplecharged Carson Brummett engines, recently rebuilt. “What’s unique about the boat is that Skater only built three of them,” Timothy says. “They have a lot of freeboard, and there’s a lot of space in the cockpit. If 911 is the Ferrari, then the 40 is like a Rolls Royce.” speedboat.com

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KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

heat, and the lake accommodates larger boats, which we like.”

Tim and Miranda’s passion for boating is long-running and their boating history is noteworthy. The couple bought their first boat together, a Scarab vee-bottom, when they were in their early twenties. From there, they moved on to larger Fountains, which they enjoyed for a while before eventually diverting to the catamaran community of Skater Powerboats—a personal favorite of theirs. And Miranda made headlines by winning the coveted Queen of the Desert title at last year’s Desert Storm Shootout.

Tim and Miranda also vividly remember the children learning to water ski at a young age, and watching them grow up on the water. As a result, Tim proudly boasts that the spouses’ love for boating has transferred into their children, who continue to love the sport.

Previously, the family owned and enjoyed a 2012 Skater, followed by a 2007 40SS Skater, which Miranda and occasionally son Tyler now run. However, last year, they bought their 2010 388 Skater from close friend and fellow Skater enthusiast, Don London. It is the same boat that London had previously earned the coveted King of the Desert title of the Desert Storm Shootout back in 2012 and again in 2018. Their daughter, Summer LondonRichardson, ran it herself and earned the Queen of the Desert titles in 2016 and 2018, along with her father.

Desert Storm’s King and Queen of the Desert titles are awarded to the man and woman with the fastest boat speed during the Shootout course on Lake Havasu. The competition is held in late-April each year, and contestants run their boats individually on a designated 3/4-mile track, with the fastest speed at the finish line winning each title respectively.

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Brett’s

COVE GOT GREEN? James Rankin’s 1979 BAKER RESTO

Featuring

Farewell to Patrick Kelly NJBA Test and Tune

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photography by

Ray Lee

Let’s Get

Baked

James Rankin took this 1979 Baker jetboat from a recycling yard and transformed it into a jaw-dropping show piece.

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F

our years ago, James Rankin of Norco, CA, found his future project boat in a concrete recycling yard and paid the owner a flat fee of $2,500 for the hull.

His new ride would replace the Hallett mini-daycruiser that had been in his family for three generations before it was stolen.

Rankin had been on a search for a Baker, because his uncle had owned one and he’d always been fond of it. After months of trying to locate one, he spotted an ad on Craigslist for a 1979 18’ Baker. “I didn’t even hesitate,” he says. “I didn’t even care about speedboat.com

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looking at it. I gave the guy a deposit right away.”

The boat was, to put it charitably, in pretty sad condition.

“From what I understand, the boat had been pretty well known in the Parker area,” Rankin says. “It was known as Miss D’Meanor, and was driven by an established river racer. The previous owner had planned to restore it himself, but he had a lot of boats and just decided to sell it.”

Rankin, now 37, set about the task of bringing the boat back to life by himself, at his home, with the help of a few friends. His [continues on page 69] S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2020

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BEAUTIFYING THE BAKER The photos on this page show the condition of the 1979 Baker when James Rankin purchased it. The hull, with its 1970s brown, yellow and orange color scheme, was delaminating and required immediate re-fiberglassing. Rankin stripped the boat clean and set out to redesign an all-new interior. The boat’s original scoop (far right) was replaced, although Rankin held on to the original scoop.

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Totally reimagining the interior, Rankin redesigned the Baker’s original cocktail seating, adding removable rear seats and relocating the cupholders to the floor of the boat. After re-glassing some flaws, and fabricating and fitting some new pieces, it was time for the hull to go into the paint shop (below).

first order of business: repairing the boat’s fiberglass flaws, including a hole in the hull on the passenger side where it had been struck by a personal watercraft. “There was a hole that I could pretty much stick my head through,” he says. “So that got all re-fiberglassed.”

That was just the beginning of the laundry list of fixes and changes. Rankin stripped the boat down, shaving the lights off the transom and other things that the previous owner had added. Rankin also fabricated an all-new bulkhead, gunwale supports, hardware, etc., and since the boat had a pump but no power to speak of, he had Bryan Glidewell of High G Force Racing (Cerritos, CA) assemble a new engine. Fortunately, the pump was salvageable. “Actually, the pump was great,” he says. speedboat.com

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“Jim Guthrie actually did all the bowl and flow work on it, and jetboat guru Jack McClure built me the impeller, shaft, inducer and milled the intake for a ride plate.”

Rankin chronicled the entire project, and the photos in this feature story present a step-by-step look at his exhaustive efforts in restoring the Baker to tip-top condition. Miss D’Meanor is now called Jam N Jewel, and it is a true stunner.

Rankin, who has worked in construction his whole adult life, has actually restored quite a few boats; the Baker is just his most recent project. “I’ve helped restore a few boats in connection with the SoCalJetBoats charity event called Horsepower Fest— we rebuild and paint an entire boat and it gets raffled off, with the money going to veterans.”

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BEAUTIFYING THE BAKER

In the paint booth, Rankin first sprayed epoxy primer to the boat; his daughters Faith and Lauren help out with the buffing (above left). Rankin then laid down the white base and the boat’s graphics (above). Next, Rankin laid down the hull’s green color (called It’s Green O’Clock by Chevy, below left). The repainted dash can be see below; it would soon sport an all-new set of Livorsi gauges.

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The paint job complete, Rankin set about installing his new interior and the new engine. The Baker sports the original steering wheel, which has been recovered and repainted to match the boat; it also sits atop a revamped version of the original Roadrunner trailer. Rankin’s brotherin-law, Robert DeLeon, did all of the stitching of the uphostery. speedboat.com

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Rankin’s friend Chris Ellis of Riverside, CA, built the new scoop, which Rankin painted himself. Below: the repainted dash features new gauges from Livorsi Marine. The cool headers were built by Hedman Hedders (Whittier, CA), one of the oldest mass producers of headers and automotive exhaust products in the United States.

Rankin gives thanks to all of the friends and relatives who helped him restore the Baker, including Hedman Hedders, Jim Guthrie, Jack McClure, engine builder Bryan Glidewell, his brother-in-law, Robert DeLeon of Interior by Robert (Norco, CA), and especially Brian Vetterlein. Speedboat thanks our lovely models, Kathy (top of page) and Lindy (right).

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story and photography by

Mark McLaughlin

Farewell,

PATRICK

H

is passion for racing was legendary, and even if you didn’t know him personally, you probably saw racer

Patrick Kelley and his awardwinning 1972 Sanger Spare Change profiled in these pages in last year’s April issue. Sadly, Patrick passed away on May 27, leaving uncountable friends and family members inconsolable.

In July, a special memorial event was organized to pay tribute to Patrick at Lake

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Elsinore’s Weekend Paradise marina—the very venue he had attended in January for the annual New Year’s Day bash. To those who knew him, Patrick was kind, generous and charming. The staff of Speedboat salutes the man and his devotion to his hobby.

At the end of the service for Patrick, everyone attending with a boat was asked to give a “moment of not-so-silence” by firing up their motors. It was a fitting tribute to the fallen racer.

Top: Tim Cooper’s Blown Gas Flat, a 1979 Cole TR-2 with a 10-litre 557 c.i.

Arias powerplant, features paint by Bill Carter. Fastest pass was a 158-mph record-holding run by Mike Bell in 1989. Above: Mike Dade, son of the immortal Frank Dade, brought out the infamous Smoke on the Water Blown Fuel Hydro machine. Opposite, top left: Patrick Kelley in his Spare Change boat, in a photo taken at Lake Elsinore during the New Year’s festivities.

Opposite top and center right: Rich Hayes brought out his 1978 DiMarco hydro to celebrate Patrick’s life. speedboat.com

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Above center: Motor guru Scott Schatz got emotional talking about Patrick, so property owner Wade Addington comforted him. Above: Eric Sammons came prepared to do some bargaining on Patrick’s day. His E12 orange flatty is a 1966 Unlimited Marine Flatbottom. Right: Photographer Mark McLaughlin created this special collage of photos he shot of Patrick Kelly in his Spare Change boat. speedboat.com

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story and photography by

Mark McLaughlin

Covid-10

FLAT PACK NJBA racers salvage a slice of the summer season by heading to Lake Ming for a day of testing and tuning.

A

fter about halfway through the worst boat racing summer on record, a few of the hardcore gearheads came up with the inspired idea to

head to Lake Ming in Bakersfield, CA, on a Thursday and just test and tune.

Over the years, the weekly test-and-tune was always set aside for boaters to use the lake from 8 a.m. to noon. I would go up and shoot a few photos here and there for the handful of boats that showed up.

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Bakersfield local Ricky Sneed ran a couple of laps around the virtual course before packing it in for the day. He was not happy with the way the boat was launching, and wanted to go home and think about the different combinations of gears and props to make it ready for racing.

They would try out new props, gears, hardware, even new boats, in preparation for an upcoming race.

Well, because this summer has had everybody on pins and needles, the Westerfields made some phone calls, and we got a total of 10 flatbottoms to come to Lake Ming on Aug. 20. I had a shortened safety meeting with the guys about our time on the lake and the Covid-19 issues. Each driver was instructed to launch out of the “emergency out” ramp. Then, one at a time, they did

burnouts down toward the starting line, turned around and then did pretty much anything they wanted to.

We had control of the lake until approximately 12:30 p.m., after which everyone packed up and made their way back home.

It had been a successful half-day of playing in extreme hot and smoky conditions, due to the local fires surrounding Bakersfield.

Until next time—or until the county gives us a permit to have a race—this might be the new normal for all of us. speedboat.com

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Owner/driver Tom Huff hauled his ‘85 Cole TR-2 from the Colorado River to run this test session. The Lew Larson motor is a 500-c.i. Chevy. Hardware and installation by Cole Thurston, Steve and Shane Westerfield. No name for the boat yet, but Sunny Delight seems to be the front-runner.

Matt Rogers came to try out his new toy.

He’d just acquired a 1978 Cole TR-2 runner bottom with 560 c.i. BBC. He made a number of changes and was pleased with how the boat responded to them all. The Green Machine will be appearing at the season opener for NJBA very soon.

I-Candy is a wildly painted Bullet TR-4 by Brien Dunn.

This 2014 colorful piece is owned, prepared, painted and driven by Dunn. The 468 blown alcohol motor by Shawn Ferriter is more than enough power to get this boat down the track in a hurry.

This Blown Gas Flat newcomer, Wyatt McAllister, ran a bracket class last year. Suddenly, here he is in a blown monster.

Starting out very conservative, McAllister made a number of laps, with slow changes after each pass.

Nice and easy stepping up to its full potential.

That’s how he wants to attack this Blown Gasser.

He has already signed up for the NJBA seasonopening race.

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Above and right: Another Bakersfield local, Robert Robinson lives just a few short minutes from the lake. Last year, Robinson ran in a bracket class and was not having fun. So what did he do? He went out in the off season and purchased a 2018 Cole TR-6 with a Dart 548 motor

by Scott Foxwell. This new Blown Gas Flat is going to be a tough one out there, and fun to watch. Standing around looking like they’re busy crew members: Brian Farley and Michael Collins.

Left and below: Alan Asbe made the trip from Livermore to play with the rest of the “Covid-10 Flat Pack.” He and his crew set up their pit area just like it was going to be a two-day race and actually pitted almost in the same place he always takes. His 1985 Cole TR-4 was purchased new and he is still the only owner of this boat. Pretty impressive! Not only does this machine look good racing down the track, it’s equipped with a 572 aluminum Brodix by Jim Forsberg. Asbe had a minor problem on his second attempt on the lake, got towed back, fixed the problem, and went back out again, making sure his Pathologicole machine is race-ready for next month.

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Above and right: Craig Lucas made the trip down from Danville, CA, and put his 1977 Cole TR-1 on the lake a number of times, getting some seat time before NJBA’s first race of the year. He caught his goggles flying off once, and I’ll bet that he won’t let that happen again. The appropriately named Little Blue looked great out there each and every pass. His 555c.i. big-block Chevy just keeps on running and running. Lucas is shown at right warming up Little Blue before heading to the launch ramp.

Left and below: In the pits of the Westerfield’s sits the ClassiCole boat and Blow’n Smoke #440.

Steve Westerfield is practicing his 6-foot distancing while chatting with fellow racer Joe Martin.

Meanwhile, Shane Westerfield (below) stomps the throttle in his 2012 TR-4 Cole. His 557 Arias 10-litre monster motor has enough power to run in the top of the Blown Gas Flat class at the NJBA events. He’s just dialing it in as we all wait for the state to release Drag Boat Racing back to its new normal of racing without spectators.

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TEST &TUNE ClassiCole, owned by Steve Westerfield and driven by the infamous Jeff Martin, takes a burnout pass down toward the virtual starting line. The power comes from a 521 BAE motor by Shane Westerfield.

This beautiful machine is a 1985 Cole TR-4. Martin had the best-looking burnout pass of the day, according to witnesses.

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INDUSTRY NEWS [continued from page 12] onto both of his sons. Hawkins, and later his older brother Wayne, would enter the sport of boat racing which would end up changing their lives forever. Their mother, Betty, who survives, would become their biggest fan.

Hawkins’s first race boat—a “High Flyer” Sport E tunnel previously raced by Darrel Beaulier—was sold to him by Kevin Beaulier in late 1979, not long after Hawkins graduated from high school in the Houston area.

In that first race at Pleasure Island in Port Arthur, Texas, Hawkins entered with this boat, he finished on the podium. This sweet taste of victory hooked Hawkins on boat racing from that day forward.

During the 80’s and 90’s, Hawkins traveled domestically and internationally with the Beaulier brothers and his close friend, Darryl Cochrell, most often driving a KAOS boat built by Kevin Beaulier in the SST 60 and SST 120 classes. Adding to his collection of wins, he nabbed the Texas Governor’s Cup in 1988 while piloting an SST45 for the Mirage Boats factory team.

Hawkins moved on to Formula One/ Champ racing in the late 1990s, and was recruited to drive for LAMB Racing in the Formula One-PROP series for several years. However, through the majority of his F1 racing career, Hawkins raced as a self-budgeted independent, but maintained his reputation as a feared competitor who frequently beat the professionally-funded teams on the circuit. In his final two seasons, Hawkins used design aspects from Kevin Beaulier’s blueprints to build his own boat, which he insisted be called a KAOS too. This new boat arrived in Springfield, Ohio August 2020, sporting new colors—blue and yellow —a departure from his usual favorite, purple and yellow.

Hawkins leaves behind his sweetheart of 14 years, Jane Kiddoo, and their beloved Great Dane, Izzy; brother Wayne Hawkins and Hawkins’s number one fan, his mother Miss Betty, as well as many other family members, fans and friends.

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Here’s a short list of Hawkins’ awards and wins include the following major achievements.

1985: APBA Hall of Champions/APBA Sprint Nationals champ, SPORT E APBA Marathon nationals champ, SPORT E

Closed Course High Point Champion, SPORT E

National Power Boat High Point award (Bahamas)

1988: Winner, Texas Governor’s Cup SST45 1991: High Point Champion, SPORT E 1994: APBA National Champ, SST 120 Three-time SPORT series Champ 2013-2014-2016 2016: Winner, Grand Prix of Manzanillo, Mexico 2018: Winner, NGK F1 “Thunder on the Neches” Port Neches, TX

F1 2nd Place: NGK F1 Powerboat Championship 2018 (with Wesley Cheatham 3rd in F1, and Austin Cheatham, 2nd in SST45)

Co-drove with Todd Bowden of Fred Bowden’s “California Gold Racing” at the Parker Enduro in the Mod-U class for several years.

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