S PEEDBO AT M A G A ZINE
INSIDE: NORDIC TRIUMPHS IN CATALINA RACE
SUMMER
CARD QUEST! • Texas Outlaw
Challenge • Outboard Fun Run • Boyne Thunder • Blastoff To Bimini
TIKI LEE’S Shootout on The River 1st Annual Event Is a Smash Hit!
SE PT EM B ER / OC TO B E R 2 021
SEPT/ OCT 2021
speedboat.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
COLUMNS
9 RAY LEE 10 BOB TEAGUE
34 THE BOYNE SUPREMACY
FEATURES
42 SHOOTOUT ON THE RIVER
14 CATALINA SKI RACE
Skier Todd Haig and the Nordic Boats team take the 72nd edition of the iconic Southern California bout by storm.
18 TEXAS OUTLAW CHALLENGE
The celebrated blowout from the Lone Star State returns with both barrels blazing.
26 SHOWDOWN IN SARASOTA
OPA/P1 competitors continue their quest for a national championship as the action returns to Florida.
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
Fun-hungry teams flock back to the small town of Boyne City, MI, for its scenic landscape—and to play poker.
Tiki Lee’s mounts a first-class, first-time event on the Chesapeake Bay, with a poker run, kilo run and shootout.
50 OUTBOARD FUN RUN
For the second consecutive year, Performance Boat Center’s event exclusively for outboard-powered boats was a roaring success.
56 DONZI 38 ZRC
Continuing to revise and refine its lineup, Iconic Marine Group unveils a classic with a new wraparound windshield.
speedboat.com
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 Cover Photo by Tom Leigh Table of Contents photo by Pete Boden
National Sales Ray Lee Director ray@speedboat.com
Art Director Gail Hada-Insley
Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com Photographers
60 BLASTOFF TO BIMINI
Despite rough water conditions, the Florida Powerboat Club sets sail to the Bahamas to kick off the summer boating season.
BRETT’S COVE
70 THE MAN IN BLUE
This Schiada was faded and worn out when Justin Bender’s dad acquired it. Now it's a stunning show piece.
78 RIVER RUSH
Continuing a tradition that kicked off in 1985, racers chart a course to Central Idaho to conquer the Clearwater River.
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE “Free at last, free at last… thank God almighty we are free at last!” These are of course the immortal words of the late, great American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963. However, they can also be attributed to the boating public finally being allowed to enjoy events again around the nation, with little to no restrictions that we’ve had to endure for the last year and a half. And it’s a freedom that is much appreciated since having lost it for so long. Starting as early as April, the events that were back on for 2021 have been very well attended, with record numbers of people participating. The Desert Storm event in Lake Havasu City, Arizona enjoyed its largest turnout for their immensely popular Street Party, possibly ever, boasting over 50,000 people to walk the streets of downtown Lake Havasu. The Boyne Thunder run in Michigan sold out their allotted poker run spots more than two whole months before their event in July.
Top: John Frohlich and the crew of the iconic 47’ Apache Kemosabe. Below: “Fast” Eddie Guidry and Paul Robinson present Ray Lee with a sponsor’s award. Below right: Ray Lee and Tickfaw 200 organizer Casey Harrison play “outlaws and desperadoes.”
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
Days of THUNDER To me, this showed just how much people missed being amongst people. More specifically, boating people. We experienced this with each event that we attended for coverage, and it was wonderful to see. The camaraderie was back, as was everyone’s united passion for speedboating. The Texas Outlaw Challenge, based out of Seabrook, TX, was no exception, with large numbers of participants flocking to the Lone Star state for their shootout and poker-run fix. The event was another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020,
so local Texans and others further away were glad to see its return. Head Outlaw Paul Robinson and his team even added additional poker run destinations to their already large list of card stops to allow for more boating during the three-day event. These runs always bring big dollars to their respective towns and businesses, and the city of Seabrook has enjoyed hosting the performance boaters for years. So much so, that this year they awarded Robinson and co-Outlaw Daryl Turner with the Pinnacle Award at the closing gala at Marine Max for [Continues on page 82]
speedboat.com
TEAGUE ON TECH BOB TEAGUE
Low Oil Pressure
Dear Bob: I have a 2000 Mercury carbureted HP500 with an M3 ProCharger in my boat. Last winter, after 470 hours of operation, I had the engine rebuilt. I had asked the builder to install a high flow oil pump; however, I believe he installed a standard Melling M77 oil pump. Prior to the rebuild, my engine had oil pressure of 70 to 75 PSI at WOT (5,000 rpm). Now, the highest oil pressure is 45 psi. I am running Valvoline VR1 50 racing oil and the idle cold oil pressure is about 40 psi, which drops to about 24 psi when the engine is hot. The oil pressure comes up to 45 psi pretty quickly off idle when hot but will not go any higher. I have confirmed and duplicated the dash gauge pressures with a mechanical gauge. I have received opinions at both ends of the spectrum. The builder felt that the 45 psi was sufficient and offered to provide a different pump at no charge. Of course, that’s the easy part compared to pulling the motor again. I ran the boat last season with no apparent issues, but the oil pressure makes me nervous as I know the rule of thumb of 10 psi / 1,000 rpm. I am well short of that standard. I would appreciate your input. I also wonder if you would offer your opinion on what fuel pressure I should be running at WOT and 8 psi of boost. Michael Cosgrove Louisville, KY I share your anxiety regarding the substandard oil pressure in your motor. If the engine were a stock 260 hp small block, or a stock 300 hp big block Chevy, I would not be so concerned. Being that your engine is unnaturally aspirated, and capable of turning in excess of 5,000 rpm, 45 psi of oil pressure with straight grade 50 weight oil makes me nervous too. It is important to realize what establishes the oil pressure in the engine. When your engine was stock from Mercury, it did not have a high-volume oil pump. But with the standard pump, it had decent oil pressure.
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
Left: Melling 10778 Oil Pump and Pickup. Center: Measuring crankshaft for rod bearing clearance. Right: Measuring main bearing installed in block.
The point is that the oil pump is only part of the equation. The oil pump does have a pressure relief valve built into the cap. The fact that your oil pressure immediately comes up to 45 psi (and no further) could indicate that the oil pump that the builder used has a relief valve spring that is too weak for the application or the relief valve plunger is stuck in an open position. If a Melling 77HV is used, sometimes it is necessary to shim the spring to raise the relief setting. I recommend that you use a Melling part number 10778 pump which has chrome-moly shafts. It also has the drive and idler shafts that have been extended into the cover for additional support, which eliminates possible deflection inherent during higher RPM operation. In order to verify if your oil pump is the problem, I would perform a comparative test. Obtain a pre-oiling device. You can make one by modifying an old distributor. Remove the distributor, install your mechanical oil pressure gauge, and “pre-oil” the engine using a substantial 1/2 inch electric drill motor. Then, remove the oil pan, install the new Melling 10778 oil pump, replace the pan (without sealing it for the test), and repeat the test with the new pump. If that resolves the pressure problem, put the pan on for real and you are good to go. If it does not, the following are other things to consider. Engine bearing clearances are one of the most significant components of the oil pressure equation. If the rod and main bearing
clearances are too great, the increased flow results in lower pressure, with all other things being equal. Proper rebuilding of a high performance engine requires that the crankshaft be precisely measured, and compared to the measurement of the bearings installed into the torqued main caps and connecting rods. This operation requires special inside micrometers that are designed to measure engine bearings. This is because the bearings are not perfectly round when installed. The measurement is less from top to bottom, compared to side to side. The crankshaft is measured with a standard micrometer. It is also important that all the measuring instruments are calibrated to each other. The block, crank, rods, and measuring micrometers must all be the same temperature to achieve accuracy. Once the clearances are measured, using a combination of “standard,” .001” under, or .002” under or .001” over (HX) bearings are used to establish the correct bearing clearances. For high performance big block Chevys, the main bearing clearance should be about .003” on the number 1 through 4 mains, and about .0034” on the rear main. Connecting rod bearing clearance should be between .0027” and .003”. It is possible that your builder simply used “standard” bearings because the crankshaft was “standard.” If that is the case, it is also possible that the clearances are excessive which would result in lower oil pressure. [Continues on page 66] speedboat.com
story by
Brett Bayne •
CATALINA SKI RACE
photography by
Daren Van Ryte
Below: Men’s Open winner Nordic Racing, with driver Randy Davis, observer Dennis Hall, navigator Steve Davis and skier Todd Haig (inset).
Skier Todd Haig and the Nordic Boats team take the 72nd edition of the iconic Southern California bout by storm.
L
ike a few other events reported on in this issue, the Catalina Water Ski Race fell victim to
Covid-19 last year, but was back in 2021 featuring some of the most notable talent in the sport. This year, boat took off from Long Beach Harbor on July 24 at 9 a.m. sharp. This year’s fleet of 30 boats pulling skiers set course for Catalina Island (located about 28 miles from Long Beach) and back to the finish line, located just off the Queen Mary’s stern area. Three of the boats pulled a second skier; four of the 30 boats did not finish. Boats competed in 14 different classes. Perennial winner Todd Haig—who at age 42 has won the Catalina Ski Race an incredible 15 times—was the winner
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
in Men’s Open and the overall winner, pulled in the Nordic Racing boat driven by Nordic Boats president Randy Davis, with a time of 55 minutes, 3.28 seconds. Second place overall was Men’s Open competitor Matthew Klee, pulled by a 43' Fountain driven by Mike Avila at a time of 58 minutes, 47.97 seconds. Third place overall was won by Senior Men competitor Cameron King, pulled by Bill Steiner in a 42' Fountain, with a time of 1 hour, 2 minutes and 18.29 seconds. Veteran skier Lori Dunsmore, a genuine legend in the sport, had planned on skiing mixed doubles with Ed Herbst to the island and back. However, Herbst had suffered an injury and could not compete this year. Lori was asked to race solo in Women’s Open class, pulled by a 40' Hallett driven
by Billy Dunsmore. (Until this year, she had not skied solo since 2010.) When the start flare was fired, Lori sat in the water, 180 feet behind the Hallett, waiting for it to take off. Nothing happened. She could see the crew staring into the open engine compartment. Then the hatches went down, and she braced herself takeoff. Again, nothing happened. The hatches went back up. Finally, they went down again, and this time, the boat took off and Lori was off and charging to the island, albeit about 7-8 minutes behind the rest of the field. For having such a late start, Lori finished third in her class and 15th overall. Among the other winners this year: Mason Goldsmith (Junior Boys), John Kompaniez (Formula II Outboard) and Jason Davison (Intermediate Men). speedboat.com
INTERMEDIATE MEN: The winner was #193, a 21' Nordic with driver Todd Kelm, observer Tanner Kelm and skier Jason Davison.
SENIOR MEN: Below, the firstplace finisher in the class was #172, a 42' Fountain with driver Bill Steiner, observer Mike King, navigator Glenn Hatch and skier Cameron King. MEN’S OPEN: Finishing second overall was #58, a 43' Fountain Warpath with driver Mike Avila, observer Andy Klee, navigator Todd Stone and skier Matthew Klee.
[Text continues on page 30]
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
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CATALINA SKI RACE
SPORTSMAN: Above, class winner #38, a 21' Nordic with driver Brian Wilson, observer Rolf Bartlow and skier Mark Wagner. MASTERS: Below, class winner #P6, a 21’ Challenger with driver Gus, navigator Elliott Gotfredson and skier Jay Gotfredson.
WOMEN’S OPEN: Above, this 40' Hallett featured driver Billy Dunsmore, his wife, veteran skier Lori Dunsmore and navigator Ed Herbst. NOVICE: Winner #591, a 24' Nordic with driver Austin Salerno, observer Todd Tipton, navigator Anthony Salerno and skier Rick Salerno.
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2/11/19 10:51 AM
story by
Brett Bayne •
photography by
Todd Taylor and Ray Lee
The celebrated Texas blowout returns with both barrels blazing.
TEXAS OUTLAW CHALLENGE I
t was a great Covid comeback,” says organizer Paul Robinson of the 2021 edition of the Texas Outlaw Challenge, which unfortunately took last year off because
of the pandemic. But with the landscape gradually changing, it was time for the gunslingers to return to the proverbial saddle, and that’s just what they did. “People were ready,” Robinson says, adding that “we had 150 boats, which was a good comeback jumper.” But as he points out, the event didn’t merely attract a lot of boats—there was also a lot of actual boating going on. “The community and the industry supported the event more than ever this year, which was a real positive. We had a great helicopter coverage and got some awesome aerial shots of most of the boats.” Early arrivals began trickling in to the area on Wednesday, June 28, for a Shooter Pre-Party, but the main event officially kicked off on Thursday with the Stampede Street Party in the Kemah Downtown area. Bars, bands, boat displays and miscellaneous craziness permeated the streets as a lot of awesome creations whet attendees’ appetites
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
for the on-water fun (see Page 24 for Street Party coverage). A mandatory driver’s meeting at 9 a.m. set the stage for a 10:30 a.m. Return of the Champions Shootout Competition, followed by Day #1 of the Gunslinger Poker Run from noon to 5 p.m. Friday night brought the tradition Outlaw Pirate Party and Miss Outlaw Bikini Contest at Barge 295, one of the real highlights of the event. Saturday brought Day #2 of the Gunslinger Poker Run, followed by the Outlaws to the Max / Casino Night grande finale and awards presentation, at which a record number of awards were given away. “We did a lot more boating this year, due to social distancing,” Robinson says. “It was just the right thing to do. And people enjoyed the additional boating, and our new stops.” This year, the poker run added two new poker-hand stops—Marina Bay Harbor Marina and Pier 6—for a total of nine stops. (Pier 6 is a new waterfront marina and oyster restaurant in the coastal town of San Leon, where participants enjoyed good food and drinks.) Robinson gives a huge shout-out sponsor Marine Max, as well as to the City of Seabrook. “Their support has been indispensible.” speedboat.com
Clockwise from top: The Kemah Boardwalk; registration party; Harborwalk Saturday lunch/pool stop; Miss Outlaw Bikini Contest winners.
W [Text continues on page 30]
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
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TEXAS OUTLAW CHALLENGE POKER RUN
Above: Jared Wammack and friends in his Good Company Fountain. Left: Johnny Ballard drives his 43' Nor-Tech, Busted. Below: Jody Galley in his 38' Fountain, powered by twin 572 engines.
Above: Black Thunder owner Tim Doran, one of Texas Outlaw Challenge’s event sponsors, pilots the company’s 43' demo boat. Right: Nicholas Alexander Keith in his Donzi 35 ZR.
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Left: Benny Lopez in his multi-colored Skater. Below: This 42' MTI is powered by twin Mercury Racing 1100 engines.
Scott Marcotte in his Hustler 388 Sling Shot, Catch Me...If You Can.
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TEXAS OUTLAW CHALLENGE SHOOTOUT Left: Blake Sullivan drove his 22' Donzi to a speed of 80.3 mph. The boat is powered by a Mercury Racing 496HO.
Right: Justin Digiovanni in Ginger, a 34' Pilini Marine. It recorded a speed of 111 mph. Below right: Chad Havens achieved a speed of 144 mph in Savage, his 40' Skater, which is equipped with Mercury Racing 1350 engines. Bottom: Patrick Koch was clocked at 97 mph in his 2017 Shockwave, powered by a TCM 1200 EFI.
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
speedboat.com
WeOnTop.com is owner Brian Cole’s one-off 38' Badboy.
Left: Top Gun Cat Class Shootout Winner Curtis Morris achieved a speed of 156 mph in his 2009 36’ Skater.
Right: Texan Cass Shewbart got a top speed of 99 mph in his 2020 Outerlimits SL44 Liquid Prozac, which features twin Mercury Racing 860 engines coupled to #6 drives.
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TEXAS OUTLAW CHALLENGE STREET PARTY Below: Event sponsors Mike and Jason Dillon of Dillon Auto Sales display their 2018 Cigarette 39' GTS.
Above: The Huski Chocolate 53' MTI, powered by twin 1,750 hp Mercury Racing power, is seen at the Street Party with Chad Havens’ 40’ Skater Savage, equipped with Mercury Racing 1350 engines.
Below: Local boater Chance Kemp shows off his Nor-Tech 390, powered by quad Mercury Racing 400Rs. It sits atop a custom MYCO trailer.
Above: Legend Marine Group, one of the original Outlaw sponsors since 2008, displayed this Nor-Tech center console powered by quad Mercury Racing 400Rs. Right: Wayne Hardin displayed his Statement center console.
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
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TEXAS OUTLAW CHALLENGE AWARDS 1: Bill and Angela Friedrichs are presented with an Event Sponsor Award. 2: Event producer Paul Robinson and Daryl Turner were presented the Bay Area Community Pinnacle Service Award from Rick Clapp, CEO of the Bay Area Media Group, for their outstanding service to the community. 3: The cool and coveted awards for Texas Outlaw Challenge winners include a Six Shooter for the poker run and a Shotgun for the Shootout. 4: Event Sponsor Greg Connell and Jennifer Bishop of Legend Marine Group. 5: Event sponsor Kenny Armstrong of DH Tech.
2
1 3
4 5
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story by
26
Brett Bayne •
photography by
S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
Jeff Gerardi
speedboat.com
SHOWDOWN IN
SARASOTA
OPA/P1 competitors continue their quest for a national championship as the action returns to Florida.
T
he 36th Annual Suncoast Summer Fest in Sarasota
got underway on Sunday morning, June 27, with perfect weather—and ended with two races getting canceled because of lightning storms. As they say, welcome to Florida. This was the the third stop of APBA Offshore National Series, presented by Powerboat P1 and OPA, and was supposed to feature 12 offshore classes in four separate races. However, the offshore race combining ClassONE, Supercat and Prohibition 450 offshore boats was abruptly jettisoned from the schedule when the weather threatened to turn scary. (A final race featuring AquaX Jet Skis was also canceled.) Travis Pastrana and Sir Steve Curtis had been scheduled to race in Class One’s Miss GEICO, while four Supercat teams were similarly escorted off the course before their race could begin. Taylor Scism, who had been scheduled to race with her father (legendary MTI Boats founder and champion offshore racer Randy Scism), also missed their chance to compete. All competitors in these classes were given equal points by OPA for having shown up. The day started off promising enough, with four separate bracket classes (4, 5, 6 and 7) mixing it up spiritedly. In Class 4, points leader GNS Motorsports (with Grant Greytok and Bill Reeves) was the team to beat…which Predator, piloted by Dean Stahlman, Nate Hunt and Connie Hunt, did. They led the Class 4 field for nearly the entire race and captured the checkered flag with ease. Unleashed came in second and GNS finished third. [Text continues on page 30]
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SHOWDOWN IN SARASOTA
STOCK VEE: LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness once again lived up to its name as driver Brit Lilly shared the cockpit with longtime friend Travis Pastrana, who tackled the throttles for the first time (right). “He did a fantastic job,” Lilly says. “The intensity level was high.”
SUPER STOCK: Driver Myrick Coil and throttleman Rusty Williams initially appeared to finish second in the class in Performance Boat Center/FASS Fuel Systems, but when Team Allen Lawn Care was penalized for an infraction, the pair was handed a win. As this issue went to press, Coil and Williams were leading the class in points.
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10/18/19 10:27 PM
SHOWDOWN IN SARASOTA CLASS 2: The three Team Woody boats were unstoppable, starting with this canopied 35’ Fountain, throttled and driven by Chad Woody and Billy Shipley (left).
CLASS 3: Driver Jeff Muehlhausen and throttleman Brad Wade (right) took the canopied 28’ Lavey Craft Team Woody to its third consecutive victory this season.
CLASS 5: The 30’ Phantom Team Woody, piloted by Micheal Stancombe and JJ Turk (above), were tops in the nine-boat field.
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speedboat.com
SHOWDOWN IN SARASOTA
STOCK VEE: Steve and Stephen Kildahl, the Sarasota-based father-and-son Stock-V team in Boatfloater.com, were quick off the line and held off challengers Sheriff Lobo and Visit St. Petersburg. [Text continued from page 25] With a nine-boat field, Class 5 was dominated by driver JJ Turk and throttleman Micheal Stancombe in Team Woody. Two Cruel and Revelation Racing were second and third, respectively. The winner in Class 6 was Gerard Marine Offshore (with Mark Conrod and Chase Gerard), besting points leaders Rum Runners, while Class 7 was won by Ella’s Nightmare, driven by Travis Lofland and throttled by 14-yearold Dominic Stancombe (who recently celebrated his second-place finish at the Lake of the Ozarks, his first-ever offshore race). The second race of the day featured Mod Vee and Stock Vee competitors, along with Bracket Class 3’s two-boat field. As Sheriff Lobo took an early lead in Mod Vee, and You Gun Learn leading in Stock Vee, a red flag stopped the race when Stock Vee competitor Fastboys/Tiki Lee’s (with driver Ken Bolinger and throttleman Forrest Riddle) stuffed the boat, causing it to sink. (The rescue boat hooked the hull and managed to tow it in.) There were no major injuries. When the course was clear, the boats restarted and completed their remaining laps. Team Woody/Golf N Gator (with Jeff Muehlhausen and Brad Wade) bested Rollin’ Dirty Offshore in Class 3. In Stock Vee, You Gun Learn (with Dante Napoli and Mikey Bocchino) continued to put up a hell of a battle in Stock
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
Vee, but Brit Lilly and Travis Pastrana edged them out for the win in LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness. This season, Pastrana and Lilly have been trading off as drivers of the ClassONE Miss GEICO competitor with throttleman Sir Steve Curtis. Close friends since childhood, Lilly was instrumental in luring Nitro Circus star Pastrana into the world of offshore racing. For this Stock Vee race, Pastrana throttled (for the first time) while Lilly drove the LSB entry while Lilly’s usual throttleman, Kevin Smith, was throttling the #66 Pit Viper/Twisted Tea boat (also known as Tug It) in Modified Vee. “I’d never been in a boat with Travis Pastrana,” Lilly laughs. “He did a fantastic job, being new at it and everything. We made a few mistakes, but we got our times faster and faster with each lap and really worked together as a team. The intensity level was high.” The Sarasota venue “has been one of my favorite courses that I’ve ever raced on,” Lilly told Speedboat. “I really loved having the rights and the lefts. The sea floor is all different depths, so you get flat water and big water, you get some big rollers, sweeping turns, tight turns. Sarasota did a fantastic job putting that course together.” The restart of the day’s second race gave a second chance to Stock Vee competi-
tor Boatfloater.com, which had apparently suffered engine problems after the original start, causing them to stop the boat and make repairs. (The team has reportedly raced in every single Sarasota offshore match, and is on fire this year.) Following the restart, they were back in business, easily taking the win; their Sarasota success was their third straight victory of the year. Sheriff Lobo finished in second place, while Visit St. Petersburg finished third. Sun Print suffered mechanical problems early on and did not finish. What turned out to be the final race of the day belonged to the field of 11 Super Stock boats. Team Allen Lawn Care, winner of the season’s kickoff race in Cocoa Beach, led for most of the race and appeared to finish first, with points leader Performance Boat Center/FASS Fuel Systems right behind. However, Team Allen’s Cody McDowell and Billy Allen missed the mid-turn pin on the second lap, sending the team back to eighth place. (“Big mistake—better luck next time,” Allen told Speedboat. “Congrats to Performance Boat Center—they have a great team and crew chief, Andy Sanders.”) CMR Roofing, with Eric Belisle and Shaun Torrente, finished second in Super Stock, followed by Paint Factory, FJ Propeller, CR Racing and Your Storage Units.
speedboat.com
CLASS 4: Points leader GNS Motorsports was the team to beat… which Predator did, leading the field for nearly the entire race.
CLASS 6: Mark Conrod and Chase Gerard in Gerard Marine Offshore bested current points leader Rum Runners.
CLASS 7: The Ella’s Nightmare crew of Dominic Stancombe and father Micheal Stancombe with Julie Lahr.
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story by
Brett Bayne •
photography by
Pete Boden and Ray Lee
Above: Wills Nixon drives his Nor-Tech 3900 Super Vee. Above right: Charlevoix, MI-based David Sinacola’s Nor-Tech 450 Sport was painted by Stephen Miles Design. It’s powered by quad Mercury Racing 400R outboards. The boat is seen here at the marina in Boyne City. Below: A small portion of the more than 100 boats as they idle through the Pine Channel in Charlevoix to get to Lake Michigan, where throttles could be opened after getting a mile offshore.
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speedboat.com
THE After taking 2020 off because of Covid-19, fun-hungry teams flocked back to the small town of Boyne City, MI, for its scenic landscape— and to play poker.
speedboat.com
BOYNE SUPREMACY
B
oyne City, MI, is pretty small by most standards, but its charity poker run is entertainment on a colossal scale. Located about 60 miles north of Traverse City
and 60 miles south of the famous Mackinaw Bridge—which connects Michigan to its Upper Peninsula—Boyne City is situated on the southeastern end of Lake Charlevoix—itself adjacent to Lake Michigan. The city is known for its ski-lodge accommodations during the winter months, but when summer rolls around, it transforms into a scenic playground for extreme muscleboats. Like many events nationwide, Covid-19 pulled the plug on what would have been Boyne’s 17th annual event. But the Street Party, poker run and awards ceremony made a very welcome return this summer as boaters from around the country made the trek to this kick-ass event—including the intrepid Speedboat team, which was on the scene with cameras in tow. Helping make it all happen was event coordinator Ingrid Day, who found herself at the top of the proverbial ladder this year. But Day is no rookie when it comes to Boyne Thunder: “I’ve held other positions here, and I’ve lived here long enough to see the whole event unfold from a small gathering to the massive event it has become,” she says. [Continues on page 38]
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BOYNE THUNDER POKER RUN
Above: Ken Lalonde of upstate New York is the owner of this 2020 DCB M37R Widebody, powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards. Top right: John Frohlich’s 47’ Apache Kemosabe, powered by triple Sterling 950 engines. Right: This 42' from Chief Powerboats featured a cheeky crew dressed as pandas.
David Schaller of Michigan is chased by photographers as he pilots his 388 Skater catamaran, Mavrik II.
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
speedboat.com
This Cigarette 50’ Marauder Bad Habit.
Right: Enough Said is a new Outerlimits SL52 owned by Don Verkuylen of Wisconsin. The Stephen Miles Design-painted craft is powered by powered by twin dualcal Mercury Racing 1100/1350 engines. Verkuylen also owns a 52' Lamborghinithemed MTI.
Above: JP Frohlich runs his 46’ Skater Double Take, formerly owned by Jim Lee. Right: Burton Kirsten and family aboard their MTI 390X. speedboat.com
S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
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BOYNE THUNDER POKER RUN
Above: Robert Fox, winner of the best poker hand, happily donated his $5,000 grand prize back to Boyne Thunder in memory of a fellow boater. Left: William Grannis took home the $500 prize for worst poker hand. Having a good deal of hands-on experience working on Boyne Thunder came in handy for Day this year, because the event faced considerable challenges in pulling off an event that would not only fulfill the expectations of longtime attendees, but to keep things fresh and innovative at the same time. For starters, there was no event last year, and there was some turnover in personnel to boot. There were also some pandemic guidelines still in place, which caused the Boyne team to made a
few necessary adjustements to things like tent sizes. “This is an event that takes a full nine or 10 months to plan,” Day explains. “We wanted to be sure that we didn’t skip a beat with new people in place. We also wanted to make a few minor tweaks and changes to our layout to stay a little new and fresh for folks.” Ultimately, Boyne Thunder ended up selling all 120 spaces they allowed for, with about 105 boats total on the water. Among the familiar faces: Jason and Laurie Moe of
Seattle, WA; Burton and Yvette Kirsten of St. Clair, MI, Steve Gordon of Bloomfield Hills, MI, Bill Lemanske of Gross Ile, MI, and Michael Knoblock from event sponsor American Custom Marine. Since its inception, Boyne Thunder has raised and distributed over $1 million to charities like Camp Quality, which benefits children with cancer, and Challenge Mountain, which is dedicated to enriching and improving the lives of the mentally and physically challenged through outdoor recreation.
Participating boats raft off the T-docks for a grilled lunch in Charlevoix after the first two card stops of the day, in Elk Rapids and Northport.
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BOYNE THUNDER STREET PARTY Left: Mercury Racing displayed its wide range of power products. Below: Kelly O’Hara’s 36’ MTI, Holy Cow, newly repowered with Mercury Racing 700 SCi engines.
Bobby Kaiser’s new 48' MTI pleasure cat, US-1 Systems, powered by Mercury Racing 1100/1350 engines. Offshore racing legend Sir Steve Curtis drove the boat with Kaiser at the event.
This 37’ Outerlimits Quad Step is owned by Tim Busch. It’s powered by Keith Eickert 1100 engines.
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Among the retro automobiles seen on display at the Boyne City Street Party: This 1931 Ford Speedster, a gorgeous two-seat race car.
Amid all of the latest power and technology, a few classic-style speedboats could be seen at the Street Party, including this gem from Van Dam Custom Boats, based right in Boyne City, MI. This 24' Van Dam “gentleman’s racer” is called Lickety-Split.
Left: Shane and Vicki Franks displayed their Statement 42' Ultimate, Saddle Up, powered by twin Mercury Racing 700SCi engines.
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Dave Carey in his 2021 37’ Midnight Express is chased by Brian Correll in the biplane.
Far right: Sam Shaffer poses on Dave Carey’s Midnight Express. Right: Sylvia Simpson poses on the Tiki Lee’s truck.
story by
Brett Bayne •
photography by
Randy Nuzzo
SHOOTOUT ON THE RIVER
Tiki Lee’s mounts a 1st-class, 1st-time
O
event on the Chesapeake Bay.
ne of the most gratifying and invigorating things about life slowly returning to normal following a global pandemic is the emergence of new boat
models and boating events. Following the cancellation of countless poker runs and boat shows over the last year and a half, it was truly inspirational to see the inaugural Tiki Lee’s Shootout on the River unfold so successfully on the Chesapeake Bay’s tributary of Back River in July. Headquartered at Tiki Lee’s Dock Bar in Sparrows Point near Baltimore, MD, the event combined a poker run, kilo run and shootout over a three-day weekend, and still found time to squeeze in a boat parade and bikini contest. Sanctioned by APBA and OPA, the event was bolstered by sponsorship from WMF Watercraft & Marine, Marine Technology Inc. (MTI), Maryland Offshore Marine Center and other backers, and staged with major assistance from the Chesapeake Bay Power Boat Association. Tiki Lee’s owner David Carey worked overtime to make sure
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that participants thoroughly enjoyed all of the activities, and tells Speedboat that he’s gratified that the weekend was so wellreceived, safe and generally problem-free. “I think it went great,” he says. “The Chesapeake Bay Power Boat Association really showed their knowledge—they really got a chance to shine when it came to this event. Director Ted Ginnity’s knowledge of safety and course design and protocol is absolutely incredible.” The action kicked off with a poker run that drew 700 people and 130 boats, according to Carey. The entry fee was $250, and participants received plenty of giveaways, including meals, T-shirts, Tiki Lee’s towels and other lucrative booty. “I think we gave them a first-class run for their money,” Carey says. The run, which drew speedboats of all sizes and power configurations, was ultimately won by offshore throttleman Ron Umlandt, who picked up a cash prize of $15,000. Saturday brought a kilo run, a time-trial event which, rather than measuring absolute peak [Text continues on page 81] speedboat.com
e
SHOOTOUT ON THE RIVER POKER RUN Marine Technology, with MTI’s Taylor and Randy Scism, races stunt pilot Brian Correll in his biplane.
Richard and Denise Thomas in All Fired Up, their 2011 39’ Top Gun Unlimited Cigarette with 700 SCi Mercury engines.
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SHOOTOUT ON THE RIVER POKER RUN
Above: The first wave of the poker run takes off while the second wave waits on the Back River. Right: The Tiki Lee’s girls.
Left: Jeff Loeser in his 2007 36' Concept, powered by 275 Mercury outboards built to 340 hp.
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Two Velocity powerboats, both 390 SCs: Rusty Luce (far lane) and Ronnie Zadjel (near lane).
Bill Nohle of Winchester, VA, in Thunderstruck, a 50’ Cigarette Marauder with triple 1075s and #6 drives.
Lee’s Landing was the lunch stop for the poker run. Surrounded by condos in Port Deposit, MD, the facility is huge, with indoor and outdoor eating areas, a pool, bandshell and, of course, boat docks.
Kryptonite, owned by Robert Chesgreen of Chester, MD, is powered by twin Mercury Racing 300X outboards.
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SHOOTOUT ON THE RIVER KILO RUN Left: ProStock Vee competitor Typhoon is a 29’ Extreme. Randy Schleuss is on throttles and his daughter Lauren is driving. The pair recorded a speed of 84.2 mph.
Right: Tug It, now better known as Pit Viper/Twisted Tea is a 29’ Extreme with Brit Lilly (D) and Kevin Smith (T). Below right: Lilly and Smith also ran LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness/Rev X Oil, a 29' Extreme, and in ProStock Vee. Bottom: Wazzup, a 30' Phantom, is driven by Nicholas Smith with Ed “Smitty” Smith on the throttles. They achieved a speed of 85 mph.
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Above left: The MTI 390X Marine Technology (powered by twin Mercury Racing 450s) set a record of 121 mph in 450 class. Above: The MTI team (incuding MTI President Randy Scism (center) and his daughter Taylor (the boat’s driver) accept their check.
Above: Punisher is a 30’ Phantom driven by Charlie McCarthy and throttled by Tony Silveira. They achieved a record top speed of 94 mph. Bottom right: Travis Pettko is the driver of the 30' Phantom Relentless; Steve Papp was on board for throttles. Their record speed was 89 mph. Center right: The Punisher and Relentless teams accept their checks.
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SHOOTOUT ON THE RIVER SHOOTOUT
Above: Chaos, a 2004 40' Skater SS, reached a top speed of 139.4 mph. The boat was driven by Brit Lilly with Kevin Smith on throttles. It sports two fuel-injected 1350 Sterlings with dual Whipples. Right: The pair accept their Fastest on the River trophy.
Above: John Plaine of Jarrettsville, MD in a 31’ Scarab Viper powered by two Mercury 800’s. Plaine hit 90.2 mph. Below: Another MTI 390X brought by Randy Scism ran 115 mph in the shootout. Above: Frank and Christie Ungarten of Elkton, MD. Christie is driving the 22' Apache with Frank navigating. Frank ran the boat at 75 mph, while Christie clocked a speed of 70.8 mph.
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Left: Gary Schoepke of Lower Burrell, PA, in his 2008 51' Outerlimits, powered by triple Mercury Racing 700 SCi engines.
Right: TS Motorsports support center console 42' MTI-V is powered by quad Mercury Racing 450Rs.
Bottom: Ed Miller drives his 41' Platinum, the only one of its kind. The boat is powered by two Yamaha 425s. Miller earned a top speed of 88 mph.
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an
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OUTBOARD
Photography by
Todd Taylor and Rob Rich
Above left: The boats dock at Big Dick’s Halfway Inn. Above right: Burton Kirsten’s MTI 390x, Jetster (left) and a new Wright Performance 360 (right). Left: Tyler Miller, throttleman of offshore racing’s famed Supercat competitor M-CON, with wife Lindsey, pilots his new 368 Skater, powered by Mercury Racing 450Rs.
speedboat.com
FUN RUN
Year #2 of Performance Boat Center’s event was a roaring success.
F
or the second consecutive year, Performance Boat Center of Osage Beach, MO, pulled off a fun, successful and safe Outboard Fun Run, open exclusively
to boats of all types and size ranges—the only stipulation being that they needed to have Mercury Marine and Mercury Racing outboard power. Considering the way that engines like the 400R and 450R have been dominating the industry, with no sign of slowing down, PBC had no problem in the registration department. “It’s a Friday in July, and normally everybody is busy, but we were still able to get around 55 boats to the run,” says company co-owner Brett Manire. “To get that amount of participation on a Friday from all over the country, when people have jobs and families and such, is pretty awesome.” Represented brands included the ones sold by the PBC dealership, including Wright Performance, MTI, Sunsation, Cigarette and South Bay pontoons, as well as some Skaters, Spectres, Mystics, Nor-Techs, etc. The day’s itinerary was fairly basic. Starting with a hearty breakfast at PBC and the requisite driver’s meeting, the fleet took to the water, with helicopter pilot Tom Cline and photographers overhead to snap some memories. The first stop was the lake’s 48-mile marker, where a giant tent awaited at Big Dick’s Halfway Inn, along with a barbecue buffet feast and some live music. The next stop was Backwater Jack’s, a truly hoppin’ place where everybody relaxed and cooled off to the eclectic blend of food, drink, swimming and entertainment. The evening ended with a taco buffet dinner and awards party with more music. “Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves,” Manire reports. Representatives from Mercury Racing were on hand, as was the company’s famous display truck with engines and other products. “They gave us a bunch of swag to give out to customers,” Manire adds. “We really appreciate their coming down.” S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
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OUTBOARD FUN RUN Left: Lunch and pooltime fun at Backwater Jack’s. Below: John Roach and friends in his 38' Statement center console.
Brett and Sharon Spraggins enjoy their MTI 390X, Bougiee AF.
Burton Kirsten drives Jetster, his MTI 390X. The boat is powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards.
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Kent and Liz Anderson pilot their Sunsation 40CCX center console.
Bill Allen drives his Nor-Tech center console alongside Shane Sherman driving the Millers’ 41 Cigarette Night Hawk.
Top: PBC’s Brett Manire with Cherell Scism of MTI, accepting the Best Center Console award. Above: Brett with Brett and Sharon Spraggins, owner of an MTI 390X (Page 52) accepting the Going the Distance award. Left: PBC’s Myrick Coil and Brett Manire with Lindsey Miller (center), Missi Coil and Jordan Major.
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OUTBOARD FUN RUN Johnny and Lori Schillace of Louisiana in their 360 Wright Performance, GoodFella.
Right: George Clay of Kentucky drives his 360 Wright Performance, powered by twin Mercury Racing 400R outboards.
Left: The team at Marine Technology Inc. enjoy the run in their MTI-V 42 demo boat.
Right: Double Trouble is the name of Mike Stordahl’s MTI 340X, powered by twin Mercury Racing 400Rs.
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DONZI
38 ZRC
Continuing to revise and refine its lineup, Iconic Marine Group unveils a classic with a new wraparound windshield.
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S P E E D B O A T | September/October 2021
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story by
Brett Bayne •
photography by
Mark Spencer
A
s you may have seen in Speedboat’s most recent issue, the team at Iconic Marine Group (Washington, NC) continues to improve and refine its lineup. The Fountain 42 Lightning has been re-introduced with a dramatically redesigned deck that retained its classic
styling while various updates have added a modern flourish. Meanwhile, the Fred Ross-owned corporation has also been continually working its magic beefing up its Donzi Marine brand. Most recently, it has re-launched a pair of its beloved go-fast hulls: the 22’ Classic and the 38 ZRC. The ZRC was once extremely popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, and the model has continued to have a healthy following. Last year, Speedboat got a chance to run the latest incarnation of the hull at a private event held at Iconic’s headquarters, and we found it to be the quintessential performance luxury craft. It featured a number of new styling twists, including a high-tech carbon-fiber dash that allows for optional port or starboard steering. Looking at the boat, three words immediately spring to mind: “timeless, classic beauty.” The 2022 iteration of the 38 ZRC features a new wraparound windshield to replace the boat’s original 3/4 canopies. According to company President Jeff Harris, “You don’t really get the level of wind protection for the passengers with the canopies. There’s a big gap between them, and air rushes down the middle.” But because the ZRC is a fast, exceptionally good-running boat with a great performance track record, customer demand caused Iconic to tinker with the design and incorporate a new protective one-piece wraparound windshield design. “It’s now part of the deck design of the boat,” he says. “The upholstery is the same and the laminate is the same, of course.” The first ZRC built in this new configuration was powered by a pair of Mercury Racing 860 stern drives with M6 drives (top speed was 116 mph); a second was equipped with Mercury Racing 565 stern drives and is capable of speeds in the 97-98 mph range. “We’re really pleased with the performance of the boat,” Harris says. speedboat.com
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DONZI 38ZRC
The ZRC features a redesigned wraparoudn windshield that provides better protection for passengers. This model is powered by Mercury Racing 565s.
The Donzi 38 ZRC features performance-style, form-fitted seats that hold you in place while you’re sitting, as well as custom foot rests that adjust to passengers of different heights. “It’s a fun sit-down boat that, when the center of gravity is low, you move around from side to side less,” says company President Jeff Harris.
Side by side: The previous 38 ZRC with the three-quarter canopies (far lane) runs alongside the wraparound windshield configuration (near lane).
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cele b
story and photos by
Stu Jones
ting ra
years
BLASTOFF TO
BIMINI
Despite rough water conditions, the Florida Powerboat Club sets sail to the Bahamas to kick off the summer boating season.
Above left: Stephen and Maria Madaffari in Mindset, a 2019 33’ Renegade center console. Above right: Michael and Sarah Howe in their MTI 390X, Light Speed, powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards.
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Terry S a 39' N center
Nassau’s famous Atlantis Paradise Island ocean resort.
T Terry Sobo pilots a 39' Nor-Tech center console.
speedboat.com
FPC President Stu Jones drives his Cigarette 38 Top Gun, Project 1080.
he Florida Powerboat Club celebrated three decades of crossing the Gulfstream to the Bahamas
with its recent 30th Annual Bahamas Poker Run. A record 25 teams assembled in Miami and departed June 18 for a 57-mile crossing to Bimini. Although the summer conditions would typically be favorable for the crossing, a recent storm has passed through the area, churning up the seas for a bumpy ride. By slowing the pace, a majority of the group persevered and were able to arrive in Bimini shortly after 9 a.m. The first destination was the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini, where about half of the teams cleared customs, while the others took the more traditional approach of touring the historic Alice Town. For the next two days, the poker run crews enjoyed the many activities that Bimini has to offer, including a visit with the stingrays at Honeymoon Harbor, snorkeling at the SS Sapona shipwreck, and anchoring along the sandy shoreline of North Beach. With the islands of the Bahamas still under strict guidelines due to Covid-19, masks were still required in all public spaces at the resorts, but the boaters were able to enjoy their freedoms when they were on the water and outdoors. On Sunday, the group split, with half of the teams returning to Miami, and the remaining boaters continuing the extended trip to Chub Cay, as well as Nassau. While the trip across the Bahama Bank was calm and manageable, passage into the deep ocean waters near the Berry Islands quickly produced more rough sea conditions. These conditions prevailed for the final leg from Chub Cay to Nassau, creating some challenges for many of the teams. Upon completion of the 40-mile final leg, the majority of the teams settled into the new Margaritaville Resort in Nassau, while others made the popular Atlantis resort their final destination. Local day trips had been planned for the agenda; however, many of the boaters felt the rough conditions in the earlier days [Text continues on page 64]
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BLASTOFF TO BIMINI Left: Longtime Nor-Tech sales director Terry Sobo drives a 39' Nor-Tech center console. Below: NFL superstar Delanie Walker, the tight end formerly of the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans, drives his 2020 Outerlimits SL50, powered by Mercury Racing 1100/1350 engines.
Smokin’ Hott is Virginia native Anthony Bertozzi’s Cigarette 38' Top Gun, powered by twin Mercury Racing 525EFi engines.
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BLASTOFF TO BIMINI Stephen and Kelly Marino in their Nor-Tech 390 Sport CC, Calm Down. It’s powered by triple Mercury Racing 450Rs.
Right: This 2017 Mystic C4400 catamaran, Cattivo, is owned by Robert and Crissy Lockyer and is powered by twin Mercury Racing 1100 engines. Bottom right: Mystic owner John Cosker drives his M4200 center console, powered by quad Mercury Racing 450Rs.
[Continued from page 25] of the run had given them a sufficient amount of boating fun, and opted to settle in and enjoy landbased activities. On Tuesday morning, two of the Nor-Tech teams decided to continue their adventure, and headed south to Staniel Cay, an island located in the Exuma Cays, a district of the Bahamas, while the remaining group headed back to Miami. In spite of the rough conditions, most of those who participated in the event agreed that it was an exciting way to kick off their summer boating season. One more item to check off on the powerboating bucket list! Shortly after the Florida Powerboat Club returned from this late June event, the Bahamas government announced 7 p.m. curfews in Bimini and other islands, as they continue to face the challenges of the coronavirus. The absence of vaccines and medical facilities to treat Covid-19 patients makes the Bahamians very vulnerable to this terrible disease. It is with some regret, therefore, that the FPC has decided to cancel the scheduled August Bahamas Blast. We hope the the situation shows some improvement soon!
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TEAGUE ON TECH [LOW OIL PRESSURE continues from page 10] BOB TEAGUE Other things that can cause low oil pressure include internal oil leaks in the engine. This includes the accidental omission of a galley plug, or a bypass check valve installed incorrectly. You likely have a Generation V or VI GM block. I have seen re-builders forget to re-install the 1/8 inch pipe plugs in the lifter galley which are not present on the Mark IV blocks. Omitting the
lifter galley plugs (under the timing gear) will also result in low oil pressure but usually causes the lifters to be noisy. If the low oil pressure problem is due to excessive engine clearances on the crankshaft or lifter bores, the result is that excessive oil is added to the windage in the engine. Excessive oil that is exposed to the rotating assembly creates additional wind-
Torqueing rod bolt to spec with bearing installed.
Above: Measuring rod bearing to compare clearance. Right: Final assembly with proper rod bearings.
Rotating assembly complete.
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Above: Results from inadequate oil pressure.
age problems, low sump levels, aerated oil, and increased oil temperature. Oil is also heated excessively by heat that is absorbed from the underside of the pistons which is increased if your engine is running lean causing higher combustion temperatures. Low fuel pressure or flow restrictions can lead to lean conditions. Your carburetor is enclosed in a “box” which is pressurized by the centrifugal
compressor. Your fuel pump has a boost reference hose that causes the fuel pressure to increase as the boost increases. If your carburetor is a Holley dual feed design, it is desirable to be able to maintain about 8 psi fuel pressure under full constant load in a normal performance environment. Being that your carburetor is in a pressurized environment, the fuel pressure must be increased pound for pound as the boost increases. In other words, if you are running 8 psi of boost, the fuel pressure should increase to about 16 psi. If the fuel pressure does not increase as the boost increases, the fuel flow will stop or be hampered significantly as the boost pressure reaches a pressure equal to the fuel pressure. I assume you have the set-up where the boost reference hose connects to the tube on the mechanical pump, resulting in additional pressure on the diaphragm. Alternatively, you can use a higher-pressure mechanical or electric pump with a boost referenced regulator. Ultimately, if you want to know if the engine is too lean (or rich), you will need to install bungs in your tailpipes, and test the boat with air/fuel ratio meters attached. AEM (Advanced Engine Management Inc.) has a nice set up that works well and is available at a decent price.
Crankshaft damage from spun bearings.
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TEAGUE ON TECH BOB TEAGUE
More Oil Pressure Problems Dear Bob: I am experiencing oil pressure conditions, but with a different set of circumstances. I have an original MerCruiser 454 multi-port injection (MPI) Magnum motor in my 1998 Formula 252LS. I had an unfortunate inci-
dent while underway and running at about 2,500 to 2,800 rpm; my oil pressure sensor was rusted without my knowledge and it was pumping oil out of the engine into the bilge. It ran so low that I observed the oil pressure
gauge drop to zero and then started hearing clicking in the engine. I guess the noise was coming from the valve train. I shut it down right away and got towed in. I later put in 6 quarts of oil, which means I probably pumped just about all the engine oil out. It seemed to run fine in my driveway with the garden hose connected to the drive with my flushing device, but once I put it in the water, oil pressure dropped from 40 psi down to about 10 PSI and I again heard which seemed to be a valve train clicking or tapping. I limped it back in and now I’m wondering if I ruined the engine. Do you have any suggestions? John Campione Phoenix, AZ Referring to the previous question and answer, I think that your low oil pressure situation is being caused by excessive bearing clearances created by wear to your main and rod bearing due to lack of proper lubrication. As I stated in the previous answer, excessive engine bearing clearances are one of the primary causes of low oil pressure. You may even have a bearing or two that has spun in the block or in a connecting rod. Sometimes, rod bearing halves will stack themselves on each other. The reason that the oil pressure started out at 40 PSI and then dropped significantly is likely because the oil temperature was increased causing the viscosity to be lower. It is also possible that your oil filter is clogged with engine bearing debris. If you did not change the filter, this could be the case. One way to determine the extent of your engine damage is to remove the oil filter and cut it open to look for engine bearing material. If there is bearing material present, you have some level of engine damage. It is also possible that the oil pump relief valve is stuck in an open position by debris. The same situation can occur with the oil thermostat, if your engine has one, causing it to be stuck in a restrictive position. I think you should consider that your engine has serious damage and a rebuild or a new long block is in your future.
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Brett’s
COVE Featuring RIVER RUSH Jet Boat Race
2 ON BLUE
1969 SCHIADA RESTORATION
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photography by
Ray Lee
THE MAN IN
BLUE
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This Schiada was faded and worn out when Justin Bender’s dad acquired it; years later, it had become a piece of junk. Now Bender is a law-enforcement officer—and he’s made this bad boy good again.
L
ike many of his hot-boating brethren, Justin Bender’s story begins at a local lake—in this case, Lake Nacimiento, located midway between Los Angeles and San Jose. Bender credits his dad John, owner of a 21' Connolly, for
getting him addicted to speed. The younger Bender was about 6 when his father did some favors for a businessman-neighbor, who offered a Schiada V-drive that was sitting aside his house as part of the deal. “We went over there and checked it out,” Bender recalls. “I was still just a kid, but I remember that the weeds in this guy’s backyard were so high that I couldn’t see the boat. My dad had to pick me up as we walked through the yard. It was unbelievable.” But there was definitely a 1969 Schiada flatbottom there, and Bender’s father accepted the neglected boat as payment. The elder Bender looked at his son and said: “Hey kid, when you grew up, this is your project boat.” And it sat on the side of our house for 20 more years.” At least it wasn’t mouldering in the grass. It was sitting on a trailer parked on the concrete, but it was outside, unprotected, and becoming more weather-beaten with each passing year. [Text continues on page 77] speedboat.com
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BENDER’S GAME
After many years of waiting to accumulate the time and money necessary to transform the Schiada, Justin Bender officially launched his restoration project in 2013. As you can see from these photos, the hull was in pretty rough shape. At the time, the dash sported a single gauge— a tachometer. That was about to change.
Above: The boat, now stripped of its seats, V-drive, etc., still displays the rigging for the original rudder. Below left: Here’s the original Schiada emblem, which would later be completely rechromed. Below: The restoration officially begins, as it takes up residence at Mel’s Custom Boats in Santa Fe Springs, CA. (Company owner Mel Ruiz has since retired.) Now the real work begins!
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Once at Mel’s, the boat was flipped over and the bottom was thoroughly blueprinted. Meanwhile, all-new stringers were fabricated and a new balsa-wood floor was constructed. The transom was also re-done, and a new kickboard was made underneath the front of the boat.
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BENDER’S GAME
Above: The Schiada’s new balsa-wood floor. Above right: Mel Ruiz uses a straight-edge to demonstrate that the boat’s bottom was no longer straight. Ruiz made repairs to the boat’s bottom and floor. Rigger Captain Dan built new seat bases for the interior, while Ruiz fabricated all-new fiberglass bucket seats for the boat.
Above and left: Ruiz has now completely re-gelcoated the Schiada. The hull is starting to really take shape at this point. Next up will be applying new graphics, rerigging and repowering.
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Above: The blue, green and orange colors that appear on the boat are all gelcoat. The floor and sidewalls of the boat have been gelcoated as well. Right: The re-rigging process includes installing new gauges (there are now a total of six gauges, including one to the left of the wheel). Seats, hardware, V-drive and engine are all installed. Bottom right: Pin striper James “Van” Vanarsdall applies the CF registration number.
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BENDER’S GAME
Above: Bender’s boat attends the Classic Schiada Regatta, held on the Colorado River in Parker, AZ. Below and opposite: The boat is photographed at Speedboat Magazine’s swimsuit shoot on May 12 at Lake Elsinore.
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“I remember the gelcoat being so bad that if you touched it, the paint would come off in your hand,” Bender says. “But finally, I got a career and got some money, so it was time to start putting this thing together.” That was eight years ago. By that time, Bender was a police officer living in Orange County, and he knew that the project ahead was going to be one that would take a large number of new components and an overwhelming amount of TLC. Everything, from the rigging to the gelcoat, is new. “I actually
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had to redo the kick panel and the transom. We flipped the boat over and cut out sections of the fiberglass that was de-laminating from the floor. Then I had to actually redo the floor of the boat and install new stringers. Then I re-rigged everything—running gear, gauges, stainless steel cav plates. Everything’s new.” A new engine was assembled from a short block into a 565 big-block Chevy; the setup features a Jessel valvetrain, USA Supercharger, dual Holley Dominator 1050s, Dooley oil pan, Clay Smith solid roller cam, Clay Smith large
mechanical six-port fuel pump, K&N fuel filters, oil filters and intake filter for the scoop. Andy Casale rebuilt the V-drive with 29 gears. Bender doesn’t know the exact top speed of the boat, but guesses it’s in the 100+ mph range. The boat’s engine makes 815 hp. Looking at the back of the restored Schiada, you’ll see Pak Rat Racing emblazoned on the transom. That’s the name of the Bender family’s racing team since the 1960s—they used to compete in the National Hot Rod Association’s Super Gas/Comp class. The emblem is the perfect way to pay tribute to their years of auto racing. Bender gives special thanks to his wife Rocio and his two sons, Jackson and Jameson (“This is our boat together”), as well as the team at his father’s company, Diamond Liners of Santa Fe Springs, CA, who did the machining. He also gives a special mention to legendary engine builder Amos Satterlee and drag boat racers Danny Cannon and Chuck Davis, who helped with the build and who inspired Justin to finish the project; all three have since passed away. Bender uses the boat at Lake Nacimiento and on the Colorado River in Parker, AZ.
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story and photography by
Marlene Mignerey
RIVER RUSH
Continuing a tradition that kicked off in 1985, racers chart a course to Central Idaho to conquer the Clearwater River.
Above: CX racers Tim Harding (driver) and Vance Scott (navigator) took first place in the class—and the overall event—in their Burning Desire competitor. They finished the event with a time of 2:19:33.
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W
ild jetboat racing action heated up in central Idaho, when the Clearwater River Rush jetboat race continued a tradition that began in 1985. Racers in three classes (FX, CX and A) took to the waters of
the Clearwater River in central Idaho near the city of Orofino. The overall winner (and winner in CX Class) was Burning Desire, with Tim Harding (D) and Vance Scott (N), who finished with a time of 2:19:33. Both men are from Gold Beach, OR. Harding has been promoting and racing jet boat river races for more than 25 years. He is presently organizing the 2022 World Jet Boat Races, to be held in Idaho, Oregon and Northern California in the middle of next May. Because of Covid, this premier event has been postponed twice. Driver Chris Barger and navigator Chandler Lytle, both of Orofino, ID, were the winners in FX Class (and second overall), with a time of 2:40:04. First place in A Class (and third overall) was won by the father/son team of Jeff and Jeremy Edwardson of Lewiston, ID, with a time of 2:47:50.
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Fatal Attraction, the first-place finisher in FX Class, also finished second overall with a time of 2:40:04. The boat is driven by race organizer Chris Barger and navigated by Chandler Lytle.
Maniacs was the first-place finisher in A Class and the third overall winner. Piloted by father Jeff Edwardsen (driver) and son Jeremy Edwarden (navigator), the team finished with a time of 2:47:50.
Second-place finisher in FX Class was Alcohaulin’, with driver Mike Lindsey and navigator Riley Brooks, both of Lewiston, ID. On the second day of the race, Lindsey totaled the boat at the 6-Mile Rapid. There were no injuries to either of the men.
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RIVER RUSH Rude Awakening, the second-place finisher in A Class, is driven by Alan Paul and navigated by Rhenn Casto, both of Orofino, ID. They finished with a time of 3:23:10.
A Class competitor Sneaky Snake, featuring driver Ryan Hudson of Lewiston, ID, and navigator Jason Locke of Pasco, WA, finished third in the class with a time of 3:32:16. Hudson, along with Jeff Edwardsen and Mike Lindsey, are organizing the upcoming Thunder on the Snake Jet Boat Race in Lewiston, ID, Aug. 27-29.
[Text continued from page 42] speed, records the average speed of a boat as it travels 1 kilometer. OPA competitors from four spec classes came to set records. In Pro Stock Vee, Relentless (with driver Travis Pettko and throttleman Steve Papp) set a record with a speed of 88.83 mph; in Modified Vee, Punisher (with driver Sean McCarthy and throttleman Anthony Silvera) set a record with a speed of 96.09 mph; in 450R, Marine Technology (with driver Taylor Scism and throttleman Randy Scism) set a record with a speed of 121.81 mph); and in Vee Extreme, Knucklehead Racing (with driver Edward Smith and throttleman Anthony Smith) set a record with a speed of 122.84 mph. Each team nabbed a cash prize of $7,000. Finally, Sunday’s shootout was a “run what you brung” event, with plenty of triple-digit top speeds. It was a lively affair, kicking off with stunt pilot Brian Correll in his biplane chasing both Team Scism in their blue Marine Technology raceboat and Carey in his 2021 37' Midnight Express, powered by four Mercury Racing 450Rs. “That was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” Carey says. “I can not say enough about Brian. What a great guy. In addition to flying the plane, he also came out and interacted with the crowd and answered their questions.” Among those who participated in the shootout were owner Bill Forenski of headline sponsor WMF Watercraft & Marine, who wowed the crowd with runs in his MTI 340X cat, as well as a pair of pontoon boats, all powered by Mercury Racing 450R outboards. Also vying for the Fastest on the River award were the Scisms in their Marine Technology 390X with a speed of 118 mph. But the big winners of the shootout were local heroes Brit Lilly and Kevin Smith, who ran Steve Stanley’s 40' Skater, Chaos, to a top speed of 139.4 mph. It was one of three boats the pair ran at the event—they also piloted their World Champion offshore raceboat LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness in the kilo event, as well as Tug It/Pit Viper, which the LSB team campaigns in Modified Vee. “It was by far the biggest poker run I’ve ever seen on the Bay, and this is my hometown,” Lilly told Speedboat. “Everybody really outdid themselves.” He added that the Chaos boat—which Lilly’s Sport Boats maintains— was a blast to drive. “We’ve been taking care of it for a long time,” Lilly says. “My dad (offshore legend Art Lilly) used to race it in the
SHOOTOUT ON THE RIVER SHOOTOUT
local OPA event in 2006 to 2008, so it was nice to get back in it all redone.” Carey says he was delighted to host the crew from Marine Technology Inc. (MTI), which hauled three boats from their headquarters in Wentzville, MO, nearly 900 miles away—including aforementioned 390X Marine Technology offshore competitor driven by Taylor and Randy Scism in the kilo run, another 390X that ran in the poker run, and MTI’s 42-V center console demo boat. (The Scisms also
raced against Brian Correll in his biplane prior to the shootout, in a stunt patterned after the one Correll also does at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.) “We were really impressed by their presence,” he says. “Their interaction with our guests—and maybe their future clients—was incredible. They answered a lot of questions and provided demo rides. They’re really a first-class operation.” Carey is already looking forward to the 2022 event, and so are we!
OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE
[Continued from page 8]
Mascot Barney stands guard over the 47’ Apache Kemosabe from the expansive dash.
their many contributions to the city and to express their gratitude for it. We then traveled to the small town of Boyne City, MI, for the Boyne Thunder Poker Run. My first time at this event was two years ago and I fell in love with the event for its casual schedule, the cooler summer temperatures and friendly people. I had hoped to return again in 2020 but it too, fell victim to the dreaded Covid. 2021 was far better to Boyne City as the event returned in all of its glory. Previous organizer Bob Alger had since stepped down and handed over the reins to Ingrid Day, who did a remarkable job putting it all together. The appeal was so great that it attracted manufacturers such as John Cosker and his Mystic Powerboats, Peter Hledin and his Skater Power-boats, Outerlimits renaissance man Dan Kleitz and his fleet of vees and cats, the team at Mercury Racing, who was there with their display truck and even lured first-timers NorTech Boats with dealer manager Geoff Tomlinson all the way from Florida to experience Michigan boating, at its finest. All of them were impressed with “the Thunder.” I was privileged and honored to be invited on board the iconic 47' Apache Kemosabe again, just as I was in 2019. Owner John Frohlich is the most gracious host and offers complimentary earplugs and loaner goggles for the E-ticket ride. I’ve learned that this is mandatory equipment for protection from the forced winds in the face and the loud decibels coming from his triple fire-breathing 950-hp Sterling Performance engines. Even Barney the loving dinosaur joined in on the fun with us. Thanks again, John! The rest of the boating season is jammed packed for us, as more and more events continue to invite us to join them at their home cities. And we are thrilled to be there to experience as many as we can and bring the coverage to you—our readers. We thank you for your subscriptions and for your support of the printed publication. We couldn’t do it without you.
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