Speedboat August 2017

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE

HORRIFYING BOAT FLIP!

LONE

STAR OUTLAWS! See Full Shootout Coverage page 18

Bio-Kleen AUGUST 2017

AUGUST 2017

Factory Tour Biloxi’s Bitchin’ Boatfest speedboat.com

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Table of Contents AUGUST 2017

COLUMNS 8 10 12 14 16

CHRIS DAVIDSON RAY LEE ON THE DYNO V-DRIVE TECH INDUSTRY NEWS

36 RISKY BIZNESS Paul Finch explains how he came to purchase his amazing Sunsation 34 CCX.

40 OPA LAKE RACE Racers prepare for all-out battle at LOTO in OPA’s fourth event of the 2017 season.

44 CIGARETTE RENDEZVOUS

FEATURES 18 LONE STAR OUTLAWS The Texas Outlaw Challenge moves its shootout to the lake, making for a safer—and better—event.

26 ELIMINATOR 27' SPEEDSTER The West Coast builder creates a walk-through open-bow— with twin outboards.

30 BILOXI’S BITCHIN’ BOATFEST The Magnolia State once again makes an ideal backdrop for the Smokin’ the Sound Poker Run. 6

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Performance Boat Center lights up Lake of the Ozarks with a smokin’ get-together.

48 JAKOB’S JACK KNIFE Mark Jakob survives a spectacular blowover accident in his tunnel boat on the Ohio River.

50 FACTORY TOUR Celebrating 30 years of success, Bio-Kleen helps save the planet, one bottle at a time.

54 SPEEDBOAT LEGENDS This month, we pay tribute to Ralph Evinrude, the late Outboard Marine Corp. chairman. speedboat.com

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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 Jim Wilkes jim@speedboat.com

Alexi Sahagian alexi@speedboat.com

Tech Editors

National Sales Director Art Director

Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins Ray Lee ray@speedboat.com

Gail Hada-Insley

Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com

Photographers CCover Cove Co ove ver ph pphoto phot hoto oto by ot

by AAngie nggie ie PPeterson eettter erso er son so son Table of Contents photo by Paul Kemiel

BRETT’S COVE

Operations Manager Michele Plummer and Subscriptions michele@speedboat.com 5840 W. Craig Rd Suite 120, #386 Las Vegas, NV 89130-2730

62 AMERICAN SOLDIER A rare 1968 shovelnose Sanger becomes a patriotic tribute to our Wounded Warriors.

Webmaster Web Design

76 SPRINT BOAT GRAND PRIX

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

72 ALCORN’S DAY Al Alcorn’s legacy shines on with a Father’s Day Regatta on California’s Big River.

Craig Lathrop craig@speedboat.com

64 SPECTRA VISION Shaun Toews bought a 1977 24' V-drive and transformed it into a true classic.

Todd Taylor, Pete Boden, Kenny Dunlop, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Girardi, Randy Nuzzo, Mark McLaughlin

Editorial Offices

9216 Bally Court Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (702) 313-1400

SCSC racers put on a picture-perfect show at this first annual event in Lakeport, CA. SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 8 times plus a bonus issue this year by DCO Enterprises LLC. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Domestic $34.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, Canada $66.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, International $77.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue. All prices are for one year and in U.S. funds. For subscription info: call (702) 313-1400.

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

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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PRINTED IN USA These rates represent Speedboat’s standard subscription rate and should not be confused with any special rates or premiums otherwise advertised or offered.

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MY VIEW Chris Davidson

Happy Anniversary to US! This month commemorates the 10th anniversary of the day that several key members from the original Hot Boat magazine staff joined forces with me to create a legacy that has culminated in the issue you currently hold in your hands.

Jim Wilkes and I teamed up at Hot Boat back in 1987, with Greg Shoemaker jumping on board a couple of years later.

Brett Bayne joined us in 1995, so we’ve had the same core cast of characters for 30+ years. Todd Taylor joined us in the mid ’90s and has become an invaluable asset; he is a photographer extraordinaire, but also the master of numerous other trades in the world of high performance boating. As the head of Joker’s Wild Productions, he puts on most of the West Coast regattas (including DCB, Eliminator Boats and Ultra Boats).

After sending our many team members to hundreds of events over the past decade, it’s a pretty surprising to consider that some readers don’t know the whole backstory of how we left Hot Boat to create Performance Boats, and subsequently rechristened ourselves as Speedboat magazine, picking up Ray Lee as co-publisher. (The Speedboat name happened after after the sale of the PerformanceBoats.com website and forums were sold 2012 to Vertical Scope.)

Being terminated by Larry Flynt Publications—publisher of Hot Boat—was a devastating blow. It was triggered by the betrayal of my brother, who worked for me at Hot Boat, as well as a few others I had considered my friends. Several clients and industry associates assured me that there was no need for another high performance boating print magazine, but I guaranteed them that we would create something different. And we did.

PerformanceBoats.com was the first

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The Speedboat team (L-R): Earl Crowe, Kenny Dunlop, Brett Bayne, Greg Shoemaker, Chris Davidson, Tony Scarlata, Fred Young, Jay Forbes, Ray Lee, Jim Wilkes, Alexi Sahagian and Todd Taylor. multimedia company created in the boating field to meld a massive digital presence with fresh weekly video content—webisodes, in-depth and virtually immediate online event coverage, and a professionally laid-out digital version of the magazine. Webmaster and software genius Craig Lathrop wrote all the software from scratch for our video player to operate all the footage shot at the poker runs and regattas and the magazine to have the look and sound of turning a page, just like the print version. There was nothing remotely like it available at the time. This was back in 2007, when Facebook was in its infancy.

Within a year, both Extreme Boats Magazine and the remnants of my brother’s version of Hot Boat Magazine folded into oblivion. Within another year, our

longtime rival, Powerboat Magazine, had ceased to exist as well.

This all happened when fuel was $5 a gallon and the Los Angeles Boat Show— once the catalyst for each year’s boating season—was now a shell of what it had once been during our heyday. How long, I wondered, could it be before the economy turned itself around? As the years passed, Brett churned out the lion’s share of the articles; there would be no Speedboat Magazine today without his loyalty and passion for putting out a great magazine. Great job, Brett—we are 22 years strong!

Jim Wilkes and I hit various events, interviewing anybody who would talk to us on camera. Everyone’s skills improved with each video. We produced a couple of [continues on page 82] speedboat.com

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE

As publisher of Speedboat Magazine, I am fortunate enough to travel this great land to attend some of the top boating events, year after year, venue after venue.

There are always different scenarios and interesting little adventures to contend with that tend to keep us on our toes.

Photographer Todd Taylor and Ray Lee with the helicopter team of Cedric Van Nevel, George Van Nevel and Fred Young.

Keeping Cool Under Pressure Our latest ordeal was an impending face-off with an ugly adversary known as Tropical Storm Cindy, who was rudely threatening the success of the 10th Annual Texas Outlaw Challenge and moreover, our coverage of it. Cindy had made landfall in Louisiana and was working her way up near the Houston area of Texas. I became especially interested when I received a travel advisory from American Airlines informing me that my trip was in jeopardy.

Speedboat photographer Todd Taylor and I rolled the dice and made our way to the airport, determined to attend the 2017 Texas Outlaw Challenge, come hell or high-water (quite literally). Soon after, Cindy failed to deliver on her idle threats of mayhem, as she veered right, out towards the east coast and away from the scheduled festivities. We arrived in Texas to find calm weather, powerful boats and eager participants.

T.O.C.: 1 – Cindy: 0.

Friday morning brought breezy conditions to the Shootouts. Cindy had managed to keep a small number of the registered participants and attendees at home, as to not battle the elements during their travels but the event was still well populated. Todd made his way into the helicopter to “chase the race” while I was invited to the rental property of Chris and Teresa Tartamella, which was conveniently situated right on the water

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and in the middle of the shootout course.

It also had an elevated dock so the photo ops were excellent.

The morning breeze quickly grew into a strong crosswind that traveled directly over the shootout course. It definitely affected some of the passes that were made, as Vern Gilbert of West Coast Drives in Lake Havasu City, AZ, explained.

“The wind came in strong right across the course and was pushing my boat hard to starboard. It had plenty left in her but I didn’t want to risk it. I want to be able to go home,” said Gilbert.

Gilbert in his 40' Skater with twin 2100+ hp Carson Brummett engines, along with observer Bruce Bullock of Bullock Marine, ran a top speed pass of 158 mph in the shortened ¾ mile course.

That was enough to secure “Top Outlaw” honors, just edging out Dean Hollier and Chad Sage’s impressive 156 mph run in Hollier’s DCB F32 with twin Teague Custom Marine 1335s.

The next morning brought with it a forecast of a 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms. It arrived early and with giant Texas-sized raindrops but left just as quickly to reveal blue skies, which was a welcome sight. However, this was an ongoing concern throughout the day for our helicopter pilot Mark Lancaster and understandably so. Helicopters and lightning do not mix. While most of the poker running fleet were enjoying them-

selves at the lunch stop and pool party at Harborwalk, Mark was diligently monitoring the dark, looming clouds that kept creeping our way.

Eventually, Mark had to make the unenviable call to retreat towards the safety of the helicopter hangar.

Unfortunately, this decision was made before the fleet had any inkling to leave the festivities at the pool. Mark and Todd tried in vain to spot any stray poker runners while in the air. We left feeling defeated, realizing the lost opportunity for some great photography of this rowdy bunch. Cindy had delivered a body blow to our program and we were not happy about it.

But there was a completely different vibe with the poker runners on the water. The rain had again passed through quickly so that by the time they all left Harborwalk, it was a good time to run boats. With their hair dampened (but not their spirits), they departed on to the several other designated card stops and enjoyed the day together.

So in the end, the Texas Outlaw Challenge had defeated Tropical Storm Cindy in a unanimous decision. A job very well done by organizers Paul Robinson, Arlette Baudat, Jola and Erika Dryden and the many volunteers that made this event a bona-fide success. This team personified the term “cool under pressure,” and I was very impressed with how they took every hurdle in stride.

My cowboy hat’s off to you and thank you all for your Texas hospitality! speedboat.com

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ON THE DYNO Alexi Sahagian

Electrical Issues Dear Alexi: I own a 1980 Bahner jetboat. It runs pretty well, but I keep frying my starter. It is a top mount. The rebuilder keeps telling me that I have a direct short at the starter. What I see doesn’t look like a bad connection, but at times the main power wire gets loose and moves a bit. Please help, as this is my third time getting the starter fixed and the main fuse changed.

Thanks!

Joe Decano Palmdale, CA

At times, starter wiring can be trickier than one would imagine. The main wire on the starter is obviously heavier than all of the other wires. It really needs to be secure and routed accordingly. In the routing, you want to make sure that the weight and load of the wire alone will not leverage the lug, thus causing the nut to get loose. At times we use industrial zip ties to further support those wires. However, you must make sure not to tie the wire to a ground source that it might rub against. Protect it with a piece of hose or something. What may be happening is that your main large power wire may be loosening and rotating to the case, causing a direct spark, short and blowing of the fuse. This also can spike into the top mount starter

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If your mini air bleeds get clogged, it can cause issues in all types of conditions. and cause issues. Take a look for a black burn mark or dot on the housing.

Occasionally, when the main wire rotates, it can actually arc against the start tickler wire and try to crank the engine while it is running, consequently ruining your flywheel and causing expensive repairs. Check to make sure the route is good and that the wiring and lugs are secure. We use a terminal sealer on all of our engines to further avoid the nuts getting loose or coming off. You can get that at any decent marine supply house. It is just like glue, and it comes in red and black. I hope this helps.

Dirty Carbs = Dirty Transom Dear Alexi: I have a dual carbureted Hallett Vector with a supercharged 540 engine. My transom has always been clean. I noticed the engine running rough this weekend and a lot of black soot and smoke out the back. After it sat for a while, I recently had it serviced here in Arizona. It seems to run fine on plane and I used it all weekend; however, it’s burning more fuel than normal and I keep cleaning the back. Could something have failed in the carbs? I need help!

Jason Merryl Lake Havasu City, AZ Jason, if your engine and boat have been recently serviced, the first thing I would do is ask the service center if any changes were made to the carbs upon service.

Then look on your invoice to see what service actually meant to them. Every shop has its own opinion on what constitutes “service,” and how deep it can go. Assuming all is in good shape servicewise, I would look into the carburetor float levels. If they are high, it can spill unnecessary fuel into the engine, causing the condition you described. I would assume the service center checked this, as it is common practice on a supercharged dual-carbureted engine.

Based on the photo of your carbs that you submitted, I can see a definite problem. If you zoom in on your carbs, you will notice four mini air bleeds on each top side of each carburetor.

If those get clogged, it can cause all types of issues with lean or rich conditions, depending on the carburetor part number. It looks like yours are very dirty, so I would have the carburetors serviced and cleaned, or at least get some carb spray and assure each bleed has flow. Let it sit for a bit and then try it out; it could be as simple as that. You may want to inform your service center that you would like the carb cleaned each season, as these are pretty dirty and will affect a mechanical carburetor.

Assuming a jet in the carb did not fall out, or a power valve did not pop a hole in the diaphragm, I would look into the basics of cleaning the carbs first as they absolutely need some TLC. speedboat.com

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V-Drive Tech Jim Wilkes

What moves your boat forward is torque.

HP is what is bragged about in the bar!

In Pursuit of 55 MPH

I have worked on a number of these 24 Spectras, and have had good success making them run well.

Good luck with your rocket!

Dear V-Drive Tech: My 24 Spectra V-drive has a mild big block, dual plane manifold and aluminum logs. I’m running 1:1 trans, 6% over V-drive spinning a 12.75x15" 4-blade prop. I’m getting 42 mph at 4,400 rpm.

What would it take to get to 55 mph? I don’t know anything about the internals.

The previous owner was not too technical. I tried a 14x14 3-blade (no cup), it pulled 4,800 rpm to 37 mph. It just had no bite. The prop I’m running was originally a 13.5x16 4-blade. This was way too much prop; it only pulled 3,700. Prop is left-hand rotation, 1" shaft. I’d guess the motor is a 350-hp. Would heads, cam and a little more compression gain me an extra 100 hp?

Thank you for your advice.

Andrew Schear Phoenix, AZ I think you have a few issues that need to be addressed that will help your Spectra achieve your speed quest. In my opinion, your combination is not correct. First, your propeller blades will want to flex, since you’re using a bronze propeller. Another problem is that you’re using a four-blade propeller, and it is causing too much transom lift, allowing for increased drag on the bottom running surface.

To achieve 55 mph, you’re going to need about 500 ft./lbs. of torque. My suggestion—assuming your budget allows it—is to use your engine and build a 496 c.i. out of it. You can use your steel heads with 9:1 compression, Holley HP 830 carb, new performance-style exhaust system and new ignition if needed. You will achieve your goal and then some.

Remember, what moves your boat forward is torque. Horsepower is what is bragged about in the bar!

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Electric Cav Linear Actuator Dear V-Drive Tech: I bought an old daycruiser with an electric cav plate. The actuator is missing the motor.

Do you have any idea where I could find one? How many ft./lbs. of force should it be? I could probably find something on the Internet, but should the amount of force be 50 lbs.? 100? 200?

Thank for any help.

Mitch Wilson Phoenix, AZ You can buy a new electric cav plate actuator from the McMaster Carr Co. Try to get one that will give you 100 ft./ lbs. of force. You will need a safety collar to limit the amount of travel depending on the length of your cav plate arm.

One more item you my want to install is a relay system for faster plate movement. This type system will give your plate movement a 75 percent increase in speed.

Spark Plug Question Dear V-Drive Tech: I’m wondering what kind of spark plug I should be running. I have a .030 over 454 with 781 heads and around 9.2:1 compression. I previously ran AC Delco R44TS, then went to R45TS because I thought the plug was too cold.

However, after running at the lake, the plug looks very lean and maybe a little hot. I was told to run an R43 and go up on jetting. Do you have an opinion about the heat range? The R45 definitely seems lean. The setup includes a Holley marine 800-cfm DP and a Lunati

Spark plugs are harder to read when using pump gas with ethanol as part of the blend.

Voodoo 262 hydraulic flat tap. The cam is a 220/227 @ .050. So far, the cam seems good for my use, which is mainly skiing and tubing (and the occasional WOT run, of course). The plug in the photo actually looks rich at idle, but it’s lean at the top end. Anxious to know what you think. Thank you!

Eddie Thompson Riverside, CA You are correct in your assumption that the R45TS would run a little warmer. It has been a long time since I’ve used AC Spark Plugs, but for some reason, I thought the R44TS plug was a flush tip plug—not an extended-style tip plug.

Another thing you need to look at is the spark plug threads for color on the first two threads. You should see a bluish color on the threads. Also look deep down into the core of the spark plug and see if it has some color, not all white.

Spark plugs are harder to read when using pump gas with ethanol as part of the blend. One more thing you can try is to narrow you spark plug gap to help control the burn rate. Try .032 instead of .035 plug gap and read your plugs again. speedboat.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Volvo Penta to Acquire Seven Marine Volvo Penta has signed a deal to become wider range of needs for its premium and the major owner of outboard motor manufacturer Seven Marine—enabling the Swedish company to extend its scope of world-leading integrated propulsion systems.

“With this acquisition, Volvo Penta is entering the outboard motor segment,” said Volvo Penta president Björn Ingemanson. “With Seven Marine, we are on a journey to expand the scope of supply with our customers and invest in the growth of a platform to shape the future of the outboard industry.”

The deal will broaden Volvo Penta’s technology platform, offering a modular, cutting-edge solution—regardless of the energy source—to deliver the desired power in the water. Seven Marine will be able to further develop its existing innovative outboard technology to satisfy a

exclusive customer base. This acquisition will strengthen the company’s combined footprint in the marine market.

“This is an exciting step for Volvo Penta,” said Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas. “We are combining the strength of two highly innovative companies to deliver an unbeatable engine range for the gasoline segment. We will not only come to market with an extremely attractive outboard solution, but we will deliver the benefits of our world-class service network to a broader range of customers.”

Based in Milwaukee, WI, Seven Marine was founded in 2010 by a team with many years’ experience in marine technology. With a proven track record in delivering high performance gasoline outboards for the high-end leisure mar-

ket, Seven Marine produces the most powerful outboard models in the world, running at 557 and 627 hp.

Volvo Penta, meanwhile, has over 110 years of experience as a market leader in engine and propulsion systems, delivering a history of innovations to the marine industry, such as the Aquamatic Sterndrive, Volvo Penta IPS, and Forward Drive.

Terry Rinker Rewrites The Record Book Terry Rinker of Tampa, FL, piloted his iHeart Radio/Rinker Racing-sponsored Formula One Lee Aero Slot hull in conquering the turbulent waters of the Saginaw River and earned a welldeserved victory. But not just any victory—this was Terry’s seventh championship, making Bay City history. The firstplace finish breaks the tie of six wins that Rinker held with recently retired Tim Seebold.

It all took place at the 30th Bay City Grand Prix, held June 23-25, 2017, under

the sanction of the F1 ChampBoat International Outboard Grand Prix (IOGP) series banner in Bay City, MI. Rinker took the lead on the hole shot after a second restart of the 30-lap Final Heat race and led to the finish. Heading off a late charge from third-place finisher Greg Foster in his Dillard Financial Solutions-sponsored DAC hull. Chris Fairchild, in his Krogersponsored DAC hull, passed Foster in the last remaining laps to claim second place on the podium.

“The current was whipping down the river,” Rinker told Speedboat. “All the waves were rolling up in the turns and making both turns just nasty. We did the low and slow, kept it in light and tight and let the guy outside of me try to get around Foster. He did a lot of skipping and hopping and got it close a couple of times. We held them off. That was the plan.”

Rinker started his Formula One career in 1995. The competition knows that he is still the man to beat.—Paul Kemiel

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Brett Bayne photographers : Todd Taylor, Jay Nichols, Ray Lee story by:

Lone Star

Outlaws 18

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Kenny Mungle and Lee Lockwood in the 388 Skater Gone Again while photographers in a Sikorsky S76 helicopter give chase.

The Texas Outlaw Challenge moves its shootout to the lake, making for a safer— and better—event.

T

he 2017 edition of the Texas Outlaw Challenge was an unqualified success, bolstered by the relocation

of the event’s Shootout from the open waters of Galveston Bay to the more protected waters of Clear Lake. The move came after years of campaigning by event organizer Paul Robinson, who needed seven separate cities to approve the change. “This relocation will build our next ten years,” Robinson told Speedboat.

“It took nine years of trust and safety for the seven mayors and seven city councils to agree. They said, ‘We now understand, and any support we can give you to build the event, you have it.’ ” Participants of this year’s Shootout responded with an enthusiastic “thumbs up,” Robinson said. However, this year’s Challenge endured a genuine scare when Tropical Storm Cindy approached the Gulf states and actually made landfall in Louisiana, raising the concerns of some participants. Fortunately, “it didn’t stop anyone,” Robinson said. “We were able to maneuver around the weather. It turned out perfect. A few people caught five minutes of sprinkle; that’s about all.”

For next year, Robinson said that complimentary Entry Gold Tickets will be mailed out to “Original Outlaws”—previously registered participants—who can redeem their complimentary registration simply by arranging for two additional boats that have never been to the event to pre-register, in addition to their own.

“It’s Texas Outlaw Challenge’s way of super-sizing its next decade,” Robinson said. “We plan to triple our attendance!”

Robinson gives thanks to the cities of Seabrook and Kemah, his sponsors, and neighbor Kenny Armstrong, who throws a massive party for the Outlaws. speedboat.com

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Lone Star Outlaws Shootout

Top: C4P2A class winners and Top Outlaws Bruce Bullock and Vern Gilbert pilot the 1991 40’ Skater Predator. Paul Robinson and Arlette Baudat distribute the plaques.

Right: Jeff Babineaux in the Statement center console EZ Money.

Below and below right: David Spear (owner) and Billy Moore won the Shootout’s C4P2A class in the 40' MTI Distant Thunder.

C3P2A Class winners Karen & Chad Sage and Dean & Jodi Hollier in their 2008 DCB F32.

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Lone Star Outlaws Shootout

Above: Cass Shewbart (pictured) and David Whelan in the 47’ Outerlimits GTX xXx: Disturbing The Peace, the fastest vee bottom at the shootout.

Right: Thaddeus Findley and family in the 30' Skater Ragamuffin.

Below and below right: C2P2B Class winner Art Dinick in his 31’ American Offshore, which he pilots with John Garner.

Below: V2S1B class winner Chad Woody in his 2005 Lavey Craft Team Woody.

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Poker Run Lone Star Outlaws

Above: Scott Liedolf and friends carve a wave in his Formula Super Sport.

Right: TOPPS Director Ray Andrus’s Cigarette, Tiger.

Left: Tom Dryden’s 477 NorTech, Wicked Beast.

Below: Warren Tillerson drives his 50' Hustler Monster, Team Play Pen.

Left: John Siedhoff in his 39' Cigarette Top Gun.

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Lone Star Outlaws Poker Run Chris and Teresa Tartamella with friends in their 31SS Sonic.

Below: Jonathan Siedhoff in his Hustler 344 Cheetah, Red Line.

Below: Russell Anderson’s Fountain Lightning, Bare Tail.

Right: One of several skydivers who landed at “Casa de Kenny.”

Above: Kyle Horton pilots his Formula FasTech.

Left: Chas Boudreaux of Lake Charles, LA, in his imaginatively painted Outerlimits.

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Top: The party at Kenny Armstrong’s house. Below: The Saturday lunch and pool stop at Harborwalk & Floyd’s on the Water, sponsored

by Legend Marine Group. Bottom: Kenny Armstrong (center) with the participants in the bikini contest, hosted by Swimsuit USA.

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27 Speedster

Eliminator

The West Coast legend continues to wow our test team with its #1 bestseller.

Prior to buying his Eliminator 27’ Speedster, Brandon Purkiss a great choice for both speed and for the family. It’s probably dipped his toe into the proverbial fast-boat ocean, testing a the nicest boat I’ve ever built.” variety of hull configurations and power packages. It proved to be quite an education. His first boat, back in high school, was an old Hawaiian; from there, he traded up to an HTM SR-24 open bow, followed by a Carrera 290 Effect that we featured back in the old Hot Boat days. Next up was a Magic deck boat… and then Purkiss discovered the magic of Eliminator Boats.

After having fun with a hard-deck 25 Daytona for a few years, he moved up to the Speedster that you see on these pages.

“The Daytona was awesome,” Purkiss says, “but I wanted to get something that my wife and kids would enjoy, but that would also haul ass.” The Speedster fit the bill quite nicely.

“I have multiple friends with Eliminators, and their customer service is truly outstanding,” he adds. “The Speedster is

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That’s where our test team enters the picture. Purkiss had brought his boat to the 2017 Desert Storm poker run, and agreed to let Speedboat’s drivers cycle into their schedule of boat trials.

This Speedster’s claim to fame is that it’s Eliminator’s first walk-through open bow version to be powered with twin Mercury Racing 400R outboards. Our dry-land inspectors admired how well laid-out and roomy the cockpit was. With no I/O to hog the engine compartment, there’s a surplus of storage space in there for buoys, bumpers, coolers, etc. The boat’s interior is nothing short of impeccable, from the meticulous stitching in the upholstery to the large, easily readable gauges on the dash. This Speedster eschewed carpet for speedboat.com

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Eliminator 27’ Speedster Length: 27’ Beam: 96” Engines on test boat: twin Mercury Racing 400R outboards Year model was introduced: 2009 Base price with standard power: $230,000 Price as tested: $265,000 Standard equpiment: Vinylester resin, standard hand layup, 5-color gel, 116-gallon fuel capacity/side tanks, 7-gauge Livorsi package, tilt steering helm, carpet or mat flooring, etc.

Options on test boat: open bow / custom speaker mounts / cupholders ($7,500), Odyssey 1700 batteries ($1,500), Alcantara interior seat inserts ($2,500), Vessel View 7 ($2,500), flowcoat engine bay / interior graphics package ($3,800) Top speed, tested: 118 mph @ 7,100 rpm Eliminator Boats 10795 San Sevaine Ways Mira Loma, CA 91752 (800) 306-3343 speedboat.com

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Eliminator 27 Speedster

This 27 Speedster includes Eliminator’s standard seven-gauge Livorsi gauge package and optional Mercury VesselView 7 monitor. Custom speaker mounts and cupholders were added to the open bow, and the interior seat inserts feature luxurious Alcantara fabric. The engine bay was flowcoated, and the interior sports an upgraded graphics package.

“The Speedster is a great boat for both speed and for the family. It’s probably the nicest boat I’ve ever built. And Eliminator’s customer-service has been extraordinary.”

—Brandon Purkiss 28

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heavy-duty Gator Step flooring, which is a durable, comfortable and much more attractive alternative. Eliminator also upgraded the rear bench, which features three individual bolster-type seats, spaced out with integrated stereo speakers on the back; this is a gorgeous configuration and obviously a boon for lovers of extra-loud music.

Other goodies aboard the Eliminator: full hydraulic steering, a deeper-thanusual open-bow area with plenty of speakers, and an intelligently designed dash layout that’s exceptionally clean and very easy to read. Controls have been deftly placed—another thumbs-up.

The boat’s gelcoat is beautifully done, with excellent colors; attention to detail is obvious in little things, such as the great pin-striping along the windshield to complete paint lines. With this Speedster, Eliminator has achieved a combination of custom luxury styling and hardcore functionality. It’s a mix we wish every boat could emulate.

We were eager to see if the boat would perform as well as it looked. Spoiler alert: It passed with flying colors in virtually every way possible.

One of the first things we noticed is how well the boat turns in all of the speed ranges. It planes quickly and efficiently, with excellent tracking at low, midrange and high speeds. Trim is not particularly sensitive—the boat responds well enough that we barely even touched it. The boat accelerated reasonably well, getting to 58 mph in 15 seconds and 72 mph at 20 seconds.

Our top speed of 118 was achieved at 7,100. (Give credit to the CNC’d fiveblade 34” pitch cleavers, which do their job remarkably well.)

If we had one minor quibble, it was that at high speed, air can enter from the bow through the breaks between the two windshields and make things a little windy in the cockpit.

The Speedster gave us a great ride, in seats that were extremely comfortable.

It’s a fast, responsive and spacious boat that’s a joy both to drive and be a passenger in. speedboat.com

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story and photos by:

Stu Jones

The Magnolia State once again makes an ideal backdrop for the Smokin’ the Sound Poker Run.

s ’ i x Bilo

BITCHIN’ BOATFEST

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he 8th Annual Smokin’ the Sound Poker Run drew players from

California to Kentucky, as more than 30 poker run teams gathered in Biloxi, MI, for this annual late spring rendezvous on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

Not surprisingly, a strong contingent of a dozen teams from neigboring Louisiana made their presence known—many of them repeat participants of this casual event, which was headquartered for its third year at the vibrant Golden Nugget Casino Resort. The venue offers onproperty dockage for all participants.

Friday afternoon got the early birds on the water and cruising the scenic bayou from Biloxi to Gulfport for a rendezvous at the Dock, a popular waterfront eatery nestled on Gulfport Lake amidst an industrial backdrop of offduty oil freighters and mammoth barges.

It offered a sharp contrast to the colorful paint schemes on an eclectic mix of performance boats, from Cookie Draper’s 26 Baja Tenacious to the big-muscle 39' Cigarette owned by veteran participant Wes Bass from Louisiana. There was no shortage of hard candy lining the dock for the first rendezvous.

Friday evening included a well-executed check-in process by the Smokin’ the Sound staff, who get plenty of practice every fall during their world-famous Cruisin’ the Coast custom and classic car rendezvous, which draws an estimated 8,000 registered cars to the area.

Saturday might have presented some weather challenges (as it has historically), but the rain gods gave the event a pass, allowing the fleet to manage the entire poker run course with the Florida Powerboat Club photo/video team in

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Above: Brandon Lagarde of Jefferson, LA, in his 44’ MTI. Below: Florida Powerboat Club card girls Morgan and Brandi.

Left: Steve Young of Birmingham, AL, pilots his 35' Fountain, MovingFR8.

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Biloxi’s Bitchin’ Boatfest

Hugh Patroni Sr. of Pensacola, FL, drives Way Nutz, a 43’ Nor-Tech.

Wozencraft Insurance owner Devin Wozencraft brought his Verado-powered 30’ Skater all the way from California.

DJ Smith of Mobile, AL, in his 26’ Baja Outlaw.

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hot pursuit aboard an R44 chopper.

The course included morning stops in the Gulf of Mexico, an enjoyable lunch at Bay St Louis to the west, followed by afternoon cruising in the backwater bayous. The fun culminated with a final stop at the playful Prop Stop, which specializes in home-brewed frozen daiquiris in a rustic river setting. Of course, Mother Nature made her presence known with some late-day rain, but it didn’t dampen spirits for the few who got caught in the storm.

The Saturday night party at the Golden Nugget Casino offered a festive vibe, as the poker dealers played out all the hands and awarded cash and prizes to the top three poker hands. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to the organizers and sponsors for once again dealing a winning hand in Biloxi for the eighth year in a row! speedboat.com

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Brad Marcotte and pals give Biloxi a taste of Miami style with his 35' Motion, called Topless.

Left: N2Deep, a 30' Scarab, is driven by owner Ryan McClanahan of Columbia, LA.

Randy Cavanaugh of Flowood, MS, is owner of this 42' Cigarette Tiger.

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Biloxi’s Bitchin’ Boatfest Cookie Draper of New Orleans, LA, drives Tenacious, a 26’ Baja.

Heath Hungerford in Sound Waves, a 29’ Lightning center console.

Stress Relief, owned and driven by Robert Keys Jr., is a 25’ Eliminator cat.

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Risky Bizness Arizona-based Paul Finch and his family adore their deck boat—but this Sunsation 34 CCX provides a different kind of rush altogether.

“We spent most of our time boating in Havasu and trying In last month’s issue of Speedboat, publisher Chris Davidson wrote about how some hull types fail to gain traction across different kinds of boating,” Finch says. “We had a young son, the Mississippi River. Deck boats have been a staple of the Southern California and Havasu custom scene for decades, but aren’t made on the Atlantic side. That’s because they’re too busy making center-consoles, which has not yet caught on with manufacturers on “the left coast.”

So it’s not every day that we encounter a boater whose garage contains one of each of these beauties. Meet Paul Finch, who’s lived his entire live in Arizona. He and wife Shari are the owners of a Nordic deck boat and a new Sunsation center console. Clearly, the Great Impenetrable Mississippi Boating Rule means nothing to Finch.

He’s been boating for about 40 years, first in an 1977 18' Hallett turbocharged jetboat. From there, he has owned various Nordics, Halletts and Conquests, trying out the full gamut of hull styles and power combos.

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so several years ago we decided that a deck boat would work well for the family. It was our first cat, and we did it because we wanted the extra play space.” The family’s current deck boat is a 29' Nordic powered by a TCM 825.

After attending various poker runs, a decision was made to build a boat that offered the comforts of a cruiser, the functionality of a deck boat and the performance of a traditional full-on speedboat. “The Sunsation 34 CCX really hit all of those for us,” Finch says.

Interestingly, it was an article in the pages of Speedboat that piqued Finch’s interest in center consoles. “I read a story about a guy who had built a Sunsation, and it looked like it might meet our needs,” he says. That led to an in-person visit to the Sunsation plant, where he met Joe and Wayne Schaldenbrand.

“Not only did I like the boat, they’re also a fantastic group of speedboat.com

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story by: Brett

Bayne

photographers: Todd

Taylor & Adam Rigby

guys,” he says. “The whole company was great to work with.”

When Finch flew to Michigan to visit the factory, Sunsation had no finished 34s to show off: “As soon as a boat is finished, it gets shipped out,” says company President Joe Schaldenbrand.” So Joe contacted a local customer and paid a visit to his house to see his 34.

“The customer cleaned the boat, and actually threw us a little wine and cheese party for us when we showed up,” Schaldenbrand grins. “He even offered to give us a ride in the boat. I thought that was really cool of the customer to go out of his way to help us. He left work, came home, cleaned the boat and set us up with drinks. That was awesome.”

Getting a first-hand look at Sunsation’s manufacturing process really helped sell Finch on the boat: “They were so willing to educate us and work with us—more so than any other company I’ve ever worked with. Not only did they show us how the boats are built, we got to meet the people speedboat.com

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Sunsation

Paul Finch’s Sunsation 34' CCX features options like SeaDeck flooring, multiple Garmin touchscreen GPS units, Isotta steering wheel, Fischer generator, transom shower and a triple Mercury Racing 400 Verado outboards. Its gorgeous paint job was the work of Mitcher T. The boat sits on a Myco trailer.

“We kept Paul updated with photos of the build. He got to see the entire process. We corresponded just like he was sitting in the office next to me. That is how you get everything dialed in to the customer’s expectations.” —Joe Schaldenbrand 38

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who were actually doing the work—how they did their wiring and harnesses, for example. They took me through every aspect of why they believe they have a quality product. They demonstrated to me that they knew how to build boats that could handle big water.”

The Sunsation’s cool exterior design is courtesy of Mitcher T Custom Painting & Design (Middleville, MI), which paints many Sunsations. “He asked me what I was looking for in the design,” Finch says.

“He used his computer system to do some designs, and we went back and forth with ideas. What you see is what we ended up with. What’s cool is that no two he does are exactly identical. We were really excited about that process and Mitch was just fantastic to work with.”

Finch’s plan was to use the Sunsation (called Risky Bizness) on Lake Powell—as well as a few other big lakes where they’d be staying—so a generator with full A/C in the cabin was installed. “That’s going back to the comfort side, to make it more like a cruiser,” he explains. “They also modified the hard top to help create a lot of shade on the boat. Probably the most critical thing for me was that it needed to perform, so we went with the triple 400s.”

Another excellent selling point is the roomy cuddy cabin, which can fit up to six people comfortably. It’s got 7 feet of headroom and two full couches that turn into a bed, not to mention a full pumpout porcelain head, sink and some cabinetry. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a 32-inch flat screen TV. “It’s super comfortable for multiple people to make overnight stays,” Finch says. “If you don’t want to be out in the sun, you can go down there. It doesn’t feel cramped like a cabin sometimes does.”

Finch gives an unqualified rave review to all aspects of the boat’s performance, from maneuverability around the docks (“very docile and easy to control”) to planing time (“it’s almost instant”) and the acceleration (“it just sits you back in the seat!”). The boat was clocked at 88 mph at a recent shootout event.

Finch, 53, uses the boat with Shari, his wife of 29 years. Their son, Chase, is a student at UT Austin. speedboat.com

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OPA

Lake Race Racers prepare for all-out battle at LOTO in OPA’s fourth event of the 2017 season. photographer :

Pete Boden

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ompetitors in 11 classes gathered at Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks to take part in

the fourth race of the season for the Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA)—and arguably the most exciting.

Lake Race, as it’s known, featured hulls of many sizes and power configurations, from 21-foot outboards to 52-foot I/Os, and even a Pontoon class, where the Playcraft come to do battle.

Port Jefferson, NY, race team WHM Motorsports Offshore Racing edged out Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s—which had the home-field advantage—to take the win in the field of five participating in Super Cat class. It was the first time that veteran racers Billy Mauff (driver) and Jay Muller (throttleman) traveled to LOTO to take part in Lake Race, making the victory particularly savory.

Other winners included Nick’s Creative Marine (Super Stock), BoatFloater.com (Super Vee Lite), American Ethanol/Cat Can Do (Extreme), Wide Open (Class 2), Edward J. Painting (Class 4), Allen Lawn Care (Class 5), You Gun Learn (Class 6) and Wax On Wax Off (Class 7).

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SUPER STOCK: Powered by twin Mercury 300XS outboards, the 32' Doug Wright Nick’s Creative Marine took first place, with driver Nick Scafidi and throttleman Scott Porta.

SUPER CAT: Winners Jay Muller (T) and Billy Mauff (D) of winner WHM (above), and with runner-up Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s (left). speedboat.com

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OPA Lake Race CLASS 4: Driver Randy Clayton and throttleman Matt Burt took Reindl Powerboats to second place.

CLASS 3: Strictly Business, a 35' Fountain, took first place, with driver Louie Giancontieri and throttleman Johnny Stanch.

CLASS 4: Edward J Painting, a 25' Yuka hull, was first in the class, with driver Dave Humenny and throttleman Rick Kotecki.

CLASS 5: Winner Allen Lawn Care and Landscaping, a 30' Phantom with driver Andrei Allen and throttleman Billy Allen of Pleasant Hill, IA.

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CLASS 6: Winner You Gun Learn, a 26' P&D hull with driver Warren Exner and throttleman Mike Bocchino of Tom’s River, NJ.

CLASS 7: Winner Wax On Wax Off, a 21' Cigarette featuring driver Mike Donahue and throttleman Brett Wagner.

EXTREME CLASS: American Ethanol/Cat Can Do team members (left), including Missouri natives Jamie Sartin (D) and Keith Holmes (T), celebrate their win in the 40' Skater (below), powered by a pair of Sterling 1500 engines with #6 drives.

Below: Extreme Class runner-up Alex and Ani, a 42’ Platinum featuring driver Serafino Azzani and throttleman Herb Stotler.

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Performance Boat Center lights up Lake of the Ozarks with a smokin’ get-together.

Cigarette

Rendevous photographer :

Pete Boden

Spearheaded by Brett Manire of Performance Boat Center on the Lake of the Ozarks, the Cigarette Rendezvous is a get-together that draws owners from around the country (along with company owner Skip Braver and his service expert, Bud Lorow). This year’s event included a party at PBC’s Redhead Lakeside Grill on Friday and a fun run on Saturday that took the fleet to Coconuts Caribbean Beach Bar & Grill and Camden on the Lake Resort. A huge seafood buffet with an open bar capped things off on Saturday. “The event was spectacular,” Manire said. “It’s the third year we’ve hosted the event. We had a record number of boats this year. This is more of a responsible group—they come to have fun and not really beat their equipment up.”

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Cigarette CEO Skip Braver and Mark Waddington of Performance Boat Center. speedboat.com

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Mike and Linda Paash drive their 2003 38' Top Gun.

Andrew Mackey’s 2008 38' Top Gun.

Brandon Burgess’s 39' Top Gun.

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PBC gas dock girls Takayla and Jordan.

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Cigarette Rendevous

Left: Linda Clifton (right) poses with a friend.

Above: A stock 2017 Cigarette 41 GTR, currently for sale at Performance Boat Center.

Top right: Brett Manire and Terri Adams with their 42X. Right: Mark and Leann Rizer in their 2007 38' Top Gun. Below: Cigarettes temporarily dock while their owners grab lunch.

Bottom Left: Jeff Bentley’s 35' Top Gun.

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Story and Photos by

Paul Kemiel 48

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JAKOB’S JACK KNIFE M

ark Jakob of Clifton, IL, escaped with no injuries after a spectacular blowover accident on the Ohio River recently.

It began to unfold during the SST120 tunnel boat class qualifying heat #2, a 10-lap race on June 17 at the 2nd Annual Whiskey City Regatta in Lawrenceburg, IN. “At the time, I was on lap 5 and in 2nd place chasing the leader on the front stretch at around 100 mph,” Jakob said.

“I hit a rogue roller and it popped the nose up. All I could do was go for the ride.” speedboat.com

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Race officials stated it was a blowover with a half twist, with the craft landing upside down. Jakob extricated himself from his cockpit capsule in four seconds.

Jakob finished in first place in the qualifying heat #1 and due to the damage to his Budweiser-sponsored boat was unable to compete in the final heat.

Jakob was competing at the 2017 APBAsanctioned Breakwater Powerboat Association tunnel boat race.

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Fa

Bio-Kleen Products Inc. Family members pose at the Kowalski wedding.

From left: daughter Courtni Tello, son-in-law Fernando Tello, Tracy and Tim (back row); grandsons Trey and Sammy (front row).

Photo by Brad Glidewell.

Celebrating 30 years of success, Bio-Kleen helps save the planet, one bottle at a time.

The Bio-Kleen facility, located close to downtown Kalamazoo, MI.

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photographer :

Angie Peterson

Tim’s 1993 35’ Cigarette Café Racer.

B

io-Kleen Products Inc. is a fami- company’s evolving efficiencies, custom with a 40-hp Johnson motor. This got ly-owned and operated company products can be formulated and tai- him hooked on the freedom to travel

whose purpose is focused around a genuine concern for the environment and sustained conservation for future generations. The firm produces more than 1 million gallons of cleaning products a year, serving customers in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Puerto Rico and many other countries globally. Bio-Kleen’s environmentally friendly products are sold through multiple channels, including distributors, an extensive dealer network, directly through the internet and to local businesses and individuals.

Tim Kowalski—company president, CEO and chemist—has developed over 200 formulations of biodegradable, cleaning and detailing products.

Celebrating 30 years of business (and Tim’s marriage to Tracy Lynn Hall) puts 2017 at the top of the most spectacular year and season in the company’s history to date. With Tim’s expertise and the speedboat.com

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lored to meet the diverse needs of nearly any cleaning application, large or small.

Meanwhile, Tim’s wife Tracy Lynn acts as vice president and director of Sales and Marketing, managing the office and customer service. Together, the Kowalskis have put together a truly amazing team that is up for any challenge.

“We oversee everything,” Tim says.

“We’re crossing paths—not duties.

Staying organized is the key.”

The ecological philosophy of the company started years ago with Tim, the founder of Bio-Kleen. He learned to appreciate conservation while working in his grandfather’s organic vineyards in Paw Paw, MI. At the same time, he loved the thrill of ripping across the farm on a Yamaha 175, Suzuki TM 400 or 634 Panther Arctic Cat. Growing up only thirty minutes from Lake Michigan naturally drew him to the shoreline; at 16 he purchased a 13-foot Clipper Craft

when the mood struck him, just drop anchor, play on the dunes, or sit back and enjoy the sunset. His love for sales also developed early on: he was voted “Mr. Personality” by his graduating classmates who always said, “His charisma would take him happily through life.” Because of his natural ability to converse and draw a crowd, his family has always teased that he should have been a minister or politician.

Tim’s dream to have a business that made bio-degradable cleaning products required a unique name. The Bio was a natural fit and Tim changed the spelling of clean to “Kleen,” incorporating the K from his last name Kowalski. Friends said, “What kind of name is that?” No one had even heard of green cleaners at that time. With a Chemical Engineering degree from University of Michigan, Tim had a goal to replace toxic chemicals that were currently in use for industrial

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Bio-Kleen Factory Tour

Tim and Tracy in their office at the Bio-Kleen plant. cleaning applications. One in particular, 111 tri-chlorethelyne, a known carcinogen was used in a vapor degreaser to wash production parts. He developed a unique aqueous based formulation to replace this harmful chemical and others as well. On Aug. 24, 1987, Bio-Kleen sent out its first invoice. Tim’s quest for safe solutions didn’t stop there; he continued to formulate a series of biodegradable, cleaners for the industrial and janitorial industry.

Over the course of the last 30 years, Bio-Kleen has undergone a dramatic transformation. The core business of industrial and janitorial products progressed to a high performance line of cleaners, focusing on the Marine, RV and

Powersports. The development stemmed from the fact that the available cleaners on the market didn’t perform up to the company’s standards and were not environmentally friendly. The knowledge that cleaning products can seriously impact water quality and ecosystems was a major concern. The first biodegradable, professional detailing line put on the market was the Bio-Kleen Marine/RV/ Auto products, which has grown to be a huge success across the nation and

abroad thanks to the company’s partnership with distribution. The SledBrite snowmobile cleaners, Bike Magik motorcycle cleaners, followed suit.

Tim has always had the itch to race.

Unfortunately, 24 years ago while on a demo ride to purchase a new offshore boat, he was involved in a serious accident. The driver stood the boat up and the next wave submerged the boat. He felt lucky to survive with just a back and neck injury, a broken ankle, cuts,

Above: Freshly filled from the bottler, product is prepared for labeling. Below: Production and Packaging Manager Donald Cochran fine-tunes the labeler.

and bruises. He was laid up for several months but got back on the throttles with the help of many friends and the purchase of the Bio-Kleen boat over 13 years ago. He still gets a speed fix running with the Bio-Kleen Boat racing at the Captain Ron’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

Bio-Kleen supports a wide variety of charities and this is where the company’s passion for people shines, which is offering boat rides for charity. BioKleen Products chemist and company President Tim Kowalski loves being on the water in his 1993 35' Cigarette Café Racer boat. One thing he loves even more than that, though, is sharing the experience with children and adults with terminal or debilitating illnesses—providing them with “go-fast” boat rides.

For the past 10 years, Kowalski has cap-

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A customer’s order is shrink-wrapped prior to shipment. tained the Bio-Kleen company boat on numerous occasions to give rides to special needs children, military veterans and others while participating in charity events sponsored by groups including the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Missouri, Wounded Warriors, and Gigi’s Playhouse-Chicago. In that time, Team Bio-Kleen from Kalamazoo, MI, have participated in charity events across the country, including the Desert Storm Performance Boating Event and the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, to name a few.

“These events bring together racers, children with a serious illness and/or disability, their families, and many volunteers to raise funds for great causes, such as Make-a-Wish Foundation of Missouri,” Tracy Lynn says. “The event provides an unforgettable free boat ride experience to these children and their families. The real goal, though, is to see

Tim provides a charity ride for kids. speedboat.com

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the rider smile—and the faster we drive, the bigger the grins.”

The Bio-Kleen boat’s kickoff event is the Desert Storm Poker Run in Lake Havasu, a 2,100-mile trailer ride from home. They have a yearly 10,000-mile, 10-event tour across the nation, planned over a six month period. The Bio-Kleen Team will be at local lakes giving technical advice on cleaning problems that plague waterways and help boaters solve their particular issues. Check out their website, biokleen.com, to view their event schedule.

So what else makes Bio-Kleen a unique company? It offers superior technical support communication to all its customers, and backs that support up with a guarantee. If you have a cleaning question—whether you using their products or not—their experienced staff can help provide a solution and product

for any task/application. The company also shows its concern for the future generations by using no volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the products, all non-aerosol—ozone-safe products, and recyclable packaging. The company has an impressive series of accreditations including EPA- and USDA-certified products, a bio-preferred product status from the federal government, and a Green Choice Award from the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce.

Tim credits Bio-Kleen’s continued success to the close and valued relationships with his customers. He has always been fascinated by fireworks, magic and performs a few tricks of his own on family occasions. He’s fond of saying that his favorite performance is to make cleaning problems disappear safely. “We love what we do and the great people we get to meet and help in this business,” he says. “It’s fun to be able to do it together as a team.”

Sales & Marketing Manager Tom Orr stages products for photos in the light box.

Bio-Kleen’s array of cleaning products is truly impressive.

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story by Brett Bayne

LEGENDS

Ralph Evinrude I

f you’re y a member of a multi-generation boating family, it’s more likely than not th an outboard motor powered your formative boating and waterskiing experithat ences. en Performance boating and pleasure skiing evolved behind the reliable tug of the th beloved outboard. Even today, the two-stroke powers some of the planet’s fast fastest powerboats.

One O of the guiding fathers of the outboard motor was the late Ralph S. Evinrude, whose wh aggressive product development and commitment to racing fostered the evolution ev of the high-performance outboard motor.

It was this dogged pursuit of technology and its resulting product innovation over o the course of more than 40 years that assured Evinrude his well-deserved place p in Speedboat Magazine’s Hall of Fame. Hundreds of thousands of family boaters have benefited from Evinrude’s unique brand of mechanical savvy.

It helped lay the groundwork for today’s fast, fuel-efficient, reliable, highper performance outboards.

Top left: After the death of his father Ole in 1934, Ralph Evinrude ran the Evinrude Corporation, which in 1936 merged with Johnson Motor Co., which became Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC).

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Ralph Evinrude Evinrude, who passed away in 1986, was an inveterate tinkerer who grew up around boats, eagerly absorbing life around the boat shop, at his father’s heels. Indeed, it was his dad, Ole Evinrude, who provided the foundation for Ralph’s vast mechanical knowledge and problem-solving abilities—characteristics that ultimately would impact the way an entire generation boated.

Evinrude’s path to greatness began with a change of course from academia to the real world. When he became entrenched in the development of the four-cylinder “Super Quad” outboard, Evinrude Sr. solicited Ralph’s assistance, convincing him to delay college until the motor was released. The Quad’s success set the hook, and Ralph wanted more; by the time Outboard Motor Corporation was formed in 1929, Ralph was deeply involved in the operation. He was appointed president upon his father’s death in 1934; he was 27 years old at the time.

He didn’t wait long to make his indelible mark. He and Steven Briggs used their own money to acquire Johnson Motors Company in 1935; a year later, it became a division of the newly formed Outboard Marine and Manufacturing Company.

Ralph balanced his keen mechanical insight with a long-range vision that projected wide diversification, a combination that took the corporation to new heights.

He would oversee the company’s expansion into a number of non-marine ventures, which paid dividends in strengthening the corporate foundation. Nearly five decades at the helm have shaped today’s monolithic company, which remains a force in recreational outboard performance.

Abo Evinrude 225-hp outboard featuring Ficht Ram Injection.

Above: Below: Ralph Evinrude with the legendary Chanticleer motor yacht docked at the Outrigger Marina.

Belo

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Evinrude’s work is being carried on in a number of ways. His name still graces the cowlings of a good percentage of America’s ski and fishing motors.

OMC’s Ralph Evinrude Test Center in Stuart, FL, remains an active performance hotbed, with ongoing testing.

At Florida’s Institute of Technology, the Ralph Evinrude School of Marine Technology makes it possible for others

to follow in the spirit and the footsteps of one of performance boating’s great innovators.

Evinrude was the husband of Frances Langford (1913-2005), the popular actress and singer who shared his passion for boating and fishing. They were wed in 1955 and remained married until Evinrude’s passing in 1986. He was 78 years old.

Evinrude’s 300-hp outboard motor.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS [continued from page 16]

BAM Marine Overhauls Boatstuffexpress.com

Pompano Beach, FL-based BAM Marine has announced the re-launch of its completely revamped website BoatStuffExpress.com.

“Now sharing the same platform as our well-established first site, Mercruiserparts.com, BAM’s customers will have the same real-time stock status they currently enjoy and also save time and money at checkout by having one shopping cart for both sites,” said BAM Marine President Marc Berman.

“As one of the largest dealers of genuine Mercury Marine engines and parts in the U.S., Boatstuffexpress.com is the perfect complement to our existing site,” he added.

With an extensive selection of general boating accessories like life jackets, anchors and anodes or fun stuff like barbecues and unbreakable margarita glasses, BAM now offers truly one-stop shopping. “From Fun to Functional, it’s all here” sums up the new site pretty well.

In business for over 45 years, BAM Marine is one of the largest stocking dealers of genuine Mercury Marine parts in the country.

[continues on page 60]

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Ralph Evinrude

INDUSTRY NEWS [continued from page 58]

Flooding Cancels

Flat Bottom Boogie

Flat Bottom Boogie, the speed exhibition held at Club Royal Oak in Kingsburg, CA, was cancelled after flooding from a breached Kings River levee turned the area into a disaster area.

The flooding, which displaced residents in as many as 90 homes along the Kings River, led to the plug being pulled on the event’s eighth annual festival.

Located 20 miles southeast of Fresno, Kingsburg’s Club Royal Oak is a popular RV park that hosts the combination show-and-shine, meet-and-greet and go-fast event. The floodwaters resulted after soaring temperatures caused snow to melt into reservoirs and canyons. To deal with the overwhelming amount of melting snow, the U.S. Army Corps increased outflows from the reservoir into the Kings River. The rising waters also flooded other riverside locations, like the Riverland Resort and RV Park in Tulare County.

At press time, the water level was quickly receding and the threat to residents diminishing. Club Royal Oak owner Alan Degenhardt announced that Flat Bottom Boogie would return on July 14, 2018.

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Brett’s American

Soldier Sanger

Featuring

SCSC Sprint Boat Grand Prix Spectra Restoration

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AmericanSoldier A rare 1968 shovelnose Sanger becomes a patriotic tribute to the Armed Forces— especially the Wounded Warriors.

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Brett Bayne photographer : Chris Davidson story by:

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H

ere’s a 1968 21' shovel-nose Sanger with an unusual backstory. As co-owner Jeff Epling

recalls, the boat’s previous owner asked Jeff to take a look at the boat, which had been sitting in the man’s backyard for a while. “My wife wants me to get rid of it,” the man told Epling. When Epling saw the Sanger insignia, he knew he was looking at something special. Just how special, he had no idea.

“I did some research on it, and it’s a rare hull,” Epling says. “Jack Davidson destroyed the mold after one of his drivers was killed in one. I learned that this particular boat had been built to race in blown fuel.”

Epling’s partner is George Vose. When the two met about nine years ago, Epling had no hardware and no motor for the boat. “I had a little small-block Chevy that came from an old Bonneville car,” Vose says. “I said, ‘You know, I got a motor that would go right in there.’ We got talking, and that’s how the whole thing started. He brought the boat, and I brought the motor.”

The two make quite a pair: Epling is missing a leg and Vose is missing an arm (they like to quip that the boat “cost them an arm and a leg”). Their shared disabilities inspired the boat’s theme: disabled vets.

“We made a point to dedicate the boat to the Armed Forces—especially the Wounded Warriors,” Vose says.

“For the guys who come back disabled, we wanted to show them that we’re there for them.”

The boat, called American Soldier, took the better part of seven years to build. The small-block Chevy runs with 50% nitro and packs about 1,500 hp.

Below (L-R): Howard Hoffman, a Purple Heart veteran who paid for the boat’s patriotic wrap; George Vose; model Nathalie Zender; Jeff Epling; Joe Becht of California Auto Center; model Kortney Officer; and Mike Lawson, who drives the boat at the races. Look for it at the NJBA races beginning in September.

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S

Chelsey and Cidney pose on Toews’ Spectra for our summer 2017 swimsuit shoot at Lake Elsinore, CA.

haun Toews (pronounced Taves) of Chino, CA, made what most would consider

an unusually advanced leap in boat performance when he traded up from his first boat, a 1991 Ski Centurion, to this classic 1977 Spectra 24 V-drive. But the boat wasn’t always as gorgeous as it looks now. A year after buying the boat in 2008, he launched a major restoration that you’ll see in the following pages.

Toews thanks the following friends and companies for their work on the project: hot-rod guru Denny Simpkins, who helped Toews nearly every weekend for two years put the boat together; Abe’s Custom Painting in Riverside, which did the new gelcoat; Bill’s Hot Rod Custom Interiors of Brea, CA, which did the interior; Imco Marine, which contributed various parts, including the fuel tanks; L&R Automotive Supplies of Santa Fe Springs, which provided the 489 BBC engine; La Habra Plating, which did all of the chroming and restoration of the original hardware; and friends Jason and Derek, who helped tear the boat apart and put it back together again.

Toews, a glazing contractor who owns East Whittier Glass and Mirror, uses the boat with Tawnie, his wife of 13 years. They’re expecting their first child, a boy.

Spectra Vision story by: Brett

64

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Shaun Toews bought a 1977 24' V-drive and transformed it into a true classic. speedboat.com

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A year after purchasing the Spectra in 2008, Toews began to disassemble it. Above right: the original name appears on the transom. The interior was removed, exposing the original Champion V-drive (left).

Everything from the cuddy cabin was taken out so that the wood could be totally revamped (right).

Above and right: New wood in the Spectra is replaced and resined, although the stringers were still in decent shape and did not require replacement. The original propshaft seen above was also salvaged. speedboat.com

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Spectra Vision

Above and right: The wood flooring begins to take shape. Imco Marine provided the fuel tanks.

The boat prepares to leave Toew’s shop for Abe’s Custom Painting (Riverside, CA) to receive a brand-new gelcoat.

The hull arrives at Abe’s Custom Painting, where it is flipped in preparation for its new look.

Welcome home! A couple of months later, the Spectra looks awesome after its new coat of paint.

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Left and below: the new engine is assembled.

Near left: the Casale replacement V-drive was was later completely repainted and made to look new.

Left: the freshened Casale V-drive is now in place. Above: new rudder mounting plates were fabricated and installed.

Above: Freshly chromed and polished cavitation hardware is arranged prior to installation. Right: The motor and trans now hooked together, the finished engine is hoisted up and placed into the Spectra. speedboat.com

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Spectra Vision

The engine is now in place. Spectra had originally run the exhaust underneath the swim step, so Toews laboriously re-engineered the system to align with a more modern configuration. New exhaust holes were cut—a nerve-wracking job to do on a freshly gelcoated hull! Below: The dash comes to life.

New bezels and switches were custom powdercoated to match the boat’s new colors.

caption

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Above and left: The floor now freshly re-carpeted, new interior pieces are installed

by Bill’s Hot Rod Custom Interiors (Brea, CA). “I took these photos after stopping by the shop just to see how things were progressing,” Toews says. “The paper and pieces of blue tape you see on the sides in the top photo are there because I asked them not to mess up my gelcoat.”

Left: The interior is now completely done. In this view of Spectra’s cuddy, we can see the all-new carpeting, seating and cushioned forward compartment (with emergency oar), which provides enough room to get out of the wind and sun and get some shuteye. “A couple of my friends’ kids love it down there,” Toews says. “They felt more comfortable for some reason—they like to lie down in there. I haven’t really used it myself, as it tends to get pretty hot under there.”

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Spectra Vision

Above: Toews launches the nearly finished Spectra on Lake Elsinore for its maiden voyage. “We didn’t have any interior in the boat at this time,” he says. “Denny and I were just standing there, driving the boat out in the middle of the lake to test it out.” Left, right and below: The Spectra’s engine, interior and dash are completely done and looking great. The boat gets a lot of positive attention. “Everybody loves it,” Toews says. “People really appreciate that it retains its original look, but also that certain aspects have been updated.”

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Left and below: Amanda and Kylie pose on the Spectra during Speedboat’s summer swimsuit shoot earlier this year. Bottom: Chelsey and Cidney get their turn to pose on the boat’s deck.

Getting these shots was the final step toward putting together this elaborate restoration article. Toews originally reached out to our editorial staff on July 11, 2016; the shoot was finally scheduled for April 19, 2017, and the boat has now finally appeared in the pages of our August 2017 issue. Special thanks to Toews for his incredible patience!

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Alcorn’s Al Alcorn’s legacy shines on with a Father’s Day Regatta on California’s Big River.

F

photographer: Mark

McLaughlin

or those brave enough to face the unusually brutal California summer heat wave, the latest Alcorn

Father’s Day Hot Boat Regatta on Big River provided some cool bling and muscle for attendees, most of whom are already great friends.

The event pays tribute to the late, great Al Alcorn, who organized a hot boat regatta like this for many years, beginning in the early ’90s. Scores of flatbottoms famously turned out to take part in the show. But due to rising costs and the growing popularity of other groups’ V-drive meets, the event faded away—until last year, when Al’s passing helped launch a special memorial gathering (commemorated in Speedboat’s September 2016 issue).

Due to the heat, this year’s turnout was considerably lighter, as temperatures were spiking in the 114 range. But those who made the trek to Big River merely looked for shade and a cool one.

There were two overall winners for the Best in Show: Tanya Scribner in her Wicked TNT flatty and Mitch Dedic with his multi-sparkled injected flat. Ace muscleboat photographer Mark McLaughlin caught all of the boat action; check out his cool images in the pages ahead.

Brien Dunn takes Sandra Johnson for a ride in his I-Candy Bullet TR4, with a 540 Dart for power.

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Above: The secret cove up river from where the Alcorn Regatta was being held.

Featured here: Steve Rubidoux, Shane Westerfield, Tony Scarlata, Brien Dunn, Steve Westerfield, Shawn Howard, Tom Huff, Darren Gazzola, and Steve Faist.

Photo provided by Sandra Johnson.

Above: Steve Faist in his 1986 Cole TR 7 Spooky with a blown 468 Chevy and rider Tom Baca.

Steve Rubidoux with rider Sylvia Rocha in his 1982 Cole TR2, powered by a 540 blown gas Rodix engine.

Blowin’ Smoke, a Cole TR4 driven by Shane Westerfield and rocketed by the infamous 10 litre Arias engine combination.

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Alcorn’s Day

Above: Coin Operated II launched at the Alcorn Regatta ramp and Zack Coin had immediate problems keeping boat running, so he made real quick time out on the river in his Cole TR6, powered by a 598 Chevy.

Below: Albert Albani recently purchased this beautiful 1976 Litchfield runner bottom flatty from Rolf Sammons. Albani cruised by a few times in his License ll Thrill, pushed by a stout 496.

Right: The Black Rat, a 427 Lew Larson-powered 1973 Hondo XH511 straight deck owned and driven by Tom Huff, makes a lap by the Alcorn party.

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Above and left: One of the Best in Show trophy winners was Mitch Dedic’s Cole TR4. The Billy B-painted flatty was glimmering in the sunshine with its 555 Crower Injected Chevy motor and custom paddle built by ace photographer Mark Mclaughlin.

Below: The other Best in Show trophy winner was Tanya Scribner’s 1986 Connelly flatbottom. The Wicked TNT pink and blue flat is powered by a 468 Big Block Chevy.

Caption

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st

1 Annual

photographer: Mark

McLaughlin

Sprint Boat

Grand Prix

Racers put on a picture-perfect show at the inaugural event.

P

resented by RPM Enterprises and sanctioned by the Southern California Speedboat Club, the First

Annual Sprint Boat Grand Prix came to Northern California’s Lakeport in early June for two days of race action.

More than 20 teams competed across five classes, including GPS100, Formula Light, Unblown Flat, Sportsman Extreme Runabout and K Racing Runabout. In addition, several vintage boats made exhibition-only flybys for spectators.

Tim Hoffman of Mesa, AZ, took the top spot in both GPS-100 and Sportsman Runabout classes. Hoffman dominated the GPS-100 class all weekend, taking his Black 717 flatty to the overall trophy. He was followed by Jasper McDonald of Valley Center, CA, Dave Shaw of Temecula, CA, and Jeff McLachlan of West Jordan, UT. Hoffman was also the man to beat in Sportsman Extreme; he was followed by Mike Stock and Tony Applegate of Boise, ID, and Mike Purczynski of Hemet, CA. Taking the checkered flag in the other classes were R.J. West (Formula Light), Skip Tuttle (Unblown Flat) and Duff Daily (K Racing Runabout).

Hoffman wasn’t the only racer pulling double duty: Jasper McDonald, Dave Shaw and Tyler Roth competed in multiple classes.

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K Boat Final Heat: Leader Duff Daily, shoeing the yellow K-333, spins out in turn #1 en route to a fourth-place finish. Tyler Roth flies by, followed by Charley Hamill.

GPS-100 Tim Hoffman dominated the GPS 100 class all weekend, taking his #717 flatty to the overall trophy. Above: Hoffman (center) with Jasper McDonald (#2) and Dave Shaw (#3). Surrounding the threesome: Ross Wallach (far left) and event promoter Jack Long.

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1st Annual Sprint Boat Grand Prix

Formula Light: The six-boat field was led by R.J. West in the #93 boat (left). Above: West (center) with Jared Wallach (second place) and Mark Halyak (third place), flanked by Ross Wallach and Jack Long.

Below: Spencer Love (in the #24 boat) and Colin Cross (#44) finished 4th and 5th for the weekend.

Unblown Flat: 2nd place finisher Dale Baker (above left); winner Skip Tuttle in his #711 Kryptonite flatty (below left). Above: Ross Wallach, Dale Baker, Skip Tuttle, third-place finisher Tyler Roth and promoter Jack Long.

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K Racing: Duff Daily handed driving duties in #999 El Cid (above) to Paul Fitzgerald and Michael Allen for the weekend. It earned a 3rd-place finish. Tony Scarlata drives the K69 boat (right) for Dave Rankin. Inset: Fitzgerald, Allen, Daily (center) and 2ndplace finisher Tyler Roth with his young son, flanked by Wallach and Long.

Vintage Boats: From top to bottom: My Sin, owned by Scott Courts and driven by Scott and John Walti, was once driven by the infamous Guy Lombardo; My Darling Lolita, also owned and driven by Scott Courts, and Thrill Me, owned and driven by John Lawrence. All the vintage boats in attendance were running exhibition only. speedboat.com

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1st Annual Sprint Boat Grand Prix Sportsman Extreme: SE was a tightly fought battle all weekend, with Lance Nicholls (#426) taking 5th overall, Dave Shaw in 4th place in his SE10 boat, and Mike Purczynski driving his SE 151 flatty to the 3rd place overall.

Top right: Purczynski, winner Tim Hoffman with sponsor Leonard Fredricks, and Tony Applegate (second place) alongside Wallach and Long. Below: Tyler Roth drives Mike Stock’s Unblown Flat.

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MY VIEW [continued from page 8] Chris Davidson television shows for Martin Sanborn and P1 Offshore Racing, which aired as time buys on Fox Sports in 2009 and 2010; later, we created our own pilot episode with Lucas Oil and MAVTV called The King of Props. I thought our productions were enormously entertaining. The first episode focused on the PB Team and event coverage of Desert Storm and the Shootout. A boat caught fire and several other mishaps captured the team at our best—and maybe at our worst. It was certainly an eye-opener for those who knew us and are involved in the sport we all live and breathe.

Unfortunately, the pilot episode never made its way to the national airwaves.

Undaunted, videographer Gary Meeker and I produced a second episode, which centered around our boat tests and the joining of Bob Teague to our test team. We had compelling content and interaction between everybody on the team, which I’ll truly enjoy watching in my autumn years. That episode also captured the boat that caught fire, which made for exciting, unstaged television.

Ray Lee, my partner, joined us in 2011. Along with Brett, he has been the most valuable asset to our organization. As most of you know, Ray is an avid boater, and has brought fresh blood to a team that genuinely needed it.

2017 will mark the first year in ages that things become appreciably better for a majority of the West Coast boat manufacturers—and for boating in general. Water was plentiful on most of the lakes and, surprisingly enough, fuel was relatively inexpensive all summer.

The East Coast and Midwest manufacturers have found their niche with the center console hulls, which have continued to be successful for all. The economy seems to have finally trickled back to the performance boating scene, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier.

This month, most of the team will trek to the Lake of the Ozarks to bring you coverage of the upcoming LOTO Shootout. It can be trying for half a dozen speedboat.com p edbboatt.com com

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team members to all be shacked up in one large condo, but I’m sure we’ll muddle through somehow.

Every week, somebody asks me whatever happened to Hot Boat or Performance Boats, or how I got involved with Speedboat. It doesn’t matter how many times I re-tell the story.

Sometimes I give the short answer; sometimes I give them the unexpurgated version. Either way, they are pleased to see us at the events and publishing the only high-performance boating magazine in print every month. What a journey this has been! I hope it never ends.

S P E E D B O A T | August 2017

82

7/17/17 9:07 PM

3,9,13,16,17,29,33,37,45,51,62,81,83,84_newADS.indd 83

12/5/15 1:32 PM

75587_SpeedboatJuly_003,013,015,029,041,084_newADS.indd 15

6/16/17 9:57 PM