SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE
WILD JETBOAT ACTION!
OF THE
IN THE EYE
STORM
Havasu’s Fiercest Poker Run
SPEEDBOAT LEGEND JUNE 2017
J UNE 201 7
Bernie Little speedboat.com
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Table of Contents JUNE 2017
COLUMNS 8 10 12 14 18 60
CHRIS DAVIDSON RAY LEE ON THE DYNO JAY FORBES INDUSTRY NEWS NEW PRODUCTS
FEATURES 16 IN THE EYE OF THE STORM The fastest boats on the planet head to Lake Havasu for the famous poker run and street show. 6
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30 CIGARETTE 41 SD GT3 The Mercedes-AMG concept boat wowed the crowd at the Miami Show. Now it’s our turn behind the wheel.
36 TREK TO TAMPA Stu Jones leads his Florida Powerboat Club to Tampa Bay for a weekend of fun.
42 HAVASU BOAT SHOW This exhibition, featuring speedboats galore, is so big that you might not be able to see it all in one day.
50 BIMINI BRAWL OPA’s latest race is its first in this exotic international locale.
54 SPEEDBOAT LEGENDS This month, we pay tribute to Bernie Little, the winningest Unlimited Hydro team owner of all time 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
Todd Taylor, Pete Boden, Kenny Dunlop, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Girardi, Randy Nuzzo, Mark McLaughlin
Operations Manager Michele Plummer and Subscriptions michele@speedboat.com
BRETT’S COVE 64 RIGGED & READY
When Andrew Hankins found this Eliminator, it was on its third owner and had never been rigged.
66 SALMON RIVER SHOWDOWN Jetboat racers in three classes compete for the ultimate glory on Idaho’s infamous waterways.
72 SPRING FLING AT MING Intense and unpredictable jetboating action continues in Bakersfield, CA.
76 PARKER’S PAYLOAD Dragboat racers trek to Parker, AZ, for some hair-raising action at the Blue Water Casino. 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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Cover photo by Todd Taylor Table of Contents photo by Mark McLaughlin
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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 (888) 577-2628. 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
occurs at least once during the four-day event. The earlier date would also avoid the Laughlin River Run and Motorcycle Rally, which jams I-40 with 25,000+ bikes heading to the Mohave Desert and Lake Havasu, zooming in and around tow vehicles and boats. I totally supported pushing Desert Storm back to the first week of May
as blisteringly hot would be an understatement. It was a brutally long day for any vendors and participants who were born before 1960, and even the young bucks suffered under the relentless heat. Shade was little consolation—many sought either an air conditioned house, motor coach or bar at some point during the sweltering 14-hour day.
Damned if You Do; Damned if You Don’t Jim Nichols and Jim Russell have tried to to avoid the bad weather and the bikappease boaters repeatedly over the past two decades of Desert Storm’s existence. Their big decision this year was to push the event back one week to avoid the perennial bad weather that inevitably
ers. Unfortunately for all of us, Mother Nature has a sinister sense of humor, as bad weather once again threatened us with 40-mph gusts of blustering wind. To describe Thursday’s Street Parade
Staging started for everyone at 8:30 a.m., and the Speedboat staff operated the booth selling T-shirts, hats and subscriptions until well past 10 p.m. Standing on the hot pavement waiting for the crowd to show up late in the afternoon caused tempers to flare—even for my mild-mannered sidekick, Ray Lee (see column, Page 10). Captain Jay Forbes maintained his cool in the booth for most of the day, as the rest of us drifted in and out throughout the day. As you can imagine, the Street Parade crowd was comparatively soft compared to recent years. By some counts, it was off by as much as 30% to 50% over last year. Was the heat the main culprit? Regardless of the reason, I felt bad for both Nichols and Russell, who typically start working on the following year’s event barely a week after the completion of each Desert Storm. On Friday morning, Ray and most of the Speedboat Magazine team got up and shot photos of five or six boats at 5 a.m. I couldn’t make it, which made me feel guilty as hell, but Jim Wilkes did end up working well past midnight. The morning brought decent weather for the Desert Storm Poker Run. I attended the driver’s meeting for the first time and watched a well-prepared presentation by Jim Nichols and Bob Teague regarding the itinerary; they also answered many questions from the crowd. The meeting included local law enforcement from both Lake Havasu City and Sheriff’s Departments officials from both Mohave and San Bernardino counties. The message they drove home was [continues on page 61]
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OBSERVER’S SEAT
Brandon Allen in his Bell 206 helicopter, with DCB owner Rob Blair, chases the lead group down Lake Havasu. Photo by Tom Leigh. Below: Morgan Cannon, owner of Lohman Helicopters, with Ray Lee, Dave Hemmingson and Jay Nichols onboard his Bell 407 helicopter.
RAY LEE
The 11th annual Desert Storm Poker Run and Shootout has come and gone, and memories are all that remain. Well, memories…and this issue with full coverage of it. The event had always been scheduled for the last weekend of April but
Nature: Bipolar Mistress was moved to a week later this year, to help avoid the bad weather that had plagued one or more days in previous years. Unfortunately, this move caused an overlap with the ever-popular Tickfaw 200 event (coverage to appear in our next issue) in Louisiana; forcing enthusiasts to choose which side of the country they were going to spend their first event of the season. Still, both events enjoyed
great turnouts and strong participation. So, most of the Speedboat Magazine Team traveled to Lake Havasu City, AZ, early in the week to cover all of the scheduled events – which for us, officially starts with the always awesome, always heartwarming event Krusin’ For Kids Charity Ride, hosted by Storm organizers Jim Nichols and Jim Russell and Cherilyn Noack of Teague Custom Marine. This is a day where performance boaters lend their time, effort and boats to cruise kids (and adults) with special needs for a thrill ride of a lifetime. Donning lifejackets and
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leaving their wheelchairs and crutches on the docks, they depart and return with the biggest of smiles on their faces. By all accounts of the participating captains, these few hours that happen before all of the high-horsepower madness begins, is the single-most rewarding thing that they do on the water. Thursday morning came and it was time to set up for the spectacle that is known as the Desert Storm Street Party. Miles of downtown Lake Havasu are blocked off for the day to display some of the finest and most elaborate setups in all of west coast boating, if not the world. The show has always spotlighted the spectacular vessels, their teams and their respective manufacturers’ handiwork, but has since expanded into these über-extravagant matching tow vehicles and toys, as well. “Bigger and badder” seemed to be the recurring theme, as each rig passed by to settle into their dedicated spots on McCulloch Blvd. This year brought out the East Coast elites, such as Skater’s Peter Hledin, MTI’s Randy Scism, Sunsation’s Wayne Schaldenbrand and Outerlimits’ Joe Sgro and Dan Kleitz. Another theme that accompanied the Street Show was “HOT!” It was unseason-
ably hot that day, as the temperatures soared to well over 100 degrees… in MAY! Undoubtedly, even warmer standing on the black asphalt. Having owned a home there for almost 20 years, I like to think that I’m OK with the Havasu heat. Well, that day proved otherwise, as I had to leave our display booth for nearly an hour to run home and soak in a cold shower, to avoid heat stroke. I felt dizzy and overheated for most of the day, until the sun fell—which finally brought a slight sense of relief. The heat also noticeably lessened the number of attendees during the day, as opposed to the night. My apologies to those of you that I did not get to visit with on that day. Friday was Poker Run Day and the weather promised to cooperate. It was a bit cooler than the day before and the early morning activity bustled around the central hub of the Nautical Resort. Speedboat photographer Todd Taylor and I were invited onboard a couple of the helicopters representing the DCB fleet by owners/operators/friends Brandon Allen and Morgan Cannon and we were more than grateful for the opportunity. These high-powered choppers afforded us the chance to run alongside some of the fastest boats entered into the run and to capture them at their peak performance. It truly is an amazing thing to behold and I think we achieved our task and more, as you will see within the feature. While the weather played nice for most of Friday, Mother Nature reared her
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ON THE DYNO Alexi Sahagian
Piston Gaps Dear Alexi: I have a 598 cubic inch engine that I am currently building for my semi-vee Howard 19' boat. It is my first build since I did my car years ago. As I’m doing this
Each piston maker has its own design tricks. Not all gaps are created equal. this process properly. A micrometer and bore gauge is required to measure it correctly. Each manufacturer has a distance from the top down to take the spec from. It is usually from 1.300" to 1.500" down. However, a piston usually comes with an exact spec sheet from the manufacturer. Depending on the performance level, some builders may add or take away clearance. We usually recommend going with the manufacturer’s specs per performance that is usually available on the sheets they provide. Long story short, there’s no need to freak out. Some big engines have quite a gap on the top sides that would throw any beginner off. Have a professional show you the process in more depth.
Oil Pump Conversions build, I’m looking at the pistons in the cylinders and freaking out. It looks like they sent me a piston that is too small for my bore. I have a 4.600" bore and the pistons measure less but close. It seems as though the clearance is like .010"-.012" when I put a feeler gauge at the top about halfway down the cylinder. The piston manufacturer says it is correct, but it looks wrong to me. Please help! James Hicks Needles, CA Those Howard semi-vee 19-footers are a blast. With a 632, it should be a runner. Looking at the photo you provided, I have to agree that yes, at times it looks pretty weird that there’s that big of a gap at the top, and the rings are partially exposed. However, keep in mind that each piston maker has its own design tricks. The proper way to measure piston to wall is not on the top—it involves a process that measures the bottom side of the piston, which is usually the widest or largest circumference. Because of taper built into the piston and/or the bore, you might be thrown off. It’s crucial that you use quality measuring equipment to do
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Dear Alexi: I have a twin engine Skater with two large PSI supercharged 598-c.i. engines that my builder fabricated. They run pretty good, but I was wondering what to do if
I want to convert them back to wet sump from dry sump. Is it just a pan and pump change? I want to keep things simple. Thanks in advance for your guidance. Joe Medelin Houston, TX Nice boat! They are fast and well built. To answer your question, you need to ask the builder a few questions before you dive into this. Of course you need to change the oil pan and put in a wet sump pump; however, you need to know if the builder used low tension oil rings and a dry sump rear main seal at a minimum. If he did, you must change all of that as well. Some builders use standard rear main seals and standard tension rings in both wet and dry sump builds on marine engines. If they did, all you need to do is swap out the pump and pan and make sure the distributor gear aligns well with the drive rod you need to add into the system. Another overlooked item is the distributor gear itself. Make sure it is a strong melonized or bronze gear that matches your cam gear compatibility in order to minimize metal expelling into your oil. The load on that gear will be higher now, as it is driving the pump, so more metal usually will show up in the oil for a bit. Don’t be alarmed; just change your filters often. Again, I do recommend reviewing this with your builder first to avoid a disaster. Keep in mind the tune will change quite a bit and the venting of the engine will also. Hope that helps!
Crazy Clearances Dear Alexi: I met you at the Miami Boat Show a couple years back and we spoke about my 632 engines that I was assembling for my boss. He has a 42' Fountain. My question seems simple, but I am confused from all that I read. I have long rods in my engine with large rod bolts. The block is a Dart. The rod bolts when I rotate the [continues on page 58] speedboat.com
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MY VIEW Jay Forbes
You can maximize performance at the expense of luxury and economy. You can maximize economy at the expense of performance and luxury. But clearly, you can’t have all three corners at the same time. The really glaring change in the Miami Boat Show in recent years is the number of outboard-powered center con-
there’s a lot more salt water boating on the East Coast than the rest of the country. Outboards tend to get better mileage than I/Os, which translates into more range—very helpful when you’re out of sight of land. Next, outboards are generally perceived as having an advantage in cost of maintenance and longevity over I/Os, especially in salt water. And out-
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Above: Triple 350 outboards power a Midnight Express at this year’s Miami International Boat Show.
After returning from the Miami soles (OBCCs). Virtualy every manufac- boards are getting more powerful every International Boat Show, I found my turer has at least one outboard-powered year. Seven Marine will sell you a 627 head spinning from seeing more boats than anyone would care to count. The show is a yearly opportunity for us to see what’s new—not only in the performance world, but in the other areas of the market as well. From paddle boards to mega-yachts, the show has it all. The one lesson I am reminded of every year, though, is that there is just no single boat that does it all. When a friend asks me, “What was the best boat at the show?” or “What boat should I buy?” I can only respond with more questions: What do you want to do with your boat? How much are you willing to spend? I visualize the spectrum of boats as a triangle (see Figure 1, above). You get to put your pin wherever you want in the triangle. You can maximize luxury at the expense of performance and economy.
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model, and many of those are centerconsole boats. You will notice that I have put OBCCs right in the middle of the triangle, because they don’t really do any one thing perfectly. But they try, at least, to do some of everything. You will also notice that the OBCC box is larger than any of the others, because they run the gamut of what you can do with a boat. Some are about as cheap as a speedboat can be (think small fishing boats). Some are as plush as anything on the water (Cigarette, MTI, Mystic, etc.). Some are even pretty fast (i.e., five 400-hp outboards, or even four 627s!). This move towards OBCCs is still much more prevalent on the East Coast, and it’s anyone’s guess if it will eventually migrate to the West. I believe that there are several factors stimulating the popularity of these boats, though. First,
horsepower engine that fits in the same space as the big Mercurys and Yamahas, but you will have to move your pin away from the economy corner of the triangle. There’s also a weight savings to consider with outboard-powered boats. For some folks, though, outboards will just never be “cool” enough. Most don’t have the throaty growl of a big-block Chevy (heck, you can hardly hear the new four strokes). And although it is possible to build a boat that can reach triple-digit speeds with outboard power, it is still a reach and will probably require moving your pin away from the economy and luxury corners again. When I talk about the perfect boat, I imagine a 200 mph yacht that costs as much as if it were made of paper and runs on distilled water. But I am unlikely to get what I want. speedboat.com
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In theEye of the
Storm T
his year’s Desert Storm Poker Run was an adventure in pure bliss—with some disappointment thrown in for good measure,
courtesy of Mother Nature. How she loves to confound us! When the festivities got started, the weather couldn’t have been better. Wednesday’s Krusin’ for Kids event was one of the week’s genuine highlights, and was exceptionaly well attended. More than a hundred kids were taken for rides on the big muscleboats. The excellent weather also helped make the day’s Pool Party a mustattend event. Overall, it was a memorable and fun day for all. We had some excellent participation from participants and sponsors alike. The Teague Custom Marine team in particular really seemed to have an outstanding time. That evening’s party at Horizon Motorsports (Lake Havasu State Park) featured a super turnout, with wall-to-wall people—so many that we even had to bring in some extra porta-potties to accommodate the crowd. The charity auctions raised $5,000, which was another highlight. Some impressive super-rigs that were parked outside the park gave attendees a great prelude for the Street Party. While it’s true that the next day ushered in some sweltering heat, the Street Party was off the hook nonethless. A light breeze offered some minor relief, but the sun was unrelenting, with temperatures skyrocketing to 105+ degrees. As a result, the crowds didn’t really start to roll out until the sun started to set—then attendance started to spike. Everyone I talked to seemed to be pleased with the Street Party. The pictures don’t really do it justice.
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STORY
Jim Nichols PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Todd Taylor, Kenny Dunlop, Daren Van Ryte and Ray Lee
At the start of the poker run, the 52' MTI Spooled Up, owned by Craig Hargreaves, is the center of attention.
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Eye of the Storm
Left: Shaun Gibson’s DCB M35, powered by twin 1550s, is driven by DCB’s Tony Chiaramonte. Below: Greg and Amber Adkins of the River Whips Facebook group display a Speedboat banner from their Eliminator Daytona.
Above: Tim Gallagher (with company president Randy Scism riding shotgun) in his MTI 340X, powered by twin Mercury 400 outboards. Right: Chris Hamlin of Prestige Marine (Lake Havasu, AZ), piloting his 38' Wellcraft Scarab, passes Billy Bowers of Honolulu, HI, driving his 41' Apache.
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Eye of the Storm Admittedly, Friday’s Poker Run presented us with some challenges. Chief among them was the amount of floating spectator boats that were just getting in the way. They wanted to be involved, floating right in the way of all our activities, which made trying to get a parade through the channel all the more difficult. The Coast Guard kept making changes, which caused us to organize on the fly to some extent. Fortunately, the Poker Run went fairly well. There were some minor incidents involving spectator and boat traffic getting a little too close for comfort. But these kinds of problems are typical. Chris
Winter won the Poker Run with a straight flush, and there were also three “four of a kind” hands following him up. Winter, who runs an Eliminator Daytona powered by a Gary Teague 1075 motor, hails from Yucaipa, CA. He’s been an enthusiastic participant for about 15 years, and has gotten lucky with his poker hands. Regrettably, high winds and big rollers on Saturday caused us to postpone the Shootout—it just wasn’t worth the risk, so we had a “down day” with a marvelous Awards Banquet that night. The blustery Saturday spilled over to Sunday morning. By that time, a lot of our participants and crews were starting
to go home. We kept waiting for signs that the weather would clear up, but ultimately we just couldn’t risk it and we called it a day. Ironically, by noon, it had turned into a beautiful day! Now that Desert Storm 2017 is over, we’re starting to contemplate ideas for next year. A lot of ideas are being tossed out—changing the dates to earlier in April, for example, to following the Lake Havasu Boat show again. We’re mulling different scenarios to see what will bring the people back. Had it not been for Outerlimits and MTI, our boat count this year would have been on the low side. So we’re concerned. People don’t seem to want to register in the numbers we’d like to see. Without industry support, it doesn’t make sense to have an event at all. And if we don’t have an event, it’s going to hurt a lot of people. Of course, it’s a free country—we can’t force people to register. But if people don’t support Desert Storm, Desert Storm won’t be there anymore. And that would be a terrible shame. Coming up in 2017, we’ve got Monster Bash here in Havasu. I’m currently looking for a different venue for that event—we may make the London Bridge Resort our home base this fall. We’ll have to see if they have room for us there. The Nautical Resort has been our home many years, but people are starting not to come because it’s been the same old thing over and again. If we make it a little fresher, maybe it will make a difference.
Top: Wendell Eirvin of Sunrise Beach, MO, drives Let’s Go, his 48’ MTI. Top speed of this boat is a reported 135 mph. Above: Tan Lines, a 33’ Nordic Flame, is driven by owner Brian Newton of Lake Havasu City, AZ. Right: Joel Begin of Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada, in his 145-mph 50’ Outerlimits.
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Eye of the Storm
Top: Darren Housel of Ogden, UT, pilots his 42' Fountain Lightning, Stepped Up. Above: Chris Kinney of Rogers, AR, drives Tuned Up, a Donzi 38ZR. Right: Doc Janssen in his SV52 Outerlimits, newly equipped with twin Mercury 1550s. Below: Captain Sean, a 388 Skater owned by Larry Kramer, throws a nice “tail� during the poker run. Below right: One of several Nordics attending the Storm shows us the entire underside of his hull.
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Top left: Adam Seraphine’s SV40 Outerlimits promotes Wozencraft Insurance. Above and left: Spectators raft up to enjoy the poker run action. Below: James ElZein’s 40’ Skater, Safa 1. Bottom left: Donald Bliss of Happy Valley, OK, drives Executive Decision, his 36’ Nor-Tech catamaran. Bottom right: Doug Thumser in the former Talon offshore competitor Out of Bounds.
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Eye of the Storm
Top left: At the Street Party, Kathryn Swim of distributor Top Gun Racing Fuels displays its line of Torco fuel products. Top right: After the sun set, Brett Baur’s 48' MTI Panty Dropper awed showgowers with its super-bright LED cockpit lighting. Left: At the Bio-Kleen booth, showgoers learn about the company’s high-performance boat hull cleaners—and get a gander at the company’s 35’ Café Racer.
Above: Joe Sgro of Bristol, RI, owner of Outerlimits, displayed his SV43, Quick Getaway. The boat has a top speed of 110 mph. Right: Brian and Amy Jones’ 1977 Southwind tunnel dragster, Blown Investment, was one of the many smaller boats that came to represent the SoCalJetBoats group.
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Left: The Speedboat Magazine crew does its best to stay cool in the unseasonable Havasu heat. From left: Jim Wilkes, Kenny Dunlop, helicopter pilot Fred Young, Chris Davidson, Jay Forbes, Daren Van Ryte, Stephanie Greeley, Todd Taylor and Ray Lee. Below: Stephanie Reynolds and Nickie Williams promote Wozencraft Insurance.
Below: Among the smaller boats on display at the Street Party was Mark Pool’s 1980 19' California Performance. Bottom: Alexi Sahagian and his crew at Boostpower Marine showed off their engines on steroids and offered plenty of tech tips.
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Eye of the Storm
Top left: Cole Whitcher of Corona, CA, displayed his 40' Skater, Savage, powered by Sterling engines. Left: Eliminator Boats of Mira Loma displays its lineup of custom rigs. The company is currently celebrating its 48th year in business. Below: Lavey Craft Motorsports of Corona, CA, turned heads with its fully enclosed SVL race boat.
Above: Bob Teague’s famous race boat, 368 Skater, is adorned with a few of the many checkered flags it has amassed during Bob’s incredible career. Right: Jake and Gina Nossaman’s 48’ MTI Wired Up (profiled in our March 2017 issue).
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Eye of the Storm
Top left: Longtime sponsor Bob Teague and his Teague Custom Marine family with Jim Nichols (at right). Top right: The Lickity Split Team took the Best Display award. Middle left: Outerlimits Jason and Laurie Moe and son Colton won Best Graphics for their Outerlimits SV50. Middle right: Kim and Craig Hargreaves of the Spooled Up team was highest bidder ($10,000) on this handmade First Edge knife. The team also won the Best of Show award. Above: Speedboat Magazine’s Chris Davidson and Ray Lee. Bottom right: Winner of the Wildest Poker Run Boat: Joel Begin and Dave Charlebois with their 50' Outerlimits.
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41 SD GT3
Cigarette The Mercedes-AMG concept boat wowed the crowd at the Miami Show. Now it’s our turn behind the wheel.
When Cigarette’s Mercedes AMG-themed 41 SD GT3 cen- should yield 67 mph. But as tested, the AMG boat was built ter console debuted at the Miami Boat Show in 2016, jaws like a freight liner: completely solid, reinforced with extra bulkdropped—and not just because of the boat’s exquisite styling (or its stunning Mercedes vehicle with matching graphics). The crowning glory was the hull’s twin Mercury Racing 1100 QCV4 turbo motors coupled to #6 dry pumps, for a total of 2,220 horsepower. Have we got your attention now? Cigarette dealer Brett Manire of Lake of the Ozarks-based Performance Boat Center recalls taking customers out for a ride in the boat: “It ran like a freight train,” he says. “It’s a 20,000-pound boat running in the upper 90s.” During the show, Manire hatched a plan to convince Cigarette CEO Skip Braver to let him dial the boat in a bit further. So last year, Manire and his team did their own prop and drive testing and guided the machine into tripledigit territory, achieving a 104-mph run during the LOTO shootout (and making it the unofficial World’s Fastest Center Console). Speedboat was lucky enough to test the 41' with the 1,110 package, which will run you around $999,000—give or take some loose change. Standard power is a Mercury 520, which
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heads and thicker stringers, making it between 6,000 and 7,000 pounds heavier than the typical 41'. So it’s about as sturdy as a boat gets—at one point, 15 people were aboard, and getting on plane was no big deal. Talk about impressive! One of the coolest features of the Cigarette was running 40-50 mph, then hammering down on the throttle and passing other speedboats like they were sitting still. Yet it has the feel of a modern sports cruiser, with an 11-foot beam and full cabin featuring a vacuum-flush head, generator, air conditioning, etc. As you’ve no doubt surmised, this is no chopped-down, carbon-fiber plastic center console. This is the real deal. Options on our 41' included genuine teak flooring, three large Garmin digital screens, huge JL Audio “Pure” stereo stereo system and a real leather interior. Our matte-finished silver paint job was simply gorgeous. It’s a phenomenal boat to be in—relax, have a good time with your friends, and then pop the throttles down and enjoy this absolute beast of a boat. speedboat.com
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Cigarette 41 SD GT3 Length: 41' Beam: 11' Engine on test boat: Twin Mercury Racing QC4v1100s Drive on test boat: NXT #6 Price as tested: $999,000 Options on test boat: Engine upgrade, three Garmin displays, Mercury Vessel View, Mercury Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS), circuit panel, Latham hydraulic steering, Garmin memory port, etc. Top speed: 104 mph @ 6,400 rpm Performance Boat Center (dealer) 1650 Yacht Club Dr. Osage Beach, MO 65065 (573) 873-2300 performanceboatcenter.com cigaretteracing.com speedboat.com
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Cigarette 41 GTR
The dash on the Cigarette AMG concept boat sports three Garmin displays and Mercury Vessel View. Premium sounds come from JL Audio’s “Pure” audio system (bottom). This boat features a full cabin with vacuum-flush head, generator, air conditioning, etc. Twin Mercury Racing 1100 engines push this machine to 104 mph.
One of the coolest features of the AMG Cigarette was running 40-50 mph, then hammering down on the throttle and passing other speedboats like they were sitting still. 32
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Cigarette 41 GTR
After debuting at the 2016 Miami Boat Show (right), Cigarette dealer Brett Manire convinced company CEO Skip Braver to let him dial the boat in a bit further. So last summer, Manire and his team did their own prop and drive testing and guided the machine into triple-digit territory, achieving a 104-mph run during the LOTO shootout—and making it the unofficial World’s Fastest Center Console.
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Trek toTampa
Stu Jones leads his Florida Powerboat Club to Tampa Bay for a weekend of fun. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Stu Jones
T
he Florida Powerboat Club returned to the St. Petersburg waterfront for the
the Seventh Annual Tampa Bay Poker Run, with spirited teams, many of them from northern climates that were happy to escape the winter chill for an exciting weekend of fun. The eclectic mix of boats features everything from a matched set of 30 foot Phantoms, to the massive 80-foot Nor-Tech performance yacht that returns every year for this event. With about forty teams in attendance, the group enjoyed a short Friday fun run to area hotspot, Hula Bay Club, where management rolled out the red carpet and welcomed FPC guests. Later, after shoe-horning the fleet into the limited docking that was made available at the highly acclaimed Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Marina, teams gathered for poker run check-in and a more formal captains meeting that laid out the safety agenda for the Saturday poker run. Sunny weather prevailed through Saturday, as the fleet launched from the St Pete waterfront, which remained pier-less. The once-landmark St Petersburg
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Left: Mad Won, owned by Bob and Madelaine Christie of New Jersey, is a 39' Cigarette GTS. Below: The group passes by Davis Island from Tampa Bay en route to downtown Tampa for the lunch stop at Jacksons Bistro. Bottom: Bill Munyan of New Jersey and his passengers in their 368 Skater, Aftermath.
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Trek to Tampa
Left: Jim and Lynn Archambault of Georgia are Still Keepin’ in Reel, their 34 Sunsation CCX. Below: FPC leader Stu Jones and his models on board Eric Glaser’s Midnight Express 43, the official pace boat.
Above: Simon and Catherine Williams of Florida pilot their 42 Cigarette, GO-GPS. Right: Danny Merrill of Georgia gets a poker card handed off to him in his 44 MTI at the Egmont Key stop.
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Above: Red Reynolds of Florida in the 80-foot Nor-Tech Lady Lisa. Right: Joe and Christine Amaroso of New York in their 39' Outerlimits, Bada Bing. Below: Mark and Spencer Headley, a father-son team from Ohio, in their 42' Fountain Maiden America.
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Trek to Tampa
Top: Dual 30-foot Phantoms owned by Jorge Arellano (outboard) and Will Smith (stern drive). Both hail from the Sunshine State. Right: Brian Hoar of Vermont in his 32' Doug Wright, XRacer. Bottom: Gary Nelson of Florida in his 32' Skater, 711.
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Left: Mark and Eileen Fischer of Team Deep Impact, Lighthouse Point, FL, pilot their 36’ Deep Impact center console.
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Havasu B
BOAT SHOW STORY BY:
Bob Brown PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Todd Taylor and Ray Lee
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efore the 2017 Lake Havasu Boat Show, sponsored by Mohave State Bank
and Jet Renu, opened on Friday, April 8, it was already being touted as a “boat show so big, you might not be able to see it all in just one day.” True to its prebilling, the show delivered exactly what it advertised, with more than 140 exhibitors and an expanded floorplan that included using both Lake Havasu State Park’s Windsor 3 and 4 parking lots, plus the new launch ramp in order to accommodate all of the vendors. And it was a “Who’s Who” of the West Coast performance market, with the likes of Mercury Racing, Nordic, DCB, Hallett, Shockwave, Advantage, Domn8er, Conquest, Eliminator, Ultra, Caliber 1, Interceptor, RPM, Vector, Howard and Tahiti Offshore all accounted for with dazzling new models. The Havasu Boat Show has bucked the trend of shrinking boat shows across the country over the past six years by offering exhibitors affordable space rates and ample helpings of special attractions like a championship level chili cook-off competition and exciting jet ski watercross racing to complete the entertainment package. The result was a new three-day attendance record for the desert-based marine extravaganza with nearly 10,000 visitors through the ticket gates, making it the largest boat show in the Southwest. New this year: The boat show introduced a “people’s choice” competition between a mixture of 31 beautifully restored classic hot boats and some of the most exotic high performance boats built today. After over one-thousand votes were cast during the boat show, the overall winner of Havasu’s Coolest Boat title for 2017 was J.P. O’Donoghue stunning M35 DCB, Lickity Split, powered by a pair of Mercury Racing 1350 packages. The 27th Annual Lake Havasu Boat Show will return on April 6-7-8, 2018, at Lake Havasu State Park. More show information may be found at the official website: lakehavasuboatshow.com. speedboat.com
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Left: Nordic Boats’ newest model, the 43SS Enforcer, is powered by twin 1350s. Below: The Pirate Cove girls, always upping the ante in charm and beauty, are represented this year by (from left) Savannah, Morgan, Hannah, Shay and Madison. Bottom right: Eliminator Boats’ 36’ Speedster. This incredible catamaran was featured on the cover of Speedboat Magazine.
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Havasu Boat Show Below and left: DCB’s M29, powered by twin Mercury 400s. Estimated top speed is 110 to 118, depending on the props. This boat is being sold through DCB’s dealer Shogren Performance Marine. Below left: DCB’s M35 twin 1100 Mercury engines with #6 drives; it’s been rigged with Raymarine electronics. It should run 155 to 165 mph, depending on the props.
Right: Boat Bling brought its full line of high-quality cleaning products. “I’m so thrilled about the growth of this show,” says director of operations Zack Bale. “It’s convenient because we can drive our trailer right onto the site.”
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Havasu Boat Show
Below: Slide Anchor’s booth. The Havasu-based company is battling quagga mussels, the spread of which has become a major environmental problem.
Below: Shockwave’s 22 Deck Boat with a bimini top.
Above: Domn8er’s 26’, one of four deckboats built by the Lake Havasu-based builder. Below: Andy Trent of Aqua Lily Pad, the wildly popular foam floating pad.
Above: Mercury Racing’s new 860 stern drive (with M6 drive) and 1550 dual calibration powertrain. Right: Joe Malich purchased the molds for Redline’s 26-foot cat and is currently launching Revolution Performance Marine (RPM). “We’ve got about 10 people who want us to build them a boat,” he says. “We’re finishing our first one now.”
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Havasu Boat Show
Top left: Caliber 1’s brand-new 2450 Phantom open bow walk-through. Below: The River Whips Facebook group team (Will Atwood, Greg Adkins and wife Amber Adkins) join the Swoop Motorsports team (Summer Richardson, Travis Richardson and Kerry Aurit) in front of the 38' Skater Dial 911 . Below left: At the Swoop booth, Indianapolis-based Pro Marine displayed its collection of remote-controlled boats, which can be custom-painted to match its customer’s offshore rigs. Bottom right: Jet Renu of Corona, CA, sells its line of non-streaking, all-purpose cleaners and polishes.
Above: The classic boat image is a 20-foot 1971 Howard wood deck, aptly named, “Macho” owned by Larry Senta.
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Bimini
Brawl OPA’s latest race is its first in this exotic international locale.
A must-see island attraction is Big John’s Bar and Grill, located 2 miles from Resorts World Bimini.
Brett Bayne photographer : Pete Boden story by:
CLASS 2 winner AMH Construction/ Instigator (near lane).
T
he Bahama Islands hosted the Offshore Powerboat Association’s (OPA) season kickoff race at Resorts World Bimini in late April as 16 boats in seven classes
CLASS 3 winner 2nd Amendment USA (near lane).
competed for bragging rights in the picturesque aquamarine waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Bringing the race to Resorts World Bimini—a luxury hotel, casino and marina located on the tiny Bahamian island—was, in part, geared to bring some exposure to this spectacular vacation spot, facilitated by OPA President Ed Smith. Bimini, located only 50 miles off the Florida coast, offers a huge array of guest facilities and is a beautiful locale for speedboating and offshore racing enthusiasts. The race reportedly marks the first time an OPA event has taken place outside the United States. Big winners included three previous Superboat World Champions: Super Stock competitor FJ Propeller (the 32' Doug Wright powered by twin Mercury Racing 300 XS outboards), Superboat Extreme’s AMH Construction/Instigator (the 40' Fountain competing here in OPA’s Class 2) and P3’s 2nd Amendment USA (the 36' Spectre piloted by driver Karl Steger and throttleman Neil Wobbe). Congratulations to all!
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Bimini Brawl
CLASS 6 winner Liquid Courage, a 23' Warlock.
SUPER VEE LITE winner Phantom, a 30-foot Phantom owned and driven by Mark Niemann.
SUPER STOCK winner FJ Propeller, a 32' Doug Wright hull.
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CLASS 4 winner Saris Racing, a 32’ Cobra driven by Johnny Saris.
CLASS 5 winner Rufstr (below), a 30’ Superboat piloted by driver E.J. Salamone and thottleman Ken Salamone. Left: Class 5 runner-up Specialized Racing. Above: Class 4 runner-up Nick’s Creative Marine.
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LEGENDS
Bernie Little Top left: Bernie Little in 1985 at the Mission Bay, San Diego race. Top right: Jim Kropfeld drives Budweiser in Madison, IN, in 1986. Above: Bernie with wife Jane in 1991. They were married for 48 years.
story by Brett Bayne photos by Paul Kemiel
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B
ernie Little was indisputably the winningest Unlimited Hydro team owner of all time, and his Miss Budweiser hull endured a spectacular reign that spanned
a storied, 40+ year history. Little, who passed away on April 25, 2003, forged a commitment to his team that has been unmatched in the volatile boat-racing world. Also unmatched was the ultimate beer boat’s record on the race course. Little racked up a total 134 race wins, amassed an astounding 22 World Championships and earned 14 APBA Gold Cups. Little was the most successful team owner in the history of Unlimited Hydroplane racing, and his team was sponsored by Anheuser Busch for more than 40 years, representing one of the most successful owner/sponsor relationships in the high-powered world of motorsports. Less calculable was Little’s remarkable PR value to the sport, which manifested at the dozens of event appearances attended by the beloved Miss Budweiser team entourage. Little afforded hundreds of thousands of spectators close-range access to big-league Unlimited Hydro racing. In a recurring life theme, commitment precedes results: His red racer became an icon. Beyond his racing accomplishments and his operation of three successful beer distributorships, Little demonstrated another quality common in our most distinguished inductees: He was true sportsman. speedboat.com
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Bernie Little Left: Jeff Soffer and Ugo Columbo drive Budweiser at a race in Cocoa Beach, FL, in 1992. Below left: Chip Hanauer pilots Miss Budweiser in Detroit, MI, in 1993. Below: Bernie Little and Chip Hanauer accept their first-place trophy in 1994 at the Madison (IN) Regatta. Bottom left: August Busch IV, Bernie Little and Joe Little at a Mission Bay race in San Diego, CA, in 1996. Bottom right: Gary Garbrecht and Bernie Little in Detroit, MI, in 2000.
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Above and above left: Little and champion driver Dave Villwock accept the Detroit Gold Cup for Miss Budweiser ’s first-place showing in 1997. Villwock is one of only two drivers in the modern era to score back-to-back Gold Cup victories with two different teams. Left: Bernie and Dave with their follow-up Gold Cup victory in 1998. It marked three in a row for Villwock; he would score two more for Bernie, in 2000 and 2002.
Above: Sons Bernie Little Jr. and Joe Little. Right: Dave Villwock drives Miss Budweiser in 2002. That side of Little was evident not only in his relentless pursuit of excellence throughout his racing operations, but also in his recreational pursuits. Just as Little relied on the wonders of the Lycoming T-55 L-7 turbine power in Miss Budweiser, he also embraced it in his personal hot boats. Little had a succession of fast air-entrapment hulls, most famously a turbine-powered Skater that ran in the triple digits for sustained cruising periods. He also oversaw an incredible and varied stable of ocean yachts, varying in speedboat.com
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temperament, style and speed. Little was a force of nature, and his legendary status was well-earned. He has been inducted into the Unlimited Hydroplane Hall of Fame, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, the Hancock Sports Hall of Fame and the APBA Honor Squadron. He was also the inaugural recipient of the Unlimited Racing Commission’s coveted Gar Wood Award. Little’s personal summit revealed much about his priorities. He was at the center of the development of the
enclosed safety capsule, and he considered that contribution his greatest personal triumph. He was honored by the APBA for those efforts in 1989. Little’s motto for success guided his dual racing and business careers. “When you want to be the best, you’ve got to want it badly,” he said in 2001. “You’ve got to think about being successful when you go to bed at night and when you wake up in the morning.” Little was married to his wife, Jane, for 48 years. Miss Budweiser’s final race season was in 2004. S P E E D B O A T | June 2017
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ON THE DYNO Alexi Sahagian [continued from page 12] engine come so close to hitting that I am afraid it will be a problem. Can I relief the block? If so how much? I am leery. Thanks! Todd Mayer Reno, NV
I remember speaking to you with our team from the magazine in Miami. So, your question is very valid. At times we see different answers on this. My rule is no less than ¼" clearance from any rod bolt to the block. Always remember to rotate the engine in the direction that it lives in to assure all clear properly. In theory, the clearance can be as little as 1/8", but if the bearing goes south it’s better to lose a bearing than have it all explode in the bilge. On a Dart block, you can see where the reliefs are. If the factory dart clearance is not enough, you can mill the slots a bit more. However, you do not want to get into a water jacket. I would contact the block manufacturer and ask the safe amount you can grind out of their rail. Keep in mind you may need to notch your pan gasket for clearance, and at times it is not uncommon to put the contact side rod bolts in the lathe, if you feel that you are grinding or milling way too far into the block. Sorry for the vague answer, but there are a ton of variables but we use the ¼" theory in every direction. At times, take a look at the piston to counterweight spec. Those get close as well. I hope that gives you a little insight.
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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE
[continued from page 10]
ugly, bipolar head come Saturday morning. Strong winds blew in excess of 40 mph with gusts of higher, forcing Nichols and Russell to postpone the scheduled Shootouts until the following day. This was a secretly welcomed relief for the team and me, as we had been going long and strong, starting early each morning and running late into each night. Finally, we could take a bit of a break. I don’t think we were alone in this secret either. However, when the winds continued to blow through the night and into the next day—this was not a welcome thing. The 2017 Desert Storm Shootouts were cancelled early Sunday morning. Disappointment and even anger emerged from participants and spectators alike. And I understood their frustrations. Shootout teams prepare long and hard to get everything in perfect running order to achieve the perfect pass. A lot of time, effort and dollars are sacrificed, simply to participate in these runs. But, the difficult (yet correct) decision was ultimately made, in the name of safety—first, foremost and final. Especially, after losing so many of our own in recent months at recent events. Therefore, all who entered the 2017 Desert Storm Poker Run and Shootouts returned home to their loved ones, safe and sound. No major catastrophes occurred and no lives were lost. So, it was definitely a successful event, in that respect. However, everyone is an NFLcaliber athlete when it comes to being a “Monday-morning quarterback” and social media and online outlets exploded with every single one of them… Right, wrong or indifferent, unfortunately. Are there things that could’ve been improved? Sure. Do I have opinions on how? Absolutely. Do I want to be the organizers of the Desert Storm event? Respectfully…not a chance! Overall, it was still an awesome event and one that I personally love. I have been to every single Desert Storm and even a couple prior, when it was dubbed the Spring Heatwave, and I look forward to it again next year. Kudos, Jim and Jim!
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Jetboat Racing Book The history of jetboat racing— including the fearless pilots behind the wheel—are commemorated in a new book published by Frank’s Photos of Riggins, ID. The 84-page book, The World of Jet Boat River Racing, includes 400 color photos of 350 racers from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. The book comprises the sport’s inception to current event; these action-packed races were covered in Hot Boat and Speedboat magazines. Check out the many jetboat racers from past and present in this brand new, full-color softcover book, priced at $25; send a check or money order to Frank’s Photos, P.O. Box 287, Riggins, ID 83549. Call (208) 628-3743 for additional information.
Edelbrock Offers Rebate Check Edelbrock of Torrance, CA, Edelbrock of Torrance, CA, has announced its new “Get Edelbrock Fueled” consumer promotion, which allows participating consumers to receive a $300 rebate check when they purchase any new Edelbrock Pro-Flo 3 Electronic Fuel Injection system, whether it’s sold individually or included with an Edelbrock crate engine. The promotion was launched in May and will end on June 31, 2017. “Our Pro-Flo 3 systems are by far the best EFI solutions on the market today,” said Edelbrock’s VP of Sales and Marketing Steve Whipple. “They’re a fully sequential port style system that offers improved performance over a throttle body style system. Our Pro-Flo systems offer the most control and best fuel atomization, plus they also include a high quality Made in the USA Edelbrock intake manifold.” For complete, promotion details and to download a redemption form, visit the official Edelbrock promotions website at edelbrock.com/promo. 60
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MY VIEW Chris Davidson [continued from page 8] Gerald Chase, aka The General, takes a seat on a chopper.
that as long as everyone used common sense, most problems could be avoided. However, it was stressed that the event would have several slower areas, and participants were cautioned to be thoughtful to those in kayaks, personal watercraft and other boats on the lake. (Complaints from previous years have put the event in jeopardy, underscoring the need to follow the rules. It’s about being sensible respectful of fellow boaters on the water.) One of my closest friends, Gerald Chase—who happens to be my former partner in the Elvis-a-Rama Museum in Las Vegas—was there representing the Cloverlane Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization that has been funding and influencing other charitable organizations for more than three decades. The General, as I call him, was at the event to introduce the 03XX Foundation, which mentors Marines and Corpsmen back into civilian life. After the presentation, several boaters grabbed a Marine and showed them a great time out on the water—which is part of what the event is all about in the first place. Jim Nichols personally made sure that this happened and was gracious in speedboat.com peedboat com
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MY VIEW Chris Davidson
Above: Front and center at Desert Storm’s driver’s meeting were members of the OSXX Foundation, which provides assistance to veterans and transitioning service members from the United States Armed Forces.
allowing The General and his group to deliver their message to the crowd, both at the drivers’ meeting and the party on Saturday night. Two boaters made donations, which will go directly to those that need it without any administration fees or other costs. Thank you, Jim, for the opportunity. There were a few less boats and participants, due to the competitive Tickfaw 200 Poker Run in Louisiana (and more than a full day’s drive for boaters from Lake Havasu). The Tickfaw 200 Poker Run primarily affected the larger 40+ foot boats that traditionally attend Desert Storm before hitting Tickfaw on their way back to the East Coast. Unquestionably, the bigger boats draw the bigger spectator crowds, but I believe the bigger boats have slowly chased off the average boaters, who run 23' to 28' speedboats powered by their old, faithful 502 BBCs. Saturday’s Shootout was wisely cancelled, due to the heavy winds that had been predicted late Thursday. Unfortunately, those winds carried over into Sunday, causing many to hit the road following the great Shugruescatered party on Saturday night that was thrown at Windsor 4 just behind the In-N-Out Burger. I look forward to attending Desert Storm again next year, and have suggested to both Jims about either trying earlier in the month of April or staging later in the day if they stick with the first week of May. I’m really glad that I’m not in charge of this decision, since it’s impossible to predict the weather a year in advance. Good luck to both of them!
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Brett’s Eliminator
Daytona!
Featuring
NJBA & Lucas Oil Race Action
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Rigged ‘n’
READY 64
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When Andrew Hankins found this Eliminator, it was on its third owner and had never been rigged. photographer :
Ray Lee speedboat.com
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ndrew Hankins was barely a sophomore in high school when he started looking for a jetboat. His search ended
in Cherry Valley, CA, with a highly unusual discovery—a 1982 Eliminator Daytona that had never been rigged, despite having three separate owners. “It didn’t have a hole drilled in it,” Hankins says. “It was a 30-year-old brand-new boat.” One of the intermediate owners had left it sitting outside for a prolonged period, so part of the hull had endured some major fading. “It almost turned me away from it,” he says. But after careful consideration, he purchased it and took it to restoration wizard Kevin Mickaelian at KMG Boats (Lakeside, CA), who buffed, color sanded, and brought back the beauty. It took “four years and three girlfriends” for Andrew to rig the Eliminator (with help from his father, Dave). “We rigged the whole boat with a bandsaw, cutting all the brackets out,” he says. “It took a really long time to get that all done.” By the time they got the boat up and running in 2013, Andrew was learning how to be a professional machinist and fabricator. Eventually, he decided to use his skills to redo all of the plates and fancy hardware himself, and the results are enormously impressive. The boat’s pump gas 588 big-block Chevy came from Bostick Racing Engines (El Cajon, CA), and although it hasn’t been dynoed, Andrew estimates that the drivetrain puts out around 800 hp. It holds 30 gallons of fuel and delivers a top speed of 112. “It’s just a river boat,” Andrew says. He enjoys running it at Martinez Lake, located at the Southeastern corner of California, where the Hankins family owns a house. You’ll find Andrew’s dad using his Ultra Shadow deckboat there as well. speedboat.com
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SalmonShowdown River photographer :
R
Frank Mignerey
acers in three classes competed for the ultimate glory
at the 33rd annual Salmon River Jet Boat Races April 14-16 in Idaho. Sponsored by the Salmon River Jet Boat Committee, teams from the United States and Canada battled for both cash awards and bragging rights along the longest running river jetboat race in the country. Festivities kicked off Friday with a barbecue and show-and-shine at the Salmon Rapids Motel grounds. Racers spent Saturday and Sunday racing on the Salmon River starting at 10 a.m. on both days, with an awards ceremony and banquet held on Sunday at the Salmon River Inn. Taking home awards following this year’s race were: • Driver Ryan Rogers and navigator Cris Christie, who took their boat Pure Insanity to the overall win and the top of their Unlimited class. • Driver Jake Barney and navigator Shaun Fiamengo, who took their boat Never Satisifed to the top in CX Class. Barney sank his boat last year on the Salmon River; it was recovered four days later. • Driver Chuck Thompson and navigator Mike Albright, who took their boat Rump Shaker to the top in FX Class.
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Unlimited Winner and first overall were Ryan Rogers (driver) and Cris Christie (navigator) in Pure Insanity (below). Above: a group shot of the racers.
The famous jetboat race marks its 33rd year with a victory by Pure Insanity.
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Salmon River Jetboat Races Unlimited Class: Second-place finishers Jeff (driver) and Jim (navigator) Edwardsen, brothers from Lewiston, ID (right). See page 71 for more on their story. Below: Burley Boat, driven by Ross Schlotthauer with navigator Chad Yackel, came in third in the class with a time of 1:07:05.
CX Class: Never Satisifed, with Jake Barney (D) and Shaun Fiamengo (N) of Lewiston, ID (right), were first in the class. Barney sank his boat last year on the Salmon River; it was recovered four days later. The team did an outstanding job driving this year.
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CX Class: Back Draft, with Barry Fenton (D) and Rich Engler (N), left, were second in the class. FX Class: Rump Shaker, with Chuck Thompson (D) and Mike Albright (N), below, were victorious in FX Class with a time of 1:04:18.
FX Class: Predator, with brothers Shay (D) and Grady White (N), left, placed in FX with a time of 1:08:20. Their White Boyz Racing Team will be competing at the World Jet Boat Race Marathon in New Zealand this October.
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Salmon River Jetboat Races
FX Class: Know Idea, with Adam Steffes (D) and Justin Kelly (N), both of Lewiston, ID, took their boat to third place in FX with a time of 1:09:59.
Above: New this year is a requirement by the APBA that all jetboat river racers be certified for passing the capsule escape test under water. All racers passed this test, and the Edwardsen brothers (opposite page) used this knowledge to escape their sinking race boat 24 hours later. 70
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Seventeen years ago, Jeff sank his first jetboat at the same stretch of rapids. The boat was not recovered for five months—and Jeff dove for the boat himself.
Jeannette Klobetanz, the daughter of photographer Frank Mignerey, caught this scary crash sequence of Unlimited Class competitors Jeff and Jim Edwardsen. The brothers had just completed their new APBA-required escape training 24 hours earlier. They escaped serious injury in their boat, which wrecked at the infamous “Time Zone Rapids” on Idaho’s Salmon River, also known as “The River of No Return.”
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photographer: Mark
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McLaughlin
akersfield, CA’s Lake Ming hosted the National Jet Boat Association’s sophomore race of the season—the
second of three consecutive bouts scheduled for the venue. Strong winds played a factor in determining the outcomes of this race: Each winner was determined by the previous round’s elapsed times as weather cut short competition for the rest of the day. Pro Gas Hydro’s Josh Hayden repeated his success in Pro Gas Hydro, taking owner Mark Peters’ Chump Change machine to the winner’s circle. Hayden ran consistent 6.80 elapsed times all weekend in the hydro, with speeds of 165 to 170 mph. First-round action in Pro Comp Flat class pitted Tony Scarlata against Randall Docken. Scarlata, the #1 qualifier, had some catching up to do to pass the #12 qualifier, but playing catch up and winning the round gave Scarlata the opportunity to keep going rounds. The Blinger boat would wind up with the winner’s trophy in PCF, along with the Pro Gas Flat category. In Pro Eliminator class, #3 qualifer Shawn Thurston went up against #1 qualifier Shawn Howard in the finals. Thurston would win the race, but lost the battle as his Kryptonite flatty had a mechanical failure, tossing him out just past the finish line. He’s expected to make a full recovery.
Pro Eliminator racer Shawn Thurston is tossed out of his Kryptonite flatty—just past the finish line—after a mechanical failure. He experienced moderate injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
Spring Fling at Ming Jet boating action continues in Bakersfield, CA. 72
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Unblown Fuel Jet: Steve Penberthy dug out One More Toy for this race after blowing the motor in his white boat at the March race while winning the class. After going into the finals against Willis Johns, the winner was determined by the previous round’s elapsed times as wind took over the course for the rest of the day, giving Penberthy the runner-up position.
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Spring Fling at Ming Top Eliminator: Justin Perkins went the distance in the 14-boat field to make it to the semi-finals in the 9-second Top Eliminator class. Due to winds, the winners were determined by the previous round. Unfortunately, in this class, the NJBA had to revert back two rounds, and Justin was the winner with a 9.073 elapsed time to Joe Martin’s 9.076. Margin of victory: .003.
Above: Pro Eliminator winner Shawn Thurston (see Page 72). Below: Kjell Adams in Fluid Motion ran in the uncontested Pro Gas Jet class with an impressive 7.57 elapsed time at almost 132 mph.
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Above: Pro Comp Flat class pitted Tony Scarlata (near lane) up against Randall Docken (far lane). The #1 qualifier had some catching up to do to pass the #12 qualifier. The Blinger boat would wind up with the winner’s trophy in the Pro Comp Flat Class, along with the Pro Gas Flat category. Left: A green light for a green boat! Owner Mark Peters was victorious in Pro Gas Hydro. Driver Josh Hayden ran consistent 6.80 elapsed times all weekend in the Chump Change hydro, with speeds of 165 to 170 mph. Below: Blown Gas Flat driver Jason Merritt qualified #1 in Monty Patridge’s Good & Plenty 2 flatbottom. He took the win over Dan Cannon in the final with a 6.32 elapsed time at 128.88 mph.
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photographer: Mark
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McLaughlin
fter a rollicking March season opener in Chandler, AZ, the National Jet Boat Association (NJBA) upped the ante with
a nail-biter at the Blue Water Resort & Casino in Parker, AZ. In Top Fuel Hydro, Bryan Sanders was the top qualifier and winner, clicking off an incredible 3.44 ET in the finals on Saturday with a new speed record of 270 mph. In Pro Outlaw class, Tyler Speer (profiled in our March issue) continued where he left off last year: After winning the championship in the category in 2016, he took his winning ways to the podium again to dominate the weekend, starting from the #1 qualifying position and never looking back. One of the most memorable skirmishes of the weekend was in Modified Eliminator class. Rat Bastard, driven by Mike Munoz, broke out in the first two rounds of eliminations on Saturday, but still managed to take the wins as the other boats either didn’t fire or broke out quicker. Going into the finals, he had his hands full with the #1 qualifier, Don Blaney. The final result: Mike Munoz ended with a 10.11 ET to Blaney’s 10.17 ET. A very close race, with the Rat Bastard taking the win. Lucas Oil competition next moves to Wheatland, MO, followed by racing in Texas and Georgia. The World Finals take place in Phoenix, AZ, Nov. 3-5.
TOP FUEL HYDRO: Nitrochondriac qualifies against Locked and Loaded (far lane). Top qualifier Bryan Sanders clicked off an incredible 3.44 elapsed time in the finals on Saturday for a new speed record of 270 mph.
Parker’s Payload
Dragboat racers trek to Parker, AZ, for some hair-raising action at the Blue Water Casino.
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Signage at the Blue Water Resort & Casino promotes the drag boat races.
PRO ELIMINATOR: Brian Schmidl took home the first-place trophy in PE class. The #4 qualifier took out the #1 qualifier in the second round en route to his first win of the year over Stan Tweedy.
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Parker’s Payload
QUICK ELIMINATOR: Only a fiveboat field in QE class put Vince Nelson Jr. in the #2 position going into eliminations. Vinny put down some consistant ETs and 130-mph runs to take the win in the class.
PRO MOD: Coming off a win at the season opener in Phoenix, Shawn Reed (left) continued his dominance in Pro Mod class. He had to get by Keith Funk, Shelby Ebert and Jimmy Booher to get his second trophy in a row.
TOP ELIMINATOR: In a 12-boat field, #4 qualifier Bob Prigmore had to go 4 rounds to win in the class. He was on the right side of the ladder where there were no easy wins. In a 9-second bracket class, he took the win with an 8.36 ET—apparently knowing that Garrett Breistig would not follow him down the track in the final. 78
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RIVER RACER: Scott Dolezal (above), only qualifying 7th in a 7-boat field, saved the best for elimination day as he ran his River Racer jet to the money round, taking the win over Kevin Foote. PRO OUTLAW: Winner Tyler Speer (right) continued where he left off last year.
MOD ELIMINATOR: Driven by Mike Munoz, Rat Bastard (above) broke out in the first 2 rounds of eliminations on Saturday, but still took the wins as the other boats either didn’t fire or broke out quicker. Going into the finals, he had his hands full with the #1 qualifier, Don Blaney. Munoz took the win by a fraction of a second. STOCK ELIMINATOR: Armand Labarre (left) used his instincts to take the win over Wally Nocks in the final, coasting past the finish line at just 70 mph and taking the win with an 11.29 ET. speedboat.com
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Parker’s Payload TOP ALCOHOL FLAT: #1 qualifier Tony Scarlata, piloting Shazam, had some electrical problems Friday after qualifying. Seen at right, it looks like the problem was fixed, as the machine went the distance in eliminations to take home the trophy.
TOP ALCOHOL HYDRO: Another #1 qualifier, Mike DeClark in his Little White Lie hydro (left), takes out Steve Streeter (far lane) in round 2 eliminations. The very consistant boat ran the tables with 4.39, 4.40, and then a 4.43 elapsed time for the victory.
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Trek to Tampa [continued from page 41] pier had recently been demolished, with pending re-development in a stale-mate due to local politics. Upon seeing the helicopter arrive, it was hammer-time, and soon the impressive fleet was underway...with sights set for the Sunshine Skyway, and a staged attempt to run the fleet under the wide spans simultaneously! Result: nailed it! After a total of four checkpoints, including lunch stop at the very popular Jackson’s Bistro in Downtown Tampa...the poker run fleet returned to Vinoy Basin without incident, and later socialized in the Birchwood for a great dinner and awards party. Congratulations to the Anderson family from Texas, where parents Roger & Pam Anderson (39' Nor-Tech) won the poker run...and son Cliff along with wife Melissa Anderson took second place in their 36' Eliminator. Here’s what’s coming up next for the Florida Powerboat Club:
June 3-5 Biloxi Smokin’ The Sound Poker Run. June 9-16 FPC European Poker Run. June 29 to July 2 Bahamas Poker Run. Summer 2017: Summer Poker Run Tour July 20-24 St Maarten SXM Poker Run. August 8-13 Emerald Coast Poker Run. Sept. 16-19 Peterson’s Key West Motorcycle Run (Powerboats Welcome). Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 Fall Bimini Blast. Nov. 1-5 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Nov. 7-13 Key West Offshore Poker Run. 82
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