Speedboat November 2016

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE

LONG BEACH SPILLS!

FREAKY

FAST!

LOTO

PBC/Jimmy John’s 388 Skater Tames The Competition

Full Coverage of the 2016 Shootout & Poker Run

NOVEMBER 2016

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Speedboat Legends Advantage Founder Harry Christensen

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TABLE OF CONTENTS November 2016

COLUMNS 8 CHRIS DAVIDSON 10 RAY LEE 12 ALEXI SAHAGIAN 14 JIM WILKES 16 INDUSTRY NEWS 64 NEW PRODUCTS

FEATURES 18 OZARK DAREDEVILS Complete coverage from the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout and Poker Run.

34 SCOPE POKER RUN The Southern California Offshore Powerboat Elite sets course for Catalina Island.

40 SPEED RACERS Offshore Racers in SBI and OPA speed toward their November World Championships.

46 GOIN’ FOR THE GOLD The race for the Detroit Gold Cup got a little hairier than usual this year.

50 DCB REGATTA Customers from the builder’s past and present converged on Lake Havasu City for the latest installment of the famous gathering.

54 BIG CAT POKER RUN The Discovery Bay Lions Club hosts Northern California’s coolest power fest.

60 SPEEDBOAT LEGENDS In our latest tribute to the industry’s most enduring legends, we salute Advantage Boats founder Harry Christensen.

Cover and Table of Contents photos by Todd Taylor Inset cover photo by Mark McLaughlin

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

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

Chris Davidson chris@speedboat.com

Editor Brett Bayne brett@speedboat.com

Senior Tech Editors Jim Wilkes jim@speedboat.com

Alexi Sahagian alexi@speedboat.com

Tech Editors Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins National Sales Ray Lee Director ray@speedboat.com

BRETT’S COVE 66 SOCAL SPRINTERS Long Beach provides the perfect backdrop for the SCSC’s 2016 Sprint Nationals.

72 LAKESIDE STORY A weekend of fast boats and classic cars highlights the Lakeside Car and Boat Show.

76 HABIT FORMING Jetboat racers head to Alberta, Canada, to battle for the coveted Whitecourt Carlan Cup.

Art Director Gail Hada-Insley Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com

Photographers Todd Taylor, Pete Boden, Randy Nuzzo, Kenny Dunlop, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Girardi, Mark McLaughlin Operations Manager Michele Plummer and Subscriptions michele@speedboat.com Webmaster Craig Lathrop craig@speedboat.com

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

Editorial Offices 9216 Bally Court Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (888) 577-2628 (BOAT) SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 9 times including a bonus issue this year by DCO Enterprises LLC.

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

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2016

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MY VIEW CHRIS DAVIDSON

Memoirs of an Errand Boy Few speedboating events can ests. One of the very best things about our on the money. hold a candle to the sheer spectacle lifestyle is the people. The meld of West It started to of the LOTO Shootout and Poker Run, and this year’s proceedings doubled down on the fun, excitement and camaraderie we’ve come to expect from this Ozarks odyssey. Over the last decade, Speedboat has forged numerous friendships resulting from LOTO, thanks in large part to the efforts of SB team members Ray Lee,

Todd Taylor and Jay Forbes. We are so grateful for our association with the likes of Ron Duggan, Tim Kowalski, Speed, Juggs and Sandy at the top of Radar Bluff and numerous neighbors at the The Ledges Condos in Osage Beach.

This year, we were invited to a party next door with Chris and Michelle St. Peters, who messaged me through Facebook that they recently acquired a brand-new 32' Sunsation center console powered by a pair of Mercury Racing Verado 400R outboards. Also in attendance were several other couples that owned large speedboats, and we spent an evening making merry and chatting about shared inter10

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Coast, Midwest and East Coast boaters all socializing together in the same town is one of life’s quintessential pleasures.

Originating as the Lake Rescue Shootout in 1988, LOTO had earned a solid national reputation by the early 2000s. Although it was widely associated with Powerboat Magazine in its early years, I first attended the self-described “largest unsanctioned boat race in the United States” around 2004 with my team at Hot Boat. Promoter Ron Duggan of Captain Ron’s Bar and Grill officially took over the event in 2008. His expansive facility is located on the sprawling waterways of the Lake of the Ozarks, which boasts more than 1,100 miles of shoreline. Frankly, it makes Lake Havasu look like a small pond.

As we did in 2015, our team’s plans this year were to not only cover the event itself, but test half a dozen boats while we visited this speedboating mecca. We flew into St. Louis on Monday in preparation for testing on Tuesday at Performance Boats Center, which has become the predominant boat dealership and marina on the lake. PB Center offers some of the most coveted brands you can imagine, including Cigarette, Skater and Sunsation.

Mark Waddington and Brett Manire make it look easy, but the activity level was at full tilt this week. Impressively, these guys are able to stock inventory, sell a boat and send the customer off in their new purchase all in the same day. They must have more than $12 million worth of high-performance craft on the premises, with all manner of models and color combinations imaginable.

On Tuesday, we ran the six boats for our photo shoot, but the weather had other plans. Test driver Alexi Sahagian had warned me every day for the week leading up to the event that rain would be a factor, and he turned out to be right

pour as testing wrapped on the fourth boat. Our helicopter chased the last two boats at high speed as pellets of water pummeled photographers Todd Taylor and Kenny Dunlop (not to mention Alexi).

We were able to finish things up just as the onslaught of water came down. Ray and I are always most concerned about the safety of everyone involved.

The LOTO street parade, scheduled on Wednesday, is comparable to Desert Storm’s—thousands of spectators flock to see the power-drenched boats sitting on their state-of-the-art tow vehicles. This results in a very long day for our team, as we wind up walking up and down Bagnell Dam strip repeatedly shooting video, taking photos and chatting with friends and clients. Bio-Kleen, Poly Lift, Mercury Racing, DCB, Wozencraft and Performance Boats Center all had boats and displays for us to stop and admire.

While walking up and down the mile-long strip in the heat and humidity can be grueling—trying to capture every moment of the event before the sun goes down—it’s also an exhilarating experience.

More boat testing was scheduled for the following day, and how I wish we had run Tuesday’s boats on Thursday!

The sun was bright and the temperature was warm. The dock girls assisted us again, catching and tying up boats as we approached. That made it fun and easier for everybody. Several of the women even made appearances on our Facebook pages, which stirred some controversy among members who felt they looked too young. That was a bit annoying, as all the girls were at least in their early 20s.

The poker run arrived on Friday.

Normally, we would jump into a boat driven by one of the attendees to hit several of the stops. However, last year we got

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE

2016: A Look Backward

So this is our November 2016 issue. Our ninth and final one for this year, which is one more issue than last year and three more from 2014. I hate to sound like a cliché, but...where did the time go?

Back in February when we were at the Miami International Boat Show, I remember thinking that the upcoming season was going to be an especially good one. Seeing all of the new hardware and the exciting innovations at the new venue made me anxious for the boating season to start.

2016 promised to bring bigger things.

And it delivered. The events were bigger, the boats got bigger, the displays got bigger and certainly the crowds got bigger.

Starting with the Desert Storm Poker Run in late April until now, all of the events brought out more participants and spectators – which is a great sign for the industry and the sport. Also, the popularity of outboard engines and center console boats went through the roof and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

This year, I was also fortunate enough to attend a new (to us) event. The Old Hickory Charity Fun Run in Nashville, TN, organized by Chad Collier and the 10

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Tennessee Powerboat Club welcomed Speedboat Magazine with open arms and downhome hospitality. This event differs from the others because the emphasis isn’t so much on fast, long runs, but rather, more on the fun hangs. Their infamous “raft-ups” were among the most impressive and laid back times that I spent on the water at an event this year and I want to thank everyone there for making our trip to Old Hickory such a memorable one.

But 2016 also brought some serious heartbreak and loss. In July, four of our own were killed in Lake Lanier, GA. Art and Melissa McMahan and Anthony and Tammy Reece died in a terrible accident when McMahan’s 388 Skater flipped at a high rate of speed, traveling back from a lunch run at the Pirates of Lanier Charity Poker Run. The Reece’s, best known for their 42' candy apple green Statement Saddle Up and their southern charm and drawls, were especially beloved by the Speedboat community and numerous tributes were organized to remember our fallen friends, most notably at the Old Hickory Run. August then claimed the lives of

longtime boat racer/enthusiast Richie Prince and Bradley Dunphy in Lake of the Ozarks, MO, the evening before the LOTO Shootouts when Prince’s MTI catamaran overturned at high speed. MTI Boats and their fleet of owners opted not to participate in the Shootout runs, in a show of respect and tribute to Prince and Dunphy. Godspeed to all… You will be missed.

However, despite the tragedy, the Shootouts proceeded as planned. The event seemed a bit more somber than usual, but the show definitely went on.

I consider this event the “Super Bowl” of high performance boating, as it occurs near the end of the boating season and it brings out all of the fastest, most impressive vessels from around the country, if not the world. It is an amazing exhibition of raw power and speed and there is no other event that is as organized and well respected than the LOTO Shootouts. We try to present the event as close to reality as possible but it’s definitely one to add to the proverbial “Bucket List” and experience for yourselves. (Complete coverage begins on Page 18.)

I suppose it’s the thrill of it all that attracts us to the sport and the speed. The risks are ones that we are willing to take because we love it! Of course, it’s much safer to stay on the couch but what’s the fun in that? It’s about being out in the sun, on the water, wind in our faces, friends and family at our sides, music in our ears and throttles in our hands that keep us going back—again and again and again. To run the boat better than you did the time before, and faster!

That’s why we do it.

As we march onward and upward into 2017, I hope that you will all enjoy the love of speedboating enthusiastically… yet safely!

Please wear your life jackets and boat responsibly. PLEASE! speedboat.com

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ON THE DYNO ALEXI SAHAGIAN Big Boy Gears Dear Alexi: I have a small V-drive boat. I want to do a gear change and I was wondering how big I can go. I have a raised water jacket billet case with 55 gears and I really need to go to 63 gears. I was told that the biggest I can go is a 60 without losing my water cooling. Please help!

Joe Renning Palmdale, CA

the oil pump pickup had fallen off its mount and sucked air into the system, not allowing oil to flow. He welded it and that broke as well. I am in the process of rebuilding this new engine and need to find a better solution. It is a stern drive with a 10" deep pan. Do you know of a better way to do this? I am reluctant to do any further re-welding on this oil pump.

Jason Williams Santa Barbara, CA It’s little consolation, I realize, but you are definitely not the only person this has happened to. In our more than 30 years of messing with engines, we have seen this a number of times. We designed a one-piece pump with no pickup, so we don’t really worry about this any longer.

It is a science to weld cast iron to mild coated steel on those pickups, and they can absolutely fail if not done properly.

Companies like Titan and Moroso make a one-piece oil pump that work in most

Seems as though you have a powerful engine there! We hardly ever see larger than a 60 gear in most V-drive cruisers. If you have a raised, water-jacketed V-drive case, you can definitely get a 63 gear into the case as is. But first I must urge you to contact your vendor and have a custom set of Casale gears made for the installation. They make custom ratios and setups with smaller diameters in the heavyduty splined gear ratios. If you attempt to install a random set, they will most likely not fit. I recommend contacting your vendor or assembler and pass this info to them so you can have a custom set of gears made to fit in this box you have. Keep in mind that you will need big power to pull those gears. Good luck!

Oil Pickup Fail Dear Alexi: I had a custom motor built for my Eliminator Daytona. It was a 565 with a 14:71 supercharger. It ran well for about a week until it lost oil pressure and blew up. Man, was I bummed! I took the engine apart with the builder and noticed that 12

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automotive pans that are 7-8" deep. If you need one for a marine 9-10" deep pan, we make one, and several other companies have the ability to.

It is nice because there’s nothing break or fall off. The bolts holding the bottom together are drilled, so you can install lock wire to secure them. The insides of this pump are basically the m77hv clearance and speced out for maximum flow and performance and come with three pressure springs to fine-tune your application on the dyno. So, yes this is the solution for this issue.

Ring, Ring, Ring!

Dear Alexi: We have an older twin-engine Fountain.

It has two supercharged and carbureted engines making about 1,000 hp each. We are in the process of rebuilding them ourselves and need some information on the ring specs. Any help you can provide will be appreciated. Thanks!

Travis Hanover Houston, TX Rings are a big science. However, they can be sorted out with a few good thoughts. Some manufacturers of rings make steel tops, plasma molly tops and several other types of aftermarket piston rings. I recommend that you get with your machinist to decide on the actual finish they put on your bore. This is important because you want the finish hone to match the type of ring you are installing. Some engine builders may recommend a steel or stainless steel top piston ring thinking they are stronger and better. The short answer is that they are a bit stronger because of the way they are made, and the fact that they are a harder material. They take a bit longer to break in and withstand pinging and detonation without instant damage that a stock ring may get. But the simple

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V-DRIVE TECH JIM WILKES Restoration Setup Dear V-Drive Tech: I am trying to learn as much as I can about rigging my 1969 Hondo, and still have a couple questions I could use more clarity on. I bought the boat from a coworker of mine whose family changed it over from a drag boat to a family skier in the ’70s. It sat most of the time at the

Holiday Inn parking structure in Burbank since then. It came to me with a 327 (pulled from a 68 Camaro in a junk yard in Sun Valley in the ’70s), velvet drive, 1:1 V-drive, and 3-blade prop. I’m going to go the route of keeping it a ski-style boat with the small block and a close to a classy “period correct” restoration.

I am planning to ditch the velvet drive, as I bought Glenwood motor plates, and I also received a 12-degree Casale with the boat. I read that 10 degrees are more 14

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desired to keep a motor lower, but due to the low HP application and the ability to run U-joints on the driveline. I figured I could drop the motor as low as need be with proper U-joint angles. My questions are as follows: 1. What dictates V-drive placement?

Should I just bolt it where it lies when the mid plate lines up with the stringers and the prop shaft lines up to the output? I am going to make a mid plate on my plasma table, so I figured I could lower it or raise the Casale unit and trim the prop shaft if the V-drive needs to be lower/further to the rear of the boat or any reason.

2. My motor is further back and probably will stay that way to allow for the four seats. Does motor angle play a part like in cars, or do I base it off the V-drive input angle?

3. Any recommendations for overdriving it a little, or would you recommend 1:1 again?

4. Finally, any prop ideas to start with?

I know I’ll need to experiment, but should I go two-blade or keep the three-blade?

Thank you in advance!

Grant Williams Orange, CA My advice on your Hondo is not to try and re-invent the wheel. You are correct when you say it’s a classic!

Your V-drive location should be installed in its original location, if possible. Hondo boats did all the work for you when it comes to location of the V-drive.

12 degree V-drives work fine in these older boats. Your prop shaft is the alignment tool. Keep your V-drive bolts loose while aligning the prop shaft. When you feel you have your prop shaft and V-drive aligned correctly, start tightening your V-drive bolts. Keep a close eye on your alignment as sometimes when tightening a bolt it will cause movement in the alignment. You may need to back off on one bolt and tighten one on the

other side first.

When you’re installing parts, there is one rule of thumb: strut, prop shaft, V-drive. This should give you a true-running underwater setup.

Remember to check or have your prop shaft checked for straightness if you’re not installing a new one and install new strut bushings.

Motor Angle: Using a flex or a driveshaft with a U-joint style driveline, you have a great deal of freedom to set your engine angle. Years ago, I built a K boat with a flex shaft. I set the engine 1/2 inch off the floor and offset the engine to the left 1 inch for what I thought would be better one pin turns to the left. Everyone who drove that boat always commented on how good it handled.

Now for the answer on your boat.

Try to install your engine in the original location if you can. Have your driveline rebuilt and balanced.

Overdrive: I like to run overdrive in my V-drive application, but the cost of new gears might limit what I end up doing. You can control your RPM with your propeller and as you mentioned you might be in need of a new prop.

Pitch on a new prop will help control your top rpm. Also, I’m not in favor of getting rid of the velvet drive transmission. This trans is a plus when it comes to water skiing. I know it doesn’t look as cool as a direct-drive style system, but having the ability to go from forward to neutral and maybe use reverse as a brake is something most flatbottom boats don’t have.

Prop choice: I feel you would be better off using a three-blade propeller, because it will be smoother with far less vibration. You might give up 2-4 mph on the top end, but the smoother ride is worth it, believe me.

Good luck with your project, and send us some pictures when you get it completed! We would all like to see it. speedboat.com

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Industry News BRETT BAYNE

DCB Expands M Series—In Both Directions

DCB Performance Boats of El Cajon, CA, has added two new models to its M series of luxury performance catamarans: the M28 and the M44—making them the smallest and biggest boats in their lineup.

“With the new M28 and M44 models, we are expanding to cater to both ends of DCB’s customer spectrum,” said Jeff Johnston, President of DCB. “We have current owners looking for a bigger boat, which is why we’re building the 44-foot

catamaran, our largest model to date.

At the same time, the new M28 gives us an entry-level boat for those customers aspiring to own a DCB.” At this issue went to press, DCB was finishing up work on the 28' mold—and had already sold five of them. In addition, the first 44' was in the layup process, and two of that model had already been sold.

“So we’re pretty busy,” Johnston says.

DCB was on track to have both models ready in time for the 2017 Desert Storm poker run and shootout.

The first M44 out of the mold, purchased by a customer in the Seattle area who previously owned an M41, will be shipped to Mark Morris at Visual Imagination in Missouri for a premium paint job prior to delivery. It will be powered by a pair of Mercury Racing 1550 engines, and is expected to reach speeds in excess of 180+

mph. The boat will likely be displayed on a tilt trailer at Lake Havasu’s Street Party, prior to Desert Storm. It will feature a custom interior with Alcantara fabric, carbon fiber layup and a huge stereo system.

The M44 will feature a base price of roughly $700,000 and include engine options ranging from twin Mercury Racing 700SCi engines and SSM#6 drives up to twin Mercury 1550/1350 engines and M8 drives. Meanwhile, the M28, which starts around $215,000 on a tripleaxle trailer, will be available with either twin OptiMax 300XS and Verado 400R engines from Mercury or in a singleengine stern-drive setup with packages ranging from Mercury’s 565 engine and Bravo One drive to Mercury’s 1350 engine and M8 drive.

DCB recently held its annual regatta; full coverage begins on Page 50.

Legendary Boat Racer Pettengill Dies Circle boat racing champion Julian Pettengill, who turned 79 this year, passed away on Sept. 4. Pettengill was the subject of a Speedboat Legends article in our August 2016 print edition (left). His K boat accomplishments and his work with Rusty Biesemeyer are part of West Coast speedboating history.

Pettengill, a friend of boat painter Bill Berkenheger of Krazy Kolors, recalled his buddy with love in a Facebook post: “Julian was the Dale Earnhardt Sr. of my generation. He put circle racing on the map in the mid '70s and early '80s, when he retired from the sport. His hull design—Biesemeyer, with help from Rusty Biesemeyer—is still used today. Could you imagine driving a K boat with a rope around your left arm to keep the down pedal from sucking in at over 120 mph? That's what he did! He was crazy.”

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Aston Martin Concept Boat Debuts

Quintessence Yachts, based in the Netherlands, recently teamed with British luxury-car manufacturer Aston Martin to create a 37-foot speedboat modeled after the Aston Martin. The boat, called the AM37, debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.

The AM37 is the result of two years of

research and development, challenging the status quo of the nautical world and combining the best in innovative technology and craftsmanship. The AM37 was a team effort involving the most experienced Aston Martin designers to style and create a truly unique product, according to company reps. Master craftsmen who

worked on cars like the One-77, Aston Martin Vulcan and the new DB11 all provided their automotive experience, which was incorporated into the boat.

Aston Martin’s EVP & Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman and his design team collaborated closely with naval architect Mulder Design to ensure every element of the project was perfectly executed. Sharing creative expertise and specialist skills, Quintessence Yachts engineered the Aston Martin design into an innovative powerboat for the yachting world.

“The AM37 is a pure translation of the Aston Martin DNA into an entirely new maritime concept,” Reichman said. “The powerboat reflects our values in terms of power, beauty and soul.”

For more information, visit astonmartin.com.

Powerboating for a Cure Raises Cash to Fight Cancer

The Mid Atlantic Powerboating Association (MAPA) Team is once again fighting breast cancer with a squadron of offshore powerboats—and a deck of cards.

The MAPA-organized event was the 8th Annual F. Wayne McLeskey Jr. Memorial Powerboating for a Cure Poker speedboat.com

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Run, held in Norfolk, VA. It has raised more than $270,000 for Breast Cancer Research in the last eight years. The event launched in 2009.

This year’s course took boaters a little more north in the James River up to King’s Mill (in Williamsburg) and a little further south in to the ocean and around to Rudee Inlet for a stop at Rudee’s on the Inlet Restaurant. In between were stops at Blue Water Yachts in Hampton, and Long Bay Point Marina in Lynnhaven, Virginia Beach. The longer of the two courses is approximately 135 miles.

Participants were able to experience the calmness of the river, the chop of the bay, and the excitement of the ocean.

“Every part of the weekend was a success,” said event chairman Bob Veith. “It

could not have been more perfect.”

There’s a limit of 75 boats and the event sold out in just two weeks, putting around 300 participants on the water.

The poker run featured many repeat attendees, but also a healthy number of new faces to event—including Michael “Doc” Janssen, who won the Longest Tow Award from Denver, CO, with his spectacular 52' full-canopy Outerlimits, and Dan Davies, with his equally impressive 52' Outerlimits, from Chicago, IL. The poker run was won by Allen Sheffield of Fredericksburg, VA. S P E E D B O A T | November 2016

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Ozark

Daredevils American Ethanol grabs its second consecutive Top Gun prize at LOTO’s annual Shootout.

Photos by Todd Taylor

& Kenny Dunlop

Kelly Kraiss with Ron Gibbs in his Top Cat 368 Skater.

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Left: The 51' Mystic American Ethanol scored a top speed of 217 mph. Above: The 50' Mystic, Team Farnsworth’s Low Altitude, was the only turbine-powered boat in the Shootout.

Its top speed was 179 mph.

caption

F

or many who watched the American Ethanol catamaran grab Top Gun honors at this year’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout,

it was a case of déjà vu—owner Don Onken’s team had confidently repeated their winning 2015 performance in the 51' Mystic, topping their 2015 run of 208 mph by an additional 9 mph.

However, the victory did not come as painlessly as it did in 2015. The Shootout Committee initially disqualified the Aug. 27 run by driver Slug Hefner and his throttleman, Mystic Boats founder John Cosker, on a technicality. The resulting controversy sent the event into a bit of a tailspin—until Onken protested the disqualification and the committee later reversed its decision upon review, speedboat.com

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making the 217-mph run a valid entry in the competition. In the end, no boat ran faster than American Ethanol.

The 2015 Top Gun run was made by Cosker and driver Myrick Coil. The 2016 speed of 217 mph officially became the fastest ever recorded for a piston-powered boat at the event.

Meanwhile, coming in second place were Garth Tagge and Jim Melley in their 36-foot Skater Classic Deck, powered by Carson Brummett-built motors, with a speed of 194 mph—a speed achieved also employing the cleaner-burning, high-ethanol blend of fuel.

Also of note: Cigarette Racing’s AMG 41' SD GT3 center console machine scored a speed of 104 mph, while Sunsation’s 32 CCX ran 88 mph, both setting records for their class.

On a sad note, the 2016 LOTO event was marred by the fatal accident involving Richie Prince and Brad Dunphy in their 2013 MTI catamaran, which went airborne, rolled to its starboard side and struck the water having flipped upside down. Devastated by the loss, MTI owners elected to sit out this year’s Shootout activities.

Launched in 1988, the LOTO event encompasses a shootout, poker run and various other activities on the sprawling Lake of the Ozarks. More than 100,000 spectators typically gather to watch the largest unsanctioned boat race in the Midwest.

For more on the Speedboat’s involvement at LOTO, please see Chris Davidson’s column on Page 8 of this issue.

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Ozark Daredevils shoo

tout Brad Kloepfer in the DCB M35 cat Lickity Split: 162 mph.

caption

Myrick Coil ran an awesome 104 mph run in the Cigarette-AMG 41 SD GT3 center console. The boat is powered by Mercury Racing 1100 I/Os.

Kristy Kaczan, along with husband Kevin, pilot the Cigarette Unleashed, was clocked at 111 mph.

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Tony Chiaramonte of DCB took this beautiful M35 to 173 mph.

Garth Tagge and Jim Melley, in their 36-foot Skater Classic Deck, achieved a speed of 194 mph.

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tout Ozark Daredevils shoo

Above: Nick Battiato, piloting this Eliminator Speedster, achieved a top speed of 93 mph.

Left: JT Dorris—grandson of PlayCraft Pontoon founder John Dorris—pushed this outboard-powered pontoon to 74 mph.

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The best of four passes by the father-son team of Dennis and Jason Parvey, driving their 43' GT Black Thunder with 3,350 hp, was a blistering 165 mph.

Ed Champion drove this brand-new Fountain 38' Lightning to a top speed of 93 mph.

Ron Szolack and Chip Miller took Flight Club, a 50' Skater, to 184 mph.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2016

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ie Ozark Daredevils the lad

s Kevin and Kristy Kaczan in Unleashed (see Page 20), a 36' Cigarette Gladiator.

Carrie Sixkiller (left) has been driving her 1993 Baja 24' Outlaw in the LOTO Shootout since 2007. Her top speed this year was 65 mph.

Left: Lesley Miller in her 106-mph 28' Skater with twin Mercury 300 outboards.

Left and below: Summer Richardson was clocked at 153 mph in her 388 Skater, Dial 911.

Below and right: Yvonne Aleman and Tristan Collins-Garvin ran Devin Wozencraft’s 30-foot Skater catamaran to 99 mph.

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ty street par Ozark Daredevils

The LOTO Street Party featured Doc Jannsen’s SV52 Outerlimits Without Limits (top), Mark Maasen’s PolyLift-themed 38 Cigarette Top Gun (above) and Jake and Gina Nossaman’s Wired Up MTI (above right).

Above: David Garza and Mare Baker of Mauch Racing supported Speedboat Magazine with their outboardpowered hydro. Left: the Mercury Racing trailer. speedboat.com

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arty Ozark Daredevils PB p

Performance Boat Center’s expansive party featured a truly outrageous amount of power and bling.

Left: Brian Crane, Bryan Conley and Brett Manire. Right: DCB’s Jeff Johnston and Tony Chiaramonte pose in front of this new M41.

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poker run Ozark Daredevils

Mark Maasen’s PolyLift-themed 38' Cigarette Top Gun.

Double Take is Jim Lee’s 46' Skater.

Christy Wright admires the new issue of Speedboat Magazine.

Tom and Tammy Rensch in their Cigarette Gunslinger.

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n Ozark Daredevils poker ru

Above: Andrew Mackey in his 38 Cigarette Top Gun. Left: It took Sean Novak 13+ hours to haul his 1995 Fountain Lightning to LOTO. It was his first time attending.

Below: MTI’s center-console MTI-V, powered by four Mercury Racing 400 outboards.

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un Ozark Daredevils poker r

Above: This 2013 Outerlimits SV50 is owned Rich Szefnat and powered by twin 1350s and M8 drives.

Right: Gotcha Now, a 46' Skater powered by Mercury Racing 1350s with M8 drives.

Below: Boats tie up at the Big Dick’s Halfway Inn card stop.

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Ozark Daredevils crash

Jeffrey McCann of Morehead, NC, endured a perilous run down the course in Jack’s Waterfront, a 23-foot Donzi, before spinning out and crashing at the finish line. He was thrown from the cockpit and the boat sank within 30 seconds. Fortunately for McCann, a Missouri State Highway patrolman, Corporal David Echternacht, leaped into action. He made a beeline to the accident

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scene in his patrol boat and heroically jumped into the water to assist McCann, who was lying face down in the lake wearing his life jacket. Echternacht got McCann, who was unconscious, breathing again.

He was taken to a hospital and is recuperating from his injuries. His Donzi was later recovered from the bottom of the lake.

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SCOPE

Poker Run

The Southern California Offshore Powerboat Elite sets course for Catalina Island on their 20th anniversary.

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Photos by Daren Van

Ryte and Erick Bryner

F

ounded in 1992 by Ron Songrath, the Southern California Offshore Powerboat Elite (SCOPE) group

Vern Gilbert of West Coast Drives in a 42' Outerlimits Legacy.

Left: Molly Moore and friends in her 42' Fountain on the dock at the Hotel Maya.

Above: Partygoers dance to the music of the band One Hot Mess. speedboat.com

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used to make regular runs from Long Beach to Catalina until it reached an impasse with the city.

“The Long Beach run was extremely successful,” Songrath says. “The problem was that ten years ago, we had around 165 boats attend. The City of Long Beach just started taking spots away from us for slips, and started leasing out on an annual basis.

That was the killer, and it really ruined it in Long Beach for us.” The group then started running the event from San Diego.

But this year, SCOPE found a new home base, using slips at the Maya Hotel, and once again launched its poker run from Long Beach Sept.

23-25. “Honestly, Long Beach is the ideal place to hold the poker run,” Songrath said. “It’s such a central hub and makes for a great event.”

In attendance were numerous familiar faces, including group leader and current SCOPE President Bill Steiner in his 38' Cigarette Junkyard Bill; Rick Bowling, owner of the Gone Again Talon offshore raceboat; Fred Inman Jr. of Imco Marine; and Ken Bowen, who won the poker run and graciously donated his winnings to Operation Gratitude, one of the club’s favorite charities. Among the firsttimers were Daniel Hafid, owner of an SL52 Outerlimits; he also made a large donation to the club, which will be passed along to Operation Gratitude as well.

S P E E D B O A T | November 2016

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SCOPE Poker Run

Fred Inman Jr. in his 39' Nordic idles in front of the famous Casino in Avalon, CA. Left: Rick Bowling in Gone Again, a Talon.

Below: Chris Graysen in his 38' Fountain.

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SCOPE Poker Run

Bill and Gilda Steiner with son Kyle, daughter Brielle, her husband Stephen Fisher and friends Walter and Amy Crowell in Junkyard Bill, Steiner’s 38' Cigarette.

Jim Lucas of Lafayette, CA, launches his 42’ Fountain completely out of the water.

Thane Tiemer and John Lovell of Nordic Custom Boats in the company’s 43' Poker Run Edition, powered by 1,200 Whipplecharged Pfaff-built engines.

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Offshore Racers in SBI and OPA Speed Toward Their November World Championships.

Speed Racers Photos by Paul

Kemiel

A

s offshore racing barrelled through the summer—and with season-ending clinchers scheduled

for November—competitors in both Super Boat International (SBI) and the Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) battled hard for high points and bragging rights as their regular racing seasons began to wind down.

As this issue went to press, both organizations had largely wrapped up their seasons and posted updated nation40

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al standings, with OPA forced to cancel its race in Ocean City, MD, due to prohibitively rough waters caused by Hurricane Matthew. (The OPA Nationals will now be held in conjunction with the OPA Worlds in Englewood Beach, FL, on Nov. 19, while SBI’s Key West World Championships were still scheduled for Nov. 6-13 at press time.)

The big winners? On the SBI side, Performance Boat Center topped national points in Superboat Class, with Wake Effects on top in Superboat Unlimited. Other winners include AMH

Construction/Instigator (Superboat Extreme), FJ Propeller (Superboat Stock), The Developer (Production 3), Team Raven (Production 4) and LSB Lilly Sport Boats (Superboat Vee). SBI racing’s season included races in Cocoa, FL; Marathon, FL; Michigan City, IN; Mentor, OH; and Clearwater, FL. Meanhwile, OPA racers basking in glory this season include points leaders in 13 different classes. Among them: Performance Boat Center (Super Cat), FJ Propeller (Super Stock), Cat Can Do (Text continues on Page 82) speedboat.com

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Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s (left), a 38' Skater cat powered by a pair of 750-hp Sterling engines. The crew (below) includes driver Myrick Coil of Osage Beach, MO, and premier throttleman John Tomlinson of North Miami, FL. The boat led in points in its class in both SBI and OPA.

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S P E E D B O A T | November 2016

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Speed Racers

Wake Effects, a 48' MTI driven by Rusty Rahm and throttled by Jeff Harris, has dominated Superboat’s Unlimited Class. Left: the team celebrates its win in Michigan City, IN, with an average speed of 111.18 mph.

Below: Superboat Stock competitor FJ Propeller, a 32' Doug Wright cat. Right: Driver Jimmie Harrison with owner/throttleman Gary Ballough, who recently enjoyed his 116th career win. The team was a fierce competitor in both SBI and OPA this year.

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Above: AMH Construction/ Instigator turned in a masterful performance this year, with driver Johnny Stanch and throttleman Peter Meyer (left).

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Speed Racers Below: Cat Can Do/American Ethanol was OPA’s Extreme Class top performer, with driver Ed Smith and throttleman Keith Holmes. Right: The team poses after their St. Clair victory.

OPA Class 5 superstars Anthony Smith, Nick Smith and Matt Digiacomo (above) in Wazzup II, a 24' Carrera vee hull (left).

Above: Ed “Smitty” Smith, driver of Wazzup (right) was a points champion in OPA’s Class 3 all season long.

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MY VIEW CHRIS DAVIDSON [Continued from page 8] a very rough ride in a 29' E-Ticket, so we were considerably less anxious to blindly jump into a boat for another “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” around LOTO. Unfortunately, our crew member “Captain Jay” Forbes deposited his new iPhone into the drink while jumping from boat to boat, which made it virtually impossible to reach him for the rest of the trip. However, poker run day brought one of the highlights of our trip: We drove to Camden on the Lake to met with several friendly faces, including the crew at DCB, before stopping off at Mike “Doc” Janssen’s incredible pad. Doc hosts an annual lunch featuring a massive amount of delectable grub. Along with his close friend and neighbor, Dan Davies, they played host as home base for Outerlimits, with Dan’s

[Continued on page 63]

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SPEEDBOAT |

November 2016

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Goin’for the GOLD The race for the Detroit Gold Cup got a little hairier than usual this year.

Story and photos by Paul

46

Kemiel

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J.

Michael Kelly of Bonney Lake, WA, was piloting the

U5 Graham Trucking-sponsored Unlimited hydroplane during the UAW-GM Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest APBA Gold Cup race when he stuffed the craft. Kelly displayed determination and perseverance in the pursuit of the 100th anniversary of the Gold Cup trophy—the fourth venue on the H1 Unlimited 2016 schedule.

Kelly stuffed his 28-foot, 6,750-pound race craft at 150 mph into the rooster-tail spray of the U9 Delta Realtrac boat with driver Andrew Tate, breaking off parts of his stabilizer wing in the turn during Heat 2-B. Owner Ted Porter and crew chief Tom Anderson repaired the damage and had the boat ready for the championship final heat. Kelly went on to capture the win for his first Gold Cup victory with a 150.15-mph average speed over the 2.7-mile liquid race course on the Detroit River.

Team Porter, with owner Ted Porter and his crew chief Tom Anderson, display their coveted trophy.

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Goin’ for the Gold

B

randon Kennedy of Newark, DE, was the driver of the GP-25 H8 Cancer Racing team when the boat collided with the GP-77 Coppertone competitor driven by Canadian Martin Rochon of St. Zotique, Quebec. The crash occurred during Grand Prix class racing at the Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest Silver Cup race. The Hydroplane Racing League is based in Montreal, Canada. Kennedy told the story to Speedboat: “We went into the roostertail turn three wide. I was in lane 2, then my lane kind of disappeared and I got into the roostertail spray of another boat and I hooked the boat and it forced me into lane 1. Then Martin in his Coppertone boat made contact with my boat at about 120 mph. It was a wild ride and scary at the same time. Getting into the tail, I thought I was blowing over on my own. We built a strong cockpit this winter for this new boat and it definitely saved my life.”

Rochon added: “As I was entering the second corner at turn 2, I noticed Brandon’s boat stray into my lane 1. I had nowhere to go. We made contact and then the boat lifted and it was the beginning of a blowover. I landed hard and upside down. But I was able to escape safely.”

Both drivers were free of serious injuries. The two damaged boats were out of competition for the remaining heat races.

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GP-77 Coppertone driver Martin Rochon (above) and GP-25 H8 Cancer Racing driver Brandon Kennedy (left) pose in front of their damaged boats. speedboat.com

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Photographer Paul Kemiel caught this crash sequence, which occurred when the H8 Cancer Racing hydroplane boat (driven

by Brandon Kennedy) collided with the GP-77 Coppertone competitor (driven by Martin Rochon).

Both drivers were free of serious injuries. The two damaged boats were out of competition for the remaining heat races.

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DCB

regatta

Customers from the builder’s past and present converged on Lake Havasu City for the latest installment of the famous gathering.

Photos by Todd Taylor

Mark and Jennifer Schouten drive El Gato PatrĂłn, their newly delivered M41.

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M

ore than 300 people with 60 boats traveled to the latest edition of the DCB Regatta held recently in Lake Havasu City, AZ.

“We hosted a lot of customers who had older boats built in the late 1990s, from the roots of DCB,” said DCB co-owner Jeff Johnston. “Also, we had six deliveries in the last six months, and all of those customers came as well. We finished an M-31 with Mercury 700s the night before, and our customer drove out Friday morning.”

For at least six attendees, this was their very first DCB Regatta, while several others who had not been able to make it the last couple of years showed up for the 2016 installment. The title sponsor was Mercury Racing, with Barrett Custom Marine acting as the secondary sponsor. The regatta was produced by Todd Taylor of Joker’s Wild Productions, who also shot the amazing photos appearing in this article. “I’d like to thank DCB for being our longest-standing customer,” Taylor said. “We have done 15 consecutive DCB Regattas.”

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DCB regatta

Tony Chiaramonte and Lauren Mellor in the M29 Tri This.

Left: Shea Spraggins, Connie Davis, Sharon Spraggins, Laurie Corrales.

Right: Scott and Laurie Corrales in their M31, powered by Mercury Racing 700s.

Above: Branden Bowden in the F29 Just B N Me. Middle right: This Mach 26 midcabin cuddy is owned

by Boat Bling’s Patrick and Julee Jones.

Below right: Here’s a Mach 26' open-bow walkthrough.

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Top: Tony Toven’s F29, Clear Image.

Above: Mark and Shirl Noack in their F29, Pegged.

Right: LOTO Shootout Class winners (left to right) Shawn Moe (F29), Mark Schouten (M41 El Gato Patron), Carlton Bass (M35 Cat’s Ass), Brad Kloepfer (M35 Lickity Split.)

Right: Brett and Velicity Hayward’s F32.

Below: DCB’s banquet and awards ceremony.

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poker run

Big Cat

by Cherilyn

Noack •

Photos by Erick

T

Bryner

he Big Cat Poker Run the West Coast and takes participants on national media coverage. Photographers once again drew doz- a boating adventure through the winding shot from helicopters and from land durens of boats to the waters of the California Delta with stops ing both days of the event and helped

Northern California town of Discovery Bay Aug. 12-13.

Teague Custom Marine has been a cotitle sponsor with Colledgewood Inc. since the event’s inception in the year 2000, and the beneficiary is the Discovery Bay Lion’s Club. Volunteers from the local community and the Lion’s Club take care of poker run registration duties and orchestrating many details of the event.

This poker run has become one of the largest performance boating events on 54

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in different cities.

It’s interesting to note that although the event name includes the word “cat,” vee bottoms are welcome to participate—the moniker “Big Cat” is a reference to the Discovery Bay Lions Club.

All types and sizes of boats are welcome, and with the addition of a “short course” option for the second year in a row, there was something for everybody.

In addition to offering more than one course, the event received a spike in

with up-to-the-minute coverage on social media.

Friday’s agenda included a lunch run to Tower Park Marina & Resort, located in Lodi, CA. This is approximately 40 miles by water from Discovery Bay, and a nice warm-up for the larger amount of miles to be covered during the poker run the next day. The lunch run traditionally began as a way for the locals to lead the way in order to give the newer participants and out-of-towners a tour speedboat.com

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The Discovery Bay Lions Club Hosts Northern California’s Coolest Power Fest.

Larry and Sharon Kramer’s 388 Skater, powered by twin TCM 1200 EFI engines.

Glenn Hoffman in his 38' Eliminator Eagle Miss Behavin’ at the start of the Big Cat Poker Run.

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Big Cat Poker Run

Tony Chiaramonte and Paul Miller of DCB drive a recently completed F29 Cat with twin Verado 400s.

Above and above left: Gary Colledge (with Bob Vila) and the famous Colledgewood Skater. Below left: John Young in his 36' Nor-Tech Cat. Below: Sponsors Bob and Andrea Teague pose with their granddaughter Layla at Friday’s lunch run.

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of the Delta, which was no different from this year, when residents Bob and Cindy Patterson volunteered to host an optional tour after the lunch concluded.

Friday evening’s welcome and registration party was held at the Discovery Bay Marina. Participants had the opportunity to register for the poker run if they had not done so in advance, socialize with other boaters at the tents set up on the marina lawn, grab a drink or appetizer, and enjoy live music by Crosstown 5.

Teague Custom Marine had its apparel tent open during the party and enjoyed greeting customers and friends.

Saturday morning began with a driver’s meeting held at the Discovery Bay Marina. A total of 90 boats were signed up and ready for the day’s run. This marked the largest attendance in years.

Each boat driver received a generous goodie bag with Big Cat T-shirts and hats, and items provided by various sponsors including a full sized spray bottle of new detailing product Teague Shine, courtesy of Bio-Kleen Products. A large contingency of the fleet was Teague Custom Marine customers and/or TCM powered entries that came from all over California and Arizona.

The boaters depart after the driver’s meeting whenever they are ready to the first stop on the run, Pittsburg Yacht Club, where they stop and socialize for a while.

Spectators walked out on the levee from the marina towards the Discovery Bay Lighthouse where many of the boats can be seen taking off from land.

From Pittsburg, CA, the poker runners made their way to the lunch stop at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel in Stockton, CA by way of the Carquinez Strait and the San Joaquin River.

University Plaza rolled out the red carpet for the event with ample docking, a catered lunch, swimming pool and live music by the band Mama Luke. Once the lunch gathering winds down, the group headed back to Discovery Bay and at this point have rounded out about 150 miles by water since the start of the day.

The post-poker run party was held at the Discovery Bay Marina. Live music was provided by the Edwins Brothers, dinner by Boardwalk Grille, the prizes were speedboat.com

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awarded to the top 3 poker hands drawn and finally a live auction was held which raised $8,900 for Heart of a Hero, a charity for pediatric cancer.

Teague Custom Marine would especially like to recognize the hard work of the Discovery Bay Lions Club volunteers and current Lions President Glenn Hoffman and his family for stepping up and giving tremendous effort and heart to put on the event and continue its

community legacy. Proceeds from the event, currently estimated at approximately $40,000, go to the Discovery Bay Lions Club to support programs for children with visual impairments, community schools, churches, and other worthy causes.

Overall, the Big Cat didn’t disappoint, with hot summer weather, fun boating, parties with live music, and friends new and old.

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Big Cat Poker Run

Below and inset: Karl Koster and family in their 40' Skater Cat Special K make a pass by Windmill Cove during Saturday’s poker run.

Chris and Jenny Prouty of Santa Clarita, CA, in their 38 Cigarette Top Gun run back from Tower Park to Discovery Bay during the Friday Lunch Run.

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ON THE DYNO ALEXI SAHAGIAN [Continued from page 12]

truth is that a plasma molly ring is what I would consider the “middle of the road” in strength. We like them because they have an almost instant break-in, and if your piston manufacturer is smart enough to lower the ring land away from the heat for a marine application, and if your gaps are correct and not too tight, these rings break in fast and make great power. Unless you are doing onthe-edge development, you should not be pinging or detonating to cause damage in the first place. The goal is to get a great seal. Read the ring manufacturer’s specs for circle track or marine applications. Follow their recommended gap and always use a squaring tool to assure the gaps are consistent from cylinder to cylinder. Also note that the direction of the ring when installed is critical in most designs. Usually the dot goes up. If there is no dot, see the instructions for the proper way it installs in the bore. As for the second ring, oil rings and rails if applicable. Make sure you verify those are in spec. I can't begin to tell you how many times people assume the oil ring gaps are correct just because they came in the package. Check everything and don't be scared of the big gaps you may set up on a 565 marine engine. I also recommend that you visit Total Seal's website, where you will find a treasure trove of other interesting topics.

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legends In our eighth installment of our Hall of Fame series, we salute Harry Christensen, the late founder of Advantage Boats. Still going strong today, Advantage was one of the pioneers of the Southern California custom boat-building movement. The company made its name on the jetboat racing course, and Harry was behind the wheel, front and center.

by Brett

Bayne Photography by Paul Kemiel

Harry Christensen

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aunched in the mid 1970s, Advantage Boats was one of the true pioneers of the Southern California custom boat-building movement, transplanting its operation to Lake Havasu in 1993.

Advantage made its name on the jetboat racing course, with founder Harry Marius Christensen behind the wheel.

World records and national championships in flatbottom racing followed. Meanwhile, Advantage continually refined its recreational line, which evolved into a fully stoked pen of luxury performance boats.

Harry and Jeff Christensen in the 32' Victory Factory 2 offshore race boat, powered by two 500-hp Mercury I/Os. It was a World Champion at the 1997 APBA/UIM Offshore World Championships in Biloxi, MS.

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Above all, Harry was a man of vision and high standards. He called those attributes into continuous play while developing one of custom boating’s most accomplished companies; Advantage Boats has left its mark on an entire industry with a continuous infusion of creative thinking and progressive products. He committed his resources and imagination toward continually challenging the status quo with fresh , original design and methodology.

He applied a similar formula, with the same success, in three separate racing careers: circle and drag jets in the 1970s, K-boat racing in the 1980s and Factory Offshore Racing in the 1990s. Proudly teaming with his son, Jeff, in the latter two, Christensen won championships in all three. A penchant for perfection and a constant vigilance over every detail of the company product line kept Advantage’s standards on the cutting edge. Harry’s numerous creative risks have contributed momentum to trends in hull styling, gelcoat design and hardware selection.

Harry pioneered the Party Cat deckboat: it was the forerunner of the entire deck-boat movement, and the progressively styled Victory series was a predecessor of the recent West Coast movement toward full-sized muscle cruisers.

Advantage’s factory-built 32-foot Victory won an APBA National title and world championship in 1993, and has become a bestseller. It all began with Fiberglass Concepts, a Southern California fiberglass repair and fabrication job shop that Christensen parlayed into an industry institution. After offering private-label production services, Christensen spun off the Advantage hull brand and became part of the momentous low-profile jet boat explosion of the early 1970s.

Advantage evolved with the proliferation of the stern drive, and became one of the architects of the contemporary lake boat movement with their polished line.

Christensen approached life with style, class and very little in the way of wasted motion. In other words, in much the same style as the line of boats he created.

Seventeen years after his death in 1999, it is still difficult to write about what happened to the man who had become one of my personal heroes during my speedboat.com

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time as editor of Hot Boat Magazine.

I remember distinctly because it happened on my birthday, Jan. 6: Harry Christensen had vanished without a

trace. As the story unfolded, we learned retroactively that Harry had gone to Lake Havasu Municipal Airport to talk to a man named Bobby Joe Keesee, who was

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Speedboat Legends Below and right: Jeff with Harry at the 1997 Offshore World Finals in Biloxi.

supposedly interested in purchasing a twin-engine, six-passenger Cessna 340 airplane that Harry had been advertising for sale online. Harry was asking $300,000 for the Cessna.

At some point, as it was later revealed, Keesee shot Harry twice in Havasu and stole the airplane, taking Harry’s body with him on the airplane. Keesee took the plane to New Mexico, where it was later found at a small airport just north of Albuquerque with blood in the cabin.

By the time Keesee was arrested in Las Cruces, NM, on Jan. 7, he was discovered carrying Harry’s rings, Rolex watch, credit cards and driver’s license. He was jailed without bail, and it was revealed that Keesee had previously served time for other crimes, including airplane theft.

But the whereabouts of Harry’s body remained unknown.

That is, until May 2, when Harry’s body was discovered by a New Mexico rancher tending cattle about 25 miles northwest of Albuquerque. No attempt had been made to bury the body.

Keesee was charged with murder, kidnapping and aircraft piracy. In 2000, at age 65, he was convicted and sentenced to two life terms without parole. He died in prison 10 years later, on Dec. 31, 2010.

For Harry’s widow, Debbie, his murder was only the beginning of an unimaginably tragic year. In September 1999, her son Jeff Christensen, 30, died from injuries he sustained in a racing acci62

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Some of Harry’s creations.

Right: The 22' Citation bowrider.

Below: The 26 Party Cat LX. Below right: The Factory 32' Victory Factory 2 raceboat.

dent near Pittsburg, CA. Jeff—who had dedicated the racing season to his slain father and teammate—was traveling at about 70 mph while racing the Team Advantage boat in Factory 2 Class when the boat’s nose hit a high wave, ejecting Christensen, who was the boat’s throttleman. (Driver Michael Porter was hospitalized with injuries.)

The year’s double tragedy was brutal for Debbie Christensen, and yet, summoning an almost superhuman reservoir of strength, she took over the reins of Advantage and, with help from sales manager Bob Sepulveda, kept the company going. In the years since the loss of father and son, Advantage has continued to innovate and add to their already amazing stable of state-of-the-art speedboats. Among the coolest lines to be issued by Advantage—or any manufacturer, for that matter—is the X Flight, a

vee bottom with sponsons that makes it resemble a tunnel boat. Released in 2007, it is currently available in 27', 28' and 34' models. Tested by our test team in 2008, we hammered the 27' X-Flight through bouts of challenging, rough water, and the boat showed its championship breeding with its commendable ride and consistent handling. “A horizon of wind-swirling two foot chop, blowing in all directions, offered surprisingly little challenge, as we nudged the throttle even further forward, and elevated our ride with a pleasingly expansive trim range. This is a boat that will deliver in the face of Havasu’s end of the weekend conditions,” we wrote.

Harry would be damned proud of Advantage’s accompishments, and of Debbie’s amazing courage. I miss Harry, but I will carry the memories of his kindness and generosity for as long as I live. speedboat.com

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MY VIEW CHRIS DAVIDSON [Continued from page 45] new 52' Outerlimits proudly displayed at the dock. Joe Sgro also showed up with his Outerlimits crew, resulting in nearly a dozen Outerlimits impressively lined up in front of Doc’s house, which is at one of the premier points of the lake.

On Friday evening, we visited the waterfront home of Sunsation owner Jared Morris. His family cooked steaks and chicken for our entire team. Sunsation’s Wayne Schaldenbrand was also in attendance, and we enjoyed talking about the success of the company’s new line of center-console boats that has dominated its production line for the past two years.

Our team eagerly inspected Sunsation’s latest 32' CCX model, including every new piece of hardware and technology known to man.

At long last, Saturday’s Shootout was finally upon us. The only reason we’re able to cover this part of the show so well is thanks to the good folks on the bluff.

Last year, we met the property owners, Matt and Elka Grace, who were very kind to offer us access to the entire bluff—it’s located directly above where every boat must run. That means the official radar gun is less than 3 feet away from us at any given time. Speed, Juggs and Sandy operate two different radar guns. They take their job very seriously and get it right 100% of the time. The entire community and event is dependent upon them doing their job correctly every year.

During the weekend, I run around as errand boy—fetching batteries, lunch, water and whatever else the team needs.

I love to witness some of the on-water action as they thunder down the nearly two-mile long stretch of water making pass after pass before finally reaching their top number for the weekend, or with someone being crowned as the next Top Gun. This year, American Ethanol repeated its victory; congratulations to them for their impressive showing.

As we close out the year, we are packing our bags for Lake Havasu, where we’ll be testing boats for our March 2017 issue.

The fun never stops! speedboat.com

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New Products BRETT BAYNE

Billet 1071 Blower

Recognized as the world's foremost authority on quality aftermarket supercharging systems, Blower Drive Service (BDS) of Whittier, CA, ups the ante for marine supercharging with its new Billet 1071 Supercharger.

Designed specifically for high-performance street systems, bracket racing, marine and/or dirty racing environments using high octane gas, the new BDS Billet 1071 Supercharger provides the ultimate in immediate power boost and sophisticated “bad-ass” appearance.

The blower features a fully polished billet case, billet rotors and billet plates. Additionally, the supercharger is fit with upgraded, application specific gearing and standard or Helix rotors.

A significant option is offered in the form of a front discharge/front inlet configuration. These brutally efficient superchargers can be ordered anodized in black or grey (polished is standard), and while a few applications may require minor modification to the manifold, most BDS intake manifolds will accommodate the 1071.

This cutting-edge blower is capable of producing 15 pounds of boost and more on engines turning in excess of 7,500 rpm. BDS lists a suggested retail starting at just $3,650 with additional details available at blowerdriveservice.com. For more information or immediate service, please call (562) 698-7213 or email info@blowerdriveservice.com.

Edelbrock Extends Promotion

Torrance, CA-based Edelbrock has extended the deadline on its popular Genuine Edelbrock and E-Street Cylinder Head Rebate consumer promotions until the end of 2016.

The Genuine Edelbrock promotion allows participating consumers to 64

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receive a $25 rebate when they purchase any new Edelbrock intake manifold or carburetor—whether they're sold individually or included in a Power Package Top End Kit, Carburetor & Manifold kit, Edelbrock crate engine or EFI system.

Meanwhile, Edelbrock's E-Street

Cylinder Head Rebate allows consumers to receive a $150 rebate when they purchase any new pair of complete Edelbrock E-Street cylinder heads, including any cylinder heads purchased as part of a Power Package Top End Kit or Edelbrock crate engine.

The offers are valid on new purchases through Dec. 31, 2016. Consumers have until Jan. 30, 2017, to submit a redemption form and proof of purchase.

Founded in 1938, Edelbrock, LLC is recognized as one of the nation's premier designers, manufacturers and distributor of performance replacement parts for the automotive aftermarket. Edelbrock produces its core products in the USA using state-of-the-art equipment in their world class manufacturing facilities. The company currently has five locations in Southern California and one location in North Carolina totaling more than 500,000 square feet.

For more information, please visit edelbrock.com. speedboat.com

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LAKESIDE POWER FEST!

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Photography by Mark

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SoCal Sprinters Long Beach provides the perfect backdrop for the SCSC’s 2016 Sprint Nationals.

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he Southern California Speedboat Club’s annual Sprint Nationals at Long Beach Marine Stadium put on a typically amazing show as summer racing

Super Stocks take the green flag for the start of a heat: Hal Jones (top, far lane) in the SS 501; Ty Newton in the SS 80 (lane 2); Dale Baker in SS 55 (lane 3); and Paul Whittington in the SS 108 (near lane). Jones would finish the weekend as the Nationals winner and the overall winner in the Super Stock class, driving for Ray Pauli.

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drew to a close. The Super Stock class in particular provided one of the most exciting exhibitions, with Hal Jones (in the SS 501 machine, driving for Ray Pauli) finishing as the Nationals winner, overall winner of the class. Other Super Stock competitors included Dale Baker, Ty Newton and Paul Whittington finished the weekend as the Nationals winner and the overall winner in the class.

In Mod VP action, classic racers Richard Barron (piloting the #234 boat for Kevin Taylor) would finish off the weekend with the overall trophy in the class—but the weekend’s Nationals winner, Keith Bandy in the #343 machine, would take home the checkered flag and the trophy.

The K Boat squadron was all over the course, upside down, backwards and up on their sides— what a race they put on! The legendary Tony Scarlata did one of those “sideways around the corner” buoys before finally coming to rest right side up. John Guthrie did a complete 360 without sinking, while Steve Sequeria (in his K 24 capsuled K Boat) did a barrel roll-over slowly and sank in turn 1. Comp Jets had a bit of a mishap on turn 1 when Lance Nichols, driving the CJ 60, missed a buoy and turned a little too soon, giving Harold Bruce in the Green CJ 169 no place to go except over the top of Lance’s boat. All drivers walked away with no major injuries. Whew!

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SoCal Sprinters

Paul Fitzgerald shoes the Sportsman Extreme boat #40 to the class and overall win in the Mike Stock-built flatty.

P-21 Gramps Cracker, out of Anaheim, CA, not only took home the Nationals win, but driver David Doidge and rider Jen Doidge also took home the overall trophy for the year in the Cracker Box Pro class.

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Mod VP Classic racer Richard Barron (far lane), driving for Kevin Taylor, would finish off the weekend with the overall trophy in the class, but the weekend’s Nationals winner, Keith Bandy (near lane), would take home the checkered flag and the trophy.

With an eight-boat field in the Formula Lights, #10, owned and piloted by Jason Williams (who also pilots aircraft) dominated the field by winning both the Nationals and the overall for the year.

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SoCal Sprinters

Heath Heibert (near lane) does a little exhibition run with daughter Kaylee (far lane).

Except for a couple of sponsor decals—and the driving suits—it was hard to tell who was who. A terrific show by the father/daughter team!

Above left: Turn 2 saw a lot of action out of the 15C Junior Hydroplane, driven

by Gavin Evans. Christian Lund (inside lane) got a better line to the straightaway.

Above: Pro Stockers Greg Shirley (far lane) took second behind Greg Duff, (near lane) in the Boot Barn-sponsored #1 boat. Shirley finished overall in the number-one position for the year.

Left: Duff Daily, in the Mike Stock-built K999, would survive the six-boat field of K Boats. Duff took home the Nationals checkered flag, trophy, and overall for the year.

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Thrills & Spills K Boats were all over the course—upside down, backwards and up on their sides.

Left: Tony Scarlata did one of those sideways around the corner buoys for a long ways before finally coming to rest right side up, while John Guthrie (below right) did a complete 360 without sinking.

Comp Jets had a bit of a mishap on turn 1, when Lance Nichols (driving the CJ-60) missed a buoy and turned a little too soon, giving Harold Bruce (in the Green CJ 169) no place to go except over the top of Lance’s boat.

Above: Comp Jet newbie Brian Neal in Terry Valore’s CJ 21 miscalculated turn 2 just a little bit, causing him to spin out and get spit out.

Right: Steve Sequeira, in his K 24 capsuled K Boat, did a barrel roll-over slowly and sank in turn 1.

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LakeSide Story

A week weekend w kend of kend of fas fa fast ass boats and classic cars rs h highlights hi highlig hig ghlig g hlights h hli ights ht th the Lakeside Car and C dB Boatt Sh Show.

Sho h

Photography by Russell

Bishop

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n estimated 2,000 people descended on Library Park in Lakeport, CA, for the

2016 Lakeside Car & Boat Show to ogle an impressive collection of hot boats and classic cars.

Showgoers came to hear the mighty roar of high-performance engines on the water and to raise money for Operation Tango Mike, a charity that sends support and care packages to U.S. troops. In addi-

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tion to the boats and cars, this outstanding fundraiser featured an abundance of music and food. High-performance boats ran along Clear Lake, with a salute to veterans at noon. In attendance was a WWII Jeep owned by Bob Bartley. Showgoers purchased food and gifts offered by vendors, and between the donations, raffles, entry fees, sponsors, pin-up photos and beer sales, it culminated in a donation of more than $8,000 to benefit Operation Tango Mike.

“The City of Lakeport and County of Lake, the Sheriff’s office and Lakeport Police Department have bent over backwards to help make this event happen,” said co-promoter Tony Barthel.

The event kicked off Aug. 12 with a Concert in the Park featuring live music by the band Decades, followed by a number of the high-performance boats firing their engines and shooting blue flames into the night sky. On Saturday, the show continued, with vehicles lining the streets

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Above and left: Mitchell Gustafson’s 1974 Sanger Ski Hydro sports its original paint and graphics. It’s powered by an L-88 427 Big Block Chevy with 650+ hp. It features aluminum cylinder heads and Edelbrock tunnel ram with 660 Holley Center Squirter carbs, Vertex Magneto Casale V-drive with Whirlaway, 18 gears and Stellings two-blade 11.5"x16" prop.

and boats taking to the water around Library Park. A special lane was designated on Clear Lake coordinated by the Coast Guard Auxiliary to allow these extreme speedboats to show what they can do.

Sheriff Brian Martin awarded Dave Kiker’s Nighthawk as the “Loudest on the Lake,” while Harlan Orrin traveled the furthest (from Fallbrook, CA) to be in the show. Meanwhile, Jason Silva’s Gypsy was deemed the fastest boat at the show, with a top speed of 131 mph.

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The cars on display were every bit as breathtaking. So many high-value vehicles were on hand that the parking lot on Third Street had to be reserved exclusively for these vehicles. The streets were alive with cars of all vintages, from historic vehicles such as a 1924 Dodge Brothers racing car to a modern Tesla and everything in between.

“The response to this show was incredible, and it was a perfect day,” said copromoter Dave Lakatos.

The show was a huge community effort. M&K Construction was the largest cash sponsor, followed by North Lake Medical Pharmacy’s Bill Kearney, Bicoastal Media, The Lake County Chamber, Sounds Like Fun DJ Service and the Curbside Car Show Calendar.

Raffle prizes came from far and wide and Bailey Marie Mayer donated her photography services for the pin-up photos, while Russell Bishop donated his to shoot the cars and boats.

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Lakeside Story

Above left: Scotty Strebel’s 1977 Sanger 19'Ski Flat is a former race boat. Its Chevy 454 Vertex magneto features a Holley 750 carb.

Left: Mike Hundley’s 2004 Nordic 21' Blaze speed skier is powered by a 572 Chevy with 1071 blower that makes 1,200 hp.

Below left: Bob Benkeiman poses with his 1978 Sanger Gullwing Flat, powered by a 468 Chevy that makes 600+ hp.

caption

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Above left: Mike Magee Jr.’s 1969 Howard runs a big-block Mopar that builds around 750 mp.

Above: Jeff Epling & George Vose of Sundance Marine own American Soldier, a 1968 Sanger Shovelnose blown fuel hydro.

Left: Jason Silva’s 1995 Kurtis 501 Gypsy was named the fastest boat at the show, with a top speed of 131 mph.

Bottom: Dave Kiker’s 1983 Canyon Marine Hydro Nighthawk was named the loudest on the Lake.

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Habit Forming

Jetboat Jetb b t racer racers head to Alberta, Canada, t battle to battl b attle lle fo for th the coveted Whitecourt Carlan Carlan nC Cup Cup. up up

Photography by Frank

Mignerey

J

et boating teams Twenty boats competed in five diffrom the Great White ferent classes: Unlimited, Unlimited North traveled to Alberta Spec, A, CX and FX, with 13 auxiliary

recently to compete in the Whitecourt Carlan Cup Jet Boat Race, hosted by the Whitecourt Riverboat Association.

The event kicked off with a “show and shine” exhibition, with two days of boat action beginning the following day, capping off with an awards ceremony.

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boats on hand assist in any emergencies. The race was announced by Wayne Whatmore—his third year announcing for the Whitecourt race.

The winner in Unlimited Class was also the overall winner—Bad Habit, with Dale Whiteside behind the wheel and Willie Burns as navigator. The pair

are seasoned veterans in the industry: Whiteside is the builder of the Outlaw Eagle jetboats that most commonly compete in these races, and Burns has raced for the past 13 years and is the current 2016 jet boat world champion.

Both men hail from Alberta, Canada.

For 23 out of the past 26 years, the world champion jet boat has been an Eagle hull; Bad Habit is powered by a 1,500-hp engine that burns a reported 132 gallons speedboat.com

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Above: Bad Habit driver Dale Whiteside with navigator (and boat owner) Willie Burns, both of Alberta, Canada. They were the Unlimited and overall winner of the Whitecourt Carlan Cup. Left: Bad Habit (far lane) takes on #241 Irish Rebels and #222 Ang’r Management.

of fuel per hour. Whiteside and Burns finished the race with a time of 1:32:06 over two days of racing.

Three teams competed in Unlimited Spec Class. The winners were Randy Tinant (driver) and Curt Tulloch (navigator), whose boat Ang’r Management finished the race with a time of 1:40:01.

Both racers are from Whitecourt in Alberta. In second place was Miss Dee Dee, won by Regan Redlick (driver) and speedboat.com

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Louis Roersma (navigator).

A Class featured three teams.

Aquaholic, driven by Tim Greber and navigated by Brad Sandul, were the victors with a time of 1:48:16. Close on their heels was Runnin’ Loose, with driver Stephen Ford and navigator Dale Ford, both of Prince George, British Columbia, with a time of 1:54:02.

Meanwhile, CX Class featured the most amount of competitors, with seven

teams vying for the win. In the end, Still Poppin’, with driver Trevor Provost and navigator Tyrel Paul, prevailed with a time of 1:52:07.

Finally, five teams clashed in FX Class, including winners Nathan McLeod (driver) and Brent Friesen (navigator), whose Surface Tension earned a time of 2:06:35. The men, who hail from Little Smokey, British Columbia, have been racing for eight years.

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Habit Forming

Above: A Class winners Tim Greber (D) Brad Sandul (N) in #146 Aquaholic.

Right: CX Class winners Trevor Provost (D) and Tyrel Paul (N) in #247 Still Poppin.

Below: FX Class winners Nathan McLeod (D) and Brent Friesen (N) in #44 Surface Tension.

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Above: Stephen (D) and Dale (N) Ford of British Columbia, were the runners-up in A Class competing in Runnin’ Loose.

Center: Miss Dee Dee, with first-year competitors Regan Redlick (D) and Louis Roersma (N) took 2nd place in Unlimited Spec Class.

Below: The father-son team of Randy and Roger Hough took 2nd place in CX Class piloting Toucan Chew.

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Habit Forming First-year competitors Jay Ruel (D) and James Manzer (N) took second place in FX Class piloting Liquid Courage.

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Speed Racers [Continued from page 40] (Extreme), WeHaultBoats.com (Super Vee Lite), Lightning Jack’s (Class 1), Here We Go/ Bat Boat (Class 2), Wazzup (Class 3), Saris Racing (Class 4), Wazzup II (Class 5), You Gun Learn (Class 6) and Hangin’ N Bangin’ (Class 7). OPA’s season included races in Point Pleasant Beach, FL; Lake Ozark, MI; Atlantic City, NJ; St. Clair, MI; Port Huron, MI; Fall River, MA; and Lake Hopatcong, NJ. OPA was forced to cancel its July 8 race in Detroit, MI, in addition to its Oct. 7 race in Ocean City, MD. One of the most memorable moments in the 2016 season occurred during the race in Michigan City. As the Superboat Unlimited competition began, all eyes were on Wake Effects, a 48' MTI cat powered by a pair of 1,650-hp Mercury Racing engines.

The team consists of first-year driver Rusty Rahm of Olathe, KS, and Jeff Harris of Greenville, NC, pumping the power. Their main competitor, Can Can Do/American Ethanol, a 40' Skater cat equipped with a pair of 1,700-hp Sterlings. The crew includes owner/throttleman Keith Holmes of Nunica, MI, and Edward W. Smith of St. Clair, MI. These large cats fought hard and fast over the 19-lap freshwater race track.

Leading the race until lap 17, Can Can Do experienced a mechanical issue, culminating with a loud popping sound and an oil/gas odor wafting over to the shore for all to smell. One of the boat’s engines had failed—their race was over and the victory was secured by Wake Effects, establishing a fast lap of 115.4 on lap 15 with an average speed of 111.18 mph.

“They ran hard,” Rahm said. “We were confident with our Mercury/MTI package.

It’s a long race; our goal was to hang tight with them. We wanted to hang there for the last few laps and then see what else we had left in the tank, but unfortunately they had a breakdown before we could do that. The water on the backstretch was rougher and the 48' MTI loves the rough water, so we were definitely faster on the backstretch.

We had one turn where we got caught in the Cat Can Do wake and did a little slide, but we corrected it and came through. The course is great—it had a good chop out there. Jeff Harris did a wonderful job on the

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throttles, and made my job pretty easy driving the boat.”

Can Can Do/ American Ethanol had a much better experience at OPA’s St. Clair battle, turning in an astonishing performance in Extreme class. Holmes and Smith thrilled the crowd with the boat’s sheer brute force put on display through the use of ethanol as its fuel source.

“Burning ethanol runs clean and cool with massive power. Don’t fear Ethanol—it’s great for the atmosphere and environment along with

water and air quality,” said Holmes.

“At the start of the race, I said, ‘Let’s go.’ Keith pushed down the gas sticks and we left everybody. The boat ran flawlessly during our 12 laps in the little chop on the river.”

Another highlight of that OPA race OPA’s race in St. Clair featured a Super Stock win by FJ Propeller, a 32' Doug Wright cat powered by two Mercury 300 XS outboards. The race represented the 116th career win for owner/ throttleman Gary Ballough’s illustrious 30 year career.

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