S PEEDBO AT M A G A ZINE
INSIDE: 2019 CATALINA SKI RACE
ADRENALINE
RUSH !
1,000 ISLANDS Charity Poker Run
MTI’s 340X IT’S A
10! S EP TE M B ER 2 019
SEPTEMBER 2019
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TABLE OF
SEPTEMBER 2019
COLUMNS
8 RAY LEE 10 BOB TEAGUE 11 INDUSTRY NEWS
34 BOYNE TO BE WILD
FEATURES
One of the truly quintessential cats in its size range, the 340X gets a ‘perfect 10’ from Speedboat test-team driver Bob Teague.
12 FANTASY ISLANDS
Philanthropy, friendship and caring: three words that sum up the 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run.
26 OPA RACING
The fourth and fifth races in the APBA Offshore Championship series reunite two teams that flipped their boats in Sarasota, FL.
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For the 16th year, Boyne City, MI, attracts some serious poker runners to its scenic landscape.
52 MTI 340X
56 JET BOAT WORLD FINALS
Welcome to the grandest of jetboat marathons—a punishing 11-day ordeal comprising a total of 528 miles of race course.
62 CATALINA SKI RACE
Todd Haig and Team Nordic dodge sharks and whales to notch victory #14 at the world’s most famous ski race.
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Cover Photo by Todd Taylor Table of Contents photo by Ray Lee
Speedboat.com Published by DCO Enterprises, LLC Publishers
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Editor Senior Tech Editors
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Jim Wilkes
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Tech Editors
National Sales Director Art Director Helicopter Services Photographers
BRETT’S COVE
Greg Shoemaker Jim Wilkes Valerie Collins Ray Lee
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70 PROBLEM CHILD
Industry legend Eddie Knox purchased this 1977 19' Spectra, which he learned was once raced by another industry legend.
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74 FLAT BOTTOM BOOGIE
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For the 10th year running, the Kings River transforms into a paradise of high-spirited muscleboating.
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RAY LEE There’s really nothing like the first time. Except for maybe the second time… This year was my first time attending and fully experiencing the event known as the Boyne Thunder Poker Run out of Boyne City, Michigan, that was held on July 11-13, 2019. It turns out that my first time happened to be their 16th time that the organizers and volunteers have put
Then came Poker Run day. The energy was electric around the docks that morning, as you could smell the race fuel burning, the haze from hundreds of thousands of horsepower warming up and the excitement building by the minute. Mine too because I had been invited out on John Frohlich’s iconic 47' Apache with triple 950-hp Sterling Performance engines infamously known as Kemosabe. John masterfully piloted the salty vessel through some light-to-moderate chop, all from the front center standup bolster with an onboard crew of six.
A Giving Spirit is the Coolest Vibe on this run. And it showed. Boyne Thunder has had long running relationships with Camp Quality and Challenge Mountain—two wonderful non-profit organizations that provide memorable experiences for kids fighting cancer and others with disabilities through outdoor recreation respectively. In the 16 years since starting the run, the group has donated over $1 million to these charities that have helped countless people. The first-rate organization of this event was evident from start to finish and everywhere in between. Lead Organizer Bob Alger helped to get Speedboat out to Boyne City where we witnessed how they did things in Northern Michigan. And it was good. The downloadable smartphone app was particularly helpful in keeping up with the busy schedule of events over the three-day span. The Street Party in downtown Boyne City was certainly impressive and rivaled some of the best in the country. A fleet of the hottest boats in town congregated onto two separate streets, flanked on either side by some awesome automobiles. After all, the famed “Motor City” of Detroit is in the same state and only hours away.
But my favorite and most impressive moment of the event was the parade cruise through the Lake Charlevoix Channel. It’s a short jaunt that leads the fleet out into the open waters of Lake Michigan, where all boats are required to come off plane and idle through at nowake speed. I was truly astonished to see the thousands of spectators that lined both sides of the waterway. It was a welcome similar to that usually reserved for championship sports teams or rock stars. The passion and enthusiasm for the high performance speedboats by so many was unlike anything I have experienced. [Continues on page 61]
Above: Aboard John Frohlich’s 47’ Apache, infamously known as Kemosabe.
Right: In Clayton, NY, for the third annual 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run. The 2019 edition nearly doubled the $45,000 raised by the group last year.
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BOB TEAGUE Props for Formula
Dear Bob: I have a 2006 Formula 382 FasTech running twin Mercury Racing 600SCIs with Bravo XR drives. The current propellers are 30-pitch lab finished Mercury Racing Bravo One 4-blades. I am looking for a mid-range cruise performance increase with a prop change. The boat currently runs 60 mph at 4000 rpm. WOT is 5,100 to 5,200 rpm at 82-84 mph. What diameter and pitch would you recommend in a Mercury Racing lab finished Maximus 5-blade propeller? Is there a long wait for a set of Maximus lab finished propellers? I am looking to purchase immediately because my boating season is somewhat short. Thanks for your time! Patrick Owen Henderson, NY
Mercury Racing Propellers include a labfinished Bravo One (upper right), Max-5 (left) and Maximus (lower right). Your slip numbers are very high, above 20 percent at 60 mph, and not any better at WOT. Usually, lab finished 4-blade propellers are better on lighter boats at top end speed but always result in a slight decrease in mid-range efficiency. Stock Bravo One four-blade propellers are actually more efficient in the mid-range but may result in a little lower top-end speed.
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The Maximus propellers were originally designed to be used with the NXT drives on the 700SCI engine packages but most of those ended up using racing cleavers. The standard Maximus propeller is 15 5/8 inches in diameter. Most of the lab finished versions are cut down to either 15 or 15¼". It is also common practice to remove about 5/8" off the diffuser to reduce stern lift. The Maximus propeller is probably the best if your only concern is mid-range efficiency. It is hard to compare the Maximus to other Mercury offerings because of the large blade surface area. It is not uncommon for the slip percentage to drop to about 10 percent on a twin-engine boat like yours. I would recommend going back to a 28"-pitch Maximus in a 15" diameter with the diffuser trimmed for your boat. The reason I suggest going down to the 15-inch diameter is because of the increased blade area surface of the Maximus propeller. These propellers should result in about a 4 to 5 mph speed increase at 4,000 rpm. But you may not be able to get to the previous top speed of 82-84 mph. More recently, Mercury Racing developed the Max-5 which is made from the same casting as the Maximus, but the blade shape more closely resembles that of the Bravo One four-blade. The intent was to provide a five-blade propeller for the 400R outboards. We started experimenting with this propeller on stern drive applications with surprisingly good results. Originally it was only offered in a 15" diameter and we requested to have some special ones built in a 15¼" diameter to increase the efficiency and trim control. Ultimately, the 15¼" inch diameter became more popular. I would select the Max-5 propellers for your boat because they will result in nearly the same increase in mid-range efficiency as the Maximus props but will also result in the same or better top-end performance as you have now with lab finished four-blades. For your boat, I would select either a 15¼" x29" or 30"-pitch in the Max-5 propeller. These propellers are pretty much readily available with shipments arriving daily.
525EFI Valve Spring Replacement
Dear Bob: I want to change the valve springs on my
Mercury Racing 525 EFI engine with low hours (150) and low rpm history. It is a 2003 model. I feel it is better to be safe than sorry. I need advice on which valve springs, retainers and valve locks to choose, there are a bunch of different ones available out there. Thank you! Andy Preuninger Miami, FL 525EFI Valve spring setup.
The cylinder head used on the Mercury Racing 525EFI is the same as what is used on the 600SCI and 700SCI. They use a stock length Manley 3/8-inch stem diameter valve. What is unique about the set up is the very short installed height of the valve springs which is 1.800" on your motor. There are limited options for springs suitable for hydraulic roller lifter set ups with such a short-installed height. The correct spring to use is a PAC TVS1631. It is designed for an installed height of 1.800" and will accommodate the higher lift with adequate “over the nose” spring pressure required with the hydraulic roller camshaft. The stock retainer works well which is a Manley part number 2399M3T. The valve locks are a 7-degree type also made by Manley. The part number for the locks is 1299M3T. If you need to remove the valve seals to modify the shim height, they are tough to get off. We have found that heating them with a propane torch makes it easier. For a replacement, we use a Viton seal that is .375” for the .530” diameter valve guides. speedboat.com
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ELIMINATOR’S ‘Mac’ McInerny Dies
R
ecently, Eliminator Boats celebrated its 50th anniversary— a
much-admired milestone in the boating industry. Many are aware that Eliminator was founded by Bob Leach after arriving in southern California following an adventuresome cross-country hitch-hike journey from his native Michigan. For reasons unknown, Bob wound up in the SoCal suburb of Huntington Park in the mid 1960s. With no local family member support or acquaintances, and not much money in his pocket, Bob did what every young 20-year old does, drop in at the
neighborhood Taco Bell for a quick meal. It was there that Bob met Mike McInerny, a graduate from Huntington Park High School. And there began a lifelong personal friendship and business relationship lasting more than fifty years. In 1969, Eliminator was a truly boot-strap business, working out of a rental space of what had been a shuttered gas station. Bob recalls, “I don’t think I ever gave Mac an official job title in all those years. How could I? Mac wore every hat at Eliminator. There really wasn’t anything he couldn’t do, or handle. I could trust him with anything because I knew he always had the best interest of Eliminator at heart. I know it sounds a little
odd, but around the shop I called him ‘Sara Lee.’ Nobody does it like Mac.” Mac passed in late July after suffering complications resulting from several strokes. No one will ever question his devotion and love of Eliminator Boats and the performance boating industry in general. His boating friends were countless, many customers who trusted and appreciated his judgment and guidance as they awaited delivery of their new Eliminators. Mac was also an avid classic car collector, active among several prominent vintage car clubs in the Lake Havasu and Parker, Arizona area. He is survived by his two adopted daughters.
‘REVOLUTIONARY’ Spark Plug Wire Performance Distributors of Memphis, TN, uhas introduced a revolutionary type of spark plug wire it says will guarantee you attention-getting looks. Approximately 1/2” in diameter, the new Go-Fast Green Live Wires perform as good as they look. The low-resistance green wires deliver maximum spark energy to your plugs. These “Live Wires” come with a spaceage, heat-resistant sleeving designed to provide the best protection from headers and manifold heat. The sleeving provides speedboat.com
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protection from -76 degrees to +1,400 degrees. The wires are custom fit for your engine, so no assembly is required. For your convenience, each end of the wire is numbered to correspond to the correct cylinder. Spiral winding prevents electronic interference. Heat shrink is applied between the boot and sleeving to keep dirt and moisture away from the wire terminals. Live Wires are also available in orange, red, silver, blue, black, yellow, and purple. For more information, contact
Performance Distributors, 2699 Barris Dr., Memphis, TN, 38132, call (901)396-5782 or visit performancedistributors.com. S P E E D B O A T | September 2019
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by
Brett Bayne • photography by Todd Taylor, Tim Sharkey and Ray Lee
Philanthropy, friendship and caring: three words that sum up the philosophy of the Thousand Islands Charity Poker Run.
I
n upstate New York, there’s a cozy, slow-paced community known as Clayton that roars to life when the 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run,
benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation and River Hospital, comes to town. The idea of the run formulated four years ago, when it was brought to organizer (and now event president) Bobby Cantwell to gauge his interest level in getting involved. Cantwell was keen to embark on a journey that officially began with the inaugural event three years ago. The second annual event was showcased on the cover of Speedboat’s September 2018 issue, depicting a spectacular view of the famous Singer Castle in Chippewa Bay, NY. The 2019 event kicked off on Thursday with a street party on Riverside Drive; Friday afternoon brings volunteer rides for around 20 Make-A-Wish kids and their families. “We had an enormous amount of poker run boats whose owners wanted to sign up to give rides to the Make-A-Wish kids and their families,” Cantwell says. “We had more boats than we had passengers. Everybody had smiles on their faces.” Saturday is the main event, a poker run that attracted heavy-hitters like John Woodruff, Bill Tomlinson and Bob Christie, along with sponsors DCB Performance Boats, MTI, Mystic, Outerlimits and Adrenaline Powerboats. The boat count this [Text continues on page 17]
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Opposite: The 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel and Clayton Municipal Marina and part of Boldt Castle (inset). Above: Another view of the spectacular Boldt Castle. Left: The Clayton Fire Boat marks the start for each of the four boat groups. Left: Ken Lalonde (in his 48' MTI) and Dave Scotto (in his Outerlimits SL 50X) drive in front of Singer Castle.
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STREET PARTY At the Street Party: Mike Lasell’s new M3800 Mystic, Crazy Bread (below left) and a new C3800 Mystic Cat for sale by Marine Unlimited (below).
Center left: Ken Bollinger’s 30' Phantom, Fast Boys Racing. Center right: the Make-A-Wish crews from Central New York and Eastern Ontario. Above left: The crew from River Hospital, which benefits past and present veterans with PTSD. Above: Boats on display at Thursday night’s Street Party, including the the Outerlimits SV43 that holds the record as world’s fastest V-bottom, clocked at 180.47 mph.
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BOAT ACTION
Above: Docking at Alexandria Bay Village Docks for the lunch stop. Right: John Woodruff in his famous 48' MTI, Windship. Opposite Page: Top: Alexander Goineau in his 38' Cigarette Top Gun, Take My Breath Away. Second from top: The 45’ Speede Carbon Series model from Adrenaline Powerboats. Third from top: David Rudiger in his 4200 Mystic center console. Bottom: Kelly O’Hara in his 36' MTI Holy Cow, powered by twin Mercury Racing 700s.
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[Text continued from page 12] year was at 110, but could frankly have been much higher. Unfortunately, the water on the Saint Lawrence River was about 2½ feet above the normal level. Consequently, the New York State Park Police—one of the agencies that issue the permits—imposed a limit on the number of boats that could participate in the run. “We could have had 140 to 150 boats,” Cantwell says. “And that’s no exaggeration.” Not only have organizers partnered with Make-A-Wish of Central New York, but also with Make-A-wish Canada. “Officially, our name is now the Thousand Islands International Charity Poker Run,” Cantwell says. “We actually have the American and Canadian flags in our logo. From a benefactor and course perspective, we now are truly an international poker run.” The event was an immediate success— nearly doubling last year’s donations to the tune of around $80,000. Cantwell attributes that success to the divergent personalities of the board of directors. “One of our members, Nolan Ferris, likens our board to a bag of Skittles—we’re all different colors, but when we come together, we’re a formidable opponent. And we do very, very well. Each of the members has an asset or attribute to bring to the board, and I credit that hugely to how successful we are.” Ferris concurs, underscoring the generosity of the run’s attendees. “The high caliber of participants is amazing,” he says. “Everybody is there for the right reasons. It’s about the River Hospital, and it’s about the Make-A-Wish of New York and now Ontario. We wanted to support Ontario because of our large Canadian participant presence. What our people do for these families and children is almost unexplainable—unless you see it for yourself and are part of it, it just doesn’t hit home like it does when you’re there.” Adds Cantwell: “We try to make our run feel like it’s everybody’s run,” he adds. “Input from participants really matters to us. We want them to feel like it’s a ‘home away from home’ type of feel. And that ‘feel’ comes from a ‘look’ that includes two castles, two countries, 1,864 Islands and some of the most crystal-clear freshwater in the world.” speedboat.com
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BOAT ACTION
Above: Rejean Doucet of Alaska in his 44 MTI Ferrari. Right: T.J. Becker in his 43' Wellcraft Scarab, Ménage a trois. Below: Gregg Rosen drives the 52' MTI Aqua Mania.
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Left: Shane Mahieu pilots his 28 Skater, powered by twin Mercury Racing 300s. Below: Brian Lundy drives his Wright Performance 360, Can Am Sales, at the start of the poker run.
Left: Bryan Swinney in his 21' Skater, Fly ’N Bryan.
Left: Sonny Martorana in his 35' Statement, Sonny Delight.
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BOAT ACTION
Top: Mike Lasell drives his new 38 Mystic, Crazy Bread. Above: Bill Sestak and friends in his 42' MTI Cat Tagious. Middle right: Dave Scotto in his Outerlimits SL-50X, Gotta Go IV, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1550/1350s. Bottom right: ”Chef” Mike Jurusz runs his 29’ Baja Outlaw Kookin’ in his firstever poker run.
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Left: Bill Tomlinson in the turbine-powered 50' Mystic My Way. Below: Joel Begin in his Wright Performance 360, powered by twin Mercury Racing 400R outboards.
Left: The 2005 368 Skater Black Pearl.
Left: Patrick Honors drives his 36' Eliminator, Merica.
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BOAT ACTION
Above: Dan Kleitz of Outerlimits Powerboats runs his SV-29 along with his better half, Karly. Right: Dan Bouten in his 35' Fountain, powered by Mercury Racing 700s with #6s. Below: Pete and son Angelo Petrakis in their 28' Skater, powered by 300XS Optimax outboards. That’s offshore racer Nick Imprescia in the back seat.
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MAKE A WISH RIDES A
C
B
D
A: Bill Tomlinson poses with Jax and Ace on the 50' Mystic My Way. B: A Make-a-Wish receiver, Olivia from Ontario, Canada, exits the Wish Mobile before getting her wish to be a princess and go to Disney World. C: Kelly O’Hara gives Ryan a Make-a-Wish ride on the 36' MTI Holy Cow! D: Make-a-Wish receiver Noah Satterlee receives a Community Service Award from Bobby Cantwell and Nolan Ferris of the 1000 Islands Poker Run board. E: Make-a-Wish receiver Jake Buchman and his brother Cody perform live. Jake’s wish was to go to a prestigious music school, but his illness prevented it. Instead, he got his own recording studio built at his home.
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E
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AWARDS Below: Bobby Cantwell with Brad Frey of River Hospital. Left: Fireworks following the banquet.
Above: Bobby Cantwell and Nolan Ferris drawing poker hands. All $10,000 in winnings were donated back to charity. Left: From left, Nolan Ferris, Ken Lalonde, Court Rutherford, Alex Buduson, Renee Lalonde, and Bobby Cantwell. Below left: The crowd watches as wishes are granted to the children. Below: The first-, second- and third-place trophies.
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OFFSHORE POWERBOAT ASSOCIATION
The fourth race in the APBA Offshore Championship series reunites the two teams that had flipped their boats in Sarasota, FL.
St. Clair, MI STORY BY
Brett Bayne PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Paul Kemiel
The Victory Team crew of Elsa Al Ali (throttles) and Salem Al Adidi (driver). The pair took first place in ClassONE USA’s St. Clair competition.
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Left: Owner/driver Wayne Valder of NZ-11 Pro-Floors Racing (below), winner in Super Cat.
Above: CR Racing (near lane) battles Shadow Pirate in Super Stock class. Inset: Winners Rob Unnerstall (driver) and Casey Boaz (throttles). Right: Brit Lilly and Kevin Smith pilot LSB Racing, winner in ProStock Vee.
G
oing into the 25th Annual St. Clair River Classic in Michigan, competitors in the OPA/P1 circuit had
only recently wrapped up their July 7 meet in Sarasota, FL—a bout that ended catastrophically, with two of its headlining ClassONE boats flipping toward the end of the race. With Miss GEICO and Victory Team (both Victory hulls) damaged, the teams needed to scramble to find replacement boats for the remainder of the season. Miss GEICO leased a boat called Zabo
Racing—which had actually participated in the season’s kickoff event in Cocoa Beach, but not in any of the subsequent races—to compete under the GEICO banner, with Zabo driver Miles Jennings teaming up with the Gekko’s Steve Curtis on the sticks. Meanwhile, the Victory team also lined up a spare boat, managing to pull everything together very quickly in time to make it to the St. Clair River course. Aside from some delays caused by freighter traffic and weather, the St. Clair race was a roaring success, as a couple
of dozen offshore boats delivered some tense racing action. It was the fifth OPA race of the season, and the fourth collaboration with Powerboat P1 in their APBA Offshore Championship Series. Joining Miss GEICO and Victory Team in the ClassONE race was 222 Offshore Racing (with Darren Nicholson and Giovanni Carpitella). Victory Team, featuring Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali, took the win, followed by 222 Offshore and Miss GEICO in second and third. In Super Cat class, NZ-11 Pro Floors Racing racked up another win for the
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ST. CLAIR, MI
Class 4: Simmons Marine captured the lead in St. Clair and in Michigan City. Class 5 (below): Bronx Phantom, driven by J.J. Turk and throttled by Robert Winoski, finished first in the class.
Class 6 (below): Deception Offshore, driven by Jesse Schmig and throttled by Robert Bryant,took first. Class 7 (below right): Shadow Pirate, driven by Dyllan Gold and throttled by Joe Reilly Sr., got the checkered flag.
P1 Superstock: Running unopposed in both St. Clair and Michigan City was Visit St. Pete Clearwater, driven by George Ivey with Cynthia Belfatto on the throttles.
ProStock Vee: Brit Lilly (driver) and Kevin Smith (throttles) were triumphant in LSB Racing.
SVX: Driver Charlie McCarthy and throttleman Tony Silveria took Punisher boat to first place. So far, St. Clair has been their only race this season.
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OFFSHORE POWERBOAT ASSOCIATION Michigan City, IN The 222 Offshore crew (including driver Darrin Nicholson and throttleman Giovanni Carpitella, top) proved that their “default” win in Sarasota was no fluke— they took an early lead in Michigan City and stayed way out in front.
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Billy Mauff and Jay Muller (below left) in WHM Motorsports were tops in Super Cat class; below right, Mauff presents a $20,000 donation to Michigan City’s Washington Park Zoo.
The 222 Offshore crew (including driver Darrin Nicholson and throttleman Giovanni Carpitella, top) proved that their “default” win in Sarasota was no fluke—they took an early lead in Michigan City and stayed way out in front.
Comeback Kids: In Michigan City, Billy Mauff and Jay Muller ended their season-long slump with a roaring victory in Super Cat class.
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C
oming only a week on the heels of Michigan’s race on the St. Clair River, OPA/P1
competitors moved quickly to the 11th Annual Great Lakes Grand Prix in Michigan City, IN. Having been spanked by the Victory Team in St. Clair, the Miss GEICO and 222 Offshore teams—along with Jay Johnson and Nigel Hook in the Lucas Oil SilverHook competitor—were eager to settle the score in ClassONE racing. 222 Offshore, with driver Darrin Nicholson and throttleman Giovanni Carpitella, grabbed the lead early on and stayed way out in front to take the win. Meanwhile, Miles Jennings and Steve Curtis took Miss GEICO to second place, with Victory Team (with Salem Al Adidi and
Else Al Ali) having to settle for third. Tug It/Hurricane of Awesomeness and Knucklehead Instigator were back to face off in Vee Extreme. Ed Smith and Anthony Smith in the Instigator prevailed. However, Brit Lilly and Kevin Smith were victorious in their ProStock Vee competitor, LSB Racing. One of the most exciting races of the day was in Super Cat class, where six catamarans came to duke it out over 10 laps. Billy Mauff and Jay Muller, who had been struggling in their World Championshipwinning WHM Motorsports all season, broke out of their rut to grab an early lead and stay out in first place to take the unofficial win. (Only two days earlier, [Continued on page 82] S P E E D B O A T | September 2019
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OPA Class 2: Mama Ain’t Happy, with driver Scott Blumberg and throttleman Rusty Williams, finished first in the class.
Class 6: Smith Brothers, with driver Pete Smith and throttleman Rich Smith, finished first.
Class 7: NJI Motorsports, driven by Nick Imprescia, took the win over Tomahawk and Goofin’ Around.
Vee Extreme: Knucklehead Instigator, with Ed Smith and Anthony Smith, took first. SVX: Sun Print (below), with Steven Freeman and Steve Miklos, triumphed in the field of six boats.
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Class 3: Strictly Business, with Louis Giancontieri and Johnny Stanch, took first place.
Class 5: Disabled American Veterans, with Gino Marrone and Scott Rutherford, outran its four competitors.
Representing both Speedboat Magazine and Powerboat Nation, editor Brett Bayne poses with Visit Michigan City LaPorte Executive Director Jack Arnett (near right) and is interviewed by Ric Federighi of WIMS AM 1420 radio with photographer Paul Kemiel (bottom right). Far right: Great Lakes Grand Prix Queen Samantha Shank with Miss Four A’s Car Club Queen Courtney Mason. Below: competitor M-CON participates in the city’s glorious street parade to the delight of fans.
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story by
Brett Bayne
and photos by
Todd Taylor and Ray Lee
BOYNE to be Wild
F
or the uninitiated, Boyne City, MI, is a very small city located about 60 miles north of Traverse City and 60 miles
south of the famous Mackinaw Bridge (connecting Michigan to its Upper Peninsula). Located on the southeastern end of Lake Charlevoix, Boyne City is home of the Boyne Mountain Resort ski lodge during the winter. However, during the summer, the Boyne Thunder Poker Run transforms this ski resort town into a powerboating playground. It’s one of the most scenic poker runs
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you can attend, with some of the best views available from the ski-style chairlift that transports riders to the top of the mountain, upon which the resort sits. It’s a spectacular and stunning ride that you won’t soon forget. Now in its incredible 16th year, Boyne Thunder is a charity event that raises money for two main groups: Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer, and Challenge Mountain, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching and improving lives for the mentally and physically challenged through
outdoor recreation. This year’s event kicked off on Thursday, July 11, with a morning fun run encompassing a total of 64 miles to Bay Harbor sponsored by UnReihl Sunsation (Chesterfield, MI), followed by a welcome party sponsored by Boyne Thunder committee member Michael Knoblock, who is owner and president of American Custom Marine (Kimball, MI). The party was held at the Boyne Mountain Resort, where a great many of the participants seek lodging during the event. [Text continues on page 40] speedboat.com
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For the 16th year running, the small town of Boyne City, MI, attracts some serious poker players to its scenic landscape. Left: Views of Boyne City, Lake Charlevoix and the marina. Above: Boyne City’s F. Grant Memorial Marina. Below: Longtime participant Steve Gordon with his family pose on Deal With It, his show-stopping 46' Skater equipped with twin 900s. Below left: Friday afternoon’s amazing, power-studded Street Party.
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TO BE WILD
Above: Heath Peterson and friends in his 46' Cigarette No Drama II, powered by twin 1100s.
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Left: The 438 Skater Rockette, powered by twin 1550s (near lane) alongside Jay Davenport in his 32' Skater, Global Warmer powered by twin 700s. Below: John Frohlich in his 47' Apache Kemosabe, equipped with triple 950-hp Sterling Performance engines.
Right: One of several Formula FasTech stepped vees participating in the poker run.
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TO BE WILD
Above: Jim Duff took delivery of his new 46’ Skater at the run. It’s powered by 1600-hp Sterling engines. Right: Todd Fountain in his 36' Skater TomCat, powered by twin 1050s.
Left: Dave Sinacola’s 45 NorTech is powered by quad Mercury Racing 450Rs. Below: Picking up a card at the third card stop: Bay Harbor.
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TO BE WILD
[Continued from page 36] Friday brings boat rides for Camp Quality kids, as well as a large street party that is headed up and overseen by event co-organizer Bob Mathers. “Every Friday night, we have an event called Stroll the Streets,” says Robert Alger, a co-organizer who has been involved since 2007. “But during Boyne Thunder, it’s Stroll the Streets on steroids.” Friday also sees a shuffle of getting everybody into their slips and filling up the docks, and participants greeting one another; everybody with seasonal slips gives them up to the poker-runners starting at noon. Dinner at the Poker Run Village, across from the marina, continues Friday’s activities; there’s also a fun event called Stereo Wars, a contest in which the sound systems of boats participating in the poker run pump up the volume. The rousing applause from the audi-
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Above: Watch Your Back, a SV53 Outerlimits owned by Michael “Doc” Janssen, is powered by Mercury Racing 1350/1550s. Below: Ron Szolack and Chip Miller in a 388 Skater with Mercury Racing 1100 engines.
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Powerboat Nation is the world’s leading resource for Powerboating Videos, Photos, News and more!
There’s no better place on the web to live the powerboating life! 93990_SpeedboatSept18_03,09,12,21,27,45,47,57,83,84.indd 12
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TO BE WILD
Top: Hal Johnson’s 38' Cigarette Top Gun T/S. Above: Topless, a 46' Outerlimits owned by Jeremy Tschida, is powered by twin 1350s. ence determines the winners. Saturday begins with a mandatory driver’s meeting, followed by the National Anthem and then the poker run. For safety reasons, the boats are organized into four groups, each group having its own pace boat. “That’s so we can make sure that they stay within the speed limit going down Lake Charlevoix,” Alger says. “The groups are identified by red, white, blue and green.” There are typically five card stops, at Elk Rapids, Northport, Bay Harbor, Harbor Springs and Horton Bay. Lunch was provided at Charlevoix City Marina. All cards are turned in by 6:30;
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the evening’s fun included dinner at Veteran’s Park, an auction and the poker hand reveals. First prize for the poker run was $5,000; second place fetched $3,000; third was $1,500, and the Worst Poker Hand got $500. The small size of the town and facilities—as well as the limited parking and accommodations—force Boyne Thunder to set a limit on boats to 120, according to Alger. “We’re a pretty small community—to give you a reference point, we have one stop light,” he says. “We’ve been we’ve been relatively successful and we just don’t want to get too big, to
where we can’t handle it.” Nonetheless, participants travel in from all over the country to attend this amazing event, including some from as far away as Washington State and California. And the entire cross-section of speedboats can be seen, including a growing number of center consoles (at least one of which was powered by Mercury Racing’s new 450R outboards). “I think I counted 22 Outerlimits,” Alger says. “We get MTIs, Fountains, Cigarettes, Skaters—it’s quite an array.” For more information about the event, visit boynethunder.com. speedboat.com
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TO BE WILD
Above: Ron Ludgin of Boyne City, MI, drives his 353 Formula, Firewater, powered by a 496 HO. Left: Tatonka, a 41’ Apache powered by twin 1100s, is owned by Howard Beindit. Below: J.P. Frohlich drives the 46' Skater Double Take, powered by twin 1100s.
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Left: Bill Lemanske pilots his 39' NorTech center console Fast Priority, powered by triple Mercury Racing 400Rs. Below: Curt Watkins in his 45' NorTech center console Evil Woman, equipped with five Mercury Racing 400Rs. Bottom: Pete Opperman of Gaylord, MI, drives Just Sayin’, his 37' Outerlimits, powered by twin naturally aspirated 700s.
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TO BE WILD
Above: Ed Pajur and friends in Justified, his 42' Outerlimits, powered by twin 825 engines. Right: Here’s Rick Bowling in Gone Again, his 37' Talon powered by Mercury Racing 1350 engines.
Left: Jim Tanton drives his 46' Black Thunder Counter Offer. Its engines total 1,300 horsepower.
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TO BE WILD AWARDS
Above left: Joe Barnwell and crew took third place. Above right: Bob Alger, co-organizer of the Boyne Thunder Poker Run. Left: The Rollin’ Transport crew, including Jane Weissman, Danielle Diorio, and Nicole Weschler.
Above: Poker Run winner Tom Ruff, owner of a 42' Outerlimits. Left: Poker Run second-place winner Mike Tennant, owner of the 38' Fountain Stealing Thunder, powered by twin Mercury Racing 700 engines.
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photography by
Todd Taylor
340X
M
issouri-based Marine Technology Inc., better known as MTI, is one of the country’s preeminent
builders of high-performance catamarans and luxury centerconsole deep-vee hulls. Powered by twin Mercury Racing 400R outboards, MTI’s 340X Cat made its debut at the 2017 Miami International Boat Show after a couple of years’ worth of design and tooling, and it remains the smallest model in the MTI stable. (Their cats measure up to 52', while their biggest center console is a stylish 57' behemoth with an immense cockpit and up to five outboards.) The 340X is basically a scaled-down version of MTI’s 48' race hull; it sports many of the same proportions, hydrodynamics, tunnel width and sponson width of the larger boat. But it’s far from a small boat or a lake boat—you can drive
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it to the Keys or the Bahamas just like the 48'. The model has proven to be a very popular choice with MTI customers, and by the end of 2018, repeat customer Ron Schwartz’s boat was being displayed at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show as a “Special Edition” to reflect an array of modifications made at his request. The 340X has also made quite an impression at poker runs from coast to coast. At the 2018 Lake of the Ozarks Poker Run and Shootout, MTI President Randy Scism and his daughter Taylor (then 22) teamed up to co-pilot the striking red 340X cat that had been at last year’s Miami boat show. In all, the boat made ten separate passes during the shootout and the pair won their class by pushing the boat to 116 mph. The Speedboat crew got a chance to put the boat to its first full-blown test during this year’s Desert Storm poker run
in Havasu, with world-renowned engine guru Bob Teague at the wheel. Teague, who can be notoriously picky about a boat’s craftsmanship and setup, was wildly enthusiastic about the 340X in his notes. In fact, he opened his commentary by saying, “This boat is a perfect 10.” His rave review only improved from there. Our 340X featured a full carbon-fiber layup, making it about 700 pounds lighter than the traditional build, and that clearly results in an improved agility on the water. “It’s a lighter boat, but it does not feel light,” Teague says. “We took it to 110 mph through through some bumps, just to see how it stays planted. The hull is rock solid—it never porpoises. There was some rough stuff out on the lake, and there were places where it was glass. It performed remarkably.” Teague gave top-notch grades the boat’s super-straight tooling, the graphspeedboat.com
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performance evaluations
MTI 340X 120
SPEED (mph)
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6,400 RPM = 108 MPH 90 80
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One of the truly quintessential cats in its size range, the 340X gets a ‘perfect 10’ from Bob Teague.
MTI 340X Length: 34’ Beam: 10’ Engines on test boat: 2 Mercury Racing 400R outboards Standard features: Fully molded composite construction from CNC built tooling, infusion layup using epoxy resin, molded swim step with grabhandles, six seats, storage locker, etc. Midrange acceleration: 30 to 50 mph: 4.4 seconds 40 to 60 mph: 4.9 seconds 40 to 70 mph: 8.1 seconds 60 to 100 mph: 16.8 seconds TOP SPEED: 120 mph MARINE TECHNOLOGY INC. 165 Enterprise Drive Wentzville, MO 63385 (314) 803-8842 marinetechnologyinc.com
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ics package, interior design and rigging. “It is just amazing throughout,” he says. Another thing that impressed Teague was how fast the 340X got on plane— with no view lost of the horizon. “There’s basically no bowrise. It took about 2 seconds to get on plane. That’s truly incredible.” Equipped with the twin 400R outboards, the MTI accelerates very quickly, and tracks well from zero to top speed. Teague got it to 120 mph at 7,050 rpm. Best of all, he says, anybody can drive this boat. Through all of the speed ranges, through sweeping slaloms and high-speed turns, it’s “an idiot-proof boat,” he chuckles. “If you can’t drive this boat, you need to find a different kind of hobby.” So where do you take the 340X from here? Earlier this year, Mercury Racing installed a pair of its new 450R outboards on it, and the setup got the thumbs-up from MTI. Now it’s our turn to see what the boat can do with them.
The 340X features a fully molded composite construction from CNC built tooling, infusion layup using epoxy resin, molded swim step with grabhandles, six seats, and lined storage locker. It’s a full carbon fiber layup, which makes it about 700 pounds lighter than the traditional build. It’s equipped with a pair of Mercury Racing 400R outboard engines.
“It’s a lighter boat, but it does not feel light. The hull is rock solid—it never porpoises. It is just amazingly thought out. This boat is a perfect 10.” —Bob Teague 54
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JET BOAT story and photos by
Tammenithia Diesel
World Finals
Welcome to the grandest of jetboat marathons— a punishing 11-day ordeal comprising a total of 528 miles of race course. 56
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T
Above: Ross Schlotthauer in Burly/Bat Outta Hell took first place in Unlimited Class, with a time of 4:23:06. Upper right: Rick Hollingworth of Canada finished second in Unlimited Class racing Little Smokey. Middle right: Kwik Kiwi finished third in Unlimited Class; the boat is driven by Nigel Cromie of New Zealand.
he 2019 World Jet Boat Championships was an 11-day marathon held in Canada that featured 12 race legs from July 12-22. Some of the days featured two legs, with more than 528 miles of racing. To qualify as a world
event, at least 500 miles must be scheduled and raced. The marathon is a truly unique event with jetboats in five classes—some, like the Unlimited class, see boats up to 168+ mph. Each of four countries (USA, Mexico, Canada, and New Zealand) take turns hosting an annual world championship, and each one sees 40-60 race teams from those countries. These world events are sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), and under the host countries’ Boating Federation. When you win, you become the recognized and titled UIM champion and the host country champion. Many of the teams will arrive a week or more ahead of time, as family units, to pre-run the rivers on the circuits; having shipped their boats to Canada sometimes a month ahead of time. This prepares them for the possible runs, and familiarizes them with the different channels involved. By pre-running and testing boats, the teams can shave valuable time from the actual race times. All local teams also spend a few days pre-running, trying to find that edge—although, in most years, the water level changes drastically overnight, which can significantly impact the official race events. Fifty teams had pre-registered for the event, and even more had indicated potential competition. At the end of the registration and opening ceremonies, though, there were 49 teams officially registered. Five teams came from New Zealand to compete; three came from Mexico. Many of the same participants will return for more racing. In Canada, the World Jet Boat Championships are hosted by four local boating associations, one from each stop on the Canadian tour. In 2019, Whitecourt, Alberta, was the start of the marathon, where competitors raced on the Athabasca River and the Macleod River for one day of optional time trials, and one day of circuit races for a total [Continued on page 68]
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WORLD FINALS
USPEC CLASS competitors (from top): Regan Redick in Are Mayhem (first place), Randy Tinant in Just One More (second place) and Fern Aubin in Trial and Error (third place). All three are from Canada.
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A CLASS competitors (from top): Tim Greber in Aquaholic (first place), Stephen Ford in Runnin’ Loose (second place) and Darin Cage in Shockwave (third place). All three are from Canada. speedboat.com
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WORLD FINALS CX CLASS competitors included winner Justin Hill of New Zealand in Aftershock (left), secondplace finisher Kelly Lock of Canada in Temper Mental (below left) and third-place finisher Tim Harding of the USA in Burning Desire (below).
FX CLASS competitors included winner Tanner Froehlich in Reverse Elevation (left), second-place finisher Gerald Gayton in High and Dry (below left) and third-place finisher Josh Becker in High Maintenance (below). All three are from Canada.
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[Continued from page 10]
RAY LEE The very next week took us to upstate New York to our second trip to the 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run, which was their third annual. Based out of the quaint little community of Clayton, where the population is less than 2,000 residents, TICPR week quickly transforms that town into a hotbed of performance boating and speed-thirsty operators. This poker run had been one of my top three events from 2018 so I just had to see how they were intending make their third offering better than the years before. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure that they’d be able to because to me, it was that good. But I was quickly proven wrong as the 2019 edition indeed exceeded the year before. Not only in attendance but in dollars raised for charity, nearly doubling the $45,000 raised in 2018. For the poker run, Dan Kleitz, Renaissance man of Outerlimits Powerboats, set it up for me to join longtime OL client Dave Scotto and his crew aboard
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his amazing SL50-X, Gotta Go IV, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1550/1350 dual calibration engines. What a stunning piece of machinery, technology and artistry. This had been my second ride in two weeks in awesome V-bottom boats, both different and unique in their own ways, and I was stoked! Overall, the venue at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel seemed better. The benefiting charities of Make-A-Wish of Central New York and River Hospital welcomed a third in Make-A-Wish of Ontario, Canada–which is better. They granted not one, but two wishes for deserving children, which is always better. The docks, the food, the Street Party, the castles, the camaraderie all seemed better to me but I think I might have pinpointed the main improvement from last year to this year. It was the cool vibe of it all. With the increasing popularity of the 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run from year one
With Dave Scotto and his crew aboard the Outerlimits SL50-X Gotta Go IV. to now, the organizing team of Nolan and Kimberly Ferris, Bobby Cantwell, Ken and Renee Lalonde, Courtney Rutherford and Alexandra Buduson all are better. Meaning that their confidence has grown and they know that this event is a premier one. To quote the movie Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will come…” Build it, they have—come they did. And return, they will.
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Bob Brown photos by Daren Van Ryte and Corey Vo by
2019Catalina Todd Haig and
Team Nordic dodge sharks and whales to notch Victory #14.
SKI RACE
M
any consider entering and finishing a full triathlon course as the ultimate in athletic achievement, yet
thousands of people, young and old, accomplish that feat every year. By comparison, however, only a handful of elite athletes are successful in water skiing from Long Beach Harbor to Catalina Island and back—62 miles in the open ocean, and some do it in 60 minutes or less. If you ever took the time to calculate the odds of winning this annual shark-andwhale-dodging competition, the numbers would be astronomical. Assuming you buy into this “not-a-chance” hypothesis, how do you reconcile the fact that the same guy
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has won this race no less than 14 times in the last 20 years? Obviously, a record for winning a 71-year old summer tradition. Is it luck? Does he cheat? Does he know some secret shortcut across the channel? More likely it’s just a unique combination of extreme natural talent, an incredible ethic to practice and training, plus undeniably the best team of boat, driver, observer and navigator the sport of ski racing has ever witnessed. The skier is Todd Haig. The race boat is a Nordic with twin Mercury Racing powerplants. The driver is Randy Davis (who happens to be the owner of Nordic Boats). The observer is Dennis Hall and the navigator is Randy’s son, Steve Davis. speedboat.com
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Men’s Open: Todd Haig skis behind #181 Nordic Racing, a 43' Nordic piloted by Randy Davis, Dennis Hall and Steve Davis.
a
E
And each is acknowledged the best in the business at winning water ski races in the U.S. and on other continents. And the overall winning Nordic wasn’t alone. Six other Nordics in the race grabbed five additional podium finishes in different classes. In 2018, it was one of those rare years in which Haig didn’t win the Catalina Ski Race. He lost a dash to the finish-line duel by less than one second to one of Australia’s best ski racers, Ben Gulley. This year, it wasn’t as close, as Haig and Davis burst out of the breakwater at the start to lead the way to the Avalon turn boat at the halfway point. The race was nip and tuck all the way back to Long speedboat.com
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Beach, with Haig taking the checkered flag over Gulley with a 14-second margin, his 14th overall victory in 50 minutes and 41 seconds—not a new record, but impressive nonetheless, given the less-than-ideal water conditions in the unpredictable Catalina channel. For the ladies, Aussie Rachael Stapleton continued her winning ways, taking the Women’s Open crown for the fourth consecutive time in one hour and five minutes. Austria’s Sabine Ortlieb gave Stapleton plenty of competition finishing only two minutes behind for second place honors. The tightest race of the day was in the Senior Women’s category, which
Superclass: Winner John Kompanez skis behind Freddy Brennan and Ken Kramer in the 21' #93 Nordic Racing. They finished in 1:04:00.72. was a three-way battle among an allAmerican field. Amy Threlfall eventually prevailed for the win with a 1.51 second victory over Cheryl Ruston. Third place went to relative newcomer Erica Leonard, just three minutes back. All three of these women earned their way on to the U.S. World’s Water Ski Team that will compete in Vichy, France, this coming Sept. 7-14. Because of the challenging water conS P E E D B O A T | September 2019
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SKI RACE
Women’s Open (top row): Winner Rachel Stapeldon skis behind the 42' Fountain Rampage, driven by Wayne Lee. Their time was 1:05:06.74. Double Up (center row): Winners Jaali and Jason Walsh ski behind a 21' Hallett driven by Bill Goldsmith. Novice (left): Winner Matt Bastien skis behind a 21' Hallett driven by Mark Wyneken.
ditions, no new Catalina Ski Race records were set. The race attracted 45 entries in all, well below the normal boat/skier count, but since it is a World’s race year, many of the international stars opted to stay home and prepare for the Francebased competition which follows just sixty days later. Remarkably, every boat/ skier who made it to the Catalina start line finished the race.
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A great deal of credit must to be given to the Long Beach Boat & Ski, who have been organizing and running this race for the past 71 consecutive years. It would not be possible to continue this tradition, however, without the generous contributions of multiple event sponsors. This year, the title/ presenting sponsor was Parker Oil, which provides much of the fuel needs
for many of the boats. It must also be noted that Parker Oil owner Rick Fuscardo is also one half of the popular race announcing team for those spectating at race headquarters at the shore-side Maya Hotel. If you haven’t seen the Catalina Ski Race in person, you should. Details about the 2020 “world’s greatest water ski race” are available at catalinaskirace.net. speedboat.com
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NIMBLE NORDICS Junior Boys: The 28' Nordic Superwhite (left) is driven by the Aussie team of Brad Barrus and Taylor Galley. They pulled skier Jack Holmes.
Men’s Open: #193 Nordic Racing, a 21' Nordic driven by Todd Kelm with observer Larry Gebhart. They pulled skier Brian Samaniego.
Formula II Outboard: The 21' Nordic #328 Team Shambles, driven by Steve Irwin with observer Brad Liberator. They pulled skier Brett Leonard.
Expert Men: Ken Bowen drives the 38' Donzi #18 Adrenaline Trip (left), pulling skier David Frank. Above: The 38' Donzi Nautilus M&M is piloted by the Australian team of Peter Yoon, Dale Haw and Robert Scheidel, pulling skier Peter Harmer. speedboat.com
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SKI RACE
Expert Men: Driver Carl Goldsmith (left) pulls winning skier Martie Wells to win the class in a 36' Cigarette #29 Go Mason. Intermediate Men: Driver Sean Moore (below) pulls winning skier Cameron Osborne behind the 42' Fountain Extreme Insanity.
Formula II Outboard: Driver Michael Jones (above) pulls winning skier Cameron King behind a 21' GB Cyclone. Senior Women: Driver Tim Wuerfel (right) pulls winning skier Amy Threlfall behind the 38' Fountain Patriot.
2019 CATALINA SKI RACE RESULTS — CLASS WINNERS Men’s Open: Todd Haig (skier), Randy Davis (driver)
Novice: Matt Bastien (skier), Mark Wyneken (driver)
Women’s Open: Rachael Stapleton (skier), Wayne Lee (driver)
SuperClass: John Kompaniez (skier), Freddy Brennan (driver)
Junior Boys: Matthew Klee (skier), Darrell Nottke (driver) Junior Girls: Sophia Rivera (skier), Gary Teague (driver) Intermediate Men: Cameron Osborne (skier), Sean Moore (driver) Intermediate Woman: Julia Williams (skier), Frank Randel (driver) Senior Men: Jack Lynch (skier), Ryan Sharman (driver) Senior Woman: Any Threlfall (skier), Tim Wuerfel (driver) Veteran Men: Dana Thorsen (skier), Art Kaiser (driver) Expert Men: Martie Wells (skier), Carl Goldsmith (driver) Masters: Dave Chandler (skier), Ross Kennedy (driver)
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Formula II Outboard: Cameron King (skier), Michel Jones (driver) Open Jet: Billy Mason (skier), Rick Graf (driver) Open Day Cruiser: Tim Turley (skier), Steve Paliska (driver) Sportsman: Mark Wagner (skier), Colin Morris (driver) Double-Up: Jaali Walsh & Jason Walsh (skiers), Bill Goldsmith (driver) Over & Back: Craig Selby & Kenny Spring (skiers), John Cohen (driver)
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MEMBERS OF THE 2019 U.S. WORLD’S WATER SKI RACE TEAM Men’s: Todd Haig, Cameron King, Brain Samaniego F2 Men: CJ Ferguson, John Kompaniez, Martie Wells, Dave Chandler (reserve) F2 Women: Erica Leonard, Cheryl Ruston, Amy Threlfall, Julia Williams (reserve) Junior Boys: Jason Davidson, Matthew Klee Junior Girls: Sophia Rivera
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WORLD FINALS [Text continued from page 57] of 45 miles. Peace River, Alberta, was the second stop, with two days of racing on both the Peace River and Smoky River for over 130 miles. Circuit races and straight racing from one launch to another, and return took place. With a much-needed break for travel, the competitors traveled to Grande Prairie, Alberta for two days of racing on the Wapiti River and the Smoky River. These race legs included only two sets of straight runs, with over 200 miles completed. One more day off was used for traveling to Taylor, British Columbia, for the final two days of racing and the awards evening. In Taylor, teams ran both the straight run and two circuit events on the Peace River and Pine River. Day one in Taylor featured a straight run of 60 miles round trip from one launch to another; then an afternoon of 48 miles on circuit races. The final day of racing was 36 miles of circuit races again, truly proving this championship is a marathon. There is a long history in Canada of hosting the World Jet Boat Championships, since 1975; it used to also include races in Hay River, North West Territories. The camaraderie, and sense of family developed not only during the marathon, but also every year when each of these four associations host their own competitions, is amazing. When one team breaks, other teams gather to help repair what can be repaired. In the FX class, Tanner Froelich (#167) started and finished every leg of the marathon to claim the world championship. Josh Becker (#84), though he did not finish the marathon, took second; Gerald Gayton (#91) finished third place overall. In the CX class there was a strong race right to the end. Albertan Kelly Lock (#14) won the last heat to finish second, first going to New Zealand racer Justin Hill (#248) as the new CX world champ, third place going to Tim Harding (#33). In the A class, Tim Greber (#146) managed to finish two miles in the final heat to clinch his A class world championship title. Second place went to Stephen Ford of British Columbia, and third to Darin Cage (#242). USpec class had three competitors. The World Championship USpec title went to Regan Redlick (#282) of Edson, Alberta.
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Second place went to Randy Tinant (#222) of Whitecourt, Alberta; and third went to Fern Aubin (#260). Unlimited class featured Ross Schlotthauer of Idaho going in to the final circuits with a solid lead with a solid lead over Nigel Cromie in second. Rick Hollingworth was in third only a minute behind Nigel. Unfortunately, Nigel Cromie’s Kwik Kiwi boat suffered an engine
failure, throwing fuel all over everything in the boat, including the driver Nigel Cromie and navigator Bruce Alexander. Fortunately, the excellent safety gear protected them, escaping the boat with slight burns on their hands. The boat continued to completely burn. Rick Hollingworth finished second; Nigel Cromie finished third, and Schlotthauer took the UIM world championship title.
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Brett’s
Problem Child Eddie Knox’s 1977 Spectra
Featuring
Flat Bottom Boogie
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Brett Bayne photography by Ray Lee story by
Industry legend Eddie Knox purchased this 1977 19' Spectra, which he learned was once raced by another industry legend—Bob Teague. 70
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D
ragboat racing legend Eddie Knox—famous for his World Championshipwinning Top Fuel Hydro Problem Child competitor—recently acquired Bob Teague’s first raceboat, a 1977 Spectra that Teague ran at Long Beach Marine Stadium, once upon a yesterday. Knox bought the V-drive, also called Problem Child, to give his adult son, Ed Knox, something to have fun in; the two men are currently campaigning a funny car on the auto-racing circuit. “We wanted a nostalgia-type boat for him to zip around in,” Knox says. “I wanted to give him a chance to see what it was
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like to go up and down the drag strip, for fun. It’ll run just under 100 mph. He’ll bracket race it when we get the opportunity between car races. We’re leaving it just the way it was, with the gold anodized hardware and the original gelcoat.” Hard to believe, but Knox and Teague— two industry legends—hadn’t even met until about a year ago. “It was fun meeting him at at the river last year,” Knox recalls. “He said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t put any of your big horsepower in that thing, because it doesn’t like it!’ He said, ‘I tipped that boat over in 1977, and then again in 1978 at Long Beach.’ We didn’t know it was his boat until after we bought it.”
Knox plans to show the boat at various events in the area, including the famous Outlaw Nationals that takes place at the world-famous Sundance Saloon in Parker, AZ, most Thanksgivings. Son Ed was planning to run it at last year’s Lucas Oil World Finals, but got the flu right before the race. (It was driven by Scott Compton.) Ed has been around raceboats his whole life, and is a crucial part of the funny car team. “He’s one of the engine builders, and it’s been a huge pleasure for him to be on the race course before he goes back to work.” Ed, who did a nineyear stint in the Navy, is now preparing to be a Los Angeles police officer. S P E E D B O A T | September 2019
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Left: The Spectra features a Casale V-drive, two foot pedals and all of the original gauges. “The two pedals are because it’s a V-drive with a cavitation plate, so that’s what the left pedal is for,” Knox says. “The dash features a myriad of gauges—I’m not even sure what half of them really do. Some are for vacuum, some are for boost.”
Right: Originally, the boat had a twin turbocharged engine in it, according to Knox. Today the boat is powered by a 500-c.i. big-block Chevy that has been dynoed with around 730 hp. “It was built as an endurance type of boat, with giant fuel tanks,” he says. “Bob Teague was racing it as a GN boat.” Below: Eddie Knox (left) with son Ed Knox, who has been around boats and engines his entire life. The pair are currently campaigning a funny car on the auto-racing circuit.
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Above and left: Our model Mikayla poses on the Spectra at Speedboat’s Swimsuit Shoot earlier this year. “It’s a great boat,” Eddie Knox says. “It was well-kept by the previous owner and features the original gelcoat. For a boat that has barrel-rolled twice, it’s in remarkably good shape.”
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Brett Bayne photos by Mark McLaughlin story by
For the 10th year running, the Kings River in Kingsburg, CA, transforms into a paradise of high-spirited muscleboating.
FIT FOR THE
A
ll the great ingredients that result in a spellbinding Flat Bottom Boogie were back
for the event’s 10th year in business. It all happens at Club Royal Oak in the Central California city of Kingsburg, located about 20 miles southeast of Fresno, along the Kings River. Flat Bottom Boogie is a combination showand-shine, meet-and-greet and speed exhibition that brings together muscleboats from all over the state and surrounding states, and it’s a stunner. About 60 boats were on hand, half of which were registered for the big
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“E.T. race” to the finish line. Time slips were used to determine which were the quickest boats on the river. The rules are simple: One boat at a time speeds down the course. This year, timing lights were used at the start and finish lines on what was approximately a 650-foot course. Trophies were awarded for Best in Show, Best Flatbottom, Quickest Elapsed Time, Best Paint Job, Best Original Parts, Best Blown (and Unblown) Boat and Best Runner Bottom. “People said they’d never seen a gathering of such quality and well-known boats from years past in one place,”
says organizer Alan Degenhardt. “I think that’s really cool.” Until this year, Degenhardt owned Club Royal Oak; he sold it to new owners, but still owns the event and the Flat Bottom Boogie name. He plans to keep the event going at the now-named King River RV Resort (next year’s date is confirmed for July 18, phone numbers remain the same). He’s contemplating additional venues for other Flat Bottom Boogie dates. “If there’s a venue out there that can offer the same vibe, I’d like to make it happen,” he says. “What we do is not a race—it’s an experience.” speedboat.com
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Top: Joe Masek put on a great show with his awesome 4.06 elapsed time down the liquid 1/8 mile. On the way back, he did some showing off with this aerial launch for the crowd. Above left: At trophy time, he earned an “honorable mention” for having the second-quickest time down the course. Masek’s boat is an 88 Howard 5/8 runner bottom with a 632 Dart/Brodix combination. The motor guru is his dad, who runs Tom Masek Racing Engines. speedboat.com
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FIT FOR THE
Above: This 1973 Sanger 5/8 runner bottom is owned and driven by Garrett Hallenberg. His 454 BBC gets him down the course at the Flat Bottom Boogie along with the National Jet Boat Association, where he races monthly. Below: Steve Faist shoes his own record-setting boat. The machine is a 1986 Cole TR6 with a 540 Blinzer motor and PSI blower for the power. Right: Driver Tony Scarlata and owner Faist accept the Big Trophy from promoter Alan Degenhardt. Scarlata’s final pass in Faist’s machine got him the low ET of the day at a blistering 3.93 seconds.
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Left: The National Anthemsupplied starter boat is owned and operated by Steve Westerfield. Tom Riggs holds the flag high for all to see as the 1970 Sanger flatty heads back to the starting line. Above: Will Binder takes his turn down the course in his 1977 Hondo, powered by a 540 BBC. Left: This 1977 Howard Runner Bottom flat with a 496 Chevy is driven by owner Jordan Endler.
Right: Jason Merritt waves to the crowd as he heads back to the cove. His 1989 Mako is powered by a 468 BBC.
Right: David Lipinski’s 1968 Sanger was redone with all-new wood on the deck. He spent the time to re-do this piece and added the Dart 540 (with 871 blower) and twin 750 Holleys for power. speedboat.com
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FIT FOR THE
Far left: Steve Faist, Tony Scarlata and Joe Masek. Tony got the award for Quick Elapsed Time; Faist owns the boat, and Masek was runner-up. Second from left: Darren Hicks won Best Unblown Flat in his Night Stalker flatty. Third from left: The trophy for Best Paint went to Greg Ritchie. Far right: Richard Kane with his trophy for Best in Show.
Rod Kershner is owner and driver of this 1979 Kurtis 5/8 runner bottom. His engine is a 468 Chevy with a 471 blower. He gets her down the river in a hurry! As a construction trade engineer, he cleverly named the boat Change Order. (Those in the construction business will appreciate the terminology.) All the money from change orders go to this beautiful piece.
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Left: Here’s another 1968 Sanger flat. This one is owned and driven by Robert Robinson. It’s pushed by a 454-c.i. motor; paint was courtesy of Dion Giuliano and Kal Koncepts. Right: Tom Lagomarsino’s 1980 Hondo Runner Bottom has a 540 Dart with Crower injection. He also runs in competition with the NJBA.
Below: Steve Boyce makes a nice pass down the course in his Cole 1980 TR2, powered by a 468 Chevy.
Below left: Mark Ekberg drives his 1977 Sanger yellow flatty down river. It’s powered by a 460 BBC. Below right: Jason Silva brought his flatty out after shelving it for a few years. It’s a 1996 Magnum by Tom and Cole Thurston, powered by a 505 Chevy. Bottom: This 1982 Canyon Marine flat is owned by Tim Wingfield. His 532 Chevy-powered machine ran a very respectable 4.30 in the first round of competition, but was overtaken by a number of boats that came out in round two.
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FIT FOR THE Left: Here’s a 1973 J.E. Byers flat. That’s right—J.E. Byers. Not many of these were built in the 1970s. This one was built in 1973. It’s owned by Ron Carroll and powered by a 555-c.i. motor with 871 BDS.
Right: And finally, here’s Kelly Asbe, owner and driver of this 1977 Cole TR2. It’s powered by a 565 Chevy. A nice, clean white flatty, it is usually seen with a stuffed chicken strapped in the passenger seat when Asbe is racing with the NJBA.
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ST. CLAIR, MI
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season, repeating their first-place showing after taking the checkered flag at the season-opening Cocoa Beach race, and second-place finishes at the Lake of the Ozarks and Sarasota. The New Zealand team (with owner/driver Wayne Valder and throttleman Grant Bruggemann) are currently leading the class in high points. WHM Racing, Broadco and Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s finished in second, third and fourth place, respectively. Competitor M-CON rolled over about halfway through the Super Cat skirmish; team members Tyler Miller and Tyson Garvin escaped the 40' Skater safely.
MICHIGAN CITY, IN
Super Stock boats put on another outstanding performance, as CR Racing (with Casey Boaz and Rob Unnerstall) enjoyed a substantial lead for most of the race to finish on top. Performance Boat Center/Auto Alert, featuring Rusty Williams and Myrick Coil, finished second, while Gary Ballough and Lorne Leibel in FJ Propeller came in third place. Two boats have been battling each other in Vee Extreme class: Tug It/ Hurricane of Awesomeness (with Brit Lilly and Kevin Smith) and Knucklehead Instigator (with Ed and Anthony Smith). The Smiths—who are unrelated—had had a perfect season, winning all three of
the previous races in the APBA Offshore Championship series. However, Brit Lilly and Kevin Smith landed a win in St. Clair in their Fountain. Lilly and Smith also enjoyed a second win piloting LSB Racing, an Extreme hull, in ProStock Vee class, which saw eight entries—one of biggest boat counts of any other class. LSB was followed by Done Deal in second and Showtime in third. Other winners in St. Clair: Visit St. Pete Clearwater (P1 Superstock), Punisher (SVX Class), Summerset Boat Lift (Class 2), Strictly Business (Class 3), Simmons Marine (Class 4), Bronx Phantom (Class 5), Deception Offshore (Class 6) and Shadow Pirate (Class 7).
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Mauff had handed Michigan City officials a check for $20,000 to expand and renovate their lion display at the local zoo.) The New Zealand team of Pro Floors Racing (with Wayne Valder and Grant Bruggemann) held on to a second-place position until the end; they were followed by Performance Boat Center/Jimmy John’s (with Myrick Coil and John Tomlinson piloting the team’s new MTI) to round out the podium finish. Shadow Pirate took the win in Super Stock class, as owner/driver Nick Scafidi and throttleman Scott Porta grabbed a huge lead in front of their eight competitors and never looked back. In SVX class, Sun Print (with Steven Freeman and Steve Miklos) opened up a good gap as it led the fleet. Marker 17 Marine, with Brian Forehand and Vinnie Diorio, finished second, and Boatfloater. com, with the father-son team of Stephen and Steve Kildahl, finished in third. Other winners in Michigan City included Visit St. Pete Clearwater (P1 SuperStock), Mama Ain’t Happy (Class 2), Strictly Business (Class 3), Simmons Marine (Class 4), Disabled American Veterans (Class 5), Smith Brothers (Class 6) and NJI Motorsports (Class 7). The final race of the APBA Offshore Championship series is set for Oct. 10 in Fort Myers, FL. This race will comprise the OPA National Championships.
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