June 2021 Speedboat Magazine by Brett Bayne

S PEEDBO AT M A G A ZINE

INSIDE: NJBA, ADBA & SCSC RACE REPORTS

Comes to Lake Havasu!

Heavenly

HONDO HYDRO J U N E 2 02 1

J U NE 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS JUNE

COLUMNS

8 RAY LEE 10 BOB TEAGUE 12 INDUSTRY NEWS

28 SPEEDBOAT SPOTLIGHT

FEATURES

The H:Craft line from the UAE’s Hayaari Marine is preparing to make a Victory-sized splash in the USA.

14 SUPER CAT FEST-WEST

A Lake of the Ozarks tradition spins off into an outrageously fun Lake Havasu event for the very first time.

22 MYCO FACTORY TOUR

Speedboat heads to Bradenton, FL, to tour the legendary 47-year-old trailer manufacturer’s factory.

Our tribute to Jason Moe and his family, loyal Outerlimits enthusiasts who always coax the biggest speeds out of their craft.

34 PROJECT MANATEE

38 KEY WEST SPRING POKER RUN

Stu Jones takes the Florida Powerboat Club to the magical beaches of the Southernmost city for a memorable spring romp.

46 MY BEST ADVICE

Some of the top speedboat builders in the country give us their tips on the best ways to shop for your dream ride.

52 HAMMER DOWN

Meet Chad Prater, owner of the world’s fastest Baja 35 Outlaw, once clocked at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout at 117 mph.

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Cover Photo by Todd Taylor Table of Contents photo by Tom Leigh

Speedboat.com Published by DCO Enterprises, LLC Publishers Ray Lee ray@speedboat.com Chris Davidson chris@speedboat.com Editor Brett Bayne brett@speedboat.com Senior Tech Editors Bob Teague bobteague@teaguecustommarine.com Jim Wilkes jim@speedboat.com

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

Art Director Gail Hada-Insley

Helicopter Services Fred Young fyoung@live.com Todd Taylor, Kenny Dunlop, Mark McLaughlin, Paul Kemiel, Jeff Gerardi, Daren Van Ryte

BRETT’S COVE

Photographers

Chris Williamson bought his 1978 Hondo Hydro from his uncle—then proceeded to give it a full restoration.

Operations Manager Michele Plummer and Subscriptions michele@speedboat.com

60 HEAVENLY HONDO HYDRO 64 NJBA SEASON OPENER

The National Jet Boat Association gets off to a glorious start of the 2021 season as racers gather at Lake Ming in Bakersfield, CA.

70 ADBA MARCH MAYHEM

The Arizona Drag Boat Association’s March event unfolded at Hidden Lake in Buckeye, AZ, on the outskirts of town.

74 SCSC SPRING CLASSIC

5840 W. Craig Rd Suite 120, #386

Las Vegas, NV 89130-2730

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 (702) 313-1400

The Southern California Speedboat Club kicks off its 2021 season in style at La Paz Park in Parker, AZ.

SPEEDBOAT MAGAZINE (ISSN#1941-9473) is published 8 times plus a bonus issue this year by DCO Enterprises LLC.

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

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

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

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Domestic $34.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, Canada $66.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue, International $77.00 for 8 times plus a bonus issue. All prices are for one year and in U.S. funds. For subscription info: call (702) 313-1400.

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OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE

Keep Rockin’

Speedboat has been collaborating with Lake of the Ozarks’ biggest dock party organization, the Super Cat Fest folks, for several years now. They boast to be the “home of the world’s fastest pleasure cats” and they can be found every August at the beautiful Camden on the Lake Resort in conjunction with the world-famous LOTO Shootout. Lead organizer Alvin Heathman had been inquiring about bringing his dock party vibes out west for some time now. Both Todd Taylor, who runs his event production company Jokers Wild Productions in Lake Havasu City, AZ, and I agreed it could be done and that we could help Heathman make it happen. Thus, the planning began. We all agreed to make it a casual affair, not unlike the Super Cat Fest in LOTO—free from strict schedules or mandatory itineraries. We contacted Storm Poker Runs’ Christina and Jimmy Nichols of the West Coast’s wildly popular event, Desert Storm to “piggyback” off of each other. The idea was to coax speedboaters from the other side of the country to “come for the Fest, stay for the Storm!” The idea for the back-to-back events was born. Super Cat Fest West was off and running. Early on, the idea of combining boating and

Alt-rock band LIT performs at Super Cat Fest-West.

Above: Speedboat publisher Ray Lee presents a check to Western Arizona Humane Society Executive Director Patty Gillmore. Right: Katelin, Colton, Jason and Laurie Moe with Gillmore and London Bridge Resort owner Thomas Flatley. music was discussed and never left the table. It has always been my dream to combine my two biggest passions into one event and this seemed perfect for that dream to become a reality. A lot of my friends are professional touring musicians, so we had a good stable of popular bands to choose from. The multi-platinum ’90s alt-rock band LIT (“My Own Worst Enemy,” “Miserable,” “Zip-Lock”), whose lead vocalist A.Jay Popoff and lead guitarist Jeremy Popoff frequently join me on pleasure boating trips to Lake Havasu each summer, seemed to be the obvi-

ous choice. They love the river atmosphere and appreciate the boating lifestyle and are an amazing act to see live on stage. So, it was to be. LIT would headline the inaugural Super Cat Fest West event. Slowly, the pieces began falling into place. Alvin was to recruit his following from the Midwest and further east, and we would enlist all others. We were blessed to have the support of a lot of the players in the industry—without even really knowing what the event was going to be. For that, I am eternally grateful. My dear friends Dave and Buffie Megugorac of the yellow DCB M44 fame, better known as Bananas XL, signed on early as the presenting sponsor. Then came the lovely Gina Babyak of Eternal Ink / Eternal Tattoos, Brian Golie of Golden West Biologicals, Tim Jones of Riverstone, Gary Smith of the infamous Predator Skaters and so on. The list grew rapidly enough to be able to produce an event worthy of our faithful believers. We did not want to let any of them down. Little did I know just how difficult that task would come to be. As the many months of planning and strategizing hastily whittled down to a few short weeks and then to mere days, the hurdles came fast, furious and relentless. Between

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TEAGUE ON TECH BOB TEAGUE

Mercury Max-5 propeller.

Bravo XR Slipping? Dear Bob: I have a 2004 Powerquest 380. It has Mercury Racing 525EFI engines with Bravo XR drives and 30”-pitch Bravo One four-blade propellers. At WOT, I get 74 mph with port engine running 5,200 rpm, and the starboard will rev to 5,800. The paint on the starboard upper case looks chalky like it is running hot. Is there something in the drive that is slipping causing the high revs and discoloration of the outdrive case? Lee Moore Clyde, OH

Mercury Bravo One propeller.

Scan Tool connected to the data port on the engine. If your engines are stock 525EFIs, the rev-limiter is programed at 5,450 rpm. So, if that is the case, it is unlikely that the engine is running 5,800 rpm. If the ECMs have been modified, then it is possible that the RPM could reach 5,800. It might be a problem with a propeller. You can try another set or simply put yours on backwards and run the drives in reverse to go forward to see if the problem moves with the propeller. Be careful to remember that your shifters will be backwards. And the boat will handle differently with the propellers spinning in the opposite direc-

tion. I have tested several Powerquest 380s in the past. As I recall, the boat is a little faster with the propellers rotating inward, but some docking manners are sacrificed. Finally, you should have drive showers on your drives if you don’t already have them to help keep the drives cooler. You might also consider upgrading your propellers (especially if you have a bad one). I would suggest Mercury Racing Max5s that are 15¼" diameter x 29" pitch. I would be willing to bet that a pair of 29 pitch Max-5s would work really well on your boat with significant improvement in midrange efficiency.

Relocate the Mercury Shift Bracket Cone clutch and gear.

Lee, while it may be possible for your cone clutch to be slipping, it is unlikely that it could slip that much for very long without causing a catastrophic drive failure. I would drain the oil out of that drive and check the magnets on the plugs for metal parts. If you see particles that are silver, it is likely that a drive failure is in your near future. Verify that your tachometers are actually reading correctly. This is easy to do with a

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Dear Bob: I purchased a set of the custom tall valve covers to clear my rocker arms. These are a very nice piece and I love the way they look. However, with this added valve cover height, has anyone had any issues with the MerCruiser shift bracket interfering and being unable to mount to the stock exhaust riser assembly? If so, do you have an offset/extension bracket that can be purchased to raise the bracket assembly up to clear these valve covers? Thanks in advance! Mark McGahey It is very common to have the Mercury Shift Bracket not mounted on the engine. More builders than not routinely install the Mercury Shift Bracket on a stringer along side the engine or on the transom. In your case, find a place where the Mercury Shift Bracket can be installed where the cable easily reaches from the helm and the drive. Usually, if it is mounted on a stringer, #14 stainless steel truss head screws are used with silicone sealer.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Team Scism Tests 390X Raceboat for New 450 Class

ust prior to Super Cat Fest—West (see Page 14), MTI President Randy Scism and his daughter, MTI client relations manager

Taylor Scism, spent a day testing their new 390X raceboat out of Lake of the Ozark’s Performance Boat Center. When P1/OPA kicks off its offshore racing season in Cocoa Beach—the first of 12 races for 2021—a brand-new class will be featured consisting of 34' to 40' canopied catamarans powered by twin

MERCURY RACING OFFERS 300R with AMS Midsection Mercury Racing has announced that its popular 300R outboard will now be available with the Mercury Racing Advanced MidSection (Racing AMS), a third midsection option that improves handling, simplifies rigging and adds additional setback to this potent, high-performance outboard. The 300R outboard with the AMS midsection will be available with a 5.44-inch HD or Sport Master gearcase, in Phantom Black or Cold Fusion White colors. All models with the Racing AMS feature standard Mercury Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) control and standard Mercury electro-hydraulic power steering. “With the addition of Racing AMS, more powerboat enthusiasts can experience maximum performance in the 300-hp outboard class that is only available from the Mercury Racing 300R,” said Stuart Halley, Mercury Racing general manager. “This package should be especially appealing for use on high-performance, stepped-bottom center console boats, many of which have transoms already optimized for the for the added setback of the AMS as offered on other Mercury Marine/Mercury Racing outboard products. It’s a better fit on many of these transoms and permits

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stock Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines. The Scisms’ new 390X will be driven by first-time competitor Taylor and throttled by racing legend John Tomlinson. “We ran pretty conservative, because we didn’t have the escape hatch in it yet, and we still need to finish a couple of things,” Taylor told Speedboat. “But we wanted to get it in the water and make sure everything is working before leaving for two weeks. We’re starting to get close to our first race.” (Cocoa Beach is scheduled for May 20-23.) “The boat ran great,” Randy said. “We’re going to tweak some things—we really only had time to test one size propeller, but I think it’s going to run very well. We’re real happy with what we got so far. We’re really excited. I think it’s going to be awesome.” Taylor added that following Desert Storm, she planned to head to Miami to continue testing with Tomlinson on the Atlantic Ocean. “I’m really looking forward to it,” she said. “I want to grab some seat time and just get my feet wet without things getting too crazy. For my first race, I just want to get out there and get a feel for it.”

more tilt range within narrow motorwells. With the new 300R Racing AMS models, more performance enthusiasts may now experience the punch of a Mercury Racing V8 outboard.” The Mercury Racing AMS is designed expressly for high-performance Mercury Racing outboards and is also featured on the Mercury Racing 450R model. The Racing AMS features heavy-duty guide plates and stiffened engine mounts to stabilize the engine for enhanced high-speed handling. An optional rear tie-bar bracket integral to the Racing AMS provides a strong, ultra-light mounting point for rock-solid, precision steering on catamaran and other ultra-high-speed applications. The Racing AMS also isolates the powerhead from the transom to ensure run quality is smooth and quiet at all speeds. Available Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) for boats rigged with two to six outboards provides intuitive, fingertip 360-degree boat control for docking and maneuvering in tight quarters plus the convenience of Skyhook position-holding features and integrated auto piloting. Designed, developed and manufactured in-house, the naturally aspirated Mercury Racing 300R is based on a 4.6L V-8 four-stroke powerhead, with four-valve cylinder heads and a double overhead camshaft valve train. To extract maximum performance, the Racing 300R is equipped with a Mercury Racing-designed short-runner intake, high-performance intake camshafts, an oil cooler and a performanceoptimized ECU calibration that increases the WOT range to 6400 rpm. The Racing 300R is designed to make full power on 87-octane (R+M/2 or 90 RON) fuel and is covered by a three-year limited warranty with the option to purchase up to five years of additional MPP (Mercury Product Protection) coverage. speedboat.com

photography by

Kris Wesenhagen, Tom Leigh and Daren Van Ryte

A Lake of the Ozarks tradition spins off into an outrageously fun Lake Havasu event for the very first time.

Brett and Sharron Spraggins run alongside Shawn and Lyndee Moe in their MTI 390X catamarans.

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uper Cat Fest—the famous gathering of high-speed catamarans

scheduled during the week of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in late August— came to Lake Havasu this past weekend for three days of friend-making, partying and muscleboat action. The West Coast spinoff from the celebrated Midwestern revelry came together with the combined efforts of Super Cat Fest organizer Alvin Heathman, Speedboat Magazine publisher Ray Lee and Todd Taylor of Jokers Wild Productions. The new event continues the tradition of uniting the fastest, most exotic offshore marine hardware in the world, with casual, fun-filled activities, cool vibes and heavy horsepower and great entertainment. Headquarters were at Havasu’s famous London Bridge Resort. The action began at a late Thursday-afternoon kickoff party at the Swap Meet Plaza, not far from the London Bridge Resort, the ideal venue to accommodate a sizable number of boats on display and plenty of vendors. The well-attended event was both a thank-you to registered VIPs as well as the official registration party for participants to pick up their credentials and swag bags. Cardinali Family Concessions of Lake Havasu provided pulled-pork and tri-tip barbecue sandwiches to VIPs while large video screens from the Boom Bandits of Lake Havasu played boat-action footage from other events around the country. Upbeat tunes kept people on their feet and dancing until about 10 p.m. Saturday brought a brunch hosted by Bling Sauce at the Havasu Springs Resort, where attendees were served breakfast burritos. Later in the day, participants rafted up at the Joker’s Wild Cove; River Dave’s Place hosted an evening party at the London Bridge’s Martini Bay Pool, where DJs the Boom Bandits again [Text continues on page 20]

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SUPER CAT FEST Right: Exhibitor MTI shows off its latest 390X demo boat, powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboards.

Left: Bryce Menzie’s DCB M37R, powered by Mercury Racing 450Rs.

Center left: Rayan Garland’s 2015 Statement 38 SUV.

Bottom: Mike Ciasulli’s extraordinary new 438 Skater, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1100/1350 stern drives. Yvonne Aleman drives the MTI 340X Mad Props.

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NASCAR’S ZAMORA DRIVES THE DUCK

Slug Hefner is one of speedboating’s bonafide celebrities, and his succession of Dirty Duck boats are among the highest-profile in the U.S. His latest Duck is a Mystic C4000, which he picked up at the factory in DeLand, FL, back in January. An all carbon-fiber boat weighing in at 6,960 pounds, Dirty Duck hit 120 mph during its on-water test. But at Super Cat Fest, a different celebrity got behind the wheel of the boat: NASCAR driver Brittney Zamora, the American professional stock car racing driver who, at 22 years old, has become a force to be reckoned with as she competes across the country. Zamora was in Havasu in part to promote Pit Road Pals, the animal adoption program she founded, and to help Super Cat Fest

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raise money for the Western Arizona Humane Society (see Page 20). While in town, Hefner offered her the keys to the Mystic for a thrill ride she wouldn’t forget. “I definitely love to be involved in anything that goes fast, whether it’s on on asphalt, sand or the water—I’m all in for it,” she told Speedboat. “I’ve been up to 185 mph in my auto races before, but going that fast on water is a totally different game. With Alvin [Heathman] throttling, we took the boat to 112. It’s so cool how fast they go, and so crazy how smooth the ride can be when you’re on the right type of water.” Any chance we’ll see Brittney on the water again? “That would be fun,” she says. “We try to go to as many of the boating events as we can.”

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SUPER CAT FEST

Yvonne Aleman drives the MTI 340X Mad Props.

Top: Dave and Buffie Megugorac’s awesome DCB M44 Bananas XL on display. Above: The Megugoracs take a refreshment break with their crew. Left: A view of the docks and the world- famous London Bridge.

Right: Brian Golie in his 40' Skater Blood Money. Golie and his one-of-akind ride were profiled in the March 2015 issue of Speedboat magazine.

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Below left: The fleet’s LEDs light up the night while docked at Gilbert’s.

Above: Alternative rockers LIT perform onstage to their audience at the Pirate Cove beach. Left: The MTI center console raft-up.

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SUPER CAT FEST

Vern Gilbert’s beautiful 40' Skater, Predator.

Here’s the all-new Eliminator 31XO (extra wide) Speedster.

Right: Mike Bolin’s completely restored 2006 Outerlimits 39 GTX.

provided music and entertainment. On Saturday, it was time to head up to Pirate Cove Resort & Marina in Needles, CA, for a concert featuring the alt-rock band Lit, with opening act Undercover, a local cover band. Some strong winds, gusting at as much as 30 mph, were a bit of an annoyance, but they failed to spoil the party. The concert was not only well attended, but completely sold out. Saturday night also saw a charity auc-

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tion at Kokomo Nightclub at the London Bridge Resort, benefiting the Western Arizona Humane Society. The auction raised over $30,000 to purchase a new ultrasound machine for the animals. Unquestionably, the highlight of the auction occurred when an Australian shepherd mix puppy was brought out to be auctioned for adoption. Colton Moe, the young son of Outerlimits enthusiast Jason and Laurie Moe, flipped for the adorable animal,

and even put in a few bids for it himself. Ultimately, the pup was won by Thomas Flatly, owner of the London Bridge Resort, to the tune of $3,000. But when Flatly accepted the pup—and promptly handed it over to a heartbroken Colton Moe—there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Overall, Super Cat Fest West proved to be a strong and promising first-time event, resulting in a lot of positive feedback from all who attended. speedboat.com

story by Brett

Bayne

FACTORY TOUR

Speedboat heads to Bradenton, FL, to tour the legendary 47-year-old trailer manufacturer’s factory.

he performance boating industry has seen a great deal of companies come and go over the years, but one constant element is

MYCO Trailers. Whether it’s a state-ofthe-art model or a decades-old relic, it’s practically guaranteed to have sat atop a MYCO trailer. The firm launched in 1974, during the Nixon administration. Since then, MYCO has become the world leader in custom, all-welded boat trailers—each designed around the boat by the company’s mechanical engineers to forge the most precise-fitting and best-towing trailers in the industry. In the fast-boat industry

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alone, MYCO has been an OEM supplier for MTI, Mystic, Nor-Tech, Outerlimits, Cigarette, Apache, Sutphen, DCB, Skater, Fountain, Donzi, Baja, Eliminator, Sunsation, Cougar, Statement and numerous others. Even the U.S. military has MYCO build its very specialized trailers for assault boats. MYCO custom-built products are built in Bradenton, FL, where the company principals oversee production: President Price Taylor, engineer Don King, and the sales and marketing team of Ronnie Moran and Jon Smiley (who took over longtime employee Bill Tweedie’s duties when he retired last year). Together, the team keeps the production moving at a

Above left: MYCO President Price Taylor, engineer Don King, Sales VP Ronnie Moran and Sales & Marketing Manager Jon Smiley Above: King working on an oversized gooseneck trailer design. brisk clip, with sales figures steadily on the increase year after year. The factory floor looks like fabrication plants everywhere—trailers in staggered levels of assembly, welding going on in various places, grinding in others, and workers coming and going with parts. The next area that sets MYCO trailers apart from the crowd is its elaborate parts room. Most trailers are delivered with torsion suspension axles, LED lights, sealed bearings and hydraulic disk brakes; even the brake lines are made from the best stainless steel tubing money can buy, and are connected with double flare fittings—no compression fittings allowed. Then there’s the elaborate paint booth. speedboat.com

Top and above: Auggie and McGuire fabricate a trailer for a military craft. Far left: Ochie grinds and prepares a bow stop. Near left: Matt installs a forward coupler.

Above left: Eric welds an adjustable coupler for a military trailer. Above right: In the parts department, Max cuts and preps parts. speedboat.com

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MYCO FACTORY TOUR

Above left: Randall grinds and sands out for tail lights to go into a trailer. Above right: A trailer for an MTI catamaran.

MYCO trailers are painted in the longest paint booth we’ve ever seen—it can comfortably hold a trailer 50’ long. Of course, the majority of trailers are constructed of welded aluminum, which was a MYCO first. “The custom boat trailer business has grown exponentially in recent years,” explains Price Taylor, who came aboard as company president in 2020. “As each manufacturer continues to build longer, wider, heavier, and more complex vessels, the need for an engineered trailer has never been greater. Million-dollar assets certainly deserve equally special transportation, and MYCO delivers that time and time again for our valued customers. We have seen a conversion of mostly steel trailers to mostly aluminum trailers.” A major component of MYCO’s success is due to the company’s devoted team, each member of which contributes at all levels on a daily basis. Most employees grew up in either the marine or trailer business, and each one takes enormous pride in what they do, with an uncompromising commitment for the product. One of the most critical figures at MYCO is engineering guru Don King. Each trailer starts with an engineer’s drawing from either an extensive archive of previous jobs, or a completely fresh design from King’s computer. For the past 37 years, his custom designs have been engineered to the highest standards and are well known throughout the industry, and his contribu-

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tions have been paramount to the success of MYCO. He’s been working with 3D computer simulations since long before most engineers had access to such programs. His portfolio is on a level of sophistications usually reserved for the aircraft industry. MYCO has had mechanical engineers on staff long before its competitors did, although this came with a heavy financial obligation. The investment has paid off with the precision fit and trailering attributes afforded to a MYCO trailer. On the sales side are Sales Vice President Ronnie Moran and Sales & Marketing Manager Jon Smiley, both of whom are well-known in the industry, and who you may have met at any number of events representing MYCO trailers. Moran is a 16-year industry veteran, while Smiley has a background with marinas and storage. Both of these key players know their customers and understand their needs, and that formula has translated into strong sales in recent years, with 2020 having the highest sales in MYCO’s 47-year history. “Traditionally we see an increase in OEM and dealer sales in advance of boat show season—late spring, early summer and early fall,” Moran says. “Year after year, we have seen election years prove challenging to our sales. However, that was not the case this past year.” Staying ahead of the competition has always been a priority for MYCO, she adds. “We strive to attend as many industry events as possible, from boat shows

to poker runs and dealer meetings to get a feel for what our clients are looking for in our products and how we can meet those desires. Having a strong engineering team certainly helps, and we have recently added personnel to that team to bring fresh, new ideas to the table.” Smiley’s impressive resume includes a stint as Harbour Master at the Sanibel Harbor Yacht Club, a five-star 450-slip dry storage facility that included countless Nor-Tech owners as members due to its close proximity to Nor-Tech’s manufacturing facility in Cape Coral. Smiley worked closely with vendor MYCO as the marina developed a growing need for dryrack cradles to accommodate bigger boats with catamaran hulls, stepped bottoms and quad engine configurations. “We needed a safer way to lift and store these complex boats,” Smiley says. “We started having members ordering them back to back to back. And MYCO did something that truly impressed me. After each unit was delivered, they’d call and say, ‘How was it? How’s the fit? Is there anything you’d like to change on the next one?’ Our facility practically became a test and development center for MYCO’s dry-rack cradles and the result is the worlds best cradle system.” And that’s how Smiley launched a relationship with the company he would ultimately represent himself. Meanwhile, MYCO’s operations group is made up of some of the most highly speedboat.com

Above and bottom: This is a steel trailer for a Baja 342, before and after painting. Left: Louie uses a 2x6 bunk board to prep and measure a trailer for carpeting.

skilled steel and aluminum welders in the industry. The welding team at MYCO are true craftsmen. From the parts cutters to the paint and rigging teams the manufacturing group has an unwavering commitment to make sure their customers receive the quality-driven, reliable products that they’ve come to expect from MYCO for the past 47 years. According to Smiley, the performance boating market represents around 60 percent of MYCO’s business, while another 20 percent belongs to big offshore fish boats like Freeman Boatworks and Invincible Boats, with the remaining being compromised of specialized military builds. For Taylor, coming on board as president during the year of Covid presented a unique challenge. But as the entire industry recovered from the initial hit, his navigational skills proved indispensable. “We had to make some very quick decisions, knowing they would have an impact on the long-term financial wellbeing of MYCO and our employees,” he says. “We made the decision during the first and succeeding weeks of the government-mandated shutdown to fully compensate all of our employees while they were forced to stay home. We made sure that not a single MYCO employee missed a paycheck. Although some companies may have seen this as a difficult decision, and one that financially impacted the comspeedboat.com

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MYCO FACTORY TOUR

Above: This trailer is for a 36' go-fast catamaran, such as the Wright Performance 360. Right: Here’s a lift cradle ideal for a fish boat made by Freeman Boat Works or Invincible Boats. It would sit at someone’s dock to hold the boat.

Left: This trailer will accommodate a 36' vee bottom boat; it was made for a 36' Cigarette Gladiator. In addition to standardconfiguration trailers, MYCO also builds tilt trailers for those extrawide boats for trailering on the highway—a concept that MYCO pioneered.

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A trailer for a Concept 32 center console in the paint booth; it’s painted a Lamborghini pearl gray color.

pany, MYCO saw it as the right thing to do for our employees and their families.” Once businesses were allowed to open back up, every single MYCO employee returned. “We did not lose one employee that had been here prior to the pandemic shutdown,” Taylor says. “A few months later, our return orders started pouring in. This one single decision and having every one of our experienced team members back allowed us to ramp up production to meet the increased demand.” The current challenge, he says, is faced by the entire marine manufacturing industry: “The ability of our suppliers to keep pace with demand for our product. Customers continue to want quality and having the return of an experienced workforce put us in the driver’s seat to be able to deliver.”

This 2627 HTA trailer was built for Speedboat publisher Ray Lee’s Lavey Craft 2750 NuEra.

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Speedboat

Spotlight The Moe Family

Our tribute to the loyal Outerlimits enthusiast, who consistently strives to coax the biggest speeds possible out of each of his musclecraft.

story by

Brett Bayne |

ong before he earned near-legendary status as the owner of some of the fastest recreational Outerlimits on Earth, young Jason Moe and his family were enjoying a 21' Spectra jetboat with a 460

motor, a family boat used back in the late 1970s. As an adult, around 16 years ago, he ordered a custom 38’ Fountain Lighting. However, “as soon as we put it in the water, my wife Laurie said, ‘You’re not going to be happy with this boat.’ She knew it wasn’t going to be fast enough for me, because she saw me trying to push the throttles right through the dash.” Eventually, Moe met Mike Fiore, founder of Outerlimits Powerboats. “I made him a deal,” Moe recalls. “I said, ‘Mike, I want a one-off 46 vee bottom. I want mine to be different. I don’t care what it takes—I want mine to be the fastest 46' you ever produced.” When the topic inevitably turned to what such a request would cost, Fiore wanted about $50,000 more than Moe was prepared to pay. After a few minutes of haggling, Moe agreed to pay the extra $50K—under the condition that Outerlimits could produce a boat that exceeded 140 mph. “We made a handshake deal in his office,” Moe recalls. “He actually changed the hull on my boat—it was the only 46 whose bottom was altered, as far as I know. But it was indeed the fastest 46 he ever had.” Built in 2006, the 46' vee known

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photography by

Todd Taylor and Erick Bryner

as Extreme Insanity was powered by Teague 1200s and ran, according to its owner, “amazingly good.” A few years later, Moe was ready to trade up to a new Outerlimits. Reviewed in the May 2017 issue of Speedboat, Moe’s new SL50 was dubbed Hurry Up—which he says was a tribute to the excavation company he owns. “That is the motto of my company, and with my kids, with my family—I say ‘hurry up’ all day long, every day,” he says. Powered by Mercury Racing dual-calibration 1550/1350 engines, Hurry Up was among the fastest vee-bottoms in the nation. “I certainly believe it’s the fastest vee bottom that Outerlimits has ever turned out,” Moe says. Last year, the Moes decided to doubled-down on their loyalty to Outerlimits by purchasing a third Outerlimits: this time, an SC-46 catamaran powered by a set of 1550/1350s. The first thing you’ll notice about the boat (reviewed in the November/December 2020 issue of Speedboat) is its amazing Stephen Miles Design paint job—an stunning work of craftsmanship that incorporates track-pad graphics that pay tribute to his company, Elk Heights Excavation. The elaborate blue, silver and gray, industrial-themed paint scheme is perfectly executed, and reportedly took a combined 2,000 hours to complete. Jason’s purchase included hands-on, personal training from speedboat.com

Above and below: After having owned 46' and 50' Outerlimits vee hulls, Jason Moe says he had nowhere else to go but switch over to a catamaran. Like his SL50, his newest Outerlimits—an SC46—is also called Hurry Up. Right: The Moe family consists of dad Jason (left), mom Laurie (center), daughter Katelin (right) and son Colton (back row).

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S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

SPOTLIGHT ON JASON MOE

The fully canopied interior of Moe’s Outerlimits is truly state of the art. It features color-changing LED lighting, Alcantara fabric and massive storage space. The boat’s dual-calibration Mercury Racing 1550/1350 engines push it past the 190-mph mark. multi-time World Champion offshore racer Sir Steve Curtis, who has been setting up all of the Outerlimits cats, making alterations on the bottom design according to what each customer wants to do in terms of speed and handling. “It’s not super lightweight,” Curtis says of Hurry Up. “It’s set up to be fast, capable of speeds in excess of 190 in 1550 mode, and I think 175 mph is the best we did in 1350 mode.” Speedboat’s editors sat down with the entire Moe family—Jason, wife Laurie, daughter Katelin (18) and son Colton (16) to talk about their shared passion and their adventures with Outerlimits. Speedboat: Jason, when you built the first of your three Outerlimits, the 46 vee bottom, you were looking for something that went at least 140 mph. Is that correct? Jason Moe: Yes. And I did 141. We took delivery of that boat, Extreme Insanity, in 2008. We owned it for two years, and then I went to the 50. But in between, we used a

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Nor-Tech for about a year. Mike Fiore had died, and I wasn’t sure what was going on with Outerlimits. But I ended up pulling the trigger on the 50 anyway. SB: How did you come up with the name Extreme Insanity? JM: Laurie came up with it. She said you had to be extremely insane to spend that much money and to go that fast. SB: What was your ultimate goal with the 50? JM: I wanted it to be the fastest 50-footer that they had ever made. I’m all about horsepower and speed. SB: Our team took the boat to 157 mph when we tested the 50. JM: And I think I saw 158 mph. It was on Christmas Day in Lake Havasu. It actually had some more left in it, but it was a very windy day and it was bouncing us around too much and it wasn’t worth pushing it any further.

SB: You praised the 50 as having zero chinewalking and that it was about as smooth as they come. Do you stand by that assessment? JM: Yep. Everything we could do to that one, we did. It was an amazing all-carbon fiber boat. SB: How did you transition from the 50 to the SC46 cat? JM: There wasn’t anywhere else to go, really, besides moving to a cat. We’ve done all the vee bottoms, so we thought we’d try a cat for a little bit of a smoother ride and go even faster. And we liked the idea of doing a canopy with A/C and heat, because we use our boat year round in Washington state. SB: Your new 46 is capable of speeds surpassing 190 mph. Do you often drive it at wide-open throttle? JM: I haven’t so far. I haven’t had the time on our little lake, and COVID canceled so many runs last year. We love going to Boyne speedboat.com

SPOTLIGHT ON JASON MOE

Jason and Laurie’s kids, Katelin and Colton (center) are seen on Extreme Insanity, the family’s first Outerlimits (a 46' vee bottom). When Jason ordered the boat from Outerlimits founder Mike Fiore, it was under the condition that the boat ran 140 mph. “We made a handshake deal in his office,” Moe recalls. “He actually changed the hull on my boat—it was the only 46 whose bottom was altered, as far as I know. But it was indeed the fastest 46 he ever had.” Ultimately, Jason saw 141 mph.

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Photo by Mark Sharley

speedboat.com

Thunder—that might be a place to do it, because there’s lots of room.

enjoy the quiet. Actually, we are considering buying a center console now as well.

SB: What is the reaction from other people when they see Hurry Up? JM: We’re not lip readers, but as we drive it past other boats, they’re clearly saying something along the lines of “What is that?” as we go by.

SB: You’ve now had ample experience in both vees and cats. What do you like about each of the hull configurations? JM: I really love them both. The nice thing about a vee bottom is not many people know how to run them—at least, as well as we do—and it’s more of a challenge. And the cats handle way better, and they’re a lot smoother—there’s no rocking back and forth. It’s planted to the water.

SB: The Stephen Miles paint job is absolutely stunning. Whose idea was it to incorporate the “dozer tracks” on the side? JM: My wife kind of came up with that idea. They’re kind of futuristic-looking. Some people like it, and some don’t. SB: Your last two boats have been equipped with Mercury Racing 1550/1350 motors. What’s your opinion about that power package? JM: You just push the button and go. I don’t think there’s anything that runs like them or idles like them. I think they are incredible. I’ve used just about everything including all kinds of truck and boat motors, and they’re about the hottest ticket on the market. SB: So many of today’s boats are powered by outboards. What do you think of those? JM: I like to hear the V8s run. However, there’s little to no maintenance on the outboards, and every once in a while, it’s kind of nice to

SB: Do you miss having a cabin down below? JM: We used it more when our kids were smaller, but now that they’re older, we wouldn’t be using it much anyway. SB: What has it been like working with the Outerlimits team? JM: Well, I worked with Mike on my original 46, and that was awesome. Running with him in the boat was an incredible rush. His father Paul was way more laid back, but a real “get ’er done” kind of guy. They’re both truly missed. Jason Amaral has made some big changes at Outerlimits and has done a killer job, along with Dan Kleitz. SB: Steve Curtis helped set up your cat, and you two have run it together quite a bit.

[Continues on page 57]

The Moes’ SL50 was the first of their boats to be called Hurry Up. Powered by Mercury Racing 1550/1350 engines, it was among the fastest vees in the nation. “I certainly believe it’s the fastest vee bottom that Outerlimits has ever turned out,” Moe says. speedboat.com

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story by

Brett Bayne

The H:Craft line from the UAE’s Hayaari Marine is preparing to make a Victory-sized splash in the USA.

PROJECT

MANATEE

f you are a fan of offshore racing, you’ve no doubt witnessed the fearless team piloting S-42 JackHammer, the infamous 32' Victory hull. Owned and driven

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by Reese Langheim and throttled by Ricky Maldonado, the boat has been a fierce competitor in Super Stock class, taking first place in last year’s 2020 Crystal Coast Grand Prix (better known as the OPA World Finals). Maldonado and his son Julian—himself a decorated offshore racer—have a passion for the Victory brand that transcends the race course. The pair are the U.S. dealer for the brand, which is built in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Their dealership, Manatee Marine Unlimited (Palmetto, FL, north of Bradenton and Sarasota) rigs, powers and sells Victory hulls, as well as another intriguing brand built in the UAE: Hayaari Marine’s H:Craft. This line starts with an 18' skiff and

moves up to the 44Z center console, with numerous sizes in between. H:Craft boats generally fall into three categories of vees: smaller skiffs, center console models (branded as CC) and the Z series, which feature sportier decks; virtually all can be set up for fishing and/or speed. On the smaller end of H:Craft models built to accommodate serious power options is the H23Z, a twin-step vee hull that features a 6'6" beam. “This is the sports car in the H:Craft range of vessels,” says Manatee Sales Director Julian Maldonado. “It’s basically the sports series model for the local weekend guy who just wants to go [Text continues on page 56] speedboat.com

H44Z: Already a hit in the UAE, the first model in the USA is about to be rigged and powered by Manatee Unlimited, with quad Mercury Racing 450R outboards.

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PROJECT MANATEE

H23Z: This “sport” version of the 23 is the smallest in the Z series, and popularly powered with a single Mercury Racing 400R (although it is rated to accept a 450R). The boat is said to be exceptionally stable and comfortable cruising at 80 mph all day. “With a 6’6” beam, it’s not a wide boat,” Julian Maldonado says. “If it were any wider, it wouldn’t have the performance that it does.”

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speedboat.com

The H23Z’s sister boat is the H23CC, seen together, below left. The center-console version features a different deck; it’s ideal for a family day on the water with skis or a tube, or just a casual day out fishing.

H30Z: This is the midsized center-console in H:Craft’s Z series. It’s a full 30' long and sports a 7’6” beam; it’s rated for up to twin Mercury Racing 450s.

speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

story by

Stu Jones

photography by

Jerry Wyszatycki

es t W SPRING POKER RUN

Key

Stu Jones takes the Florida Powerboat Club to the magical beaches of the Southernmost city for a memorable spring romp. 38

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Tim Gallagher of Performance Boat Center with his crew aboard a Wright Performance 360 powered by twin Mercury Racing 450s.

he Florida Powerboat Club’s spring event set a new attendance record, with 37 registered teams. It was the third on the 2021 FPC event calendar, and a terrific opportunity for club members to

explore Key West at the height of Spring Break—quite a different vibe than on the club’s November Key West Poker Run, coinciding with the offshore powerboat races. Aside from warmer temperatures and longer days, the smaller group afforded the club a chance to explore other island destinations near Key West, where it’s a common practice to anchor or raft up or even beach the boats along the sandy, pristine beaches of Boca Grande Key Island. After the Thursday run—which took the group about 180 miles south of Miami—the boats settled in to various marinas in the historic Key West Seaport, including the landmark Conch Republic Seafood Company, where around 18 boats filled the entire basin adjacent to the restaurant. It was a showstopper for anyone walking along the pedestrian boardwalk that surrounds the Key West Harbor. For some onlookers, it was their first time seeing these big colorful machines as they scrambled to take photos to send home to their friends. On Friday, the majority of the teams took advantage of the nice weather and cruised out to the sandy beaches of the Mule Keys, located about 10 miles west of Key West. The casual setting provided the ideal opportunity for these speedboaters from all over the U.S. and Canada—including some from as far away as France—to meet each other and create new friendships. The evening gave the teams a chance to go off and enjoy Key West with a casual and informal agenda. And with so many Key West visitors getting their first escape after several months of Covid lockdown, the spirit on the streets and in the clubs was a very welcome respite indeed. Saturday provided an abundance of fabulous weather, and with westerly winds, it seemed that the anchorage at Woman Key (part of the Mule Keys) would be an ideal getaway for the day. A small group of boats assembled there in about 5 feet of water, 100 yards from a very scenic mile-long beach. Meanwhile another group of boats headed off to Snipes Point, a popular hangout for local boaters who have good knowledge of the shallow waterways. Saturday night was reserved for a group dinner function at the Conch Republic Seafood Company, where a huge dinner tent was erected on the patio, giving FPC members a very private, outdoor setting where a wonderful meal was served and several awards presented in a variety of categories. Of course, poker hands were played out in the customary fashion, with prizes awarded to the top three teams. Congratulations to Bryan Houtchens of California, who traveled a very long way to attend the event. This was his second time winning the poker run grand prize, following his last appearance with FPC about four years ago. To follow the Florida Powerboat Club and view their 2021 event calendar visit the club website at flpowerboat.com, or visit FPC’s YouTube channel for full video coverage.

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S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

KEY WEST SPRING POKER RUN Right: Mike and Laura Pizzelanti of Florida in Wasabi, a Mystic C4200 center console powered by triple Mercury 350 Verado outboards.

Upper left: Richard and Tatiana Hartz of Connecticut drive their 39' Fountain center console, powered by quad Mercury Racing 400R outboards. Center left: Michael Brogna of Massachusetts pilots Impulse Decision, his Formula 353 FasTech.

Yvonne Aleman drives the MTI 340X Mad Props.

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Bottom: Kevin and Maureen Randlett drive Blue Da Money, their Formula 330 CBR Sport Cruiser, powered by triple Mercury 300 Verado outboards.

speedboat.com

KEY WEST SPRING POKER RUN

Florida natives Michael and Sarah Howe in Light Speed, their MTI 390X, powered by twin Mercury Racing 450Rs.

Yvonne Aleman drives the MTI 340X Mad Props.

Above: My Therapist Insisted is Bryan Houtchens’ 42' MTI catamaran, powered by twin Mercury Racing 1100 I/Os. Houtchens was the winner of the poker run. Left: Frank & Grazia Bulte from France pilot Shark Rider, a 44' MTI catamaran with twin Mercury Racing 1100 I/Os.

Kris and Dawn Randlett of Florida drive Chillin’ the Most, their 37' Midnight Express, powered by quad Mercury Racing 400R outboards. Ryan Zivitski of Florida drives his 40' Mystic powered by twin Mercury Racing 450Rs.

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speedboat.com

Below left: The fleet’s LEDs light up the night while docked at Gilbert’s.

Above: Todd Roberti and friends in his Mystic M4200 center console, powered by triple Mercury Racing 400Rs. Left: Brittany Dunn—aka Miss Speedboat—and her fiancé Bubba Chrisco, in her newly renovated 368 Skater, Mrs. War Party. It’s powered by twin Mercury Racing 450Rs. speedboat.com

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KEY WEST SPRING POKER RUN Right: John and Suzanne Stella of New York in Perfect Prescription, their Nor-Tech 390 center console, powered by triple Mercury Racing 400Rs.

Out of Control is Michael and Crystal Tandoi’s Skater 40SS, powered by twin Mercury Racing 860 stern drives.

FPC poker-card girls distribute envelopes to the future winners.

Above: Stu Jones in his Project 1080 pace boat, a fully restored 2000 Cigarette 38 Top Gun.

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speedboat.com

MY BEST ADVICE

Shopping for a boat? You may be doing it wrong.

We asked some of the top speedboat builders in the country to give us their tips on how you can streamline the process. Here’s their best advice on smart things you can do, and to keep in mind, while looking for your dream ride.

JOHN COSKER President, Mystic Powerboats People automatically assume that our M4200 center console is a $1.5 million boat. We had it for sale at the 2020 Miami Boat Show for $700,000, but people tend to mentally elevate these prices because they may see other, more expensive brands—or they may just have it in their head that they just can’t afford the boat. Mystic has always been a premium brand, but we don’t necessarily have an extreme premium price on our brand. We create value in our boats, and our boats also retain their value. And the nice thing about Mystic is, we don’t build 300 boats a year. Our goal is to build 30. Consider this: Right now, we literally have no used 42 Mystics on the market right now. We have very little new stock on the market right now. As an owner of one of these boats, it’s great, because you know that you’ll be able to sell your boat relatively quickly, because there’s just not a lot of mass boats on the market competing on price.

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speedboat.com

JAKE FRALEIGH President, Eliminator Boats The number-one thing you have to do is to listen to the manufacturer. A lot of shoppers are keyboard warriors who are great at Googling and gathering information from outside sources. As the manufacturer, we know how to achieve the ultimate reliability and performance, and it’s our responsibility to recommend a specific setup. That becomes difficult when people come in and say, “Well, so-and-so said something different.” People need to learn to question the information that they are garnering on their own. Another thing to remember is that quality sometimes takes time. Covid has changed the whole landscape of achieving goals efficiently and problem solving; it’s become more of a challenge as certain things outside of our control—such as obtaining parts—become more difficult to do.

RANDY SCISM President, MTI Before you make a decision, go see ’em, check ’em and ride in ’em. At the boat show, every salesman at the dock is going tell you theirs is the best. That’s just what they do. You need to go experience it for yourself. Go for a ride, and then you make your decision, because ultimately you’re the one who’s going to live with it. And I’d hate to see you make a mistake.

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S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

MY BEST ADVICE

THANE TIEMER General Manager, Nordic and Hallett Boats Just physically looking at a boat, you can never tell what might be wrong with it. That’s why I tell people who are shopping for a used boat not to buy one before spending $700 on a survey. Just look up “marine survey” online. A guy will come out and do a full inspection on the boat. He’ll check the transom to see if it’s soft. He’ll go through the entire boat and check everything out. If it’s got a rotted transom or bad stringers, that’s going to be a $15,000 bill right out of the gate. If you’re planning to spend $70,000 on a boat, $700 for a survey buys peace of mind.

JOE LoGUIDICE President, Hustler Powerboats First, customers have to decide what they want to do with the product they’re going to buy. Are they going to be a boater, or are they going to be a racer? They have to decide what they are and who they are, as we all have to do in life. Look what’s around you. Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have a wife? Do you have a family? You can’t just decide to buy a cat and then six months later you’re in divorce court because you went in a different direction. You need to take everybody into account, and come up with a decision that works for everybody around you.

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speedboat.com

MY BEST ADVICE HERNANDO RODRIGUEZ General Manager, Cobra Boats Many people buy a boat based on its price. But when you’re shopping for a boat, price should not be the determining factor. It should be about qualifying which boat best suits your needs. This will help you buy the ideal boat the first time out. Focus on what your boating style is, where you want to go boating, how many people you’re going to go boating with, etc. Deciding what best suits your needs will help you determine whether you’re going to be happy with that boat in two years’ time, so you don’t find yourself shopping for another boat too quickly.

SCOTT PORTER President, Formula Boats People will look at a boat with two, three or four engines and think, “I can’t handle that.” But joystick technology has been just awesome for this industry, and I think it gives people a confidence level they just didn’t have before. There are people who used to buy boats that just sat at the dock—they were too scared to take it out. But then various technologies came along—Mercury’s Axius, and then Volvo’s Inboard Performance Systems (IPS). Now we’ve got boats with multiple outboard engines with joysticks. What I’d like boat buyers to understand is that if they would just go try one with a captain, they’d find out very quickly that the boats are not that hard to operate. What you can do with a joystick in terms of putting a boat where you want to go is just phenomenal. We’ve got many boats with four engines, but it’s really more like two pairs, because they’re tie-barred together. So when you’re using a joystick, they’re operating together, each side, and it is amazing what it can do.

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TROND SCHOU President, Nor-Tech Powerboats Look at all the different boats. That’s an important part of it. Don’t jump on the very first one you see. Also, you need to focus not on what the boat costs up front, but to what extent it retains its value. What is the boat going to be worth when you’re ready to sell it a few years down the line? The resale value of the product is a much more important factor than what it costs up front. You might be able to save $50,000 by buying a boat, but when you’re ready to sell it, nobody wants to take it back.

story by

Stu Jones

photography by

Jerry Wyszatycki

HAMMER

DOWN

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

Meet Chad Prater, owner of the world’s fastest Baja 35 Outlaw.

speedboat.com

welve years ago, Chad Prater took delivery of what would ultimately become known as the world’s fastest Baja, with a LOTO Shootout speed of 117 mph. It’s a 35 Outlaw, built at what is now Iconic Marine

Group (manufacturer of Baja, Fountain and Donzi powerboats) and sold through Big Thunder Marine of the Lake of the Ozarks. It was exquisitely painted by Mark Morris and his team at Visual Imagination (Peculiar, MO). Prater, 48, says his passion for the Baja brand started when he was back in high school. “Big Thunder Marine founder Bob Morgan had the Bajas back in the ’90s, and I would go over there and down to the lake to see them,” he recalls. “I just kind of fell in love with the boat. I thought, ‘Someday, I want to have a boat like that.’ I knew it would involve doing a lot of hard work.” In 2006, he bought his first Baja, a 29 Outlaw powered by 454 Mags, and in 2008, he traded up to a 30 Outlaw that he ran until 2009. He stepped up to the 35 in 2009, during a time when “nobody was buying boats,” he says. “In fact, the 35 Baja was the only boat Baja built in the 2010 model year, when they shut down during their bankruptcy. What’s more, it was the last Baja that Wyatt Fountain had anything to do with at that factory,” he continues. “I was always in touch with Wyatt on that boat, and he helped me set that boat up. It actually came from the factory with 496s.” Several years later, the engines were swapped out with Whipplecharged 525s for a top speed of 107 mph. “The boat actually liked it,” he says. “A lot of people were afraid it would be too much power, but it actually handled actually better with more power in it, and kind of pushed it to its limits.” A set of fuel-injected 557-c.i. engines were built by Alex Haxby at Haxby Speed & Marine Corporation (North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) featuring Dart blocks, Brodex heads, Holly ECM HPs and Whipple 8.3-liter superchargers, with machine work performed by Boyd’s of Norman, OK. “Everything that could have been done to those motors has been done,” Prater says. “There’s a big misconception that Smith Power built those motors, but they did not. On C16 fuel, they made 1,600 hp per motor, but for everyday use, and at the Shootout, they only make 1,100 hp. We’re only running 8 pounds of boost on those motors.” The Baja has been equipped with Livorsi instruments and a Garmin GPSMap 5212 chart plotter. It’s fitting that today, Big Thunder Marine’s Ed Champion is one of Prater’s closest friends, and their tight bond is part of what makes Prater a regular part of the events organized by the dealership. You can always see him in Hammer Down at the Support Our Troops Poker Run (June 25 this year) and the Baja-Fountain-Donzi Fun Run (July 22). “When it comes to doing maintenance on the drives and stuff like that, Big Thunder takes care of the boat,” Prater says.

speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

HAMMER DOWN Right: The Baja has been equipped with Livorsi instruments and a Garmin GPSMap 5212 chart plotter.

Yvonne Aleman drives the MTI 340X Mad Props.

Down below, the cabin of the Baja has been lovingly appointed, with a private head, wraparound lounger, bow hatches for extra access to the cabin, ample lighting, etc. It’s an extremely comfortable place to get out of the sun and chill.

Hammer Down was originally ordered all white. “It went to Visual Imagination, where we completely stripped it, and that’s where Mark Morris and his team took over,” Prater says. The boat’s fuel-injected 557-c.i. engines were built by Alex Haxby at Haxby Speed & Marine Corp.

S P E E D B O A T | May 2021

speedboat.com

“And whenever they have a poker run, I’m always there for them to help represent the brand.” The company also sponsors Prater when he takes the Baja to the world-famous Lake of the Ozarks Shootout (set for Aug. 25-29) every year. Outside of the LOTO Shootout and the local fun runs, Prater hasn’t hauled the boat to any long-distance events. “We were going to do the GLOC Shootout down in Oklahoma last year, as well as the Texas Outlaw Challenge, but that didn’t work out because of Covid,” he says. “We’ll see what this year brings, but we would like to take it to a couple more events.” Prater is also a regular at Table Rock Lake in Southern Missouri, located about two and a half hours south of LOTO. “It’s a really beautiful Lake,” says Prater, adding that he and his family (including wife Nikki and their two children) normally run the boat on holiday weekends in addition to the poker run events. “I own a construction company and I don’t get that much free time,” he says, “so the boat doesn’t actually get on the water that much—typically about five or six weekends a year.”

speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | May 2021

PROJECT MANATEE [Text continued from page 34] fast. It has a sporty look and feel to it—perfect for a day of water activities like skiing, wake-boarding or just cruising for up to five passengers.” As for speed, he says it’s capable of 90 mph with a Mercury Racing 400R; some customers have ordered it with a 300R, and it has been rated up to a 450R. “We’re going to assume it will go around 104-105 mph with the 450R, because even with the 400R, there was still more in it, and

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

we haven’t really done any thorough speed testing on it yet.” Maldonado adds that with a Mercury Racing 400R, the H23Z is exceptionally stable and comfortable cruising at 80 all day. “With a 6'6" beam, it’s not a wide boat,” he says. “If it were any wider, it wouldn’t have the performance that it does.” Manatee’s H23Z customers tend to be from all parts of the USA so far, he adds—

some from Florida, but also from as far away as Louisiana, New Jersey, and even Lake Havasu. “Most are just performance boaters who can’t afford the big boats, but still want to go fast.” In addition to the H23Z, there’s also the H23CC, a center console “hybrid” deck version ideal for a family day on the water with skis or a tube, or just a casual day out fishing. According to H:Craft, it boasts exceptional handling ability and is a very confident boat in flat or choppy water. In addition to the H23, Hayaari Marine also builds two larger boats in the Z series: the H30Z and the H44Z, both center-console models. The H30Z is a full 30 feet and features a 7'6" beam; it’s rated for up to twin Mercury Racing 450s, but so far, Team Manatee has only rigged the H30Z with twin 400s. “They run 104 mph—that’s what we’ve seen so far,” Maldonado says. “It’s a good performance center console, not wide enough to be a fishing boat. It’s for the guy who has a family and wants to go fast.” Then there’s the H44Z, the newest model to join the H-Craft family. It’s another centerconsole model, this time with a 12-foot beam and rated for up to quad 450Rs. Although dozens have been built and sold in the UAE, at press time, none have been shipped to the USA for Manatee to rig and power. That’s about to change, though: “The first one is due to arrive in two to three weeks, and it’s going to have quad 450Rs,” Maldonado says. This model will compete with some fishing models, like Yellowfin, as well as take on some of the high-end performance center-console models. “It offers different decks and layouts, different sized consoles and bow seating options, like double-row seating. We’ll be able to offer anything the customer wants.” Maldonado has driven the H44Z in Abu Dhabi, and confirms that the boat’s performance is outstanding: “The cornering is great, and rough-water handling is absolutely fantastic. That’s what it was built to do, because conditions in the UAE get extremely rough. So their focus was on how we can make this boat navigate the rough water at 80 mph. And with quad 450s, it’s going to see speeds in the mid 90s to beyond the 100mph mark. Out of the box, it’ll be at least a 95-mph boat with the quad 450s.” speedboat.com

[Text continued from page 33]

JM: Steve has been guiding me through the build of this boat. I’ve spent several hours with him in Miami on the boat. I don’t like to be good at anything—I want to be great. And Steve is just about the best in the business. I like how he explains things—he’s very knowledgeable. My wife really likes him, too. He’s just a very, very good person. SB: Laurie, Jason calls you his team player. You’re an avid boater as well. What’s your history with speedboats? Laurie Moe: I grew up around boats. My family builds custom yachts at Delta Marine in Seattle, WA, and my mom and dad built Starfire race boats together. I grew up around racing and boating; I do barefoot waterskiing, snowmobiling and all the extreme sports. I got lucky—I married somebody who loves to do all the same things that I do. He’s the love of my life. And there’s never a dull moment in my life being married to him. If he’s not trying to move rocks and dirt and making big, big holes, he’s out there trying to go Mach One.

SPOTLIGHT ON JASON MOE

be around the boats. I love the water, I love speed. All the sports I do involve motors, so I’m a speed geek. SB: Katelin, you’re about to head off to Washington State University for your first year of college, where you’ll be studying to be a dental hygienist. What do you think about all of these super-fast boats, and what are your life’s passions? Katelin Moe: I do enjoy boating, but I

don’t really enjoy going fast anymore. I’ve been super involved in being a cheerleader for volleyball, football, boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer and wrestling. SB: So, visualizing your life a decade from now, you’re probably not going to own a boat like the Outerlimits. KM: Probably not, but I really love the MTI center console. I can see myself in one of those.

SB: And your children are also blessed with the same passions both of you share. LM: I tried to instill in my children at a young age that if you want something, you have to work at it. I strive for my kids to work hard so they can enjoy the finer things in life, like these offshore boats. Hard work is how you get there. I love boating and being a safe boater, but my greatest passion is seeing my kids enjoy it too. I teach my kids to share, to give to others and to be respectful. SB: Colton, you are about to turn 16. You run equipment and drive bulldozers as part of the family business, and you run the family’s Instagram account. How has the passion for speed manifested itself as part of your life? Colton Moe: I race dirt bikes. It’s one of my favorite things to do. This past weekend, I actually won my first race after recovering from an ankle injury. SB: Congratulations! Are you as enthusiastic about the Outerlimits as you are with motocross? CM: It’s really fun. I enjoy it. I steer, my dad throttles and we just kind of go back and forth through our lake. It’s a blast to speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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Brett’s

COVE

ROCKIN’ RESTO

1978 HONDO HYDRO JET

Featuring

ADBA March Mayhem SCSC Spring Classic

NJBA Season Opener

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S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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Hondo Heavenly

photography by

Ray Lee

HYDRO

Chris Williamson bought this 1978 Hondo Hydro from his uncle—then proceeded to give it a full restoration.

t was nearly 25 years ago that Chris Williamson purchased his 1978 18'6" Hondo hydro jet

from his uncle, who lived in Whittier, CA. “My uncles really got me into drag boating when I was a kid,” he recalls. “We were always going to IHBA races at Puddingstone and Castaic. I was hooked when I was in diapers.” It was at these races that Williamson met the legend himself— Eddie Knox (who was buddies with his other uncle) and Williamson is still good friends with Knox to this day. Williamson kept the boat original until eight years ago, after his uncle passed away. “That’s when I tore it down and reworked the boat—it became kind of a memorial piece to him,” he says. “He was a very big Ford guy, so we kept the original 460 Ford engine, except it’s a 517 now and has about 700 ponies behind it.” The Hondo hydro jet is not a particularly well-loved setup among segments of the hot boat crowd, he says. “I’ve taken quite a bit of heat from people over the last couple of decades having a jet hydro,” he says. “But it’s a great little river boat—it’s fun and it’s stable, and since I’ve owned it, it hasn’t behaved poorly in the way people generally think it’s going to at speed.” Special thanks go to Greg Shoemaker at GS Marine for his extensive work on the pump. speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

HEAVENLY HONDO

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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Eddie Knox rigged the Hondo, and Greg Shoemaker at GS Marine did all of the pump work and flow-coated the bilge area and the stringers. The bigblock Ford engine features Pro Comp aluminum heads, Bassett headers, tunnel ram, dual 750-cfm Proform carbs and a Dominator pump.

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S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

story and photography by

Mark McLaughlin

STOCK ELIMINATOR: Wicked TNT, piloted by Tanya Scribner (above), took home the win in the class. She also received runner-up honors in Modified Eliminator class.

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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NJBA Season Opener

The National Jet Boat Association was off to a glorious start of the 2021 season as racers gathered at Lake Ming in Bakersfield, CA.

ational Jet Boat Association competitors got the 2021 season rockin’ with a late-March trip to Lake Ming in Bakersfield, CA.

The weekend started out with a brief session of test and tune, followed by qualifying. During the qualifying session, there were a number of drivers with brand-new boats taking their driver’s licenses. By the end of the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, each racer had at least two rounds of trying to better his or her qualifying times. One of the best-attended classes was the 11-boat field of Quick speedboat.com

Eliminators. Dan Jensen battled Michael Torgerson for the firstround win; Jensen would go on to take the win in the class, as well as the win in the Pro Comp Hydro class. Another well-attended class was the 11-boat Blown Gas Flat field, which turned into a nine-boat eliminations field come Sunday. After two racers saw their boats break, the ladder was still pretty stacked. The #4 qualifier, Tony Scarlata (driving for Matt Brown in the Last Call entry) went up against the #5 qualifier, Shane Westerfield, in his Blown’ Smoke machine. Tony ousted Shane in the final for the win. S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

NJBA SEASON OPENER

QUICK ELIMINATOR: In an 11-boat field of QEs, Dan Jensen (above, near lane) pulls away from Michael Torgerson (far lane) for the first-round win. Jensen would go on to take the win in the class, as well as the win in the Pro Comp Hydro class. A “double down” weekend for the winner. At left, the team with their trophies.

PRO MOD: Pete Collett came down from Oregon for this race in the other Pro Modified boat. This time, Craig Collett would sit on the sidelines, and Pete was the driver in his Twisted Bounty Hunter machine. He would walk away with the trophy for the Pro Modified class.

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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MODIFIED ELIMINATOR: The class had 4 boats in the field. Lance Gilbert (above) went into eliminations Sunday morning as the #1 qualifier. He would proceed to take down the field, as well as the Super Eliminator class. At right, proudly showing both trophies. SUPER ELIMINATOR: Don Blayney, driving in the Super Eliminator class (right), would hold on to the #1 qualifying position up to eliminations. He would go down in defeat, and eventual winner was Lance Gilbert.

TOP ALCOHOL & BLOWN FUEL JET: A stout six-boat field in the Unblown Fuel Jet class had Steve Penberthy (near lane) and Chase Grenke (far lane) dueling it out in round 2. Penberthy in his Just Another Toy competitor took the win and went on to win the title. speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

NJBA SEASON OPENER

TOP ALCOHOL FLAT: Top Alcohol Flat/Top Alcohol Jet class had an interesting final round. Rude Awaking (near lane) with Brian Nelson took home the win with a stellar 5:27 elapsed time. For Bill Diez, qualifying times were legs on the record as he ended up the number-one boat with a time of 5:22. PRO ELIMINATOR / PRO COMP FLAT: After 10+ years of not running side-by-side in eliminations, cousins Alan and Kelly Asbe (below) faced off against each other. Alan, the victor, took home a pair of trophies this weekend, with a win in the Pro Comp Flat and Pro Eliminator classes. What a treat, seeing these two racing side by side—not once, but twice in the same weekend. At right: Kelly (left) and cousin Alan with Alan’s trophies.

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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BLOWN GAS FLAT: The 11-boat field turned into a nine-boat eliminations field come Sunday. After two racers’ boats broke, the ladder was still pretty stacked. The #4 qualifier, Tony Scarlata (driving for Matt Brown in the Last Call machine, above) went up against the #5 qualifier, Shane Westerfield in Blown’ Smoke. Tony ousted Shane in the final for the win.

PRO GAS JET: Josh Patridge (above) drove his Lights Out Pro Gas Jet uncontested for the #1 qualifying spot and the win in the class. PRO OUTLAW: Pro Outlaw driver Harley Ritson (right) took home the win and the trophy in the class. Overall, a good safe weekend. speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

story and photography by

Mark McLaughlin

QUICK ELIMINATOR: Winner Vince Nelson Jr. launches his QE machine off the starting line en route to a huge win over other competitors in the class. Meanwhile, his dad won the Top Eliminator trophy (see Page 73).

PRO OUTLAW: Rick Barretta went through the weekend as the #1 qualifier and the winner in the class.

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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ADBA March Mayhem T

he Arizona Drag Boat Association’s March Mayhem event unfolded at Hidden Lake in Buckeye, AZ.

Beginning in 2017, Buckeye has become one of the fastestgrowing cities in the country, partially on the strength of this privately owned lake off the beaten path on the outskirts of town. As the newest drag boat racing facility, Hidden Lake seems to be a spectator friendly course (except for the heat index during the summer months). One of the coolest parts of March Mayhem was seeing both a father and a son win races in two different classes. Vince Nelson Sr. grabbed the win in the Top Eliminator class over nine other racers, while son Vince Nelson Jr. took his Quick Eliminator machine to a huge win over other competitors in the class. Meanwhile, Blown Gas Flats—which had come out in full force at the February race, were a little shy on competitors for this March Mayhem. Jerry Yerex made one qualifying attempt on Saturday; then, come Sunday morning, took his trophy pass and turned it into a tribute to one of our fallen racers, Tanya Shapen. Yerex fired and idled down the track with his hand pointing to Tanya looking down on us. Yerex would also take home the first-place trophy. speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

ADBA MARCH MADNESS BLOWN GAS FLAT: Jerry Yerex made one qualifying attempt on Saturday and then come Sunday morning, he took his trophy pass and turned it into a tribute to one of our fallen racers, Tanya Shapen. Yerex fired and idled down the track with his hand pointing to Tanya looking down on us. He would also take home the first-place trophy.

MOD ELIMINATOR: With an eight-boat field, the odds of one of the Scribner girls making the finals was pretty high. Sure enough, Tanya Scribner (far lane) took down Richard Young (near lane) in his blue jetboat in the finals for her trophy.

PRO ELIMINATOR: What a side-by-side race this was! A photo finish in PE placed Mike Beierle (near lane) ahead of Stan Tweedy (far lane) by inches for the win.

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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STOCK ELIMINATOR: This was the largest field in any class during this March weekend. A 13-boat field ended up with the winner taking over the points lead in the class. Sean Mardersian went all the way for the win after taking second place the first race of the year.

RIVER RACER: The always-comical Rob Miller looks over to see where his competition is in the final round of the RR class. Nine boats started the weekend, and Rob ended up on top.

TOP ELIMINATOR: Vince Nelson Sr. took the win in TE class over nine other racers. “This was a first for me—watching a father and son winning on the same weekend in two different classes,” notes photographer Mark McLaughlin. “How awesome is that?”

speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

story and photography by

Mark McLaughlin

SCSC

Spring Classic

The Southern California Speedboat Club kicks off its 2021 season in style at La Paz Park in Parker, AZ. 74

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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SPORTSMAN EXTREME: One of the most popular classes of boats, the SEs put on a very exciting show. On Saturday, two boats went over, one on each corner, limiting the finals to a four-boat field. In this photo, the top three boats are heading for turn 1, with Casey Hoffman leading the way in the #719 machine. Following Hoffman is Lane Fredrick in the #480 boat, and then Samantha Macdonald in the #63 flatty. This was the order of finish on the podium as well!

he Southern California Speedboat Club got the 2021 season started with bang with its Spring Classic, held at La Paz Park in Parker, AZ. The race started in style, but by Sunday, there was a ton of mechanical carnage along with some banged up boats. And there was the usual new course issues of pit placement and closing off the river on both ends. But at least the weather was perfect for boating! The event saw two boats flipping. K777 pilot Duff Daily (driving for Mike Stock) rolled speedboat.com

into turn 1 a little hot and flipped the K boat over and upside down. Daily was fine, and there was minimal damage to the boat; the wing was missing and the capsule lid torn off. Meanwhile, Sportsman Extreme racer Bob Brown went into Turn 1 with a hop and continued to hop and flip over. Brown exited the machine on the right side, and helped tear off the deck of the boat. He was transported with leg injuries, but was healing at home comfortably at press time. GPS 100 boats started out with a strong field of potential winners. But by Sunday afternoon, only two machines finished, with

Don Dunster taking the win in the #757 flatbottom and Jasper Macdonald finishing second in the #155 boat. All other competitors were out with mechanical issues. With an anticipated attendance of between eight and 10 boats, the Cracker Boxes endured some breakage during the week testing, or else ran short on time getting ready to race. Come Saturday, four boats entered the course for the beginning of their heats. By the end of the weekend, the overall winner was the P550 Games Boys Racing machine driven by Andrew Games, and Nick Nebeker riding. S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

SCSC SPRING CLASSIC

CRACKER BOX: With an anticipated attendance of between 8-10 boats, the Cracker Boxes had some breakage during the week testing, or ran short on time getting ready to race. Come Saturday, four boats entered the course for the beginning of their heats. By the end of the weekend, the overall winner was the #550 Games Boys Racing machine driven by Andrew Games, with Nick Nebeker riding.

CLASSIC ENDURANCE: Tyler Louis, driving for his father, Jim, in the 19' Mandella, raced in both the Classic Endurance and the Grand National classes. In Classic Endurance, he finished off the weekend in the top spot. By the time the Grand Nationals went to their final, only two boats were left, leaving Tyler and his crew sitting on the sidelines.

GPS 100: The class started out with a strong field, but by Sunday afternoon, only two finished. Don Dunster took the win in the #757 flatbottom, and Jasper Macdonald finished second in the #155 boat.

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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SPORTSMAN 350 MOD HYDROPLANE: Tim Herman of of Tempe, AZ, finished third overall in the class.

JUNIOR HYDROPLANE: Luke Hooker won the Junior Hydroplane class. He took seventh place in the Sportsman Limited A Hydroplane class.

OUTLAW HYDROPLANE: Three-time podium racer Brittany Maurer, of Apple Valley, CA, won the Sportsman Limited A Hydroplane class, the Outlaw A Hydroplane class, and finished second in the Sportsman Limited 20 Hydroplane class. Congratulations to her and the crew for making three trips to the stage!

SPORTSMAN LIMITED C HYDROPLANE: RJ West leads the field into the corner over Roger Hewson. By the end of the race, West ended up in second place in his 7-C boat and Roger finished third.

SPORTSMAN LIMITED “20” HYDROPLANE: Casey Wright of Huntington Beach, CA, grabbed the top spot in this competitive class.

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S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

SCSC SPRING CLASSIC K777 pilot Duff Daily, driving for Mike Stock, rolls into turn 1 a little hot and flips the K boat over and upside down. Daily was fine—he can be spotted sitting on top of the bottom of his boat. There was only minimal damage to the boat, with the wing missing and the capsule lid torn off. (Photo sequence by Daren Van Ryte.)

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

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Meanwhile, Sportsman Extreme racer Bob Brown goes into turn 1 with a hop and continues to hop and flip over. Brown exited the machine on the right side, and helped tear off the deck of the boat (shown at right). He was transported with leg injuries, but is healing at home comfortably. (Photo sequence by Scott Haynes, NJBA Team Rescue, #SE54.) speedboat.com

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

SCSC SPRING CLASSIC GRAND NATIONALS: The class had a decent turnout at the beginning of the weekend, but by Sunday, the only competitors left were Cole Noble in the GN30, and Wyatt McAllister. Noble, driving for Pat Hoban, took the win and dominated the class.

OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE dealing with Covid-related issues, logistical nightmares and various challenging personalities, it was a wonder if we could even pull this off. Eleventh hour “monkey wrenches” seemed determined to derail us but we stood steadfast and adapted as best we could. The evening Registration Party at the London Bridge Swap Meet Plaza kicked off the festivities of the weekend. With a perimeter established by exquisite, high dollar performance catamarans AKA “Super Cats,” the bland parking lot transformed itself into a festive, carnival-like atmosphere. Cardinali BBQ hosted the registrants with delicious tri-tip or pulled pork sandwiches with free beverages offered to the VIPs––soft or adult, were the options. Lake Havasu’s own Boom Bandits provided the sounds and sights, playing popular tunes as well as displaying our boating videos from previous events deep into night. The next day started with a brunch run to the south end of the lake to the beautiful Havasu Springs Resort, where delicious breakfast burritos were served to all participants, courtesy of Bling Sauce detail products. Then came an open day of boating where everyone was free to enjoy Lake Havasu without worry. The evening brought an outrageous dance party near the Martini Bay nightclub where West Festers cut loose into the a.m. hours to the tunes provided again by the Boom Bandits. Saturday was concert day! With over a year of Covid-related lockdowns and zero signs of live music anywhere, this was undoubtedly the highlight of the weekend. The 60-foot floating stage, strategically decorated with intricately placed Super Cats, served as the perfect setting for such a concert to happen. The awesome local band Undercover warmed up the sold-out crowd with familiar favorite tunes, as the crowd sang along in unison and in varying degrees of pitch. Then LIT hit the stage and the river was ROCKIN’. The casual beach party quickly turned into an all out rager! Blazing through all of their hits (and even a new one), the fearsome Fullerton foursome delighted all that was in attendance. Big thanks to A.Jay, Jeremy, Kevin, Taylor and their dedicated crew for trusting us with this one-of-a-kind appearance. That night was our charity auction benefitting the Western Arizona Humane Society, hosted by the multi-talented Nolan Ferris

S P E E D B O A T | June 2021

[Continued from page 8]

of New York, who has become the go-to guy in the industry for this type of task. The climax of the night and perfect capper to the whole event was the auctioning of the adorable Australian Shepherd mix puppy known as “Biscuit.” Young Colton Moe of the famed Hurry Up Outerlimits clan immediately fell in love with her and was the first one to place a bid. Apparently, a few others loved her too as the bidding quickly escalated. Then out of seemingly nowhere, a bid of $3000 came from a voice and raised hand in the shadows. Crestfallen, young Colton knew he had been hopelessly outbid, as the puppy was handed over to the generous gentleman. But then, this same gentleman walked Biscuit over to young Colton and gently placed the pup into his arms, as the ultimate gesture of giving. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. This gentleman was Tom Flatley, owner of the London Bridge Resort which had been our home for the week. All told, Super Cat Fest West helped raise over $30,000 for the benefit of the animals of Lake Havasu City. Since then, we’ve been hearing nothing but positive feedback about the very first Super Cat Fest West. The casual vibe of the whole event seemed to resonate with those that attended,

and we’ve already gotten solid commitments from sponsors, should we decide to produce the second one. I can’t thank Todd Taylor and Alvin Heathman enough for their instrumental roles in pulling off such a monstrous task, as well as all of the sponsors that believed in what we were doing. This could not have happened without your support. In other equally exciting news, Speedboat Magazine has finalized a large new distribution deal with Global Media to expand our presence to appear in major first-class airport lounges, private jet charter centers and luxury hotels across the nation and beyond. This will expose our publication to a new, targeted demographic that will most certainly benefit our valued advertisers and introduce our awesome world of performance boating to those that may not have been privy to it before. However, to meet the new deadlines that accompany this deal, we had to skip our regular May 2021 issue and move forward as the June 2021 issue. Subscribers will still receive all nine issues for the year as expected. We thank you all for your support and we look forward to the newcomers that are sure to be hooked into the world of Speedboat!

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June 2021 Speedboat Magazine

Articles inside

SCSC SPRING CLASSIC

ADBA MARCH MAYHEM

NJBA SEASON OPENER

HEAVENLY HONDO HYDRO

MY BEST ADVICE

MYCO FACTORY TOUR

KEY WEST SPRING POKER RUN

SUPER CAT FEST-WEST

PROJECT MANATEE

BOB TEAGUE

INDUSTRY NEWS

RAY LEE