Written by Matt Trulio Wednesday, 15 May 2013 05:18
While driver Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and throttleman Steve Curtis had hoped for five days of testing in their new Spirit of Qatar team turbine-powered 50-foot Mystic Powerboats catamaran prior to racing in the Super Boat International Space Coast Grand Prix offshore race in Cocoa Beach, Fla., this coming weekend (May 17-19), the cat has yet to hit the water. The revised plan is for the 50-footer, which is powered by twin 1,600-hp engines from Whispering Turbines, to debut at the SBI event in Orange Beach, Ala., May 31-June 2.
According to Curtis, who is handling the rigging chores with his Spirit of Qatar teammates, a number of issues including parts delays from vendors forced the postponement. More critical to the project, Curtis explained, is ensuring that everything is done correctly.
Mohammed Al-Nasser and Ali Al-Neama will campaign the Spirit of Qatar team's piston-powered 42-foot catamaran in SBI's Superboat class.
“We want to build the best and fastest turbine boat ever,” he said. “But it’s not like building a piston raceboat with marine engines that already have systems on them and are ready to install. To rush it just to make an event would be stupid. Sheikh Hassan wants everything to be perfect. The Qatar team is known to be professional and competitive. The boat has to be perfect.
Read more: Qatar Turbine Boat Out for Cocoa Beach, Team’s Superboat In
Written by Matt Trulio Tuesday, 14 May 2013 09:43
Last time I saw Travis Lofland, he was in a world of hurt and hypothermia, and I feared for his well-being. Of course, I wasn’t the only person who saw him that way and worried about him. About 5 million other fans of the Discovery Channel television reality show “Deadliest Catch” saw Lofland fall into the frigid waters below the docks in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, at the end of last season’s series.
For two seasons, Lofland throttled the Time Bandit offshore raceboat with owner/driver Bob Mazikowski. Photo courtesy/copyright Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.
It was a seminal moment for Lofland, now 39 years old and living in Sarasota, Fla. And while he doesn’t want to go into any great detail about his departure from the Time Bandit crab fishing vessel—before joining the Time Bandit crew Lofland also worked on the Wizard—he’s pursuing a few things he couldn’t as a full-time commercial fisherman on the Bering Sea.
“Falling off the boat kind of opened my eyes,” says Lofland.
Read More: Catching Up With Travis Lofland: The Adventure Continues
Written by Jason Johnson Tuesday, 14 May 2013 07:13
When veteran offshore racer Alvin Heathman set out to bring as many teams as possible to Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks for the inaugural Lake Race 2013 presented by Mountain Dew and Formula Boats of Missouri, he knew the best way to do so was with prize money.
With a $75,000 total purse, the Lake Race 2013 on Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks is less than a month away.So far Heathman has come through and made the invitational race, which takes place June 6-9, a win-win for any offshore team, bringing the total purse up to $75,000 and eliminating any entry fees or boat registration. The organizers behind the event—the not-for-profit Bagnell Dam Strip Association—are also bringing live television coverage to the equation with coverage running from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on Missouri’s FOX KRBK-TV.
“I really cannot remember if any opportunity for boat racers has been offered to showcase their teams in such a way with lower costs to them and bigger rewards,” Heathman said. “The Lake of the Ozarks has bucked up in a big way—now it’s up to the racers to bring the show.”
Read more: Lake Race's $75,000 Purse Equals Open Invite to All Competitors
Written by Matt Trulio Monday, 13 May 2013 00:00
With the increasing popularity of the Buffalo Poker Run among poker run enthusiasts in the Northeast, the organizers have created three speed classes for the August 9-10 event this year.
“Because of the faster and faster boats we’re getting, especially from the Performance Boat Club of Canada, we knew we had to create speed classes,” said Anthony Scioli, one of the organizers for the annual run. “The classes are boats up 70 mph, boats from 70 mph to 110 mph, and boats over 110 mph.”
The annual Buffalo Poker Run continues to grow. Photos courtesy/copyright Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.
Like the insurance-mandated rules of the recent Desert Storm Poker Run and all of the Florida Powerboat Club poker runs, the Buffalo Poker Run rules do not permit backseat passengers in boats running more than 110 mph.
More Articles...
Page 5 of 299
