A crewless offshore race boat ended up 4,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of England, yet no one knew how it got there. By Ben Gallagher
Every year, thousands of ships cross the Atlantic Ocean, but it's rare to hear of a performance boat completing the voyage. In 1986, a powerboat did make the journey—just not with anyone on board.
Liquid Glass blends performance and pleasure to create an elite offshore catamaran. By Jason Johnson
You may not be familiar with the name Liquid Glass quite yet, but you've probably heard of designer Randy Schultz, who co-founded the company with Dave Kratz and his son, Ryan.
Weighing a svelte 523 pounds, Raylar's aluminum LSM 550 engine produces an astounding 550 horsepower.
By Matt Trulio
Weight and horsepower aren't exactly fast friends. In fact, you could say they're mortal enemies. So the idea of a lighter engine that produces the same—or better—power than its heavier counterparts always has been appealing. The trick, of course, is executing that idea.
The Miss GEICO team thought outside the box when it came to building it unique rescue boat.
By Matt Trulio - Photos by Robert Brown
Scott Begovich and Marc Granet, the throttleman and driver for the turbine-powered Miss GEICO offshore racing catamaran, dearly hope their rescue boat never has to do its job. But in addition to being racers, they are realists. They know that things can go bad—as in really bad—instantly in a cat that can top 180 mph in racing conditions.
In one week, John Tomlinson logs more seat time in offshore race boats and high-end go-pleasure boats than most people will spend in a lifetime.
by Matt Trulio
Yet when it comes to his personal boat, the world-championship-collecting throttleman and owner of TNT Custom Marine in North Miami owns an R-8 Airship from Adaptive Composites of Vermilion, Ohio.
Out of the propeller-tuning business, Throttle-Up is making its own wheels—and gaining some traction.
by Matt Trulio
Even within your own industry, reinventing yourself isn't easy. Just look at Throttle-Up Propellers. You, as a connected performance-boat lover, probably know the St. Petersburg, Fla., company as a respected high-performance propeller-tuning outfit. But did you know that Throttle-Up has been making its own props for two years and is—for all intents and purposes—out of the wheel-tuning game?
The 280 Thunder Offshore from Caliber 1 Power Boats has all the qualities you need in a family sport boat
by Jason Johnson
With more than 30 years in the boat-building business, the crew at Caliber 1 Power Boats knows what it takes to build a versatile family sport boat. The company has a full lineup of V-bottoms in the 20-foot range to prove it.
With upgraded hardware and new interiors, Checkmate Boats is moving forward. By Gregg Mansfield
by Gregg Mansfield
When Doug Smith purchased Checkmate Boats nearly a year ago, he viewed the products as a diamond in the rough. The quality was good for a production builder, but the boats needed to take the next step to compete with the evolving performance-boat industry.
Installing a salt-neutralizing flush kit can keep corrosion at bay in your high-performance engine.
By Brett Becker
It's no secret that flushing your engine after a day spent thrashing about on the open ocean is a good idea, if not mandatory. Believe it or not, several shops we've spoken with over the years say some boaters still don't always perform this essential preventive maintenance each time they use their boat in saltwater.
IMCO Marine’s Nordic 21 Blaze project boat combines diesel power with a new drive to produce serious acceleration and outstanding fuel economy.
By Jason Johnson
No wonder the Inman family has had such success with IMCO Marine. The father-and-son team of Fred Inman Sr., and Fred Jr., love what they do. You could hear it in their voices at the launch ramp of the BlueWater Resort marina in Parker, Ariz.
January 1978: Legendary driver Betty Cook claimed the title at the first offshore world championship race in Key West 30 years ago.
By Jason Johnson
As the most recent Key West World Championships came to a close in Florida in November, many of the drivers were thrilled to be a part of the competition. For some, it was easily the best world championships they had participated in. For others, they recalled more memorable races, although they acknowledged the 2007 Super Boat International and American Power Boat Association event was a huge step in the right direction.
Mercury Racing’s latest muffler system takes noise reduction to another, much-quieter level.
By Matt Trulio
The roar of twin supercharged big-block engines might be music to your ears—it certainly is to ours—but to most people it’s just noise. That’s why sound restrictions on engines of all kinds continue to rise, and why exhaust/muffler systems continue to improve.
After taking a year off, the SCOPE Poker Run came roaring back and—in the process—raised its own high standard.
by Matt Trulio
ll the boats were at the docks or on their trailers, dinner for 500 guests under two tents was finished and the awards had been handed out. Flock of Eighties—a 1980s cover band—kicked into its first song and it was time for everyone at the 2007 SCOPE Poker Run in Long Beach, Calif., to party.
A photo boat gets fitted with a SeaCore-protected MerCruiser 496 Mag HO and IMCO Marine full hydraulic
Story: Gregg Mansfield
Photography: Bryan Linden
For more than 12 years, the engine in Powerboat's photo boat had provided dependable service. Whether it was for a photo shoot on the Pacific Ocean or ferrying a safety crew on a local lake, we could generally count on the big-block to do the job.
