A while back at the Powerboat boat tests in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, I had the pleasure to spend some time with Tim McDonald, owner of Oregon Custom Marine (OCM). McDonald and sales manager Dan Dunnaway drove from Hillsboro, Oregon, with a new Spectre Powerboats SC32 in tow.

The beautiful 32-foot catamaran built by Frisini Motorsports was powered by Ilmor Marine’s 725-hp engines connected to the new Ilmor Indy drives, which blasted the boat to a top speed of 146 mph. The turn-key kitty’s aggressive stance, awesome handling and great performance impressed the entire Powerboat Test Team.

I was able to finagle a ride from McDonald in the SC32. We headed south on Lake Havasu and the first thing I noticed how easily the boat planned out. No bow rise, no struggle, no hop, skip or prop blow-out. McDonald simply eased the throttle forward and the distinct hiss of the V-10’s came to life as they pressed the full-tunnel cat onward. With the aid of more than 1,400 horsepower, I was thrown back into the contoured carbon-fiber bucket seat as the speed rapidly climbed.

I glanced down at the GPS speedo and noticed we were effortlessly gliding along the wind-blown 2-footers at more than 100 mph. McDonald and I discussed how well the boat felt—not loose and not harsh, just smooth as butter. He pushed the throttles forward a bit more, at which point the speedo raised into the high 130s as we headed back toward The Nautical Inn.

Once back at the dock I was able to pick McDonald’s brain about this spectacular model, which featured a retooled hull and deck. He explained that Frisini’s plan for Spectre is to take a great running boat with a full tunnel, add some West Coast “bling” and back it up by a great price. (The SC32 can be had for less than $300,000 with full paint, trailer, upgraded interior, Garmin GPS, carbon-fiber seat backs, performance rigging and Hering propellers.)

I also talked with McDonald about the big news behind OCM opening a second location in Lake Havasu City earlier this year. The company opened its doors six years ago in Hillsboro (about seven miles from downtown Portland) and has built a superb reputation in the boating community through a basic philosophy of offering premium sales and service. It’s this train of thought that allowed McDonald to expand into Lake Havasu, where he offers the Spectre and Sonic Boats lines from Frisini. McDonald expressed an honest enthusiasm for the future of OCM and Frisini Motorsports. In his words, “the sky is the limit."

For more information on Oregon Custom Marine, click here or call 866-483-BOAT. For the full test of the newly redesigned SC32, check out the December 2011 issue of Powerboat.

Click photos to enlarge

No stranger to deadlines, Carlos Lafarga works feverishly laying out the custom colored canvas into a brand new boat slated to be ready for Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, which will be held Oct. 25-29 in south Florida. What may come strange to him, however, is that he’s not working in his small custom interior shop—Premier Marine Interiors—nor is he anywhere near the shop’s Lake Elsinore, California, location. In fact, he’s 2,700 miles east of California, near Miami in Opa-locka, Florida, working in the freshly refurbished and impressive Cigarette Racing factory.

A Southern California native, Lafarga caught the custom upholstery bug while growing up in his father’s marine upholstery business aptly named “Dave’s Marine Interiors.” Lafarga was a natural with customizing interiors while honing his skills and learning the trade from Dad. More than 10 years ago, Lafarga joined what was considered a small, somewhat unknown company called Dave’s Custom Boats (DCB). There, he led the interior design and production department, no doubt helping DCB become a common household name (at least in the boating industry).

In 2009, Lafarga struck out on his own, opening Premier Marine Interiors. Within a year, he was in high demand and making quite a name for himself in the industry. His custom interior work drew praise from those at various poker runs and boating events, eventually capturing media attention with coverage in several publications including Powerboat.

“He’s a hard worker and a great guy,” said Dave Hemmingson, founder and owner of DCB. “Even when he left (DCB), I still sent him business routinely. I wish him nothing but success.”

In August, things changed quickly and dramatically for the Lafarga family when the 41-year-old received an unexpected call from executives at Cigarette.

“They said they wanted me to come out for a week and see their place,” Lafarga explained. “At the end of the trip, they offered me a job … I declined.”

Back home, Lafarga sat down with his wife, Nora, and 14-year-old daughter, Hannah, to discuss the proposal Cigarette offered. After gaining the family’s input and weighing the benefits against the downfalls, the Lafarga family decided to accept the offer.

“It would be an opportunity missed to say no,” Lafarga said. “I called Cigarette back and said I was interested if the job was still available. They suggested I come out for a month on a trial period to make sure I was ready for the move. They were very gracious with the whole thing. After the first week of working at Cigarette, I was absolutely sold.”

When asked if his wife was equally as sold, Lafarga explained, “Yeah, she’s looking forward to the adventure and is ready to leave the struggles of owning a private business behind.” Nora ran the day-to-day operations and books for Premier Marine Interiors.

Lafarga said he plans to ship his local lake boat—a 21-foot Sun Tracker deck boat—to south Florida, but admitted he might need to get something a little more conducive for the environment.

When I suggested that maybe he could buy a Cigarette at an employee discount (note, I don’t think there is such a thing), Carlos laughed: “I don’t know about that, something a little slower is more my speed.”

So, if things were going so well, why would someone make the life-altering choice to pack up and move their family to the other side of the country?

“California’s economy is just so tough right now and I don’t see that changing any time soon,” he said. “The stability and good pay will be a nice change of pace. Plus, I’m really excited to work on true offshore powerboats that have such rich heritage as Cigarette.”

Entrenched in more than 40 years of legendary history, Cigarette Racing is arguably the most recognized performance boating name in the world.

“I’ve always been inspired by the big East Coast companies—taking interior cues from the East and making them the foundation for what we’ve accomplished on the West Coast,” Lafarga said. “I’m really looking forward to bringing some fresh ideas with me and working with Cigarette.”

Chad Braver, who works in Cigarette’s engineering and product development division and is the son of Cigarette owner Skip Braver, agreed with Lafarga.

“It’s always good to keep progressing and bringing in new ideas,” Chad Braver said. “Carlos is a valued addition to the Cigarette family. He understands the team mentality and has a phenomenal understanding of the production side of the business.”

Braver said that Cigarette has increased production over the past year, so much so that they’ve hired back former employees let go during the initial economy crisis. With roughly 80 employees as of October and plans to hire qualified people in all areas of production, Cigarette is apparently overcoming the economic downturn.

When asked how Cigarette managed to track down someone on the other side of the country, Braver explained that they initially looked for someone qualified on the East Coast but couldn’t locate someone who fit their needs. Braver said that Lafarga’s name came up a few times as a well-known upholsterer doing extraordinary things.

So what has Lafarga been working on during his brief time at the company?

“Well, that is under wraps until its debut at the Fort Lauderdale show,” Braver said. “Very hush-hush around here while we get ready to debut new stuff for the shows. But I’m really looking forward for the public to see Carlos’ work first hand at the Fort Lauderdale show and then, of course, in Miami.”

The results of blending West Coast flair with a world-class offshore powerboat builder are yet to be seen. But the components sure seem to be in line to ensure the continued tradition of show-stopping boats. If by chance you happen to find yourself at the Fort Lauderdale or Miami shows, be sure to make your way to the always-impressive Cigarette display.

It’s difficult enough to watch the news of any incident involving senseless violence throughout the world, especially when it deals with lives lost. When it occurs close to home, it’s felt that much more. When it happens to be someone you know, devastating doesn’t even describe the feeling.

In general, the performance-boat scene is made up of a niche group, where friendships are formed through local boating regions, across state borders or at times spanning oceans to other countries. As with most areas, Southern California has a tight bond of like-minded individuals who have become, at a minimum, familiar with each other but are more often than not good friends.

When the news was reported that nine innocent victims had been gunned down in a single act of violence on Oct. 12, the headlines read: “Seal Beach Massacre.” Although Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Long Beach are considered the hub for offshore boating on the West Coast, the thought that one of the victims would actually be a dear friend was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.

Until the texts and phone calls started. Like a chain reaction, the news spread through our tight-knit boating group that our dear friend, Christy Wilson, was one of the unfortunate victims. Utter shock quickly turned to rage then to sadness … then to numbness.

Paul and Christy Wilson grew up around the offshore scene in Southern California, best of friends with Mike and Ingrid Bobbit (owner of the Risky Business Skater). Paul and Christy routinely found themselves enjoying the sun-soaked days along the coast or lounging on the cool clear waters of Lake Havasu.

Frequent attendants at the annual Southern California Offshore Powerboat Elite (SCOPE) poker runs, Paul and Christy quickly found themselves running into old friends and meeting new ones, while boating the local waterways. You could often spot them giving a helping hand on Sean and Gretchen Clancy’s 43-foot NuEra, Nort and Collette Alderson’s 38-foot Formula, Kevin and Kelly Schulte’s 38-foot Cigarette, Rick Forrenger’s 32-foot Sunsation, Doug and Jill Lawrence’s 38-foot Scarab and, of course, Bobbit’s 40-foot Skater.

Paul and Kristy fell in love with the sport and eventually purchased a runabout to boat with their family, which had grown with the addition of three wonderful children—Konner, Kaesen and Kiely. If you attended any of the Desert Storm Poker Runs or holiday weekends at Lake Havasu, you were sure to have rubbed elbows or even found yourself blessed to have met them while at the dock, sandbar, channel or elsewhere.

Christy Wilson was a treasured friend of many. Of course, you hear wonderful things about those who have been taken from this earth before their time; however, Christy was one that truly met her potential as an awesome human being. A wonderful mother, wife and friend, she was kind, beautiful, generous and energetic with a contagious smile and laughter that drew you in like a magnet. Together, she and Paul exuded the positive energy that made everyone around them want to be by their side.

The question “why” will be asked over and over, but for now we have our memories of the great times shared with Christy and the knowledge that the Southern California boating scene has just lost a great member and friend with Christy’s absence.

Christy Wilson
06/05/64 – 10/12/11
May you rest in peace

Editor’s note: A memorial for Christy Wilson will be held this Saturday in Huntington Beach. Click on the image (below left) to view the flyer. A fund also has been setup by the family—the information is on the other image.

Here's a link to a video interview Paul Wilson did with Good Day LA on Fox 11 in Los Angeles.

If your idea of a perfect weekend includes running your performance boat full throttle for more than 100 miles in a unique location or swapping stories with hundreds of like-minded individuals while listening to great music and enjoying tantalizing food, then the 17th annual SCOPE—short for Southern California Offshore Powerboat Elite—Poker Run should be on your immediate to-do list.

Scheduled for next weekend (Aug. 26-27), the poker run, which ventures offshore from Long Beach, Calif., to Catalina Island in the Pacific Ocean, welcomes boaters from across the country, not just local SCOPE members.

For nearly 20 years the club has brought together powerboat enthusiasts from all over the western United States to enjoy the shared passion and enjoyment of performance boating. Founded in 1992 by Ron Songrath, the club quickly gained fame throughout the country as an organization aimed at fun, friendly and safe outings in and about the Southern California waterways.

Songrath recently told me that SCOPE was founded “in an effort to unite powerboaters, allow them to boat together at spectacular destinations, attend various events as a group, organize patrol boats for POPRA (Pacific Offshore Powerboat Racing Association) and organize one large event each year where participants from all over the country were welcome to attend.”

The poker run was that event. In the summer of 1992, Songrath organized the first SCOPE Poker Run with help from longtime racer, performance boat broker and friend, Dick Simon. With the sponsorship assistance of Dick Simon Marine, the first one was a success. The original course ran from Dana Point to Catalina to Long Beach and back to Dana Point—and was a comfortable 100-mile course in the open Pacific.

With a humble beginning of 10 to 20 boats participating in the first SCOPE poker run, the participation list swelled to a staggering 168 attendees by 2006 and was quickly recognized as the largest 100-percent open ocean poker run in the country.

Unfortunately in 2008 and 2009, the poker runs were cancelled because of the lack of docks and the economic downturn.

In 2010, the club’s board of directors was determined to bring the event back, and with the addition of a lunch stop on Catalina, the run was met with success.

When asked why the run had never included an official stop at the island in the past, longtime club member and poker run organizer Wayne Lee said: “The problem with stopping over at Catalina was always the lack of ability to secure moorings for participants. Once we were finally able to work out the details of securing the moorings for our participants, we added the lunch stop, which has worked out really well.”

With a goal of safe, fun boating for family and friends, club members don’t participate just to satisfy a need to run powerboats—SCOPE places giving back to the community as a top priority. Charities have included Junior Diabetes, the Cody Unser Foundation and the Friends of the Long Beach Firefighters Association, with donations exceeding the $200,000 mark to date.

“The board of directors is continuously revolving (members are appointed once a year), but the one constant is the commitment to excellence and overall experience for the poker run attendees,” said Nort Alderson, a member who has served on the board several times. “From supplied docks, an awesome location and great food and entertainment, participation satisfaction is our No. 1 priority.”

You may be surprised to know that a sailboat actually signed up to participate in the 1994 poker run. Mistake or on purpose? We’ll never know. Point being—don’t think you need a giant offshore catamaran or V-bottom to run this event. SCOPE has aimed to accommodate everyone. Whether you run a 22-foot open bow, a 33-foot V-bottom, a 46-foot cat or a 50-foot cruiser, SCOPE welcomes all with the choice of two courses.

The “short” course follows the coastline down to the Newport Harbor area and the “long” course runs out to Catalina and back. However, weather permitting, you won’t be hard pressed to find the smaller boats running to Catalina. Depending on your comfort and skill level, it is actually encouraged.

“The ultimate goal is to bring boaters together to share their one common interest while promoting friendship in a safe boating environment,” Songrath said. “It is also a great venue for marine-related vendors to sponsor events and share their products with the boaters.”

SCOPE’s board of directors would like to invite you to attend this year’s SCOPE poker run or any of their other events throughout the year. To review the schedule of events, join SCOPE or sign up for the poker run, visit www.scopeinfo.com.