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KEYWEST'S 'CONCH ATTACK' WON '92 TITLE
Cates brothers once manned powerboats
BY GWEN FILOSA Citizen Staff
gfilosa@keysnews.com
Twenty-two years ago this week, two native sons of Key West captured the world championship in the American Power Boat Association World Cup held in Fort Myers.
The boat: Conch Attack, a 25-foot catamaran with twin 200-horsepower outboards.
The throttle man: Craig Cates, who for the past five years has served as mayor of Key West.
"I love the sport and I love the challenges of it," Cates said Friday, after watching this year's entries on the waterfront. "I appreciate what they're doing out there."
Driving was his older brother Scott Cates, who described the experience as steering a car while someone else controls the gas pedal.
"We had to run stock motors right out of the box," said Scott Cates on Friday, while at the waterfront watching the Super Boat races. "Everybody had the same motors, the same boats," said Scott, 66, who ran a construction company specializing in swimming pools for 25 years. "You couldn't do nothing to them. When we raced in Key West, it was pretty rough. You've got to have a lot of nerve."
Each has retired from successful careers and has been married for more than three decades -- Scott to Joanne and Craig to Cheryl. The brothers have grandchildren now.
But for a spell, 1987-92, the brothers Cates managed to fit in a championship boat racing team between earning a living and raising kids.
"It's the best feeling in the world," Scott said of boat racing. "Especially when you're out front."
The mayor recently shared a video posted on YouTube of the Conch Attack racing 24 years ago. The brothers appear gliding across the Hudson River during the Slim Fast New York contest. Scott is on the right of the helm, and Craig is on the left.
While racing in this class, the brothers were at the helm of the boat with no harnesses or canopy -- just the red helmets.
"It was pretty calm," Scott said of the Hudson River during the 1990 Slim Fast New York offshore powerboat race. "We were running 90 miles an hour."
Conch Attack won that race, setting a course speed record.
They communicated via radios affixed inside their helmets.
"You've got to be thinking the same," Scott said. "We used to argue back and forth."
Scott would sometimes tear out his radio and toss it into his brother's lap.
"There, I'm not listening to you anymore," he said.
Craig confirmed that practice, chalking it all up to adrenaline.
"I'd get all wound up and start hollering," said Craig, known for a mild manner on the dais at Old City Hall. "I've learned to become much more patient."
And also on that New York race video, the Cates brothers can be seen passing actor Don Johnson, who at the time was still riding high on "Miami Vice" fame.
"Don Johnson had a problem with one of his motors," Craig recalled. "We met him at the races. He was real famous."
Another celebrity, action movie star Chuck Norris, was also on the racing circuit with the Cates brothers. As a throttle man, Craig's back took a beating on the water. A year after the world championship win, he stopped racing.
"You're not really holding onto anything," Craig recalled.
He never was thrown out of the boat. But during one race, the boat "stuffed it" by coming down and diving headfirst into the water. Craig suffered a separated shoulder.
"The boat goes wherever it wants to go, and you just a lot of times hope it comes back down flat," the mayor said.
While they were big winners during their four years on the circuit, the Cates brothers were much more DIY than the movie stars. They raced on weekends, leaving Key West on Fridays after work and driving straight through to Michigan, New York or other Florida cities.
"Race Sunday and drive all night to go back home," Craig said. "It was 35 hours straight to get back from Michigan one time. We had a van and drove four-hour shifts."
After Craig left the team, Scott built a new boat, longer at 30 feet but in the same race class, and teamed up with Billy Murray.
The new Conch Attack team went on to win a second world championship, this time in Key West during the 1995 races.
But during the first race of the 1996 season, the Conch Attack took a hard spill during a Miami Beach race and rolled over. Murray broke his femur and didn't race again, Scott said.
"I'd like to still be out there," Scott said Friday. "But it's a lot of money. It was expensive. You had to go ask people for sponsorships."
Sponsors included the Blue Marlin hotel, Rick's and Durty Harry's.
The Cates brothers racing team, which included Kevin at one time, was seemingly unstoppable for a few years in their racing class.
"You've got to run it on the edge," Scott said.
Asked if while racing Conch Attack he ever thought he might someday run for mayor, Craig Cates laughed.
"No, it never crossed my mind."
gfilosa@keysnews.com
Cates brothers once manned powerboats
BY GWEN FILOSA Citizen Staff
gfilosa@keysnews.com
Twenty-two years ago this week, two native sons of Key West captured the world championship in the American Power Boat Association World Cup held in Fort Myers.
The boat: Conch Attack, a 25-foot catamaran with twin 200-horsepower outboards.
The throttle man: Craig Cates, who for the past five years has served as mayor of Key West.
"I love the sport and I love the challenges of it," Cates said Friday, after watching this year's entries on the waterfront. "I appreciate what they're doing out there."
Driving was his older brother Scott Cates, who described the experience as steering a car while someone else controls the gas pedal.
"We had to run stock motors right out of the box," said Scott Cates on Friday, while at the waterfront watching the Super Boat races. "Everybody had the same motors, the same boats," said Scott, 66, who ran a construction company specializing in swimming pools for 25 years. "You couldn't do nothing to them. When we raced in Key West, it was pretty rough. You've got to have a lot of nerve."
Each has retired from successful careers and has been married for more than three decades -- Scott to Joanne and Craig to Cheryl. The brothers have grandchildren now.
But for a spell, 1987-92, the brothers Cates managed to fit in a championship boat racing team between earning a living and raising kids.
"It's the best feeling in the world," Scott said of boat racing. "Especially when you're out front."
The mayor recently shared a video posted on YouTube of the Conch Attack racing 24 years ago. The brothers appear gliding across the Hudson River during the Slim Fast New York contest. Scott is on the right of the helm, and Craig is on the left.
While racing in this class, the brothers were at the helm of the boat with no harnesses or canopy -- just the red helmets.
"It was pretty calm," Scott said of the Hudson River during the 1990 Slim Fast New York offshore powerboat race. "We were running 90 miles an hour."
Conch Attack won that race, setting a course speed record.
They communicated via radios affixed inside their helmets.
"You've got to be thinking the same," Scott said. "We used to argue back and forth."
Scott would sometimes tear out his radio and toss it into his brother's lap.
"There, I'm not listening to you anymore," he said.
Craig confirmed that practice, chalking it all up to adrenaline.
"I'd get all wound up and start hollering," said Craig, known for a mild manner on the dais at Old City Hall. "I've learned to become much more patient."
And also on that New York race video, the Cates brothers can be seen passing actor Don Johnson, who at the time was still riding high on "Miami Vice" fame.
"Don Johnson had a problem with one of his motors," Craig recalled. "We met him at the races. He was real famous."
Another celebrity, action movie star Chuck Norris, was also on the racing circuit with the Cates brothers. As a throttle man, Craig's back took a beating on the water. A year after the world championship win, he stopped racing.
"You're not really holding onto anything," Craig recalled.
He never was thrown out of the boat. But during one race, the boat "stuffed it" by coming down and diving headfirst into the water. Craig suffered a separated shoulder.
"The boat goes wherever it wants to go, and you just a lot of times hope it comes back down flat," the mayor said.
While they were big winners during their four years on the circuit, the Cates brothers were much more DIY than the movie stars. They raced on weekends, leaving Key West on Fridays after work and driving straight through to Michigan, New York or other Florida cities.
"Race Sunday and drive all night to go back home," Craig said. "It was 35 hours straight to get back from Michigan one time. We had a van and drove four-hour shifts."
After Craig left the team, Scott built a new boat, longer at 30 feet but in the same race class, and teamed up with Billy Murray.
The new Conch Attack team went on to win a second world championship, this time in Key West during the 1995 races.
But during the first race of the 1996 season, the Conch Attack took a hard spill during a Miami Beach race and rolled over. Murray broke his femur and didn't race again, Scott said.
"I'd like to still be out there," Scott said Friday. "But it's a lot of money. It was expensive. You had to go ask people for sponsorships."
Sponsors included the Blue Marlin hotel, Rick's and Durty Harry's.
The Cates brothers racing team, which included Kevin at one time, was seemingly unstoppable for a few years in their racing class.
"You've got to run it on the edge," Scott said.
Asked if while racing Conch Attack he ever thought he might someday run for mayor, Craig Cates laughed.
"No, it never crossed my mind."
gfilosa@keysnews.com
