NNRT Offshore Classics

[Top Banana]

Dry Martini. When Don Aronow decided that he wanted to narrow down the 36 foot raceboats to a 35 foot 8 foot beam race boat, this was the design he came out with.

The first boat was built and launched in the canal behind Cigartte. Richie Powers took the boat out of Haulover Inlet to test for it's maiden voyage. Don as the expectant father stayed behind and paced the seawall.

The sound of the engines could be heard in the distance and growing louder and then the boat was seen racing UP the canal. (No speed limits back then folks) Richie pulled up tO the seawall and cut the engines with a big smile on his face. Don smiled and asked "Well....how does it run?" Richie responded with a bigger smile and yelled out "THIS BOAT IS AWESOME!!"

The era of 8 foot wide raceboats was set. And Don had a new name for a pleasure version of his new 35 footer......AWESOME. Of course the same boat with a lower deck line was called MISTRESS! Those ads read....Every Man should have one!

 

[Top Banana]

1979. First race of the year was in California in March, the Bushmills and Billy Martin showed up with the same Cigarette 39 footer that he ran in Argentina the previous December, it was black and tan and called Bounty Hunter and had a stepped deck.

Bill Elswick had one just like it in white and his was called Long Shot.

Don and I spoke several times during March, April and the first weeks of May. He said he had a surprise for everyone.

May 1979. Bacardi Race to Bimini. Up comes this Orange Monster that is pictured here. First race for the boat and the water was very rough.

Billy is the first boat to Bimini and makes the turn, back to Miami and then up to Lauderdale, back to Miami and down to Fowey Light and turn again for the finish at Government Cut.

Billy lost the lead to Betty. He said later the water was so rough he started thinking in reverse, up is down and down is up. When he was trimming and throttling the boat (Hal Sahlman drove for this race.) he kept going in the wrong direction.

That is how we finished, Betty first, Billy Second, I was third and Ipollito was Fourth.

After a few races in calmer water, everyone knew the boat was built too heavy. It was sold later that year to Michel Maynard and renamed FAYVA SHOES. Maynard used along with a new Cougar cat, it to become World Champion the following year 1980.

The story of both the Bushmills and the Bacardi race is on the HORBA website www.historicraceboats.com

 

[Top Banana]

Nov 1988

This is a Signature. Tommy Adams made them. He took a pull off a 27 foot Magnum hull and redesigned a new deck. They were very sleek looking for the day.

Tommy was very successful in racing in the Production classes with his original race boat Miss America a 27 foot Mgnum.

 

[Top Banana]

May 1984

The SUPERBOAT class has arrived.

Or as Brownie puts it so well, this meant the regular millionaires couldn't keep up anymore, because now you needed a fast cat and a triple engine or quad engine Superboat to run in the top class.

WOW.....a Triple Engine raceboat!!!!!! Except Odell Lewis had raced Sternwinder back in the late 60's with 3 engines.

What is old ...becomes new again. Like those crazy old guys that are trying to bring back offshore races where you are actually offshore and out of sight of land....they must be looney.

 

[Skater 36]

Oct. 1978

 

[Skater 36]

Oct. 1978

 

[Top Banana]

Oct. 1978

After Preston retired from offshore racing, I was approached by Bernie Little to become the next Natural Light Budweiser sponsored boat. I should have taken it, but I was young and had worked so hard to finally get the boat of my dreams in a winning position, that I thanked him for the offer but passed.

Preston kept his Bertram as seen here and rented it out to the Whittington brothers for a Bacardi race a few years later. Preston had renamed the boat Swap Shop.

As you can see by the photo of the bow of the boat, they were not as good at boat racing as they were in auto racing with their Porsche 935. Seems that the boat was trimmed a bit incorrectly when it buried it's nose and then broke up before pulling the nose out of the water. They trimmed the nose way up and were able to return to shore, BUT Preston wasn't very happy.

 

[Skater 36]

Aug. 1988

 

[Skater 36]

Jul 1979

 

[Skater 36]

Jul 1980

 

[Skater 36]

Aug 1989

 

[baronmarine]

i love all the skeg's cut down or off in those shots from the 70's. seems it would be a little loose in a hot corner?

todd

 

[jdoss]

Just what the cig needs cut those skegs off, prob pick up a few mph
who needs to turn anyway its not nascar

 

[baronmarine]

Just what the cig needs cut those skegs off, prob pick up a few mph
who needs to turn anyway its not nascar

Lmao!! Hey Jamie hope all is well. Maybe safer also. Todd

 

[baronmarine]

#289 is that Rocky? Todd.

 

[Skater 36]

#289 is El Boss race team

 

[Skater 36]

June 1988 - 24 Skater

 

[Skater 36]

Oct. 1989 - Atlantic City NJ - Charlie Marks - Eric's Reality

 

[Ratickle]

Jul 1979

El Boss, with Willy Diaz, at 6:50

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202057901439747&set=vb.207834942743&type=2&theater

 

[Skater 36]

July 1977