Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
1980
Gonna need some help on this one. Anyone? I'm still digging....
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NNRT Offshore Classics
- Thread starter Pete B
- Start date
Gonna need some help on this one. Anyone? I'm still digging....
Sean Stinson
Founding Member/Contributor
Bob Vesper owns this boat
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This 38' Sutphen of Roger Mahan, Pleasure Seeker, made its debut in the notorious 1981 Michelob Light Chicago 200. That was the race where Betty Cook in her Scarab "Michelob Light" , leading in a tight battle with Jerry Jacoby in his Cigarette "Ajac Hawk", injured her ribs when she spun out. The race was reportedly run in 8' to 10' seas, and was called after only 120 miles of the 200 miles had been run. SeaRace
Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
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Bobcat
Founding Member
Same Boat in the Marathon Offshore Challenge Program, April 29th , 1989 Driver/owner was Alber Kropp from Schererville Indiana
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/member.php?u=732 Member Smokey Bandit raced these Hulls (Michael Roberts)active in Jan\2016 on here.
I had a quote from an SOS story, but I can't find it, it basically said these were built by Ray Focht, the same Guy responsible for Ocean Express, and that "Falsies " were added to the front of the Sponsons to make it legal (length wise)
Trying to remember the name of the Guy who raced one of the Express Boats(also a member) Ryan something, or something Ryan.
I'll keep digging.
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/member.php?u=732 Member Smokey Bandit raced these Hulls (Michael Roberts)active in Jan\2016 on here.
I had a quote from an SOS story, but I can't find it, it basically said these were built by Ray Focht, the same Guy responsible for Ocean Express, and that "Falsies " were added to the front of the Sponsons to make it legal (length wise)
Trying to remember the name of the Guy who raced one of the Express Boats(also a member) Ryan something, or something Ryan.
I'll keep digging.
fund razor
Founding Member
Yes. He lives up here. Friend of the guy who built my engines.
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37' Active Cat "Panasonic" with Vince Vento and Keith Hazell
Maybe 1985?
Maybe 1985?
Skater 36
New member
you are correct 1985
Skater 36
New member
Smokey and the Bandit was a Chris Cat , the KAT boat and BAJA Bandit II boat where Express Marine than became Ocean Express built by Ross Focht
Butch Ryan's boat was names Express but it was an Active Cat
Yes they put sponsons on the 33ft Express cats like the KAT boat to make it 35ft so it was legal for open class
fund razor
Founding Member
1982 was a very, very good year for him. That iconic pic of "Express" backwards on the trailer was in Detroit.
I think he won the Key West worlds and the APBA season, oh... and set a kilo record that year.
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From the Ocean Express Website:
The first catamaran built by Focht Design was the 33’ catamaran called “Active”. It was an awesome catamaran. It was everything Ross had hoped it would be: light, steady and fast. Butch Ryan, a racing enthusiast in Michigan, bought the 33’ “Active” catamaran and had success racing in regional competition.
The next season, Butch asked Ross to design and build a new catamaran for his race team. Butch wanted a 37' catamaran that could to win World Championships. Butch wanted to enter into the top ranking of the elite national powerboat circuit. Ross went to work and created a sleek new 37’ catamaran called “Express”. The racing team was sponsored by the Frostway Company.
In 1982, with Butch at the wheel and Ross at the throttle, Butch took the Express S-30 to the Powerboat Championship in Key West, Florida. By the end of the competition, the Express won a World Championship in the Sport Class, running the fastest race ever in its class, and set the World Kilo Speed Record for the fastest lap ever run at 114!. The “Express” then went on to win the APBA High Point Championship for the year. Now that’s what you call a good year!
These were exciting times for Focht Design. Other teams would describe a Focht Designed boat as “Hard to catch and tough to beat”. This reputation did not escape the new management team at the Baja Boat Company. They had recently bought the successful Baja Boat Company and wanted to introduce a new product, a high performance catamaran.
The Baja Boat Company asked Ross if Focht Design would like to design and build Baja’s catamarans. Ross agreed to take on the challenge and created a new 33’ sport catamaran called the Baja N-Forcer. Ross built the catamarans in Algonac, Michigan and the Baja -N-Forcer was sold by Baja authorized dealers throughout the United States.
http://www.oceanexpress.com/focht-designs.php
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