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Yearly Archives: 2019

Bob Teague interviewing Joe Curran at the 2019 Miami International Boat Show in February.

Joe Curran, the chief operating officer of Iconic Marine Group (Fountain, Donzi, Baja), has passed away. He was only a couple of weeks away from celebrating his 56th birthday.

Extremely popular and well respected in the industry for leading the reemergence of Iconic’s three brands, Curran died on Wednesday after a short and hard-fought battle with stomach cancer.

In his role as Iconic’s COO, Curran was part of the company’s original management team and provided leadership, vision and unmatched passion to one of speedboating’s greatest turnarounds. Multi-talented like few in the marine industry, Curran spearheaded Iconic’s sales, new product development, strategic planning, marketing and dealer network expansion.

“When Iconic was formed, Joe was my first hire,” said Managing Partner Fred Ross. “I couldn’t have made a better choice. Joe’s passion for boating was obvious, his talent and experience in so many areas unmatched. We’ll miss Joe as a leader and a driving force at Iconic, but more than anything, we’ll miss him as a friend.”

With Curran at the helm, Iconic introduced five new models and revived 11 models in less than two years, and once again has become a driving force in both the high performance and sport-boat markets.

In addition to his success at Iconic, Curran’s diverse career also included key roles at US Marine, Wellcraft, Chris-Craft, Monterey Boats and Brunswick. He was married to his wife, Julie, for 32 years. Memorial services will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Elmhurst, IL, on April 4.

 

 

A brand-new poker run, Rockin the Harbor, will debut June 29 in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland and Virginia, it was announced. Registration is now open for the run; you can sign up by clicking here.

The event is a joint effort between David Landsman, Jimmy Jernigan of the Chesapeake Bay Powerboat Association and Victor DiMarco, producer of the Thunder in the City Poker Run.

Organizers have secured slips at the Harbor East Marina, which is directly connected to the Four Seasons Hotel. Rooms are available now at a discounted rate of $339 per night.

“About 20 years ago, there was a poker run conducted out of the inner harbor, and it kind of fell off the map,” Landsman told Powerboat Nation. “So Jimmy Jernigan and I thought it would be a cool idea to try to revive it.”

Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor has come a long way in the last 20 years, Landsman says, and the idea to launch a poker run makes a lot of sense. “The city life down here now is all built up. There are lots of nice hotels and restaurants, and there are so many destinations on the Chesapeake. Yet there was nobody doing a poker run like this in the area. So we brought in Victor DiMarco, who runs the Thunder in the City Poker Run, and between the three of us, we want to make this into a spectacular poker run.”

Landsman said participants will come in Friday to check in and register their boats; Saturday will kick off with a breakfast, followed by a 10:30 a.m. departure. Landsman will drive his 44 Mystic (pictured) during the poker run.

Space is limited, so interested participants are encouraged to book early  to guarantee a spot..

DESTINATIONS:

Card #1 – Docks at Harbor East
Card #2 -Annapolis Harbor
Card #3-The Jetty Dock Bar(lunch stop)
Card #4- Tolchester Marina
Card #5 – Tiki Lees

Saturday Night Dinner party – Roy’s of Baltimore
Sunday Raft Up Party (location TBD)

 

The canopied 40' Fountain formerly raced as Cintron and Firewater. Photo by Pete Boden.

Travis Pastrana, one of the world’s most influential extreme sports athletes, is planning to drive a revamped version of the 2001 canopied Fountain 40′ race boat formerly raced as Cintron and Firewater at the upcoming offshore competition in Cocoa Beach, FL, it was announced.

The boat’s owner, Brit Lilly, is the multi National and World Champion owner/driver of the 30′ Extreme LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness, as well as of the 30′ Phantom Tug It. Lilly’s friend Pastrana is a motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and gold medals in a variety of fields, including supercross, motocross and rally racing. Lilly’s father, the legendary offshore boat racer Art Lilly, had once rigged and painted the boat for Wes Wyatt at the shop they still own and operate in Arnold, MD.

While Brit Lilly continues work on restoring the Fountain, which he and his throttleman Kevin Smith plan to race in this year’s offshore circuit, Pastrana expressed interest in getting some offshore action. And so, on May 17-19, Pastrana will be piloting the Fountain for the OPA’s season-kickoff race.

“I’m going to let my good buddy Travis take my driver’s seat for Cocoa Beach,” Lilly told Powerboat Nation. So, just for the one race? “Yes—unless he buys the race team afterwards,” Lilly laughs.

Pastrana, 35, has won multi gold medals in the X Games and is the leader of the popular extreme sports extravaganza Nitro Circus. However, his boating experience is not exactly laden with championships. “No boating at all!” Lilly chuckles. “I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it, dude—I’ll get you in the boat and we’ll do some testing and stuff like that before we go to the race.’ He said, ‘I’ll probably be the best I’m gonna be after about two or three laps. It might make a better story if I just got into the boat for the first time at the race.'”

Kevin Smith will be working double-duty as throttleman for both LSB entries.

 

It’s one of speedboating’s most exasperating and enduring headaches: drives break. Especially those drives pushing boats at WOT and through the nastiest of wakes and rollers. It’s one of those “acceptable losses” in our sport. Of course, there are ways to strengthen an I/O’s components to reduce failures, and many complete swap-out solutions that can absolutely solve the reliability issue. But these can be costly and negatively impact your boat’s performance.

Fortunately, there’s a man on the front lines of the battle who has single-handedly waged a war to prevent drives from crashing and burning. His name is Mike Clesceri, and for a growing number of boaters, he has become the go-to guy to maintain the integrity of their drivetrains.

Clesceri—himself a longtime performance boat junkie—was tired of the financial burden of replacing and repairing his drives, especially in his home state of Illinois, with its very short boating season. “When we used to break drives, we could easily be out for the rest of the season,” he says. Clesceri wanted to drive his offshore rig fast and in sometimes punishing conditions. But from upper gear sets to transmissions and beyond, something was always breaking. 

So Clesceri invented the DriveGuardian, a patented device that replaces the Bravo rubber coupler or damper plate with a torque-limiting clutch that absorbs and dissipates the spikes. DriveGuardian eliminates the source of the damage instead of playing a losing game of trying to make each component strong enough to handle four times an engine’s torque— for that is almost certainly what it would take to make the issue go away. 

DriveGuardian uses billet aluminum housings, Kevlar clutch plates and heat treated hubs. The SSM and Crashbox versions include a HD damper plate for increased reliability over the factory units. Installation is a direct bolt-on with no additional modifications required. Each DriveGuardian is bench tested and precisely calibrated to ensure maximum performance, and it includes a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Today, DriveGuardian is available for virtually any drive combination, and is sold through Clesceri’s company, Marine Design Corp. How well does the DriveGuardian work? Just ask any of the numerous offshore drivers in the racing circuits who swear by it, including LSB Hurricane of Awesomeness, BoatFloater.com, Done Deal, Saris Racing and Smith Brothers Racing. Many of these teams that used to rebuild their drives every three or four races are now running multiple seasons with merely a gear lube change.

But Clesceri didn’t stop with the DriveGuardian. More recently, he has expanded his company’s product lineup to offer more innovations to help you get the most out of your boating experience. The newest, TrimSync, monitors the trim for two to three sterndrives, and up to five outboards. With the press of a button, you can automatically adjust the drives/outboards/tabs to be in perfect alignment, every time. TrimSync lets you focus on driving instead of monitoring drive indicators. There are no complicated operating instructions. The Race Edition can support up to four presets.

The TrimSync unit is proving to be as valuable to offshore racers as the DriveGuardian. According to Clesceri, Shaun Torrente—the reigning 2018 World Champion for both XCAT and F1H2O—will be running TrimSync Race Edition in both his XCAT race boat and his personal Skater catamaran powered by Mercury Racing 400R outboards.

For more information, visit Marine Design Corp. by clicking here.

The husband-and-wife offshore race team of Craig and Cynthia Belfatto—each of whom got a chance to throttle the Two Cruel competitor in last year’s world champion-winning Superboat series in Production 4 class—have announced plans to race the new canopy boat in the 2019 Powerboat P1 series.

As previously reported by Powerboat Nation, the P1 Panther powerboat—which is at the heart of the P1 SuperStock one-design race series—has been redesigned and exhaustively tested in preparation for a full-scale offshore competition battle this season. The new carbon hulls will now be powered by the 300R V-8 outboards from Mercury Racing. Work on the revised hull was spearheaded by Wilson Custom Composites, whose owner, Craig Wilson, has almost 20 years of racing experience. The boat, officially called the P1 Panther28R, has been fitted with a closed canopy, and is about to undergo sea trials, according to Martin Sanborn, who was one of the lead developers of the original P1 Panther series eight years ago.

Craig Belfatto, who is a veteran of various offshore racing circuits (including Powerboat P1), told PBN that he is positively stoked about driving the new boat, with wife Cynthia throttling, when the 2019 season kicks off. “We’ll definitely do all of the P1 Florida races—Kissimmee, Cocoa Beach, St. Pete and Sarasota,” he says. “We would love to race the boat in OPA at Lake Michigan and Point Pleasant. Right now, there’s really no OPA-specific class we can run in, because we’ve got a 30-foot boat with 300 hp. We can’t really compete against a 30-foot Phantom that has 850 hp, or against a 40′ Fountain. There’s no way. So they’re trying to find an outboard class we can fit into.”

The Belfattos’ sponsor will be VisitStPeteClearwater.com.

Sanborn elaborated on some of the changes to the new hull: “It’s going to be a full fly-by-wire boat now—no more mechanical controls,” he said. “It’s got full DTS controls up in the front, and it’s set up with the Verado power steering system. It now has the capacity to go back and forth just like it did before, for a driver and a throttleman. The other significant drivability/performance upgrade is that we’ve added Livorsi 1050 trim tabs to the boat as well.”

The Powerboat P1 season kicks off in Kissimmee/St. Cloud, FL (May 11), followed by Cocoa Beach (May 18-19), St. Petersburg (June 15-16) and Sarasota (July 6-7). Another venue may be added in the foreseeable future. This year’s P1 season features a partnership with OPA, as both organizations come together to create the new APBA Offshore Championship Series.

Recently, DCB Performance Boats of El Cajon, CA, announced its plans to create a center console boat to compete against East Coast offerings from Mystic, MTI, Nor-Tech, Fountain and other builders that have enjoyed considerable success with their own high-performance models in this configuration. To help bring DCB’s vision to life, company President Jeff Johnston reached out to Franco Gianni, the mastermind behind SFG Yacht Design, based in Miami and Dubai. It was an inspired choice: Gianni brings more than 15 years of experience in the marine industry, as both a captain and designer in luxury yachts. Well known for his intricate handiwork and sleek creations, he’s the driving force behind boats like the 53 CCV, 60 CCV and G2 60 models, all exquisitely crafted, top-of-the-line luxury center consoles.

SFG will help DCB create the first high-performance center console offered by a West Coast muscleboat builder. The collaboration will result in a 42-foot center console being readied for spring of 2020.

Powerboat Nation caught up with Gianni at the recent Miami Boat Show to ask him about his design and working with DCB on the new model.

PBN: You’ve been very successful creating very fine, high-end pleasure craft, often as a designer-for-hire.

FG: That’s what we do. We help companies come out with a killer product that’s different from what everybody else does and has its own personal touch to it. We’re happy to see everybody’s brands grow.

PBN: How did SFG become involved in your latest project?

FG: Jeff at DCB gave us a call and asked if we could help him develop the 42CC center console for them. They provided a great set of notes and really knew what they wanted.

PBN: What stage are you at in the boat’s development at present?

FG: We met with Jeff here at the Miami show and discussed the project a little bit further in detail. The boat’s being engineered as we speak, and then we’ll start building it. I believe the launch is scheduled for spring of 2020. We’re really looking forward to its development and its launch next year.

PBN: Which specific East Coast models will DCB’s 42CC directly compete with?

FG: I think this boat will be targeted at the 42′ Mystic and the 42’ MTI. It’s in that luxury adult center console—an elegant, a refined design of everything else that’s out there, but with their own twist and with the detail that DCB goes into, with their upholstery, their dashes, things like that. This boat is really designed to be set apart. We’ve given a DCB a cool, easy platform to work with, and I have no doubt that this boat is going to be a gem once it’s done.

PBN: It’s actually remarkable how none of the West Coast builders have tried to capitalize on the popularity of the center console market.

FG: Nobody on the West Coast has done a center console like this before, and I think it really gives DCB the upper hand and an upper edge. And I think the 42CC is really going to have a huge appeal across the country. On the East Coast, the Florida and Caribbean boating scenes, people have been waiting for cooler products in that same sector. People are used to seeing them in those areas. But people aren’t really accustomed to seeing a West Coast company build a product like what’s about to come from DCB. It’s going to really appeal to the guys who have owned DCBs before. They are already familiar with the high quality of their boats, and they’re going to be excited about what’s coming out and maybe even get their hands on one.

PBN: For 16 years, you were a captain of superyachts of all different shapes, colors, sizes, all around the world. How did that prepare you for what you’re doing now?

FG: All of that was to better our experience and education with yacht design, and perfecting the craft. About five years ago, we opened up the studio full time and developed the first 60-foot center console. We designed, manufactured and delivered to its owner in Dubai. That was a pretty big step into the small boat world; prior to that, we’d always been in the large superyacht sector, designing bigger boats, refits and new builds.

PBN: Who is the ideal customer for this new DCB center console?

FG: This is for the guys who are moving up from the high-performance catamarans and are looking for something that’s top-notch quality and just as much fun to play with, but they can take along the family, friends, the wife, the kids. This is the boat for them. It’s going to put DCB on the map in a whole different way very quickly. And I think it’s going to do wonders for the industry.

UPDATE: As work on the 42CC continues, Powerboat Nation checked in with DCB to let Jeff Johnston weigh in.

“We’re excited—it’s the first endeavor with a vee-bottom center console,” Johnston says, adding that “SFG’s previous work speaks for itself. I admire all their creations, their creativity, attention to detail and the professionalism they brought to all of their larger boat builds.”

Asked if good progress was being made on the boat, Johnston says, “Yes, quite a bit. We’re almost done with the entire deck design, the top deck, the center console, the stringer system, and now we’re working on finalizing the bottom hull design.”

After finishing the bottom, DCB will focus on the boat’s running surface and step placement. Afterwards, the full design of the boat will be sent to DCB’s vendor in Florida as a CAD file to CNC machine a full-scale foam plug that measures 42 feet by 11.5 feet. The DCB crew will be making trips back East to monitor progress on the boat “to make sure that we’re headed in the right direction before everything’s finished,” Johnston says.

He adds that DCB has already taken two deposits from customers who want the first hulls, and that as many as 10 additional customers have expressed serious interest in purchasing the 42CC as well.

The boat will be equipped with three, four or five Mercury Racing 400R outboards.

A 48' TABG48-303 auto/boat transport trailer from Broward, rated at 30,000-pound GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating).

Broward Trailer of Hialeah, FL, builder of high-quality custom boat trailers, is making moves to grow its business on a number of different fronts.

Until now, the company has sold its trailers direct from the factory, but with more demand for better trailers to haul bigger boats, Broward is making moves to grow its business. “Thanks to today’s economy, we are seeing the largest and heaviest center consoles, catamarans and other high-end boats ever built,” says Broward President Jim Nall. “Customers need premium trailers to safely haul these very expensive boats and we are here to help them.”

Broward Trailer is now partnering with dealerships and boat builders. One key to expanding its presence in this marketplace is by hiring of Mark Bonafide (formerly of Evolution Trailers) to spearhead the effort. Bonafide brings more than 25 years of sales experience with dealerships, boat builders and trailer manufacturers to Broward Trailer, where he is now Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

“Broward Trailer has prototyped and built trailers for high-end brands like Cigarette, Donzi, Fountain, Nor-Tech, MTI and Outerlimits, and has a huge range of designs on file,” Bonafide says. “With Broward’s 3D trailer design we can quickly design new trailers for a perfect custom fit.”

Adds Jim Nall: “People want custom choices such as steps and ladders, tool boxes and drive guards, and if you can dream it, we can do it. We build and design trailers to last. With our full fab shop we can build custom aluminum boat cradles for dealers and marinas. We also build commercial haulers for transport companies who use our trailers day in and day out. That says a lot about our quality.”

Broward is best known for building custom bumper-pull type trailers and gooseneck trailers, but told Powerboat Nation that the company is in the process of constructing its very first tilt trailer for a customer who will take delivery of his 46-foot Outerlimits at the beginning of next year.

For more information about Broward, call Mark Bonafide at (407) 913-9222.

 

The amazing Wright Performance 420.

Sponsored by Progressive Insurance, the 2019 Miami International Boat Show boasted almost 1,400 boats spread out across Miami Marine Stadium Park, including numerous musclecraft—some returning favorites, and others that made their debut at the show. There were also many new product introductions in the engine and accessory categories. Powerboat Nation collected several of the new boats and products that helped make this installment of the show a must-see for power junkies.

A special Mercury Racing display on the water featured several boats on Pier 2 that employ the company’s high-performance outboard and sterndrive propulsion systems. These boats—all available for demo rides—included a Nor-Tech 450 Sport center console (powered by quad 400R outboards), an MTI 340X cat (with twin 300R outboards), and an MTI 48 Pleasure cat (with twin QC4 dual-calibration 1550/1350 I/Os). 

Unveiled at this display was the brand-new Wright Performance 420 catamaran that Powerboat Nation has been covering in recent weeks. The 420 is the second collaboration between Performance Boat Center and Doug Wright Designs, following the popular 360 (which showgoers could see at PBC’s on-water display). The 420 is 11 percent bigger in all aspects than the 360, with the exception of the tunnel. It was powered by twin 400R outboards. 

Donzi debuted its new Icon 44, a catamaran pushed by quad Mercury Racing 400R outboards.
The innovative windshield design of the Donzi Icon.

Fountains and Donzis took center stage at the Iconic Marine booth. Donzi debuted its new Icon 44, a catamaran pushed by quad Mercury Racing 400R outboards. Iconic worked double-time to get the boat ready in time for the show, and is still fine-tuning the setup. But the white and black “first out of the mold” truly captivated attendees. “We’re more interested in producing a good-handling boat than trying to squeeze every last mph out of the hull,”  said Billy Moore of Iconic. The Icon 44 features an innovative windshield shape that gives passengers an unblocked point of view. “Some people are going to love it, and some are going to hate it,” Moore said. We loved it.

While it’s not exactly the fastest boat on the water, another exciting debut was Cigarette’s gorgeous (and gigantic) 59-foot Tirranna, a boat so big that it requires six Mercury Racing 400Rs to reach a top speed of 72 mph. A black hull with a bright red interior, this luxury sport yacht seemed to go on for miles, making it virtually impossible to photograph in its entirety. It’s a very roomy and immaculately crafted piece that company president Skip Braver said was two years in development and was an entirely new concept in boating. “It’s not a yacht, and it’s not a center console,” he told Powerboat Nation. “It’s a Tirranna.”

Mercury Marine’s Lee Gordon (far left) and John Pfeifer (third from left) with Speedboat Magazine’s Ray Lee and Bob Teague at the Miami International Boat Show.

As reported earlier on Powerboat Nation, Mercury Marine gave the industry its first look at a new outboard engine: the 400 Verado, which builds on the success and popularity of Mercury’s 350-hp Verado outboard engine. An additional 50 hp has been coaxed out of the supercharged 2.4-liter, in-line six-cylinder powerhead; it’s said to offer superior lightweight reliability and durability, and share many features with the Mercury Racing 400hp outboard. On the Mercury Racing side, the company unveiled its 1,100hp Competition 9.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine that will be the exclusive power for Powerboat P1’s offshore racing series. Its Quad Cam Four Valve (QC4V) valvetrain allows the engine to produce 1,100 horsepower at 6,500 rpm on 89-octane pump fuel.

Other equipment seen for the first time in Miami: Livorsi Marine’s “Full Sweep” 5-volt gauges for position and pressure applications (indication for rudder, trim, trim tab, jackplate, jet pump bucket, throttle position, throttle percent, etc.). Livorsi also showed off its brand-new 1025 Trim Tab, offset for triple and quad engines—the cylinder is not in the middle, but off to one side. The tab features a severe cut to clear the outboard engine’s props and cooling systems, so it won’t interfere with aeration, and will actually maximize water cooling, on triple and quad engines.

During the 2019 Miami International Boat Show, Mercury Racing announced that it is expanding its MAX5 propeller family by adding 15.25-inch-diameter offerings of the base model and the all-new MAX5 ST.

The MAX5 propeller—developed and handcrafted by Mercury Racing Propeller artisans—is designed for single and multiple-engine applications, including the 400R outboard and 600 SCi sterndrive. The lab-finished MAX5 provides a measurable reduction in propeller slip (up to 12 percent). In fact, the MAX5 prop is so efficient builders are finding they can run it higher to take full advantage of engines fitted with the race-proven Sport Master gearcase.

Bigger is Better: New 15.25-inch-diameter models offer 3-4 percent reduction in slip compared to the 15.00-inch models on select outboard and sterndrive applications that benefit from elevated transom heights. Half-inch pitch offerings enable engines to be dialed-in to their maximum rpm operating range for enhanced throttle response, optimized cruise fuel efficiency and optimal top speed.

MAX5 ST: The new Mercury Racing MAX5 ST propeller is designed for the 4.6L V8 300R FourStroke outboard with Sport Master gearcase. The shortened exhaust barrel enhances the performance of single-engine bass boats and twin-engine catamarans by keeping the stern planted for a confidence-inspired ride, while the large 15.25-inch-diameter prop stays hooked up at extreme engine heights.

Initial test results are promising. A 300R FourStroke spinning a 31-inch pitch MAX5 ST prop powered a tournament-loaded Bullet 21 XRS bass boat to 97.5 mph with a mere 7 percent slip. All MAX5 propellers feature the Mercury-patented Performance Vent System (PVS), which enables the user to fine-tune the amount of venting needed for quick planing. Visit MercuryRacing.com/propellers to view the Artisans—a video on the hand craftsmanship that goes into every Mercury Racing propeller.

 

 

 

Powerboat P1, which produces the single-engine V-bottom Panther/SuperStock race boat series, has joined forces with the Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) to create the APBA Offshore Championship series. Mercury Racing’s all-new 1100 Competition engine, which debuted as part of the Miami International Boat Show, has been developed exclusively for the newly formed series.

The 9.0-liter engine features Mercury Racing’s exclusive aluminum four-valve cylinder heads and dual overhead camshaft valve train. The proprietary V8 cylinder block is further packed with Mercury Racing-designed and specified hardware. A Racing exclusive fuel calibration combined with the Quad Cam Four Valve (QC4) valve train enables the engine to produce 1,100 horsepower at 6500 rpm on 89-octane (95 RON) pump fuel. The engine’s 6,000-6,500 rpm operating range offers unsurpassed acceleration for its power rating as well as unmatched durability and reliability. Factory installed inspection seals affixed to the PCM, front cover/intake manifold and oil pan ensure a level playing field for all race teams.

“Our new 1100 Competition engine will provide a long-term powerful and reliable product to showcase the talents of the series’ elite drivers, throttlemen, and crews,” said Mercury Racing General Manager Stuart Halley.

A key aim of the Powerboat P1/OPA partnership will be to strengthen the future of offshore racing in the United States by providing an expanded, cohesive world-class race series consisting of six race sites with three venues in the northern U.S. states and three venues in the southern states. Both Powerboat P1 and OPA operate under the American Powerboat Association (APBA), the domestic arm of the Union Internationale Motonautique (U.I.M.), powerboat racing’s international sanctioning body. Solid Foundation

Mercury Racing has supported Powerboat P1 since its inception in 2003. The 4.6L 300R V8 FourStroke is the exclusive power for the P1 SuperStock racing series of which Mercury Racing is the Presenting Sponsor.

“Strategic partnerships are at the heart of our Powerboat P1 business, and we are delighted that our existing relationship with Mercury Racing in the P1 SuperStock USA race series, with Mercury Racing as the presenting sponsor, is now expanding to embrace the new APBA Offshore Championship,” said Powerboat P1 Managing Director Azam Rangoonwala. “This will be an exciting year as we repower our one-design P1 Panther fleet with the 300R outboard and work with the OPA to create an expanded, cohesive, six-venue championship which features many Mercury Racing products including the new 1100 Competition engine.”

Mercury Racing has been the power behind several OPA Championships throughout that series’ 16-year tenure. “Being at the leading edge of technology and marine propulsion, Mercury Racing brings a lot to the table,” said OPA President Roland “Smitty” Smith. “Having their support is very important to us. Along with the new 1100 class, we are working with Mercury Racing to bring their product and support into several other classes in the near future.”

1100 Competition Exclusive Features

• Twin turbocharged, 9.0 Liter engine features Mercury Racing’s exclusive aluminum four valve cylinder heads and dual overhead camshaft valve train for unsurpassed durability.

• Proprietary 90-degree V8 cylinder block packed with Mercury Racing designed and specified hardware.

• 1,100 horsepower at 6500 RPM on 89 octane (Rec 90) pump fuel.

• 6000-6500 rpm operating range offers unsurpassed acceleration throughout the power band.

• Twin turbochargers yield better performance, fuel economy, sound quality and reduce noise.

• Electronic boost control delivers a consistent, flat torque curve under all operating conditions.

• Pulse separated exhaust tuning (from Mercury Racing’s expertise in high performance 2-stroke engines) improves low RPM turbocharger response.

• High performance heat exchanger maintains engine temperatures for enhanced durability.

• Mercury Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS) technology provides luxury-car-like drivability.

• Robust hydraulic transmission designed to handle the 1100’s high torque and power levels.

 

 

 

Mercury Marine's Lee Gordon (far left) and John Pfeifer (third from left) with Speedboat Magazine's Ray Lee and Bob Teague at the Miami International Boat Show.

The Miami International Boat Show kicked off with a major announcement from Mercury Marine and Mercury Racing: The Fond du Lac, WI-based powerhouse introduced a new version of its 400 Verado outboard based on its L6 2.6L supercharged engine series.

The new 400—no “R”—is a slightly milder outboard. Company President John Pfeifer explained the difference between the two 400s: “We took what we did with the 350, which is one of the most popular engines we have ever introduced, and we extended that to a mainline 400-hp Verado. So it’s different from the 400R, which is an important product. That engine was built for very high speeds and very high performance, and has an HD Sportmaster gearcase.”

In distinguishing between the 400 and 400R engines, Pfeifer offered an automotive analogy. “An AMG is for people who are the absolute performance enthusiasts—they want something very specific, which is the absolute highest top speed and acceleration that they could possibly get out of an engine. Whereas a Mercedes delivers great performance but is applicable to a much wider range of boats in the industry. This new 400 Verado can be applied to center consoles, offshore fishing boats, big sport boats, bay boats and pontoon boats. It won’t give you noise, vibration and harshness. People want smooth and they want quiet. They want it to feel like it’s electric power, like when you’re going 10 knots or below.”

Although the 400 Verado won’t deliver speeds quite as fast as its 400R counterpart, Pfeifer said that the new engine will be extremely weight manageable and offer superior fuel economy. “This engine is not even 700 pounds,” he said. “It’s not easy to get 400 hp out of an outboard engine that’s perfectly quiet at slow speeds with no vibration transmitted into the boat and keep it less than 700 pounds. That’s not an easy thing to do. But boat builders love that, because they don’t want tons of weight on the back of the boat. They want to keep the weight manageable, and consumers like it because it gives them better fuel economy.”

The 400 Verado comes with all the usual convenient features, like joystick piloting and color options (including black and three different shades of white).

Mercury also introduced a 5-6 Engine Replicator to facilitate the operation of numerous outboard engines coupled to a single boat, and also introduced a revolutionary automatic docking system that works as a virtual bumper for your boat, making docking simple and foolproof.

 

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