OPA Winners: Shadow Pirate, Strictly Business, Bull on the Beach & Saris Racing
Shadow Pirate, a 32’ Doug Wright that suffered a heartbreaking loss in Key West, enjoyed a commanding lead throughout their Super Stock class race that ended with a first-place finish for owner/throttleman Nick Scafidi and driver Scott Porta. Killer Bee, featuring the father-daughter team of Jim and Lindsey Denooyer—who crashed only a week ago during the SBI World Championships—finished second. Their two other competitors did not finish the race.
It was the third of four Saturday races in the OPA World Finals in Englewood, FL.
In Class 3 racing, Wazzup (a 38 Fountain featuring driver Ed Smith and throttleman Nick Smith) battled for the lead with Strictly Business (piloted by Johnny Stanch and Anthony Smith). Strictly Business wound up in first place after Wazzup apparently experienced a mechanical issue.
Two other boats that frequently traded off in the #1 spot were Class 2’s Bull on the Beach, a 36′ Skater, and Bat Boat, a 42’ Fountain/MTI that happens to be the season’s leader in points in Class 2. When the Bat (with driver Eliot Gray and throttleman Jay Muller) broke down, that left the Bull (piloted by Bob and Jim Anselmo) as the winner.
In Class 4, Saris Racing, a 32′ Cobra, beat Perdition, a 34′ Phantom.
