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Sail Racing

Book Now Call to order 305-293-7245

Besides being known for great food and music, Key West is also known for its perfect sailing conditions. And what better way to experience sailing than aboard the Schooner  America 2.0  for a race! 

Unlike most traditional schooners, Schooner  America 2.0  was built for both speed and comfort. We would love for you to experience our her grace and style, and our crew’s incredible service at one of our annual race events.

Our stunning, black-hulled, 105-foot sailing yacht is a tribute to the first Schooner  America,  the namesake and winner of the first America’s Cup in 1851. And true to her predecessor, Schooner  America 2.0  has won over 30 races in the past 8 years! 

So grab your tickets! A sailing race is something that you must experience while staying in Key West!

-->Wreckers Race aboard Schooner America 2.0 -->

All hands on deck!  If you enjoy a good sailboat race, it is an absolute must for you to sail on board the Schooner America 2.0 for the Key West Schooner Wharf Bar Wrecker’s Cup Race! 

A little history…back in the days of old Key West, ships from afar often ran aground on Sand Key Reef. When all the scallywags in Key West heard there was booty to be had, they jumped in their boats and raced to the reef. The first one there could claim the ship’s cargo! Arrggh!

Today, we celebrate this Key West tradition annually with a set of monthly races from January to April. It all starts with the firing of the cannon at 1:00 PM.  Enjoy the excitement aboard Schooner  America 2.0  as we race to defend our title of fastest schooner in Key West!

One round of beer, wine, champagne, and a boxed lunch are complimentary with your ticket purchase. Purchase a Beverage Package during the booking process, or additional drinks for credit card purchase while on board.  (Call us directly to save 6% online processing fee)

-->Key West Sunset Sail on Schooner America 2.0 -->

Enjoy the best sunset sail in Key West on the Schooner America 2.0!  Take in the vibrant colors of Key West’s famous sunset as you sip complimentary champagne.  On this Key West Sunset Cruise, you will magically glide through the crystal clear surrounding waters whilst being taken care of by our professional and friendly crew.

This two-hour Key West sunset cruise features complimentary champagne, wine, beer, soft drinks, and water and passed hors d’oeurves- veggie crudite, cheese and crackers, and shrimp cocktail. There is a cocktail bar on board for purchase. Sit back and relax while Schooner America 2.0 plies effortlessly through the turquoise green Key West sailing waters and off towards the horizon for the quintessential Key West Sunset experience!  (Call us directly to save 6% online processing fee)

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Sail out into the emerald green waters of Key West and impress your guests. Step aboard the legendary Schooner America 2.0 for a private charter. This yacht is perfect for Corporate outings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, Team Building and more. Read more »

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Sail out into NY Harbor and impress your guests. Step aboard one of our classic vessels for a private charter. These yachts are perfect for Corporate outings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, Team Building and more. Read more »

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2022 Key West Southernmost Regatta is back

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Rise of the Southernmost Regatta

• By Dave Reed
• August 10, 2022

When Marty Kullman finally got home after orchestrating his weeklong Southernmost Regatta in Key West , his phone was lighting up. Texts, emails and phone messages, he says, poured in from people thanking him for pulling off the regatta. “It was off the charts how many people actually took the time to reach out and thank me for bringing us back to the best sailing we’ve done in a long time,” Kullman says. “That and the conditions we had were the highlights for me.”

The Southernmost got its start in 2021 as a getaway regatta for a small band of J/111 class owners. “That was a bit of a test run,” Kullman says. “There was a lot of connecting with city officials, the Navy, the Coast Guard and all sorts of people. Developing relationships with the right people was critical.”

Key to executing the regatta was keeping costs in check, Kullman adds. A big country music festival at the same time presented a pile of challenges with boat launching and housing, but in the end, 48 boats registered, spread across fleets of GL52s, J/111s, Melges 24s and J/70s, as well as a five-boat ORC division. Kullman was adamant the regatta should have a grassroots feel and only two races per day.

Basing operations and the nightly socials at the Galleon Marina, Kullman and his volunteer army delivered with the bare essentials. With the Omicron variant spiking (although you’d never know it on Duval, he says), there was no need to host big parties and secure city permits as in the past. “The socials started right away after sailing at the Galleon with Mount Gay Rum, there was a short awards thing outside at the Tiki Bar with the sunset, and then everyone could go on their way to team dinners or whatever. It worked out great.”

His edict for the racing itself was that it be fun, and he drove that point home numerous times to the many hard-charging professionals in attendance to keep the racing clean and easy. “We had one protest the entire week,” Kullman says. “That was between a couple of the GL52s, and they eventually worked it out between them. So, technically, no protests were heard.”

The list of naysayers is long, Kullman says, but after a week of what owners and crews agree was a classic Key West experience—proven by the explosion of in-your-face, look-at-what-you-missed social media posts—he’s ­committed to doing it again. And again.

With one running of the Southernmost under his belt, Kullman is unsure how he can continue to grow it, scale it and keep it on the down low, but “what we did is sustainable,” he says. “This is what sailing needs. If it’s the same next year, I’m sure everyone will be happy because it will be as successful, but we know already that there is strong interest from a lot of other classes. We will cap it for sure next year if we need to.”

He’ll do whatever it takes to get people excited about sailing, he says. And he’ll get back to it just as soon as his phone stops dinging. In the meantime, here’s what the winners have to say about their week of fun in the sun.

GL52 Vesper – David Team

It had been about 20 years since David Team set foot in Key West with his sailing gear, but he fondly and easily recalls the glory days of Race Week, racing with his brother in the gigantic Melges 24 fleet of the time. Doing 20 knots in a dinghylike sportboat was a much different experience than the sleepy, light breezes of Newport Beach—an experience he says is seared into his memory.

But that was then and this is now, and this year Team showed up with his GL52, Vesper , which he’s been campaigning since 2018. He’s taken the program on the road over the last few years, competing on the Great Lakes and the East Coast, and when his fellow 52 owners all pushed to put the Southernmost on the calendar, how could he possibly say no?

With most of Vesper ’s regular crew, led by all-star tactician Morgan Larson, they won five of 12 races in the five-boat fleet—not an easy task given the caliber of those in attendance. Team Vesper excelled in the big breeze of the first four days, even though conditions didn’t ­necessarily suit their boat.

“With our particular hull form, we ­actually do OK in the waves with the others, so we don’t mind it,” Team says. “Even though Vesper is a light-air boat, we were fast for the first couple of days, especially downwind.”

Good starts contributed to good ­finishes, he adds, and a lot of that was Larson’s guidance in the box. “Starting in these boats is a lot of work, and in some cases, it can almost be easier when it’s windy because the boats tend to separate a bit more,” Team says. “You have to stay a bit closer to your boatspeed so you don’t get yourself in trouble. The thing with this fleet is that no one holds back, so you can’t be late either.”

Perfect sailing conditions aside, Team’s personal highlight of the week was a bit of piracy on the final day: “The crew snuck beers on board,” he says. “That was a good way to end it.”

J/70 Dingbat – Bobby Julien

Bobby Julien, of Delray Beach, Florida, declares himself a “total newbie” to sailboat racing, but by the looks of his team’s scores at the Southernmost Regatta, you’d say he’s pulling your leg. But no, it’s true, he says. The last time he skippered a boat with a tiller, he was 13 years old. Julien can thank his three young’uns for his latest obsession. “My kids started racing six years ago, and after watching them and thinking about it for a few years, I finally decided to do it myself,” he says.

But how? And what boat?

He asked around, and all recommendations pointed to the J/70. He eventually found one in Houston, and Dingbat ’s first team hire was Alec Anderson, who solidified a squad with Chris Waters upfront and pro trimmer Will Felder on the sheets. One day of practice is all Julien got before being thrown into the J/70 madness in Miami in early January. Then it was straight to Key West for outing No. 2, a much smaller fleet and an opportunity to work on his boathandling. After two days of practice, he was in the thick of it, rifling off wins in six of 10 races. Beginner’s luck, Julien says. But for a guy who had never raced in the big breeze and waves of Key West, he may be underselling his undiscovered talent.

“It was shifty and definitely not easy to steer in the first races,” Julien says. “It takes a lot of concentration, but it was so much fun. I’m so happy I’m back into sailing.”

With less traffic to contend with, they could focus on developing boatspeed and mechanics, and his confidence skyrocketed over five days. “As a new skipper, I was very tense and stressed on the tiller on the first day, and by the end of the week I was relaxing way more,” Julien says, “more confident through the tacks and jibes. It was ugly at the beginning, but that’s what I’m learning—the art of the turn.”

The relaxing vibe of Key West was also an opportunity for the 54-year-old real estate developer to take his mind off work and put it to something else. “Everyone was there to have a good time,” is the first-­timer’s takeaway. “It was awesome. In terms of location of a regatta, it was first-class. Great atmosphere—no complaints at all. The venue itself, I now know, is beautiful. The sailing is amazing.”

ORC Interlodge IV – Gwen Fragomen

Austin and Gwen Fragomen’s Interlodge sailing team rolled into Key West with not one, but two slick grand-prix boats: the GL52 for Austin and the Botin 44 for Gwen. The squad of top-shelf pros and their state-of-the-art hardware were no match for the rest of the smaller and much older ORC boats. Interlodge IV won nine of 10 races, losing the one by a mere 3 seconds on corrected time. Some would say it wasn’t fair, but for Olympic 49erFX sailor Stephanie Roble, the results didn’t really matter. It was the experience of a lifetime being part of a big program.

Roble drove the 44-footer for the first day, and for the rest of the week she helmed the starts, passing the wheel to Gwen for the remainder of the race. On the last day, Gwen helmed from start to finish, which Roble says was the team’s goal for the week. “She picked up everything so quickly,” Roble says, “so everyone was really stoked on that.”

But about that first windy day: “It was an amazing experience,” Roble says. “It was an absolute blast, and I really had to pinch myself that I was driving this beautiful boat with this incredible team around me. It was a super-cool moment.”

Differences between the tiller of a 49erFX and the carbon wheel of the big speed machine were many, Roble says, especially upwind: “There isn’t much feel to it with such a small rudder. Plus, I’m so used to feeling the wind on my face, and on the trapeze, you can feel everything. Plus, this boat wants to sail upwind at 25 degrees of heel angle—I’m more used to 1 to 2 degrees of windward or leeward heel—so that took some getting used to.”

Eventually, Roble ignored the instruments and sailed the boat as if it were a skiff. “The times when we weren’t going well was when I was looking at the instruments too much,” she says. “When I focused more on the heel—feeling things, looking at the water and listening for the puff calls—is when we started going better.”

The boat is an apparent-wind machine, just like her 49erFX, so there wasn’t too much adaptation once the big kite was set. “The technique is similar,” Roble says. Turn it up, load up the rudder and send it. But don’t get greedy. “Everything is about trying to find the edge, loading the boat and then releasing it,” she says. “And when you release it, you can really feel the acceleration. It’s sensational. I remember just trying to visualize myself in the 49er, being aggressive on the wheel to keep it trucking the whole time. It was so much fun. I was honored and grateful to be part of the program.”

Melges 24 Raza Mixta – Victor Diaz de Leon

Raza Mixta tactician Victor Diaz de Leon wasn’t doing his teammates any favors on the starting line of the talent-packed 17-boat Melges 24 fleet at the Southernmost. Too much time in the J/70 was messing with his timing. “I was setting us up too early on starboard,” says the J/70 world-­champion tactician (with Peter Duncan’s Relative Obscurity ). “On the 70, you can sail those slow speeds because of the really fat keel, but the cord length on the 24’s keel is short, so when you set up too early, you slide sideways a lot. And then you’re at the mercy of others coming in from behind with speed.”

With average starts and decent pace upwind, Duncan, Diaz de Leon, Matt Pistay and Greiner Hobbs made their advances on the runs.

“It was so fun and dynamic with the waves downwind,” Diaz de Leon says. “With Erik’s trimming and Peter’s driving—that was a lot of our success because we made our money downwind with really kinetic and aggressive sailing.”

They opened their 10-race series with a third and second, but the next day they put up two wins, banking valuable points that would later come into play. “It was very shifty that day,” Diaz de Leon says. “I was able to pretty much nail the shifts with a bit of luck. I often find myself being too conservative on how much leverage I take. For the last two years I’ve consistently finished second or third, so I started thinking that I have to start trusting my gut a little bit more. That day, I thought there was more breeze on the left, and so I said, ‘Screw it, there’s more wind out left, and I’m not going to tack until we’re into it.’ I finally got it right.”

After being runner-up in Key West ­several times, Diaz de Leon was stoked with the win for his team. “This was one of my favorite regattas ever. The sailing was amazing; the water color, the wind, the conditions were money. When it stopped a few years ago, it was such a bummer, so I was so super-excited to be back.”

J/111 Bravo – Andrew Ward

Every Sunday through the New England winter, Andrew Ward plunges into the Atlantic near his home on Shelter Island, New York. “My buddy from Sweden says it’s good for me,” he says. Invigorating as the cold shock may be, Ward is no fool. He knows the better place to take a dip in January is Key West, and that’s where he and his teammates on the J/111 Bravo found themselves scraping for every inch in the final race to win their division.

With Bill Hardesty calling tactics, Bravo won the regatta’s first two races, but then fell into a daily pattern of scoring one good race and one stinker. The second-to-last race of the regatta was their worst—a DFL—which left them facing a complex scenario going into the final one-race day. In order to beat Ian Hill’s Sitella , they had to finish ahead, with one boat between them.

“We went out early—Bill ­suggested it because our worst races were in light air,” Ward says. “So, we went out and messed around with the rig for a bit, and loosened it to power it up a little better.”

As the helmsman, Ward doesn’t remember much of the final race. He was doing his job keeping his eyes glued to the telltales. Only on the final beat, with the course shortened to an upwind finish, did he take a look around. He could see it was going down to the wire. Approaching the finish, Fireball was close behind them on starboard, but Sitella was on port, so it was hard to judge which boat was ahead. “We beat Sitella , but we had to watch it play out,” Ward says. “We were cheering on the Fireball guys, and only after they finished did my whole body just relax.”

Ward’s 90-year-old father, Sedgwick, who owns and races the boat in Shelter Island, watched it all play out from the sidelines, which made the win all the sweeter. “We’ve been racing this boat for 10 years, with a lot of seconds and thirds, so winning one was really nice, especially in Key West and especially with him watching,” Ward says. “All the firsts we got were awesome, but to go from eighth to winning in the last race—that’s my best Key West moment.”

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Next Race: February 22, 2024

An annual 160 mile race in Florida held each winter.

The Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race began when crews delivering boats to start the St. Petersburg to Fort Lauderdale Race in the '70s decided to stop for a drink (or two) in Key West on the way. In the days before yacht tracking, getting there faster meant more time on Duvall Street without the owners knowing! It organized in 1975 and evolved into one of the premiere distance races in North America, ultimately giving birth to the fabled Key West Race Week in the '80s because no one wanted to leave! Today, racers from around the country still enjoy the warm waters of the Gulf Stream in February and the unique hospitality of Key West at the finish line.

LATEST NEWS

January 7, 2022

47th Lauderdale to Key West Race

Congrats to Rear Commodore Andrew Weiss’ on his new Italia 11.98 Christopher Dragon for taking ORC honors.

January 25, 2021

Fort Lauderdale Race 2021

Photo: SORC Sailing ... It was a very light Fort Lauderdale Race in 2021 but at least sailors were able to participate! Congrats to the SORC for a successful event and Commodore Ed Cesare on the First to Finish.

In Partnership with:

NOTICE BOARD

VIA YACHT SCORING

NOTICE OF RACE & REGISTRATION FOR 2022 IS POSTED

stormtrysailclub

Dedicated to blue water sailing. Sponsor of inshore, distance, and offshore sailboat races. Supporter of the interests and needs of sailors.

ABOUT THE EVENT

Proud Partnership with Lauderdale Yacht Club & SORC

Highlight of the Winter Season

The course shall be from the starting line, south to the Miami Sea Buoy (“RW Mo (A) Whistle”) leaving it to starboard; then to the Key West Sea Buoy (“RW Mo(A)”) located south of Key West, leaving the following marks and a continuous line connecting them to starboard. Note that the continuous line is not always indicative of the boundary of safe water for navigation, and does not include the course from the Key West Sea Buoy to the Finish.

EVENT LOGISITCS

Next Race: January 2022

REGISTRATION

Registration is done via Yacht Scoring before the event and check in begins on Thursday afternoon.

First signal for each course will be at 1000 Friday. Class assignments and starting times will be available online and will be announced at the Skippers Meeting.

A course from the Miami Sea Buoy to the Key West Sea Buoy. However, the continuous line is not always indicative of the boundary of safe water for navigation so vigilance is required.

The Awards Presentation and After-Race Party will be held on Saturday which will be TBD based on local regulations.

Key West Boat Races: 2022 World Offshore Championships

Table of Contents

Key West Offshore World Championship might be best described as the Indy 500 of powerboat racing, and it truly is a festival of speed on the water. Slated for Sunday through Sunday, Nov. 6-13, the 41st annual event in Key West, Florida , features three days of racing action pitting the top U.S. and international powerboat teams competing for a world championship title in multiple classes.

Here’s what to expect at the 2022 Key West Boat Races:

• When: November 6-13, 2022
• Where: Key West, Florida; Truman Waterfront, Duval Street, Mallory Square
• What: Four races scheduled per day (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday), featuring boats from multiple classes.
• Enhance your Race Week Experience with a boat rental: Explore Boats in Key West

Between race days fans can view the boats and teams up close in the Truman Waterfront Race Village and view the teams testing on the water. Nightly social events for race teams and fans include multiple concerts, a traditional Duval Street party with race boats on display, and a Sunday night awards ceremony.

Explore All Available Boat Rentals in Key West, FL

Event Schedule

Kickoff parade.

The week kicks off with the ‘World’s Fastest Boat Parade’ of race boats down the island’s famed Duval Street beginning at 4pm Sunday, Nov. 6.

Race Schedule

The excitement builds throughout the week with racing action scheduled for: Wednesday, Nov. 9; Friday, Nov. 11; and Sunday, Nov. 13 . Four races are scheduled per day featuring boats from multiple classes.

• Chief among them are the hotly contested Super Cat and Class 1, whose boats can reach up to 140 and 160 mph, respectively, on a 4.4-mile-per-lap course that features both rough and calm water conditions.
• Teams accumulate points in each race toward the championship, so the drama builds throughout the week.

Duval & Greene Powerboat Street Party

Starting on Friday at 7 p.m ., the intersection of Duval Street and Greene Street will be blocked off to cars, and instead filled with powerboats hauled in and parked on their trailers right in the middle of the streets. Come up close and personal with these massive race boats, and snap a picture with one!

Boats and Boots Concert

The anticipated entertainment highlight is Saturday night’s Boats and Boots concert with country star Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry fame; musician/PGA golfer John Daly, and headliner Brian Kelley, who co-founded the renowned duo Florida Georgia Line .

Viewing Areas: Where to Watch the Races

The racing series provides an unparalleled experience for spectators. Boats can come within 50 yards of the Truman Waterfront grandstand area, providing fans with breathtaking displays of speed and power.

• Fans can observe the action on race days from several areas on the Truman Waterfront including a VIP grandstand and hospitality tent with a water shuttle transportation service.
• Other popular viewing areas include Key West’s Mallory Square and harborfront hotels.

Tickets and information on all-inclusive VIP spectator packages for the Truman Waterfront grandstand and hospitality tent are available at Key West Offshore World Championship .

• General-admission tickets are $25 for a single day or $53 for a three-day pass.
• Admission is free for kids 12 and under and for veterans and active military with a proper ID.

Own a Boat? Let your boat pay for itself. List, rent, earn — Only at Boatsetter.

Charles Plueddeman  is a self-employed writer and photographer based in Wisconsin. A staff editor and contributor to  Boating Magazine  since 1986, he is the author of its “Off My Dock” column. In the marine realm he specializes in engine technology and trailerable boats. His editorial work has appeared in many national publications, including  Popular Mechanics, Men’s Journal, Playboy, Popular Science, Cycle World,  and  Harley-Davidson Enthuisast .

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Key West Worlds Finale: Twice As Nice

After finishing second in day one of Class 1 racing at the Offshore World Championships in Key West, Fla., on Friday, throttleman John Tomlinson and driver Carlos de Quesada in the 49-foot Victory catamaran, Huski/Alegra Motorsports, took advantage of some early chaos to leap out to the lead on Sunday.

This was a key move because the conditions on Sunday were calmer. Having no traffic in front let the duo run the line it wanted on a day that awards double points for completing more laps on its way to victory at the American Power Boat Association / Union Internationale Motonautique -sanctioned event produced by Race World Offshore and presented by Performance Boat Center .

Many competitors pulled double duty in Key West, but only John Tomlinson finished the weekend with two world championships, proving why he is considered by many to the best throttleman in offshore powerboat racing. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix .

“You have to be considerably faster to get around someone on this course,” said Tomlinson, who captured the world championship in the Class 1 race and the first UIM title with driver Taylor Scism in the 450R Factory Stock class, which became an official APBA class this year.

It’s a strategy that has played out on Sunday in the Race World Offshore season finale in Key West for decades. Typically, Wednesday and Friday are single-point races while Sunday requires teams to complete more laps to earn those valuable double points. It lets a team that didn’t start well finish strong and still be in the hunt for a podium at the end of the week. It also rewards consistency for teams that run well, but don’t necessarily take a checkered flag on any of the three days.

But this year there was no Wednesday race because of high winds caused by Hurricane Nicole. This gave any team that finished well on Friday an advantage going into Sunday’s races.

The rough conditions for the Friday’s contest gave the advantage to competitors who had experienced Key West’s volatile nature, but Mother Nature took a day of rest on Sunday. The course and winds were calm with no chance of rain. Several throttlemen who pulled double duty, competing in two races, made late propeller and setup changes after being on the 4.38-mile course for a race.

Flying First Class The 47-foot Victory, Huski Chocolate with driver Brit Lilly and throttleman Steve Curtis finished first on Friday followed by Tomlinson and de Quesada and driver Miles Jennings and throttleman Alex Pratt in the 45-foot MTI , Good Boy Vodka /XINSURANCE . That boat had to scratch for Sunday because of some bottom issues. The 50-foot Mystic, df Young, with owner/throttleman Rich Wyatt and driver Marc Granet, also scratched because one of its Stotler Racing engines broke on Friday.

This left a four-boat fleet in Class 1 on Sunday with owner/driver Jeff Stevenson and throttleman Mike Stancombe in the 42-foot MTI, JBS Racing , and Mike Falco and throttleman Chris Hanley in the 48-foot Outerlimits, DeFalco Racing . Nigel Hook and driver Jay Johnson in the 52-foot Mystic, Ocean Cup , and the 46-foot Skater, Rare Stash Bourbon , made up the Extreme class.

Ocean Cup’s error created chaos in the Class 1 fleet.

With the boats in the Extreme class starting in the outside lanes, the Class 1 boats were inside with lane position determined by inverting their order of finish from Friday. This put the Huski boats side by side in lanes three and four.

When the green flag flew, Ocean Cup got out to what looked like a good lead, but the boat veered across the course to the left in front of the rest of the fleet. Then it appeared to turn back to the right, again in front of the other boats.

“I said, ‘Steve they’re going to the wrong buoy,’” Lilly said. “I went right through their roostertail and then I had to do it again. That’s the most dangerous thing I’ve ever seen.”

Down on power, Huski Chocolate could not make up lost time.

Lilly said that having to make the evasive maneuver cost he and Curtis about 10 seconds to their teammates, and because he had to drive through Ocean Cup’s roostertail twice, Huski Chocolate’s Mercury Racing 1100 Comp engines ingested saltwater and continued to lose power as the race went on.

Hook apologized to the Huski team’s crew chief Gary Stray. He said that by the time Johnson realized he was inside the buoy, he had to react to make the buoy that marked the entry to the turn.

“When you head to turn one you need to have a heading and follow it,” Hook explained. “He was seeing the buoy on the inside.

 “At the speed we’re going, you only have to be a little bit off to miss the buoy,” he continued. “For the show, all the boats starting together is good, but they need to put a bigger marker out there.”

Curtis’ and Lilly’s misfortune left the inside lane open for Huski/Alegra Motorsports. “I was far enough back, about a boat length behind Steve, and I went inside,” Tomlinson said. “After that I was able to squeeze out front and keep about two or three seconds on him.”

On a course of the size of Key West, once a skilled strategist like Tomlinson has the lead, it’s tough to take it away. He throttled Huski/Alegra Motorsports to the first of Tomlinson’s world championships on the day. Curtis and Lilly took second while owner/driver Jeff Stevenson and throttleman Micheal Stancombe took the final podium spot in JBS Racing.

M CON Breaks Through In the week’s final race, nine Super Cats and five boats in the 450R Factory Stock class took to the course. On Friday, throttleman Billy Moore and owner/driver Chris Grant put themselves in the command position winning in their 38-foot Skater, Graydel . Second went to owner/throttleman Tyler Miller and driver Myrick Coil in the 38-foot Skater, M CON , while the 38-foot Skater, Liquor Split, with throttleman Jimmy McIntyre and driver Jason Ventura took third.

With representatives from Monster Energy—the M CON team’s Class 1 sponsor starting in 2023—on hand, Tyler Miller and Myrick Coil left Key West with their first Super Cat world championship.

After having to pull off the course with a slit steering hose early on Friday, throttleman Grant Bruggemann and owner/driver Wayne Valder basically set up their 42-foot MTI catamaran, CELSIUS , on all-or-nothing mode. When the green flag waved, they used the inside lane to blast to the front to a lead that they would not relinquish.

“We were hoping M CON would take the bait and chase us and maybe break,” Bruggemann said. “Once they backed off and we had a lead, we just took care of the equipment.”

Though they won on Sunday, a Super Cat world championship was not in the cards for Wayne Valder and Grant Bruggemann of the CELSIUS team.

Attrition played more of a role in Sunday’s calm conditions. Graydel pulled off with trim issues and owner/driver Billy Mauff and throttleman Jay Muller blew a new motor in the 40-foot Skater, WHM Motorsports , after three laps. Liquor Split pulled off soon after with its own mechanical problems.

This left the door open for the 39-foot Outerlimits, SV Offshore Racing , to claim a hard-earned third place on Sunday and a podium finish for the week.

“It’s the best we’ve ever looked and felt,” said throttleman Vinnie Diorio, who partners with driver Simon Prevost from Canada. “If we wouldn’t have tested yesterday, we wouldn’t have finished today.”

The SV Offshore Racing team notched its strongest outing to date in Key West.

In the end, M CON claimed its first Super Cat world championship after Coil convinced Miller that he didn’t need to track down CELSIUS . Bruggemann and Valder finished second in the championship followed by SV Offshore .

“It was a long time coming,” said Miller of his first Super Cat title. “With 16 laps, we wanted to put the boat into position to win and after about four or five laps, Myrick said, ‘We don’t have to beat CELSIUS .’”

Miller admitted that the message didn’t sink in for another couple of laps. “We were coming out of the harbor turn and I said, ‘OK, I don’t need to beat them.’”

Miller explained that the team had been watching the weather predictions for Sunday and knew the winds would lay down. The M CON team set up the boat accordingly.

But it had additional motivation to do well. The team’s transportation specialist, Craig Amptmeyer, had a scooter accident earlier in the week that put him in intensive care with multiple injuries. Doctors almost sent him to Miami, but instead operated on him in Key West.

Amptmeyer recovered well enough to get out of the hospital on Thursday evening and he rested on Friday and Saturday so he could be in the pits for Sunday’s finale.

As if that wasn’t enough, the team found some engine issues late Friday. Mike D’Anniballe of Sterling Performance Engines worked side by side with the M CON crew until the wee hours of Saturday morning to resolve the problems.

When Muller’s day ended early, he and Mauff safely crossed the course to head back into the pits. This left Muller the opportunity to watch his sons Jax and Chase complete the race in the 40-foot Motion, RPI/Wicked , after breaking an engine on Friday. They also finished one place ahead of their dad in the final standings.

Her Father’s Daughter Also on the water with the Super Cats was the five-boat 450R Factory Stock fleet, and the boats were competing to make history in the first UIM world championship for the class. After the Class 1 race, Tomlinson made the call to go down one propeller size for the 39-foot MTI catamaran, TS Motorsports, that he races with Taylor Scism, the daughter of MTI founder and owner, Randy Scism, who is also a multi-time world champion.

At the tip of the 450R Factory Stock class since it launched two years ago, Taylor Scism and John Tomlinson delivered a history-making performance in Key West.

At the start, Tomlinson’s decision proved to make the difference. TS Motorsports could out-accelerate throttleman Gary Balllough and driver Willy Cabeza in the 39-foot MTI, GC Racing .

“I didn’t go too tall on the prop,” Tomlinson said. “I put on something a little smaller. That’s what got us out front and we were able to stretch the lead.”

Added Ballough, “We were running good and had one bigger prop than the team that won it. We had the legs but they had the acceleration.”

Driver Francois Pirelli and throttleman Michel Karsenti in the 38-foot Doug Wright, Gladiator-Canados got past throttleman Billy Allen and driver Randy Keys in the 39-foot MTI, KLOVAR Motorsports, to claim the final podium spot.

After spearheading the effort to get the 450R Factory Stock class recognized and spending 2021 running unopposed, Scism was emotional after winning the first UIM world championship in the category’s history.

“It feels incredible,” she said. “Key West has such a strong history for my family, it was emotional crossing the finish line.”

Through a combination of her efforts on the racecourse and gracious professionalism off it, Scism has become a role model for young girls—one even dressed up as her for Halloween—and women.

“When we did the awards, there were 10 little girls waiting,” she said.

The GC Racing team took second in the world championship standings followed by Gladiator-Canados .

Team Allen Lawn Care Cuts The Glass

Billy Allen and Cody McDowell were the models of consistency, which led them to a UIM Super Stock-class world title.

Even with a couple of scratches after Friday’s action, the Super Stock class still had the largest fleet on Sunday with 10 boats. As they did in race one, Ballough and owner/driver Cole Leibel charged to the lead in the 32-foot Victory, Big East Construction . The team held a significant lead for the first half of the race before a blown fuse brought their day to a halt.

To explain just how much of a lead Big East had, it’s best to let Coil, who was driving the 32-foot Doug Wright, Performance Boat Center, with throttleman Rusty Williams in second, explain.

“We went out there and had a good race today,” Coil admitted. “I thought we were going to get second to Big East .”

The breakdown hit hard for Ballough, particularly because his cockpit-mate is the nephew of offshore racing great, Lorne Leibel.

“It was a big moment of disappointment because I wanted to show Victory what I haven’t shown them thus far,” said the veteran racer, who is harder on himself than any competitor could be. “I don’t need another world championship (he has 18), but I was sitting in there with a guy who’s been coming down here since he was four years old.”

But Ballough took away at least one positive note from the experience.

 “We know we can run out front, we know the boat is going in the right direction,” he said. “You can learn more about your boat here in a week than you can learn in two seasons of testing.”

After finishing third on Friday, the 32-foot Doug Wright, LPC , with owner Loren Peters and driver Anthony Smith took third again Sunday. Fourth on Sunday went to owner/throttleman Billy Allen and driver Cody McDowell in the 32-foot Doug Wright, Team Allen Lawn Care and Landscaping .

Combined with its first place on Friday, Team Allen claimed the world title in Super Stock for 2022. The rebound victory on Sunday put Performance Boat Center in second followed by LPC in third. All three teams call the Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri their home-water.

Said Myrick Coil of the Performance Boat Center team, “Lake of the Ozarks, one, two, three.”

While Friday had bumpy conditions from the start, Sunday brought conditions that appeared to have been ordered by the Key West chamber of commerce. Fans lined the seawall as they looked forward to a good day of racing.

Wild From The Start The first start on Sunday didn’t disappoint. After being down 700 rpm, the 32-foot Phantom, 151 Express , with throttleman Nick Imprescia and his best friend/driver Ian Morgan finished a distant second to the father-son team of Steve and Stephen Kildahl in the 29-foot Extreme, Boatfloater.com .

When the Cigarette Hawk officials’ boat that was pacing its 90th race flew the green flag, 151 Express and Boatfloater.com took off, leaving behind the 30-foot Phantom, Sheriff Lobo , which calls Trinidad home.

After completing turn one, the two boats raced deck to deck coming into Key West harbor with both drivers saying after that they weren’t giving an inch. They headed back out to turn one carrying lots of speed into the turn. Boatfloater.com carried a little more speed, took a bad hop and hooked before rolling, according to Stephen Kildahl. He and his dad were OK and the boat was righted before it was towed in.

The Kildahls emerged from the mishap unscathed.

“They had a lead and we let them take the corner they wanted,” Imprescia said.

After the incident, he and Morgan made sure they finished their required 10 laps to claim their first world championship.

“We just put it on cruise control,” Imprescia added. “We made sure we made each lap cleaner and cleaner.”

Imprescia is the son of legendary throttleman, Joey Imprescia, who won plenty of his own championships. Nick knew it would be emotional when saw his dad waiting at the cranes with a big smile on his face.

“I saw my dad and I just balled my eyes out,” he said. “That’s a moment I’ll keep with myself forever.”

Legacy offshore racer Nick Imprescia and his cockpit-mate Ian Morgan savored their Mod V-class victory.

In the Stock V race, six single-engine boats powered by a Mercury Racing 525EFI engine competed for the title and the leaders were the 30-foot Phantom, Shocker , throttled by Patrick Romeo and driven by owner Chris Colson. Second was another 30-foot Phantom, Laticrete , with owner/driver Chris Uzzolina and throttleman Rob Hartmann. They were followed closely by Friday’s winner, another 30-foot Phantom, Fastboys , with owner Ken Bolinger and Forrest Riddle and a sister hull, North Myrtle Beach RV , in fourth.

Shocker and Laticrete traded the lead a few times and eventually the latter maintained the advantage. The Shocker team was pushing hard as the laps wore down and took a flyer while trying to overtake the 30-foot Phantom, Octane . When Shocker came down and spun, the two boats collided. The Octane boat sustained significant damage, but the canopy did its job. The crew of throttleman Kevin Campbell and driver Brian Lamonica were banged up, but they ended up being OK. Phantom Boats owner Will Smith said the damage to the boat was enough that it would need to be replaced.

Shocker got back under power and finished the race, but Colson said he and Romeo may have overdone it.

“We were running out of time to catch Laticrete and we took the turn hotter than we should have,” Colson said.

Though no one was injured, the incident between Shocker and Octane took both boats out of the Stock V contest.

Shocker also sustained noticeable damage and the team still plans to race at the Offshore Powerboat Association ’s championship event in Englewood, Fla., next weekend.

After winning on Friday and finished second on Sunday, Fastboys took the championship in Stock V ahead of Laticrete and Shocker .

Bracket Class Breakdown With the UIM world titles for all V-bottom classes on the line next weekend at the Offshore Powerboat Boat Association World and National championships in Englewood Beach, Fla., the Bracket-class turnout in Key West was light. But that didn’t stop the teams from going all out to take home a Race World Offshore title.

In Bracket 300-class action, after the 42-foot Fountain, Harpoon Harry’s , used its advantage to its size on Friday, Billy Shipley and Chad Woody blasted to the lead in their 35-foot Fountain, Team Woody , on Sunday. The two boats battled for supremacy, and the bigger Fountain spun, giving the lead, the win on Sunday and the RWO world championship to Team Woody . Harpoon Harry’s accumulated enough points for second while the 42-foot Cigarette, Cigarette Justice League, took third.

The battle between Team Woody and Harpoon Harry’s saw Bill Shipley and Chad Woody take the win.

In Bracket 400, Jim Simmons, who also owns the Octane boat, and Jason Zolecki once again drove their 34-foot Phantom, Simmons Racing, to a world championship. Second in the class went to the 38-foot Phantom, OC Racing , that made its debut in Key West, while the Texas-based 39-foot Velocity, GNS Motorsports, took third.

After grabbing the checkered flag at the finish line on Friday, Stancombe and driver J.J. Turk, the reigning world champions in Bracket 500, in the 30-foot Phantom, Golfin’ Gator Team Woody , defended their title on Sunday. Second went to Rob and Vinny Winoski in their 30-foot Phantom, Bronx Phantom . Despite breaking at the finish line on Sunday, Elijah Kingery and Craig Belfatto in the 29-foot Warlock, Bulletproof/Goodcars.com , held on for third place in the championship.

Simmons Racing took top honors in the Bracket 400 ranks.

In Bracket 600, the Key West based 25-foot Baja, Power House Racing , with Nelson Sawyer and Damon Marotta, Jr., took the hometown win by grabbing checkered flags in both races. Second went to the 26-foot Corsa, Gerard Marine/XINSURANCE , and the smallest boat in the fleet, the 21-foot Superboat, Jackhammer , placed third. The 22-foot Velocity, Steele , ran unopposed in Bracket 700.

Enjoy more action from the 2022 Race World Offshore APBA/UIM world championships in the slideshow above.

Editor’s note: The 2022 offshore racing season will wrap up next weekend in Englewood Beach, Fla., with the Offshore Powerboat Association World and National Championships. Look for coverage of the two-race event from contributing editor Eric Colby on speedothewater.com.

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Apba offshore national championship series picture bright fo....

Published on January 5th, 2023 | by Editor

2023 Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race

Published on January 5th, 2023 by Editor -->

The third event of the 2022-23 SORC Islands in the Stream had 21 boats for the 2023 Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race which took the fleet on the 160 nm course from Fort Lauderdale to Key West along southern Florida.

A typical weather pattern greeted competitors on January 4 with a southerly breeze in the teens at the start giving the fleet a lumpy and raucous ride to the first mark of the course, the Miami Sea Buoy.

The usual pattern is for the breeze to moderate and ease astern as the boats proceed around the bend of the keys on their way to the finish off of Mallory Square. While the opening miles of the race often bring painful lessons, the rest of the race usually follows up with glorious sailing along the Florida Keys.

While this pattern played out for the most part, it deprived Jason Carroll’s MOD 70 Argo from taking a chunk out of Stars and Stripes’ 2007 multihull record of just over 8.5 hours. Argo finished before midnight (about 12.75 hours elapsed) and completed the delivery back to Ft. Lauderdale before most of the fleet reached Key West. Next across the line was Kent Haeger’s Gunboat 62 Mach Schnell, at about 1:45 am, correcting out for the Multihull Class win.

John Evans and Trey Sheehan’s TP 52 Hooligan followed across the line to be the first monohull to finish, at about 3:30 am (Jan. 5) to set the pace for the ORC 1 class and to hold the overall lead with the first finishers from the other classes already in the barn but many boats still on the water.

All of the J Boats in ORC 2 kept things very interesting with Matthew Schaedler’s Blitzkreig topping that division by 5 minutes corrected.

In ORC 3, the 32-foot Figaro 2 sailed by the NEKA Sailing team was alone in their fleet but took second overall honors.

All but one boat made the trip in under 24 hours with champagne conditions under a full moon.

Series information – Race details – Results – Facebook

2022-23 schedule: • November 3, 2022 – Nassau Cup Ocean Race • December 2, 2022 – Wirth M. Munroe Invitational Miami to Palm Beach Race • January 4, 2023 – Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race • February 9, 2023 – Port Canaveral Race

Details: http://www.sorcsailing.org/

Tags: Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race , Islands in the Stream Series , SORC

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