Early 2000s I worked for an engine builder. We also rigged boats. I used to have to go to Key West to support his teams and man Al Copeland had some amazing parties. The Key West races spanned 2 weeks and no cruise ships doced during that time. Al would show up on his 120ft Yacht, bring a catamaran that was jet powered, motorcycles etc. He had at least 10 chefs cooking all day on the cruise ship pier and then at night there would be a huge meal and party for the racers / crews and families. It was pretty fun.
Grew up in South Florida area ‘60’s through the ‘80’s when these machines were the kings of the ocean. Best of times, worst of times. Was sad to see it fade, wicked fast, tough boats and crews. Thanks for the memory.
Grew up in Florida in the 2000's, but wow I would've loved to experience what that was like, watching this really opened my eyes to a whole other side of my homes culture, so cool.
Would be cool if someone made a video game around Powerboat racing, but not just racing, but also team management, boat building and maybe smuggling even.
As a photographer I got interested in Offshore Powerboat racing the year after Don Johnson quit racing and attended many of the races that were held around Florida which included Miami Beach, Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Fort Myers Beach, Marathon and the 1994 World Championship in Key West. I got to cover the Key West race from a helicopter and a boat anchored at the finish line. I really enjoyed walking around the wet pits getting a close look at these amazing boats. Now I'm feeling grateful having experienced the sport in the glory days.
As an Kid.. My dad had an workmate(at Florida Power and Light) who raced.. Rich Smith.. I never got to know that side of Rick, I'm sure my dad hid it.. BUT Rick Did become an friend for me, and one day when we were talking Snakes, he offered me an MEXICAN BOA.. That snake was an nasty biter.. It would strike at anything that moved in it's range.. Had it for along time.. Divorce moved me away and I never got to learn more about Rick.. But racing was in my blood, and that;s where I enjoyed many days.. I understand Rick did some amazing things in his days.. This was in Miami and in the 1970's.. Rick Smith likely would never remember me.. But he was an diver as well, and that's another hobby I have enjoyed since those days.. So here's to you Rick.. you never knew the things you introduced me to.. or how much you had an affect on my life.. Manny
@@km6832 I was doubtful of your comment when I first read it, but by the end of the video the commentary had said 'iconic' so many times it couldn't possibly have been written any earlier than 2024.
@@vehiculemagazine nothing more patriot than lying about an AI voice and using the american flag while doing it. It's weird how true "The more someone uses the american flag the more of a conman they are" consistently is.
Apart from it being a 'bot voice, the cartoonishly stoooopid commentary trashes any sliver of _genuine_ sporting credibility this race formula ever had.
The thing that bothers me is that a sport like this dies when people not involved in the sport start regulating it. To make it "safer" and more "fair". Same with Indy Cars and Formula 1. Loads of rules no longer about who can build the best and drive the best, but who can conform the best.
@Bob1934-l6d I’d stop being bothered! 1. Rules etc had to be tightened as technology and materials made them faster and faster till…too fast. 2. And indy and F1 seems to be doing ok!
I was there at The Kings Grant Inn 1974 when The Benihana Grand Prix were putting the racing boats in the water with a crane, was something to see. Then they would go to the Manasquan Inlet to access the Atlantic Ocean. The day of the race I skipped summer school to see the races standing on the rocks on the Manasquan Inlet. Such a fantastic time now that I look back at it.
Lol.. not cigarettes here in FL.. they call the cargo Square Groupers.. from here in Jupiter down to The Keys.. and yea, the stories are true.. I've heard a few from the survivors of that era..
In my country we call them "Gomas" like rubber. Or "Flying boats". See about flying boats in Gibraltar. Or in Galiza! It started with cigarettes and after with narcos!
I don't know how this turned up on my Home page because I never watch the races on TH-cam, only on the Clock App but this is exactly why I still watch Powerboat Racing and I even watched the Key West races last weekend...The simulation is alive
I was conceived on a boat. Born on a boat. My parents were married on the same boat. My father published a marine phone book in Illinois. I absolutely Love boats. Especially offshore!!! This was a dope video!
Grew up in Key West during the prime days of powerboats. I remember the parade of amazing boats coming to town once a year, I also remember the other side of the sport to which they refer. It didn’t seem sinister at the time.
these guys are the carbon copy of the Whittington's and Lanier were to the car racing world. these guys were what they based Miami vice the TV show on. these guys were gods to me as a kid growing up in the early 80's as where don and Randy with there 935's. an era that was so oppulant and gave us legends and role models(not for trafficking -racing) and you get the jaun Almeda's of the world who must have thought them role models for the opposite as most but it doesn't change the fact the powerboat racing and performance boats and cars wouldn't be what they are without them. another just outstanding video. I cant relay the enjoyment your videos have brought me, taking me back to revisit so of my finest times and memories with friends and family. for that I cant not repay you with anything other than the well deserved praise you should get anyway. thank you so much!! cheers
I worked at World Jet for about 6 months in 95, I remember Don had a red off shore racing boat just sitting there and never moved. I had no clue what was going on until years later. Kind of wish I would have stuck around.
Was born in Miami Beach. One friend was a mechanic and serviced Rocky Aoki's cars and his two personal speedboats at his Miami Beach home in the 70s. I know that Rocky took those boats out and retrieved square things. Sadly, my friend, John, who, despite his youth, was an amazing mechanic, overdosed unintentionally on Tuinals at the young age of about 20.
That accident compilation at the end is shocking! As a kid growing up spending summers on the coast of NC, Reggie Fountain was a legend, even in the early eighties through the 90’s. Decades ago we were in a 40ft Sonic going maybe 65 thinking we were big shots, a Fountain passed us like we weren’t even underway, funny, he didn’t even sound rapped up, just mildly throttling along, haha.
@ There is a very successful marina/dealership in Morehead City NC that, for instance, sold 2/3 of every Albemarle made, including a tremendous amount of Carolina Classics, Cabo’s, etc, when those Albemarle dudes split. Reggie really wanted that dealership to offer Fountians, the owner refused saying he didn’t want the “demographics” buying from him. Every summer Reggie would come into the very tight marina basin in something flashy, camming away, do a slow twin screw turn, and leave.
The people here have romantic memories but it was the many accidents killing mostly very rich people that ended this sport. Its a pity but they had maxed it out...
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 Who would all the folks work for, if it weren’t for the “aristocrats”? Ninety Nine percent of the people, either don’t have the ability, or the work ethics, to be the 1 percent that employs the vast majority.
I was born in South FL and remember seeing those boats on the water and going down the highways. It was so cool. I just remember as a kid everyone calling every boat a cigarette boat no matter who made them! Being a kid in the 80s in South Florida was unreal, there will never be a time like it again. Millionaires and their Ferraris everywhere you went, amazing beaches and a killer water park called "Six Flags Atlantis," it was epic. I sure miss those days but as everything else, time keeps on moving and we left for North Florida in the late 80s for greener pastures.
TV, celebrity, and popularity ruin any sport. When it becomes more about the sponsor or the end-zone celebration than the competition itself, the fun is gone. At some point we are always reminded that a sport is a game, something we do for fun. Making it a career and a corporation makes a game into a job.
@@rtfabian The broadcasting technology wasn't there. Today it would be completely different with drones, high speed wireless internet and small hd cameras. The races aren't really "offshore" as much as "near shore". They're not crossing oceans.
I remember going to Sarasota to watch the powerboat races when I was a kid. My family would get a hotel room with a balcony and we would watch the boats through binoculars and spotting scopes. Once or twice they had a boat show at St. Armands Circle or close to there with all the boats on display, I thought it was the coolest thing.
I almost got run over by Rocky Aoki the day BEFORE he wrecked at the Golden Gate, when he came out of Alameda estuary at more than 100mph (clocked by a USN helo).
@vehiculemagazine I was in a SAILBOAT, he bombs out of the estuary towing a 50ft roostertail. One of my crewmates was a USCG commander he was NOT IMPRESSED And a Coast Guard 47 footer (they knew they couldn't come close catching him) met him at hIs hauler when he got back. They told him and the other crews that limit in the estuary in TEN KNOTS and they WOULD BE WATCHING the next day. He stuffed it next day and almost died But not before CHP snagged him in his 911 on the highway at speed, lol
The extreme costs of maintaining the engines and outdrives along with the safety factors was the downfall, MERCURY with their new powertrains are MUCH more reliable that the previous combinations.
@@vehiculemagazine pound for pound nothing comes close to an outboard, but i agree on one part: the sound. 2 strokes were awesome, and cost much less so the average joe could just about compete. today its absurd how expensive everything is.
@@ct1762 not talking about outboards talking about the offshore inboard 9000rpm V8's based on a Big BLOCK Chevrolet with Mercury Racing's double overhead cam 4 valve per cylinder aluminum heads. The engines are expensive HOWEVER they are much more reliable than the previous off shore engines.
You're referring to the Hydro side of the sport rather than the offshore divisions. Unfortunately that all dried up in the early 2000's as well. They went from every event nationally televised on ESPN in the late 80's early 90's with sponsors like Budwieser, Dewalt, Winston, and Camel to pitiful TH-cam streams with the top tier boats having to rely on sponsors deals from local mom and pop home disaster recovery services lol.
I lived in Southwest Florida from 82 to 87. Went to a bunch of the races and knew several of the racers and crew. Knew a few fellows who made good money building and selling fast boats, with some boats equipped just a little better than others. A couple ended up in jail,a few left the country, one just disappeared. A few left the sport and the business and left the area for years, only to come back in the 90s. But very few. It was a wild scene on and off the water. If you were smart you stayed away from it. Well, the upper levels. The lower levels were pretty much straight forward sportsmen and speed lovers.
Thanks so very much for this great documentary, I have loved these fabulous boats for years and love to see what they can do and this shows just that! Well narrated and great film clips, RIP to those who lost their lives in this amazing sport.
Tim Ciasulli is a bad man as well, I remember he had a boat named 4play and we was racing in some rough waters lol. It was a pleasure when I see Tim , he was always laughing and making jokes
They were the days. Bizarre sorry for you. A good mate asks me to go out on his scarab one weekend. Tiurns out it was a round of the national offshore powerboat championships. We won our class. He rings me a month later and says that nobody in that class took their boats to any round other than their home state and as we had the fastest average speed for any round we were national champions. I still laugh about that and few believe me. 😅
Haha in high school I did a cool paint job on a smuggler's boat, the "Snake Eyes". This boat was all black other than my awesome decorations, and was used to smuggle weed from the "Big Island" of Hawaii to the island of Oahu. I think I got paid $100.
No one mentioned Mussel Racing ( Love Mussel ). One of best teams ever in the sport. New a lot of the racers,and no one was more fun then that group of guys. Dave, Doc and the gang.😂😂❤
Lol Bob kaiser still looks the same, cool guy man. I teased him one day about teaching how to drive his yellowfin and he told me youtube him..... I was shocked didn't know he was a speed boat racer
I can remember in Plymouth Massachusetts on Labor Day weekend in the late seventies, they would put cigarette boats in the water for the race off cape cod. It was so cool to see.
I remember as a kid watching the "Six-Million-Dollar Man" on TV, his origin story was that he was racing one of those boats and it essentially exploded. So they had to patch him up with "bionic" parts.
No. Colonel Steve Austin was a test pilot who was piloting a lifting body type aircraft. They used actual footage of a test plane crash in the Opening credits.
I worked for Cougar in Miami in the early 80's. We built a cat for Popeyes, some of us called it the Pope Yes, pretending it was supported by the Jesuits, and wondered what they were smuggling. Here's something you may not know. The offshore boats always had at least two crew, one was usually the owner/driver who sat behind the wheel, the other was the throttle man. Guess what? For most of these boats, during the race the owner did nothing, other than have the shit scared out of him. the steering wheel was inoperative due to the forces on it at speed. The throttle man controlled both the speed and direction with the throttles. They were the real stars, hired guns rarely given credit.
I went to school with Rocky’s kids, Grace and Kevin Aoki. My sister and I even carpooled with them for a while. What they failed to mention in the video was that when he woke up from the second crash in his hospital bed his wife was on one side, and his mistress was on the other side. Reportedly his wife said that he mumbled oh shit, and tried to pretend like he had fallen back into his unconscious state. He owned and ran multiple strip clubs in So Cal in addition to his Japanese restaurant empire while sending his kids to private Christian schools. well, it may seem a bit silly now, Kevin was one of the first kids to own an actual full blown asteroids game, and I’m talking the arcade put your quarters in type.
Anything that anybody can do is not a sport. My grandmother can take the helm of a boat but you don't see her on the cover of Time magazine. Same with sailing - sailing is a way to get somewhere just like a bus. So if riding a bus isn't a sport neither is sailing. - G.C.
My opinion, screw regulations. The people that race know the risks and danger of the sport. They know what they're getting into.. Just like Group B rally cars.
I was there in the 80s with Captain America offshore racing team. I was at that race where mark Levin died. We stuffed a pro stock boat the week before in islamorada. 1986, i remember it well .
Having raced a season in offshore my main competitor was executed on a road side presumably by a deal gone wrong. His brother has been arrested for the upteenth time on drug trafficking matters last week.
The latest Cigarette boats are incredible and beautiful. A tapestry of beauty and technology that exhilerates as intended. I would love to own one! Great video! Cheers!
Just went down to Key West this past Sunday for the 2024 World Championships in Key West. Been going down there since my dad used to take me as a kid in the 90's. Good times.
I grew up in this era going to the marathon and Key West races every year for I wanna say the better part of 10 years back in the mid to late 80s and 90s I’ve met Maguda and falcon and I’ve met Tom gentry and I’ve met all of these racers in person. My uncle was the crane operator that would put all of these boats in the water in Mallory Square in Key West. So I would get to see them every year, and my favorite boat was Popeyes because of Popeye, the sailor. But I will never forget the victory accident that happened and seeing some of these guys and Don Johnson. This is back in the day when sports were real not that they’re not now but it’s very protected safety regulations you can only have so much power and the boats have to be built a certain way back then there was none of that. It was you race what you brought and you brought the best of the best of what you thought was the best. And yes, people died, but it was the best racing in the world.
I want in this world so bad! Minus the drug smuggling! I’ve got a 1983 Excalibur 27 and fountain 32 fever. Trying to get a cigarette or Apache would be the dream end game!
Yikes-dangerous beyond belief.Some of them were unlucky enough to survive a bad "accident" with a broken spine-permanent paralysis. Glamorous but nothing glamorous about paraplegia for 25 years if you were unlucky enough to afford round the clock nursing care to keep you alive that long.
I feel the sport really died when the Popeye's boat wrecked just off the rocks right by fort Zacher Taylor of keywest I was there for that race that wreck killed the whole crew and the offshore racing scene was never the same it got a bit pf a boost back when Miss Giego came on the scene
were Erroll Lanier and Randy Lanier related. I didn't know Randy raced for a short time with Ben Kramer. had no idea. I'd love to see any content you might be able to put together about my hero's Matt Alcone and Jerry Gilbreath in the ultimate skater- the Douglass marine which is now just skater w/ sterling engines ohhhhh baby. I'd love to see what info you can edit I'm sure it would be the best content on TH-cam about Alcone Motorsports.
G'day, The "Sport" which got it's start when Unkle Spam repealed the Prohibition Laws, suddenly flooding the market with overpowered Rum-Runners...; has died out About The time all the fastest Boats were being re-employed as Drug-Smugglers along Coastlines all around the World. And, now, GPS-guided Suicide Drones are being built up from otherwise Unemployed Racing Speedboat Hulls. "Is this Journey Really Neccessary...?" As the posters used to say. ;-p Ciao !
Early 2000s I worked for an engine builder. We also rigged boats. I used to have to go to Key West to support his teams and man Al Copeland had some amazing parties. The Key West races spanned 2 weeks and no cruise ships doced during that time. Al would show up on his 120ft Yacht, bring a catamaran that was jet powered, motorcycles etc. He had at least 10 chefs cooking all day on the cruise ship pier and then at night there would be a huge meal and party for the racers / crews and families. It was pretty fun.
thx for sharing
That's what I was gonna say 😂
Al Copeland, famous from his Popeyes franchise and racing toys. From New Orleans.
Grew up in South Florida area ‘60’s through the ‘80’s when these machines were the kings of the ocean. Best of times, worst of times. Was sad to see it fade, wicked fast, tough boats and crews. Thanks for the memory.
Couldn't agree more!
Grew up in Florida in the 2000's, but wow I would've loved to experience what that was like, watching this really opened my eyes to a whole other side of my homes culture, so cool.
Would be cool if someone made a video game around Powerboat racing, but not just racing, but also team management, boat building and maybe smuggling even.
what do you think we are doing
There was one in the 90's.
The crew motorfest has powerboat racing just very crude
Pretty badass to start powerboat racing at 52, that`s one tough lady ;)
yes sir
She was a great lady!
Also have to give mad respect to the fishing boat skipper at 2:00 :D
As a photographer I got interested in Offshore Powerboat racing the year after Don Johnson quit racing and attended many of the races that were held around Florida which included Miami Beach, Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Fort Myers Beach, Marathon and the 1994 World Championship in Key West. I got to cover the Key West race from a helicopter and a boat anchored at the finish line. I really enjoyed walking around the wet pits getting a close look at these amazing boats. Now I'm feeling grateful having experienced the sport in the glory days.
read the print edition link in bio
nice, I'm envious. Must have made a lot of great pics!
What a time to be Alive! Some of the greatest racers, and entrepreneurs !
yes sir 🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁
As an Kid.. My dad had an workmate(at Florida Power and Light) who raced.. Rich Smith.. I never got to know that side of Rick, I'm sure my dad hid it.. BUT Rick Did become an friend for me, and one day when we were talking Snakes, he offered me an MEXICAN BOA.. That snake was an nasty biter.. It would strike at anything that moved in it's range.. Had it for along time.. Divorce moved me away and I never got to learn more about Rick.. But racing was in my blood, and that;s where I enjoyed many days.. I understand Rick did some amazing things in his days.. This was in Miami and in the 1970's.. Rick Smith likely would never remember me.. But he was an diver as well, and that's another hobby I have enjoyed since those days.. So here's to you Rick.. you never knew the things you introduced me to.. or how much you had an affect on my life.. Manny
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Bootleggers went legitimate & formed Nascar & legitimate boat racing went criminal to smuggle drugs. Things always find balance.
So nice to hear a real human narration! Nice job with this !!
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Its AI
@@km6832 I was doubtful of your comment when I first read it, but by the end of the video the commentary had said 'iconic' so many times it couldn't possibly have been written any earlier than 2024.
@@vehiculemagazine nothing more patriot than lying about an AI voice and using the american flag while doing it. It's weird how true "The more someone uses the american flag the more of a conman they are" consistently is.
@CRneu are you still salty that Skamala lost?
Love the narrator voice of these older documentaries.
classic
It's AI.
Apart from it being a 'bot voice, the cartoonishly stoooopid commentary trashes any sliver of _genuine_ sporting credibility this race formula ever had.
its ai
The Narrator of this vid sounds a bit like Willem Dafoe.
Fun fact: Chuck Norris once won the Open Class Championship in a rowboat.
The thing that bothers me is that a sport like this dies when people not involved in the sport start regulating it. To make it "safer" and more "fair". Same with Indy Cars and Formula 1. Loads of rules no longer about who can build the best and drive the best, but who can conform the best.
today everything is lame and boring
@Bob1934-l6d
I’d stop being bothered!
1. Rules etc had to be tightened as technology and materials made them faster and faster till…too fast.
2. And indy and F1 seems to be doing ok!
@@bullcrap9409 No such thing as too fast.
Stopped watching Formula 1 the cars sound ridiculous compared to 80's and 90's
@@Ob1sdarkside I`d rather watch Formula E than F1 at this point
I was there at The Kings Grant Inn 1974 when The Benihana Grand Prix were putting the racing boats in the water with a crane, was something to see. Then they would go to the Manasquan Inlet to access the Atlantic Ocean. The day of the race I skipped summer school to see the races standing on the rocks on the Manasquan Inlet. Such a fantastic time now that I look back at it.
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I worked production during the Speed television series - what awesome times
niceeee
All memories i remember during those Miami vice days Don Johnson a boat racer himself used to drive to movie set every day in his 38ft kv scarab!
watch our dj film th-cam.com/video/fo9hZasD7b0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6LGgNtxP0pYkObpS
01:11 THAT'S why they're called cigarette boats! Did not know that. Thank you!
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Lol.. not cigarettes here in FL.. they call the cargo Square Groupers.. from here in Jupiter down to The Keys.. and yea, the stories are true.. I've heard a few from the survivors of that era..
In my country we call them "Gomas" like rubber. Or "Flying boats". See about flying boats in Gibraltar. Or in Galiza! It started with cigarettes and after with narcos!
Me too! My exact reaction as well.
I don't know how this turned up on my Home page because I never watch the races on TH-cam, only on the Clock App but this is exactly why I still watch Powerboat Racing and I even watched the Key West races last weekend...The simulation is alive
yes sir
I was conceived on a boat. Born on a boat. My parents were married on the same boat. My father published a marine phone book in Illinois. I absolutely Love boats. Especially offshore!!! This was a dope video!
Thanks for sharing!
Grew up in Key West during the prime days of powerboats.
I remember the parade of amazing boats coming to town once a year,
I also remember the other side of the sport to which they refer. It didn’t seem sinister at the time.
thanks for sharing!
these guys are the carbon copy of the Whittington's and Lanier were to the car racing world. these guys were what they based Miami vice the TV show on. these guys were gods to me as a kid growing up in the early 80's as where don and Randy with there 935's. an era that was so oppulant and gave us legends and role models(not for trafficking -racing) and you get the jaun Almeda's of the world who must have thought them role models for the opposite as most but it doesn't change the fact the powerboat racing and performance boats and cars wouldn't be what they are without them. another just outstanding video. I cant relay the enjoyment your videos have brought me, taking me back to revisit so of my finest times and memories with friends and family. for that I cant not repay you with anything other than the well deserved praise you should get anyway. thank you so much!! cheers
thanks so much! pick up a magazine you will enjoy it vehicule-magazine.com
My dad and Randy were cellmates in federal prison . Between their lives together in and out … oh boy! Good guys . Thankfully they are both out .
I worked at World Jet for about 6 months in 95, I remember Don had a red off shore racing boat just sitting there and never moved. I had no clue what was going on until years later. Kind of wish I would have stuck around.
@lummzy88 how cool would that have been. Holy cow. If we only knew then what we know now. What did you do at worldjet?
Yup, they made Road Atlanta fun !!
Was born in Miami Beach. One friend was a mechanic and serviced Rocky Aoki's cars and his two personal speedboats at his Miami Beach home in the 70s. I know that Rocky took those boats out and retrieved square things. Sadly, my friend, John, who, despite his youth, was an amazing mechanic, overdosed unintentionally on Tuinals at the young age of about 20.
oh wow
Remember those t-shirts - "Save the Bales! " ?
2:00 That sportfish leading the pack is awesome and hilarious! Hopefully he got a least a booby prize, well earned.
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That accident compilation at the end is shocking!
As a kid growing up spending summers on the coast of NC, Reggie Fountain was a legend, even in the early eighties through the 90’s. Decades ago we were in a 40ft Sonic going maybe 65 thinking we were big shots, a Fountain passed us like we weren’t even underway, funny, he didn’t even sound rapped up, just mildly throttling along, haha.
@@justgotohm4775 Reggie will go down in boat history as one of the most innovative committed guys to ever get on the water
@ There is a very successful marina/dealership in Morehead City NC that, for instance, sold 2/3 of every Albemarle made, including a tremendous amount of Carolina Classics, Cabo’s, etc, when those Albemarle dudes split. Reggie really wanted that dealership to offer Fountians, the owner refused saying he didn’t want the “demographics” buying from him. Every summer Reggie would come into the very tight marina basin in something flashy, camming away, do a slow twin screw turn, and leave.
The people here have romantic memories but it was the many accidents killing mostly very rich people that ended this sport. Its a pity but they had maxed it out...
@@udirt Spectacular and eliminates aristocrats? We need this sport to make a comeback, pronto.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 Who would all the folks work for, if it weren’t for the “aristocrats”? Ninety Nine percent of the people, either don’t have the ability, or the work ethics, to be the 1 percent that employs the vast majority.
My dad had a 24' paramount with triple 2.4's. We used it on weekends to run to the bahamas. About an hour usually from key largo.
I still watch powerboats every summer doing offshore racing on Lake Michigan. They're amazing
I was born in South FL and remember seeing those boats on the water and going down the highways. It was so cool. I just remember as a kid everyone calling every boat a cigarette boat no matter who made them! Being a kid in the 80s in South Florida was unreal, there will never be a time like it again. Millionaires and their Ferraris everywhere you went, amazing beaches and a killer water park called "Six Flags Atlantis," it was epic. I sure miss those days but as everything else, time keeps on moving and we left for North Florida in the late 80s for greener pastures.
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Why is this not a Netflix series? What characters and stories!
because netflix sucks. but your welcome for watching our film for free.
@@vehiculemagazineyeah NO SGI RIGHT!!!??? SKREW NETFLIX BUT THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS AWESOME LITTLE WINDOW INTO A VERY WILD TIME!!!
To hell with netflix, and all other monopoly seekinng enterprises
TV, celebrity, and popularity ruin any sport. When it becomes more about the sponsor or the end-zone celebration than the competition itself, the fun is gone. At some point we are always reminded that a sport is a game, something we do for fun. Making it a career and a corporation makes a game into a job.
Narco subs killed offshore powerboat racing.
lool
It's definitelty making a comeback in the UK right now. More boats in 2024 than 2023. More planned for 2025.
Racing across the Channel counts? Asking for Allah.
It's on mainstream TV in Australia. Most of the big builders are on the Gold Coast Qld
@@Downunder12 OK, thanks. Will check that out and try and find it. What's the program/channel called please?
@@AttitudeCharter UIM Class 1 World Championship, Race World Offshore (USA), Offshore Superboat Championships (Australia) etc
Loved going of the Jersey shore. Wild times.
Hey remember the Manasqan Inlet the boats going out the inlet?
1986 was the end of unlimited racing every where.
Today, you can buy 1500+ engines. With a warranty.
yup
Unfortunately, OFFSHORE racing was doomed by its very name. Racing offshore meant little to no chance to have paying spectators.
A very short warranty!
@@rtfabian The broadcasting technology wasn't there. Today it would be completely different with drones, high speed wireless internet and small hd cameras.
The races aren't really "offshore" as much as "near shore". They're not crossing oceans.
I remember going to Sarasota to watch the powerboat races when I was a kid. My family would get a hotel room with a balcony and we would watch the boats through binoculars and spotting scopes. Once or twice they had a boat show at St. Armands Circle or close to there with all the boats on display, I thought it was the coolest thing.
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I almost got run over by Rocky Aoki the day BEFORE he wrecked at the Golden Gate, when he came out of Alameda estuary at more than 100mph (clocked by a USN helo).
wow
@vehiculemagazine I was in a SAILBOAT, he bombs out of the estuary towing a 50ft roostertail. One of my crewmates was a USCG commander he was NOT IMPRESSED And a Coast Guard 47 footer (they knew they couldn't come close catching him) met him at hIs hauler when he got back. They told him and the other crews that limit in the estuary in TEN KNOTS and they WOULD BE WATCHING the next day. He stuffed it next day and almost died
But not before CHP snagged him in his 911 on the highway at speed, lol
@@fooman2108what year was that?
The extreme costs of maintaining the engines and outdrives along with the safety factors was the downfall, MERCURY with their new powertrains are MUCH more reliable that the previous combinations.
outboards kinda suck
@@vehiculemagazine pound for pound nothing comes close to an outboard, but i agree on one part: the sound. 2 strokes were awesome, and cost much less so the average joe could just about compete. today its absurd how expensive everything is.
please explain? a MERCURY more reliable than a car V8?
@@ct1762 not talking about outboards talking about the offshore inboard 9000rpm V8's based on a Big BLOCK Chevrolet with Mercury Racing's double overhead cam 4 valve per cylinder aluminum heads. The engines are expensive HOWEVER they are much more reliable than the previous off shore engines.
Miss Budweiser boat on the Detroit River.
Singing it's heart out.
No sound on earth like it.
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You're referring to the Hydro side of the sport rather than the offshore divisions. Unfortunately that all dried up in the early 2000's as well. They went from every event nationally televised on ESPN in the late 80's early 90's with sponsors like Budwieser, Dewalt, Winston, and Camel to pitiful TH-cam streams with the top tier boats having to rely on sponsors deals from local mom and pop home disaster recovery services lol.
I lived in Southwest Florida from 82 to 87. Went to a bunch of the races and knew several of the racers and crew. Knew a few fellows who made good money building and selling fast boats, with some boats equipped just a little better than others. A couple ended up in jail,a few left the country, one just disappeared. A few left the sport and the business and left the area for years, only to come back in the 90s. But very few.
It was a wild scene on and off the water. If you were smart you stayed away from it. Well, the upper levels. The lower levels were pretty much straight forward sportsmen and speed lovers.
very cool
I crewed for INXS. Good times in the early 90’s
send some pics
I roadied for them on a couple of Aussie tours
Yep, used to watch it on ESPN
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Absolutely fantastic video with great content, footage and coverage!
Thanks a lot!
Great picture of The Beatles on #16. A great time in history. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it
The Popeyes boat use to be my favorite..these days I like watching boat drag racing
full film up now
I believe it was at the Benihana Grand Prix in 1974.
Thanks so very much for this great documentary, I have loved these fabulous boats for years and love to see what they can do and this shows just that!
Well narrated and great film clips, RIP to those who lost their lives in this amazing sport.
Our pleasure! read more vehicule-magazine.com/
I still go to the Michigan OPA stuff. They arent as big as before but they have tv coverage and its a pretty fun time
Tim Ciasulli is a bad man as well, I remember he had a boat named 4play and we was racing in some rough waters lol. It was a pleasure when I see Tim , he was always laughing and making jokes
What an amazing video. Retro footages and vintage voice-over really do the tricks👍🏻💪🏻
Glad you enjoyed it!
the voice is AI. Nothing vintage about it.
Good video of the golden years. Now they race in a small circle for better viewing. Not much big water these days.
yup its become very lame
They were the days. Bizarre sorry for you. A good mate asks me to go out on his scarab one weekend. Tiurns out it was a round of the national offshore powerboat championships. We won our class. He rings me a month later and says that nobody in that class took their boats to any round other than their home state and as we had the fastest average speed for any round we were national champions. I still laugh about that and few believe me. 😅
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@vehiculemagazine cheers. Good luck for the next 4 years. It should be very interesting.....
Haha in high school I did a cool paint job on a smuggler's boat, the "Snake Eyes". This boat was all black other than my awesome decorations, and was used to smuggle weed from the "Big Island" of Hawaii to the island of Oahu. I think I got paid $100.
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been waiting for this!!!
yes!
9:18 Betty's red anodized aluminum velocity stacks
lets race.
No one mentioned Mussel Racing ( Love Mussel ). One of best teams ever in the sport. New a lot of the racers,and no one was more fun then that group of guys. Dave, Doc and the gang.😂😂❤
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I machined the sturndrives for don johnsons pwr boat,he won the championship, what a week!
very cool
Wow. Posted six hours ago. Glad I caught this.
Nice!
@@vehiculemagazine Miami Vice Forever 🌴 🥥
They missed Bob Nordskog w/Teagues and Jerry Herbst - but great video.
stay tuned, also read the print edition vehicule-magazine.com
Lol Bob kaiser still looks the same, cool guy man. I teased him one day about teaching how to drive his yellowfin and he told me youtube him..... I was shocked didn't know he was a speed boat racer
This was such a great video, subscribed!
Thanks for subbing! Watch the new one th-cam.com/video/vPR2o_GMoMA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=AzTtlLka1Fp8A2Zy
I can remember in Plymouth Massachusetts on Labor Day weekend in the late seventies, they would put cigarette boats in the water for the race off cape cod. It was so cool to see.
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That background music is amazing!!
thx
The best channel!
🎉🎉🎉🎉
thx!
There's still the Trinidad and Tobago Great Race! Some of those boats and racers have been around for longer than I have been alive (:
When I was in the Coast Guard we used to oversee the offshore powerboat races off of Ft Myers’s Beach Fl in the early 90s…….it was very cool.
The beat goes on
more at vehicule-magazine.com
I need this whole video set to the Miami Vice theme over and over. 😆
vehicule-magazine.com/
I remember as a kid watching the "Six-Million-Dollar Man" on TV, his origin story was that he was racing one of those boats and it essentially exploded. So they had to patch him up with "bionic" parts.
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No. Colonel Steve Austin was a test pilot who was piloting a lifting body type aircraft. They used actual footage of a test plane crash in the Opening credits.
Just went to the 2024 key west race this year for the first time in my life. Im hooked. Its incredible
vehicule-magazine.com
I worked for Cougar in Miami in the early 80's. We built a cat for Popeyes, some of us called it the Pope Yes, pretending it was supported by the Jesuits, and wondered what they were smuggling.
Here's something you may not know. The offshore boats always had at least two crew, one was usually the owner/driver who sat behind the wheel, the other was the throttle man. Guess what? For most of these boats, during the race the owner did nothing, other than have the shit scared out of him. the steering wheel was inoperative due to the forces on it at speed. The throttle man controlled both the speed and direction with the throttles. They were the real stars, hired guns rarely given credit.
facts
I think your confused. Driver some times needed help turning from the navigator. I was there back then.
@@yachteroz You may be right, it's just what Steve Curtis told me back then, and he was a throttle man.
I still love off shore racing!
same
Roger that, loved it. Never really figured drug runner in it much overblown.
For me the cost of these boats is the reason why I got into off road motorcycles. Motorcycles were a whole more affordable and accessible.
not really comparable
@@vehiculemagazinelol
I went to school with Rocky’s kids, Grace and Kevin Aoki. My sister and I even carpooled with them for a while. What they failed to mention in the video was that when he woke up from the second crash in his hospital bed his wife was on one side, and his mistress was on the other side. Reportedly his wife said that he mumbled oh shit, and tried to pretend like he had fallen back into his unconscious state. He owned and ran multiple strip clubs in So Cal in addition to his Japanese restaurant empire while sending his kids to private Christian schools. well, it may seem a bit silly now, Kevin was one of the first kids to own an actual full blown asteroids game, and I’m talking the arcade put your quarters in type.
kool
Anything that anybody can do is not a sport. My grandmother can take the helm of a boat but you don't see her on the cover of Time magazine. Same with sailing - sailing is a way to get somewhere just like a bus. So if riding a bus isn't a sport neither is sailing. - G.C.
My opinion, screw regulations. The people that race know the risks and danger of the sport. They know what they're getting into.. Just like Group B rally cars.
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I was there in the 80s with Captain America offshore racing team. I was at that race where mark Levin died. We stuffed a pro stock boat the week before in islamorada. 1986, i remember it well .
rip
Having raced a season in offshore my main competitor was executed on a road side presumably by a deal gone wrong. His brother has been arrested for the upteenth time on drug trafficking matters last week.
what year was this? or you mean present day?
The latest Cigarette boats are incredible and beautiful.
A tapestry of beauty and technology that exhilerates as intended. I would love to own one! Great video! Cheers!
not great quality
4:20 The boats that were created for SMUGGLING began to be used for ... SMUGGLING hahahah
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Just went down to Key West this past Sunday for the 2024 World Championships in Key West. Been going down there since my dad used to take me as a kid in the 90's. Good times.
cool we are the new world + national champs. team montlick / doug wright
Great video!!!!
thanks!
awesome content!
read more vehicule-magazine.com
To anyone on the outside, they instantly relate this with the 80's in miami and drug trafficking
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I love me some offshore race boats!
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I grew up in this era going to the marathon and Key West races every year for I wanna say the better part of 10 years back in the mid to late 80s and 90s I’ve met Maguda and falcon and I’ve met Tom gentry and I’ve met all of these racers in person. My uncle was the crane operator that would put all of these boats in the water in Mallory Square in Key West. So I would get to see them every year, and my favorite boat was Popeyes because of Popeye, the sailor. But I will never forget the victory accident that happened and seeing some of these guys and Don Johnson. This is back in the day when sports were real not that they’re not now but it’s very protected safety regulations you can only have so much power and the boats have to be built a certain way back then there was none of that. It was you race what you brought and you brought the best of the best of what you thought was the best. And yes, people died, but it was the best racing in the world.
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Diehard enthousiaste 😅👋
Great work putting this together team 😍
thanks! read more at vehicule-magazine.com
I want in this world so bad! Minus the drug smuggling! I’ve got a 1983 Excalibur 27 and fountain 32 fever. Trying to get a cigarette or Apache would be the dream end game!
you can get it here vehicule-magazine.com
@@brandonthorbahn2405 have you watched the video of bigfoot
Forget the boats, I just want the bricks. Tell Virgil write _brick_ on my brick.
I know very little power boat history but I know there were women that raced these boats.
Greatest time ever for the sport.
I remember a certain individual owned several laundromats in the Miami area 😂
So, is it just the guy with the most money and fastest boat that wins or is there any skill involved? I would have hoped to learn that in 22 minutes.
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When men were men and sheep were scared. 😂
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Signal of status. Like owning race horses or politicians.
😆❄️❄️❄️❄️
12:36 Holy crap! That's Steve Aoki's legendary father! I didn't know he was into Powerboating 😂
read all about it vehicule-magazine.com/
Yikes-dangerous beyond belief.Some of them were unlucky enough to survive a bad "accident" with a broken spine-permanent paralysis.
Glamorous but nothing glamorous about paraplegia for 25 years if you were unlucky enough to afford round the clock nursing care to keep you alive that long.
I feel the sport really died when the Popeye's boat wrecked just off the rocks right by fort Zacher Taylor of keywest I was there for that race that wreck killed the whole crew and the offshore racing scene was never the same it got a bit pf a boost back when Miss Giego came on the scene
it’s lives on with VÉHICULE
were Erroll Lanier and Randy Lanier related. I didn't know Randy raced for a short time with Ben Kramer. had no idea. I'd love to see any content you might be able to put together about my hero's Matt Alcone and Jerry Gilbreath in the ultimate skater- the Douglass marine which is now just skater w/ sterling engines ohhhhh baby. I'd love to see what info you can edit I'm sure it would be the best content on TH-cam about Alcone Motorsports.
read all about it vehicule-magazine.com
No there is no relation.
10:29 Wow.. Almost 13 hours straight avg speed 50mph in a boat.. on the ocean.. I thought my 13 hour flights to China where rough on me :)
lol
AMERICA F YEAH 🦅
Yes🎉
I was wondering what happened to offshore power boat racing. Thanks for this.
No worries!
excellent video, thanks for posting, young people have no idea about this era in American history. I lived those times..
Glad you enjoyed it
read vehicule-magazine.com for more
Many of them were powered by war surplus Merlins, weren’t they?
G'day,
The "Sport" which got it's start when Unkle Spam repealed the Prohibition Laws, suddenly flooding the market with overpowered Rum-Runners...; has died out
About
The time all the fastest Boats were being re-employed as
Drug-Smugglers along Coastlines all around the World.
And, now, GPS-guided
Suicide Drones are being built up from otherwise
Unemployed Racing Speedboat Hulls.
"Is this Journey
Really
Neccessary...?"
As the posters used to say.
;-p
Ciao !
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