Speed On The Water

Caught up with Tim Gallagher, sales director for center-console boat builder Deep Impact Boats in Miami. According to Gallagher, the CNC tooling for the company’s new 39-foot-long center console, which will be offered with triple or quad outboard engines, is being completed and the CNC tooling for the builder’s new 42-footer has begun.

“We will get under construction with the new 39 very shortly and the first one should be ready for the February (2011) Miami Show,” said Gallagher. “The first model will be fully open with center seating. We will follow up with a cabin model.”

Pricing has yet to be established, according to Gallagher.

“We have tons going on here,” said Gallagher, who left Cigarette Racing Team to join Deep Impact. “The main reason I came here is because of this company’s aggressive attitude, even in this economy. These guys are moving forward.”

In Other Deep Impact News

•The company’s Miami Heat center console will grace the cover of the next issue of Ocean Drive magazine. Onboard the 36-footer with quad 350-hp Verado outboards from Mercury Racing will be the Heat’s latest acquistion, LeBron James.

Dave’s Scott’s 4,000-hp Nauti Marine catamaran won’t be the only 50-foot Mystic at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout August 23-29, but it could be the only one running. That’s according to John Cosker, the owner and found of Mystic Powerboats in DeLand, Fla.

“Hopefully, JBS is going up, but they had some problems with their turbines two weekends ago so we’ll see,” said Cosker.

"We should be able to make it," said Jeff Stevenson the owner of JBS Racing, which is moving its turbine engine program in-house from Turbine Marine. "We're planning on being there."

StIf JBS does make it, the cat will be driven by Stevenson and throttled by Joe Skrocki.

“Don Onkan is talking about going as well in the new open-cockpit 50 we’re building for him with twin V-16 engines—I think he’s making 1,600 or 1,700 horsepower a side—but I’m not sure that his drives will be ready,” added Cosker. “But he’s going to bring the boat, even if it’s just on display.”

Former offshore racing notable Dave Scott can be one of the most gracious, engaging people you’ll ever meet. Back when he was racing in the various Anheuser-Busch-backed catamarans including Bud Light and Bacardi Silver with John Tomlinson, he and his crew would spend hour and hour talking with fans of all kinds. Scott was endlessly accessible. He was a truly great—and is a sorely missed—ambassador for the sport.

Heck, he might even buy you a Bud Light or Bacardi Silver after work hours.

But make no mistake, Scott is one fiery competitor. That’s especially true when it comes to the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. First, the event, which happens this year from August 23-30, is on his home water in Missouri. Second—he doesn’t like to lose.

“We plan on defending our Top Gun title again,” Scott told me in a recent email. “We’re bringing the Nauti Marine 50-foot Mystic powered by two 2,000-hp blown alcohol engines built by my guy ‘Lucky’ Bodenbach. Lucky was on my "Budweiser" crew and now owns a high-performance engine business named New Century Performance. We ran 196 mph last year for the Shootout's Top Gun honors and would like to equal or exceed that speed.”

Even with some of the serious hardware reportedly coming to this year’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout—more on that in tomorrow’s blog—I sure wouldn’t bet against him.

About six months ago, Cigarette Racing Team made a big-splash with its AMG-inspired 46-footer powered by twin 1,350-hp turbocharged engines from Mercury Racing at the Miami International Boat Show. But since then, the boat has fallen off radar.

So where it is now?

“It’s right below me,” said Skip Braver, owner and chief executive officer of Cigarette Racing Team in Opa-Locka, Fla., whose office has a picture window that looks into the main plant. “I’ve been driving the heck out of it. We have over 100 hours on it. The boat is running like a dream. It handles like a 525 (Mercury Racing 525EFI engine) boat around the docks.”

The bigger question: How fast is it?

“I won’t give you that number,” said Braver. “But it goes faster than any production Cigarette has ever gone.”

According to a closely placed source, the public will get its first look at the Cigarette AMG in action today as part of the Mercedes-Benz AMG Fashion Week event.