A multi-time Super Boat International Superboat Unlimited-class world champion driver, Marc Granet will pilot the MGI Digital Technology/Konica Minolta 41-foot MTI raceboat with team owner/throttleman Randy Sweers in Sunday’s race during next week’s SBI Offshore World Championships in Key West, Fla. Although Granet has been out of the 44-foot Miss GEICO catamaran’s cockpit for the past one-and-a-half seasons, he remains an active partner in the Miss GEICO offshore racing team owner’s group.

Longtime friends Randy Sweers and Marc Granet will share the cockpit of the MGI Digital Technology/Konica Minolta MTI in Sunday’s race during the SBI Key West Worlds. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

With just one set of engines and his sponsors in Key West only for Sunday’s contest, Sweers, who’ll also be competing in the Superboat Stock class, decided to opt out of the Wednesday and Friday Superboat-class contests and preserve his hardware to run Sunday with Granet.

“Marc and I have been good friends for a long time,” said Sweers. “Obviously, he has a lot of seat time in an MTI as well as other boats. I didn’t know if he’d be able to do this based on his Miss GEICO relationship, but he said it was no problem and he’s very excited to be in the boat.

“I think it will be a great combination—and who knows where the future will take us?” he added. “It will be our first time in the boat together so we won’t be trying to set the world on fire. Our goal, as always, will be to get around the course as safely and quickly as possible, and hopefully by the end of the race that has us out front. But if not, I’m OK with that.”

“Randy called me and said, ‘You have always been a big supporter of me and my race team, why don’t you come race with me in Key West?’” Granet said. “So this is kind of a neat culmination of a friendship in that we finally get to race together.

“I’ve watched the Superboat class for so long,” he added. “I’ve raced against Johnny Tomlinson in the Unlimited class, but I’ve never had the chance to compete against guys like Jay Muller and Billy Mauff. It’s really exciting to get a shot at that.”

On Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Granet will drive the defending 2017 Super Stock-class champion Shadow Pirate raceboat, a 32-foot Doug Wright catamaran owned and throttled by Nick Scafidi, who ran with his son in Key West last year. Scafidi reached out to Granet and the two inked a deal yesterday.

Granet brings two-seasons of Stock-class experience to the Shadow Pirate team. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

While most offshore racing fans know Granet from the Miss GEICO team, he drove the Stock-class Loan Shark boat with throttleman Dan Lawrence for two full seasons long before the Miss GEICO opportunity presented itself.

“Some of the most fun I’ve ever had racing was in a Stock-class boat,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to getting back in one.”

In Marc Granet, Sweers and Scafidi have a highly motivated veteran driver—and one who knows how to win—in their cockpits. Photo courtesy/copyright Andy Newman.

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