For those of us who are friends with Reggie Fountain, III, on Facebook, a new canopied carbon-fiber Fountain 40-foot raceboat has been generating quite a buzz about whether the company that used to make a kilo record attempt a semi-annul event is thinking about going after the big number again.

If the current plan holds, this 40-foot carbon fiber Fountain raceboat will debut in the Superboat Extreme class during the SBI Offshore World Championships in Key West, Fla., in November.

“It’s in our minds, that’s for sure,” said Joe Curran, the new chief operating officer at Iconic Marine Group, the parent company of Fountain Powerboats as well as Baja Marine, Donzi Marine and Pro-Line Boats. “When I came on board, the first meeting we had, we talked about it. I think the performance business is begging for another run at it and I think the company that should do it would be us.”

Then he brought the conversation back to earth, saying “We’re trying to get the production lined up to get some volume going in the company again.”

Fountain, III, whose official title at Iconic Marine is High Performance engineer, said he would love the chance to reclaim the title of world’s fastest V-bottom and that he thinks the carbon-fiber 40-footer could “definitely run 200 mph,” but at least initially, the boat is going to be built with the specified carbureted motors mandated for the Superboat Extreme class of the Super Boat International circuit. The owner doesn’t want to reveal his identity, but the boat is expected to make its debut at the annual SBI Offshore World Championships in Key West, Fla., in November.

In an American Powerboat Association-sanctioned run as a Special Event two years ago, Outerlimits Powerboats set a speed record of 180.464 on the Pamlico River near the Iconic Marine Group factory. Fountain Powerboats still owns the V-bottom class record of 171.88 mph set by Reggie Fountain, II, and Ben Robertson in 2004.

Asked to elaborate on his bold prediction for the new boat’s top speed, Fountain, III, explained that the boat that ran 171.88 12 years ago was bigger, taller and heavier and was powered by twin 1,500-hp Sterling engines. Drop twin Mercury Racing 1650 turbocharged motors into the newer, lighter boat running and, said Fountain, “It’s pretty easy to do the math.”

If the opportunity comes up, Fountain said he would jump at the chance to be in the boat. “It’s a huge check that someone would have to write,” he said. “It always comes down to the money.”

Yeah, yeah. But we can all hope that someone will step up and write that check.

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