An offshore racing rookie driver, Taylor Scism of MTI in Wentzville., Mo., has at least two things going for her as she works her way into the sport. First, the 25-year-old has a great attitude. Second, she does not lack for access to excellent instructors. Shaun Torrente, the reigning F1 H2O tunnel-boat world champion, shared the cockpit with her for her first 450R Factory Stock race last weekend in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

School was in for rookie racer Taylor Scism and her teacher Shaun Torrente at last weekend’s Thunder on Cocoa Beach event. Photos by Coleman McGowan copyright speedonthewater.com

At the upcoming Lake Race next month on the Lake of the Ozarks—her home-water—in Central Missouri, she’ll drive alongside multi-time offshore world champion throttleman John Tomlinson in the cockpit of the Team MTI 390X catamaran. And if she needs advice a little closer to home as both Torrente and Tomlinson live in Florida, she can always turn to her famous father and MTI founder, Randy Scism, yet another gentleman in her corner with an impeccable powerboat-racing pedigree.

Straight out of the cockpit after the Cocoa Beach event, Taylor Scism was joyful and ready for more.

“Oh my gosh that was so much fun,” she said. “Shaun did great in the boat on throttles and the boat handled the conditions so well—we were super happy with it.”

Torrente, who tends to be direct and candid in his assessments of most things, said his student was first-class in her first real offshore-racing class

“She did great,” he said. “She had some nerves which is to be expected, but she kept her head and did a pretty good job maintaining focus.

“Focus is the hardest thing for an adult that has never raced to have” he continued. “Most people have never had to keep absolute laser focus for 10 minutes straight, never mind 45 minutes.”

Taylor Scism is looking forward to racing on her home-water next month.

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