Winning an American Power Boat Association/Union International Motonautique offshore racing world championship in dominant fashion in a boat of your own creation—make that the first boat of your own creation—is a neat trick. But that’s what Brit Lilly of Arnold, Md., pulled off in his home-built 29-foot Stock V-class LSB/Hurricane of Awesomeness raceboat last November in the Race World Offshore-produced, APBA/UIM Offshore World Championships in Key West, Fla. Lilly and teammate Kevin Smith went three for three that week and followed it up the next weekend with a two-for-two performances at the Offshore Powerboat Association’s own world championships Englewood Beach, Fla.

Built by Brit Lilly, this Extreme 29-foot raceboat No. 2 is going to Kyle Miler and his team at New Jersey-based Speed Marine.

That, plus a few minutes in the cockpit after the Englewood Beach event was enough to convince New Jersey-based Kyle Miler, the owner Stock V-class Speed Marine team and the shop that bears its name, that he needed to order an Extreme 29-footer from Lilly for he and teammate/lead rigger Jay Wohltman to campaign this season.

“It was like going from a Miata to a Ferrari,” he said, then chuckled. “We were really taken aback.”

The hull was laid up with a combination of vacuum-bagged S-glass, carbon fiber and Kevlar. Lilly plans to pop it up from the mold this week.

“I’m using what I learned from (Skater Powerboats founder) Pete Hledin,” said Lilly. “It’s the same lamination schedule and method he uses in his builds like his 388 raceboat.”

Lilly currently is working on the deck. He expects to finish the boat in six weeks.

“Kyle will take the boat back to New Jersey and rig it in his Speed Marine shop,” said Lilly.

New for 2021, the Stock V-class LSB/Hurricane of Awesomeness raceboat won the last five races of the year. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Miller and his in-house crew, which includes Scott Thurber, Mike Mironyk, Reese Hackett, Lenny Gerome, Chris Carbone and Bobby Kraemer, will pull the engine from the team’s 30-foot Phantom and install it in their new Lilly-built raceboat. Other than the powerplant, all components—Speed Marine fabricates its own tailpipes, engine mounts, brackets and more—will be brand new. They are hoping to have the boat ready in time for the APBA Offshore National Championship Series season-opener May 21-22 in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

“I am chomping at the bit and super-excited, but don’t want to rush it,” said Miller. “If Brit gets it done in six weeks, I think we’ll be able to make it in time for Cocoa Beach.

“I’ll probably put the other boat up for sale, but I want the right buyer—I won’t just sell it to a poker-runner,” he added. “I’d rather just keep it.”

Lilly’s next build will go to his friend and fellow offshore racer Steve Miklos, who competes in the Mod V class. That model, however, will be Lilly’s first 29-foot Extreme pleasure-boat build.

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