Of all the events Performance Boat Center of Osage Beach, Mo., has produced during the past nine-plus years, today’s inaugural Mercury Marine/Mercury Racing Outboard Only Fun Run must be—without question—the quietest event in the multi-brand dealership’s history. The reason, of course, has everything to do with the power behind the 42 boats that participated in the causal event, which made several stops at waterfront locations on the Lake of the Ozarks.

Thanks to Performance Boat Center, outboard-powered boats of all kinds gathered on and enjoyed the Lake of the Ozarks today. Photo by Taylor Scism copyright MTI/speedonthewater.com.

The happening also attracted the broadest cross-section of vessel types to date for a Performance Boat Center event.

“There was everything from pontoon boats, to center consoles, to raceboats and more,” said Mike Griffiths, a Missouri-based, well-known hydrodynamics specialist for Mercury Racing who represented the Fond du Lac, Wis., high-performance marine engine and accessories company at the run. “There was everything from center consoles and catamarans with 450R outboards to a 29-foot Sunsation powered by a couple of 150-hp Mercury Marine Four-Strokes.

“It was a really great mix of boats and a really great mix of people,” he continued. “I’m really glad Performance Boat Center organized the whole thing. It brought a variety of people and their boats together.”

Of course, there were plenty of like-powered, like-sized sport catamarans in the mix such as Wright Performance 360 and 420 models.

“It was so cool,” said Myrick Coil of Performance Boat Center, who piloted the dealership’s first Wright Performance 360 with his wife, Missi. “It’s a blast when all the boats run about the same speed.”

Among today’s participants was Taylor Scism of Wentzville, Mo.-based MTI. The company also boasted strong representation in the form of 340X and 390X catamarans—including the first 390X eight-seater—as well as a couple of MTI-V 42 center consoles.

Check out the slideshow above to enjoy some of the outboard engine hardware on display today.

“It was fun to participate in an event with such a wide variety of boats,” said Scism, echoing Griffiths sentiments. “We made stops at The Fish and Company and Franky and Louie’s and then headed back to our house. But we’ll be back for the party.”

Scism and the rest of the event participants will celebrate tonight at the new High Tide adult-oriented, dual-pool, bar and live entertainment venue behind the Performance Boat Center-adjacent Redhead Lakeside Grill. Performance Boat Center co-owners Brett Manire and Mark Waddington will be there, as will much of the PBC crew.

Asked if tonight’s post-event party likely will be louder than the boats on the water were today, Manire laughed. “I could yell louder,” he said. “The water patrol had to be like, ‘Thank god, this is awesome. There were no complaints.”

Griffiths certainly didn’t have any. “I have been around this stuff for a long time, so a turbocharged quad-cam four-valve Mercury Racing engine is about as loud as I want,” he said. “I like the quiet.”

Mercury Racing and Mercury Marine outboard engines took center stage at Performance Boat Center today.

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