WHM Motorsports heads into Clearwater, Fla., with a healthy Superboat-class points lead. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

When 2014 World Champion Broadco catamaran rolled during Super Boat International’s season-opener in Cocoa Beach, Fla., it was as if all the air got sucked out of the 2015 Superboat-class season. More than the 2014 World Champions, Broadco’s driver/owner Chuck Broaddus and throttleman were archrivals of driver/owner J.R. Noble and throttleman Mark Kowalski of the 2014 National Champion Stihl team. Beyond the great competition they provided on the racecourse, the two aggressive teams represented an MTI versus Skater catamaran conflict, and “factory” rivalries ignite the passions of brand-loyal fans.

In short, Broadco versus Stihl was good for the sport. And in a couple of horrifying seconds, it was done for the 2015 regular season.

Of course, there are other highly competitive teams in the class—the WHM Motorsports Skater cat owned and driven by Billy Mauff and throttled by Jay Muller chief among them.

Read more: SBI National Championships, Part II: Superboat-Class Question Marks

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