Most of the time, finishing sixth out of seven boats in an offshore race is nothing to get excited about. But for Reese Langheim and Ricky Maldonado, who shared the cockpit of a Super Stock-class 32-foot Victory Team-built catamaran called Jackhammer in Clearwater, Fla., last Sunday and did just that, it was a solid, even encouraging result.
With six Victory Team-built raceboats heading to the Roar Offshore event in Southwest Florida and sport catamaran sales growing, the Dubai-based outfit is making its presence felt in North America. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.
First, they had never befpre shared the cockpit. Second, they had a significant mechanical issue that put one of their 300-hp Mercury outboard engines out of commission—and they still finished the race.
“We were not even running at 100 percent—we were running at about 80 percent of what that boat can do—and we were still battling for the lead right from the start,” said Maldonado, a veteran offshore racer who throttled the boat with Langheim, its owner, behind the wheel. “I have never raced with Reese before and I haven’t race all year. But we were very, very competitive until one of our powerheads came lose and we started popping out of gear. Eventually, we broke a drive shaft.
“We finished the race running 58 to 61 mph on one engine,” he added. “I had no idea the boat could do that. And I was impressed with Reese’s performance and that he’s fearless—he actually is.”
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