Offshore Powerboats

[brmill26]

I think this falls pretty solidly into the "something different" category! Oddly enough, offshore powerboat racing is the first type of racing I really got into, starting back in middle school. My family used to fly down to Ft. Myers, Florida every year to watch the race, which at the time, was very popular - 40 or 50 boats was pretty common.

This year, it worked out that the Gulf Shores, AL event landed on the weekend before school started back, so it timed well for a vacation. Offshore boat racing has been through some rough times in the past few years, with warring sanctioning bodies dividing competitors, and now after several years of bad economy, luxury goods companies like boat builders are really hurting. So the days of 50 boats are long gone; there were about 18 at this race.

But for those of you who know racing, these are pretty impressive vehicles. The "lowest" class is Factory 1, comprised of vee hull boats under 30' in length, powered by a single 525hp motor. They run about 90mph. The most popular class is Cat 850, 30-40' catamarans running twin 850hp motors (1700hp), over 150mph. The top class is completely unlimited - two or more 1200hp+ motors are common, with speeds over 200mph in the cats.

A boy checking out one of the Factory 1 boats


This is a Mercury Racing Six drive - used on all boats but the Factory classes. Bring $100,000 if you want one. The prop is not attached because they're polished to a razor sharp edge.


One of the Cat 850 rigs


An Unlimited Cat - twin 1,000hp motors in a 46' Skater


The seas were 4-6ft on both Saturday and Sunday, plenty enough to send these boats in the air.


Safety crews in Jet Rangers follow closely behind - VERY closely, sometimes only a few feet off the water.


A pretty big jump on the back stretch


4,000hp, comin' at ya!




Coast Guard cutter in the distance, an 850 cat jumping the props out of the water. All boats have a separate throttleman and driver, as the throttleman has to constantly cut the throttle on every jump to avoid damaging the motors and drives.


Up so high they can't even see!


That's almost 50' and 10,000lbs of boat in the air.


Kinda hard to see at this size, but you can just make out the pattern the prop blades cut as they re-enter the water



The full album of 60 shots is here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...939&id=7004397

[JSPhoto]

Nice Brad, and definately different! Thats one thing I have wanted to shoot but just never had the chance, hopefully some day.

JS

[Jimmy B]

Nice presentation Brad and yes it is not the norm here:-) Quit impressive HP ratings. Penske dabbled in some off shore stuff in the mid 70s.
Unlimited hydros are really big here in Seattle, I have never been to one of the races:-( like JS one of these years.
JB

[Old Timer]

Great to have something different Brad. thanks for the narrative too, for those of us that know nothing of the sport it helped. You did a great job with these, thanks for thinking of us.

[wull]

Some awsome shot Brad. They things look huge.

Like the ones with the helicopters the most.

Well done

[brmill26]

Thanks a lot guys! It's definitely a lot of fun to watch. If you ever get a chance to shoot it, you absolutely should! What's better than standing on the beach watching race boats jump around at 150mph? If you ever get to shoot it, bring the longest zoom you've got and definitely use a UV or some kind of filter you can clean, b/c you WILL have salt condense on the front of the lens! (I knew this and was prepared). OT, I figured it would help to give some context on these monsters, b/c it is a pretty obscure form of racing. Wull, those are my favorites as well.

Jimmy, I think you'll appreciate this: Mercury Racing's 850SCi - 502ci, twin superchargers, fully computerized w/ EFI, dry sump, etc...

[Lori11]

Awesome shots Brad! I wanted to go to that so bad! I love the helicopter shots too :thumbsup: One more summer I didnt make it to Gulf Shores

[Jimmy B]

Sweet ! we just got done rebuilding 2- 454 BB chevy motors for a boat at the shop, not as extreme as that one.
Thanks Brad
JB

[ciddog91]

Nice Job....

I love watching the boat races here in Detroit. I was lucky enough to be part of the "safety crews" for one a few years back. I was in the police boat that kept crowds at bay and to respond to the accidents if the boats crashed. Way cool...

I just didn't have a camera back then...

Maybe next time...

Awesome job..

Phil