Malta Powerboat Association

My favorite cover: 42 McManus "Off Duty" graced Powerboat on PB's 25th annaversary..

UPDATE! Now (June 20), Bonnier has said they’re relaunchingPowerboat. They’ve rehired Jason Johnson. Maybe our collective, misty-eyed recollections brought them to reconsider. Whatever the reason, good call! Bring it back better than ever, OK Jason?

Here’s what I said before their flip-flop:

I will miss Powerboat Magazine. I was reflecting on some of the stories. I recall so many interactions with great people there. Hanging on the wall in my home is a poster of my favorite cover. The July 1993 issue featured my race, with the late Lisa Nordskog navigating, through the Florida Keys against Motor Trend’s Michael Brockman in a 348 Ferrari. (He won the race, but I got 10 pages and a cover in Powerboat plus six in Motor Trend!)

What I didn’t really notice, until after I received “The Notice,” was that the cover boasted, “We Made It!” 25 years on PB’s hour meter. It never occurred to me that this book would end. It’s Powerboat. I expected 50 years on the hour meter.

Yes, this economy has been tough on all of our industry, its current and former employees, and most of our customers. Budgets had to shrink. Activities and people had to be cut. But it looked like PB had made the right, tough decisions in order to survive – including selling itself. Perhaps obvious in hind sight, not all the right ones. It appears the last independent decision was fatal.

It’s as if Off Duty and the 348 had both run out of gas in Marathon.

Powerboat covered the high performance waterfront!

Bob Nordskog founded Powerboat Magazine in 1968. It quickly earned respect for its timely coverage of the performance boat industry. Performance trials that were honest and accurate. It was unmatched for photography and graphic design. Tech tips and Q & A columns by experts added value and personality. In depth race coverage from all corners of the globe was a unique contribution. PB had it all.

I think Dick De Bartolo may be the lone survivor who was with the magazine from the beginning. I remember reading Dick’s column as a kid – a funny story regarding barnacles sticks in my head. I didn’t realize that he also writes for Mad Magazineuntil I met him years later. Thanks for the laughs and gadget features, Dick.

It’s been interesting for me to have met and become friends with the editors through time; Mark Spencer, Eric Colby, Gregg Mansfield, Brett Becker, Jason Johnson and Vicki Newton to name a few. My former PB writer friends include tech experts Bob Teague, Terry Tomalin (offshore racing coverage) and Matt Trulio (power & propulsion).

Hearing the news of Powerboat being sold – and retired! – brings mixed emotions. Its like losing an old friend. Our thoughts and support go out to employees affected by the transition and we wish you all the best in your future. We hope to see Powerboat again with a special issue — or a rebirth (I can hope). In the mean time — we’ll cherish the memories of a great magazine and continue friendship with the people who made you great.

Mike Hammer (background) rolls a batch of OptiMax 200XS powerheads to the dyno. Powerheads are broke-in and race ready when they leave our facility.

Gary Aman mounts a Sport Master gearcase to a 200XS ROS mid section.

Outboards. Outboards. Outboards everywhere! Mercury Racing’s factory floor is a buzz of activity. We’re busy with a large build of low-emissions 2-stroke OptiMax 200XS SST(Super Stock Tunnel) and ROS (Race Offshore) outboards. A majority of the direct-fuel injected engines are headed to Europe for race venues in Sweden, Italy and France.

Complete engines and conversion kits are being built. The conversion kits, which include a powerhead, tuner, cowlings and gearcase, are a one-time offer for the 2011 season. The SST and ROS kits are available to racers who want to upgrade from older, naturally aspirated, 2.0 liter SST 120 and XR2 Race Offshore engines.

OptiMax 200XS ROS race outboard.

OptiMax 200XS SST race outboard.

Both SST and ROS end models feature a 2.5 Liter V-6 OptiMax powerhead which combines components from the OptiMax 2.5XS and the  Mercury Racing engineered 175 Pro XS outboard.

The 200XS SST features a 12-inch race mid section and a uinque IV SSM gearcase which switches the right-hand engine rotation to a left-hand propeller shaft rotation. This is required for the hard, left-hand turns of tunnel boat race courses.

The 200XS ROS features a 15-inch mid section and a 1.75:1 Sport Master gearcase. Models are available in both right-hand and left-hand rotation for multiple engine applications.

Mercury OptiMax 200XS outboards placed 1-2 at the 2000 24 Hours of Rouen race.

This OptiMax 200XS SST powered boat won Class 2 competition at the 2002 24 Hours of Rouen race.

The first batch of OptiMax 200XS SST race outboards to leave Fond du Lac are heading to Rouen, France. There they will power Class 2 competitors in the 48th annual24 Hours of Rouen endurance powerboat race, April 30-May 1. Mercury has powered more podium finishers in Rouen than any other outboard manufacturer. The 200XS SST won the 2000 24 Hour race, beating larger, higher power Evinrude and Johnson engines and has won the Class 2 competition many times.  Much of the engine’s success in Rouen can be attributed to the fuel efficiency of the direct-fuel injection OptiMax technology. Race teams take full advantage of the engines superior fuel economy over competitive carbureted and electronic fuel injected engines. OptiMax powered boats can run more laps using less fuel – thus reducing the number of fuel stops. Performance, durability, fuel efficiency. Vital assets for success in Rouen.

2010 SST 120 World Champion Jimmie Merleau.

An OptiMax 200XS SST ready for boxing.

Today, the 200XS SST is the exclusive power for F1 H20′s Nations Cup Championship. The all-new series features two boat teams representing countries from around the world competing in identically rigged tunnel hull race boats.  The Formula 2000 Mercury Grand Prixseries in Sweden features the 200XS SST in SST200  class racing. Numerous  U.S. promoters, including the APR Superleague, feature the engine in SST200 class racing as well.

The OptiMax 200XS ROS is the official power of U.I.M. Class 3C offshore racing.

An OptiMax 200XS ROS staged for boxing.

The OptiMax 200XS ROS is the exclusive power behind Union International Motonautique (U.I.M.) Class 3C offshore racing, a highly competitive single engine offshore racing class which competes throughout Europe.  Numerous outboard offshore racing series, including XCat World Powerboat Racing Series, are considering the 200 XS ROS for future competition use. The engine is being tested by the Outboard Drag Boat Association for future low-emissions classes as well.

It is refreshing to see racing organizations throughout the world acknowledge what we’ve known for sometime; OptiMax has a place and a future on the racecourse.