Powerboat Magazine Ends Regular Publication Upon Aquisition by Bonnier Corp.

Long established as THE source for news, boat reviews and features covering the world of high performance boating, Powerboat Magazine will cease regular publication in August after being purchased by Bonnier Corporation, one of America's largest consumer publishing groups. With over 1,000 employees and more than $350 million in annual revenue, Bonnier Corp. ranks in the top 10 nationally among publishing companies. The company was formed in March 2007 when Sweden's Bonnier Group purchased 18 magazines from Time Inc. and combined those assets with its U.S. magazine partner, World Publications,

Rumors of a purchase offer had been floating around performance boating forums for about a week, but only today has the announcement of Powerboat's sale been officially announced on the Powerboat Facebook web page:

"Surely hope this isn't an end of an era, but it's still a sad day. After the July 2011 issue, which is being sent out this week, it looks like Boating will be coming your way if you're a Powerboat subscriber."

Bonnier currently publishes a number of marine-relate titles, including Boating, Sportfishing, Yachting and WaterSki, among others. Reportedly, Powerboat and Trailer Boats (also acquired from Affinity Media Group) will be offered from time-to-time as "special issues" during the boating season.

Of course, I enjoyed Powerboat as much as anyone else, and it has been hard to watch the magazine gradually shrink as the performance boat industry has taken a beating over the last few years. While the content has always been first-class, the fewer number of advertising pages sold has clearly had a significant impact on the cost of operation. While on the surface, it seems like the end of an era--it may be a sign that media coverage of performance boating is simply changing to reflect new technologies, new publishing models and new times. We're looking forward to being a part of that.

Available Now: [B3] Powerboat Weekly News for May 16 - 22

Be sure to check out this week's issue of The [B3] Powerboat Weekly. You can read why Cocoa Beach is  ready For The Thunder of Super Boats, discover Lakeside Restorations' Mid-May specials, and find out why the interest deduction for boats as second homes is under fire. Thanks to all our Twitter partners who help make it happen every week!

Available Now: [B3] Powerboat Weekly News for May 9 - 15

Be sure to check out this week's issue of The [B3] Powerboat Weekly. You can read a review of Formula's  new 37 Cruiser, argue over Boating Magazine's 10 Best Places to Live and Boat, or watch US Racers as they check out P1 Powerboat's new Panther. Plus, you can catch up on recent happenings with Class 1. Thanks to all our Twitter partners who help make it happen every week!

No Shortage of Boat Drink Ideas with Voodoo Tiki Margarita Book

As always, it's great to relax at the end of a long day of boating with a nice cool drink--and if you're doing your own bartending, it's a good idea to have some solid cocktail recipes on hand. Smart mixologists know that one of the favorites among the ladies is the Margarita, and a free recipe book, now available from Voodoo Tiki Tequila, can help fill in any gaps in your Margarita know-how.

If you haven't come across it yet, Voodoo Tiki is a relatively new brand of tequila that takes the fun factor to a whole new level. Voodoo Tiki is made from 100 percent blue agave and comes in three main styles: Platinum Silver, Reposado and Anejo. It's a super-premium brand, featuring a unique and creative package. The result--which is something of a collector’s piece--is a hand-blown, numbered and signed glass bottle with a hand-crafted tiki statuette inside.

PHOTO CREDIT: Voodootiki.com.

“The taste is clean, not harsh, hot or woody,” says company head Donna DeCunzo-Taddeo, who expects sales of $1.2 million in 2009, up from about $240,000 in her first year. The Margarita Guide, available as a free PDF download, includes over 100 creative Margarita recipes. Get your copy HERE, and give the Voodoo a try.

Available Now: [B3] Powerboat Weekly News for April 25 - May 2

Another Monday is here...so it's your chance to review the new issue of The [B3] Powerboat Weekly. You can read about Unlimited Hydroplane Racing in Detroit, Legendary Marine in Destin, FL, HORBA, and Lakeside Marine's Easter specials. Thanks to all our Twitter partners who help make it happen!

Fast Boat Primer - Two Hot Minutes from Boating Magazine

It's no secret that in terms of the magazine and publishing industry, performance boating is going through some lean times. Some magazines covering the sport have disappeared altogether. Others are thinner, with fewer ad pages. We can hope that as the economy picks up things will get better, but in the interim, some of the mainstream boating magazines are picking up the slack...

Which brings us to the most recent issue of Boating Magazine, which includes several features about offshore powerboats and racing; if you haven't seen it on the local newsstand, stop by and pick it up. Also of interest is this brief video that the magazine posted on their website...it's only about two minutes long, but it's a slick introduction to the world of high speed powerboating.

Available Now: [B3] Powerboat Weekly News for April 18 - 24

Another week is here...so it's time to check out the new issue of The [B3] Powerboat Weekly. You can read about FPC's Naples Poker Run, Signs of Recovery in the Boating Industry, Class 1 Powerboat Racing, and more. Thanks to all our Twitter partners who help make it happen!

In Print: Classic Offshore Racing Programs

With so much information available on the Internet and our unending fixation on modern web-based technology, it's still nice to see some fine examples of old-school offshore racing memorabilia. Old offshore racing programs are not only collectible, they're just fun to look at while we reminisce about the past. That's why it was such a delight to see this thread on Serious Offshore [SOS] recently started by forum member Bobcat. If you're interested in seeing an interesting and nostalgic blast from the past, then I'd suggest you check this thread out.

Most of the programs that he and some other members have posted are from Offshore Racing's heyday, back in the 1970's and 80's. There are a number of cool program covers from races like the Key West World Championships, The Northport 200 in Michigan, the Marathon FL Challenge, Lake St. Clair races, Trump Castle World Championships and many more, including some international offshore examples from Cowes and Guernsey in Great Britain.

It's really a great thread, and I'd like to personally thank those individuals who took the time to scan and post these great old program covers. They say to know where you're going, it's always good to know where you've been; seeing these covers is a great way to get a glimpse into offshore racing's exciting past. Take a look!

Available Now: [B3] Powerboat Weekly News for April 11-17

One of the things we've been happy about is the [B3] Powerboat Weekly News - which we set up to gather some of the more interesting happenings around the performance powerboating world. We've been publishing this for some time - now we will also start featuring the latest issue in a weekly post every Monday.

This week's edition covers news about the 2011 OSS Season, "Jimmy Buffet Day" in Florida, Boating Magazine's 2012 swimsuit model search, UIM Class 1 News and much more. Check it out HERE.

Blogger Offers Awesome New Ways to View and Enjoy BigBadBoat

We're always trying to discover new ways to make our content more interesting and accessible, from providing an improved mobile site that's easier to read on the iPhone to audio posts from Odiogo and more. Thanks to Google and Blogger we can offer another site enhancement that will make it easier and more enjoyable to read BigBadBoat on the iPad or other tablet viewers.

Blogger's Dynamic Views allows you to access the website in several different ways, including Flipcard View, Mosaic View, Sidebar View, Snapshot View and Timeslide View. These views require modern browsers such as Internet Explorer 8+, Firefox 3.5+, Chrome or Safari. Many elements of these views will not work should you have an older browser. Here are what a few of them look like:

ABOVE: Flipcard view.

ABOVE: Sidebar view.

ABOVE: Mosaic view.

In all views, search is available in the upper right hand corner. Clicking on the ">" arrow in the very top left of the header bar will slide the header bar across and allow you to choose different views for the current blog as well as type in a new blog URL.

As you can see, these views lend themselves really well to reading on tablet devices like the iPad or any tablet PC. To read more about these views and how they work, check out this article: All about Dynamic Views for Readers.

Classic NZ Powerboat Still has Plenty of Class

Came across a nice story in The Northern Advocate focusing on a very nice restoration. Two years ago, an opportunity arose for Bryan McLean of Whangarei, NZ and his best pal of 50 years, 72-year-old Ian Reeves, to buy a boat. But it wasn't just any boat - it was a 38-year-old Classic Class boat named Topaz.

PHOTO CREDITS: The Northern Advocate.

"It was built by Jim McKay in Auckland 38 years ago, and in its hey-day won the New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Unlimited Championships twice. We completely stripped it and rebuilt it to exactly how it was 38 years ago. It's beautiful. We re-powered it with a big block Chevrolet Twin Turbo which develops around 1000hp and can exceed 80 miles per hour - even though it's a Classic class boat which means you cannot exceed 80 miles per hour when racing."

This year, the men got to test drive their hard work, contesting the Classic division in four rounds of the Rayglass New Zealand Offshore Powerboat Series. The pair, who were only competing for the "love of racing", not a championship title, were pleased with their second place in the Classic Class, finishing 30 seconds behind the winner. To read the whole story - check out the article HERE

Offshore Only: Exactly That - 24/7

Whether you're new to performance boating and want some information, or are an experienced boater trying to make some new contacts, it's hard to top Offshore Only, better known to its members as simply OSO. The site is one of the oldest and also the largest High Performance boating site on the Internet, and it's highly popular forum is probably the best place around to find out what's happening in the world of Offshore Powerboating.

The site is truly broad and comprehensive - featuring photo albums for members, a classified ad section, videos, live chat, hot spots an event calendar and much more. If you're looking for poker runs and events to attend, there are special forums arranged by geographic location, and insightful discussions about the various racing organizations, various boat brands and even the historical development of the sport can be found. Basic memberships that allow you to read content and post are free when you register; additional options like extended PMs, etc. are also available for an affordable annual or semi-annual membership fee.

PHOTO CREDITS: OffshoreOnly.com.

As I mentioned before, Offshore Only is big...and the people there are ready to provide you with helpful advice and opportunities to network with lots of like-minded performance boaters. If you're a frequent visitor, you'll eventually find yourself at home - and you'll be sure to enjoy some entertaining photos, funny stories and the inevitable banter that you'll find at any dockside tavern. Boating season has already started for some people - for those of us in Northern climes, it won't be too much longer. Tune into OSO now and get yourself on track for the season!

Celebrating 50 Years of Mercruiser Stern Drives

Here's a great way to pass the time during a cold winter--check out Fred Kiekhaefer's Mercury Racing Blog, where he reviews the colorful history of offshore racing as well as the evolution of the MerCruiser and Kiekhaefer drives.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mercury Racing.

The the first part of the chronology, which covers the years 1961 – 1987 is a great read - and the series stretches into 2 parts. Check out Part One HERE. If you're interested in further reading, Fred recommends Jeff Rodengen’s book, Iron Fist, Chapter 26, The Great Stern Drive Conspiracy, pp. 360 – 379. He describes it as a fascinating work of investigative journalism containing creation, deception, disloyalty, honor and captivating personalities of the sterndrive’s history.

Check out First Boat Linkedin Group for Boating Enthusiasts & Professionals

It seems that as the months grow colder and most of ourt boats head into storage, all we have left are our memories and a list of things we'd like to do next year! But you can still "talk boating" all you want, and a great place to do it is by joining up with the FirstBoat Linkedin Group.

Contrary to what you might think, it's not for people who have just purchased their "first boat" - but for folks from all industries who share the common interest of boats and boating. The group not only includes all types of boaters, but a wide range of experienced industry professionals, who are involved in a number of interesting discussions covering issues like Boat Shows, Marketing, Safety, Boat Design, Marina Operations and other related topics.

Of course, we all enjoy the latest talk about offshore racing and performance, but the FirstBoat group provides an excellent knowledge base and info resource, built on a very broad marine-industry foundation. Whether you're the proud owner of a high-powered offshore boat or an enthusiast who wants to find out more about boating and the marine industry, this site is a great place to start.

Darren's Offshore Photo Gallery is a Feast for Powerboat Racing Fans

Not long ago, we came across Darren's Offshore Photos - a remarkable site that features some incredible shots of offshore powerboat racing from the past three decades. Not only is the site a treat for fans of racing and great action photography, it's a great repository of examples of racing boat design -- as you'll see some images of the hottest high-performance boats to ever hit the water.

Darren Luhrs, who took many of the photos, is well-known around the offshore racing circuit as "the world's number one fan." Darren has traveled all over the United States attending offshore races with his father, lifelong boat racer Rich Luhrs. Rich has also enjoyed a long career as a commentator for offshore racing telecasts, on networks such as TNN, ESPN and SpeedVision. Father and son can both be found prowling performance boat venues all over the world.

PHOTO CREDIT: Darren's Offshore Photos.

A lot of offshore racers and photographers also contribute to Darren's site. In fact, he will add your photos to the site if you like; send them to him in JPEG format and tell him how you want the credits listed. All submitted photos are posted on the "Racers Photos" page, with full credit for the shot and a link to your website. It's clear that Darren understands how important it is to preserve the history of offshore racing...as he notes on the site:

"My trips to the races have allowed me to assemble a huge collection of offshore racing photos and now the Internet allows me to share them with you. This site has been built for your viewing pleasure, so stop by often and send your friends."

PHOTO CREDIT: Darren's Offshore Photos.

The site features a wide range of subjects, including race action from Key West, New Jersey, Sarasota, SBI Bahamas, NBPA New York '03, St. Clair MI '06, World Record attempts and much, much more. If you find yourself sitting around this winter after your boat's in storage, and want something to get your adrenaline flowing once again -- be sure and drop by Darren's photo galllery for a quick pick-me-up. And don't forget to say "hi."

Fear of Water; No Experience - It Didn't Stop Rose Lores from Becoming a Powerboat Racer

Women-sports blog Girlracer [UK] has a fascinating story about Formula 4 Stroke Offshore Powerboat racer Rose Lores. Prior to starting her racing career in 2006, Rose had never driven a boat of any kind and actually had a fear of going underwater. Now, at 50, she's celebrating by unveiling a new boat - sporting a bright orange livery and a new name, reflecting her sponsors, Berkshire, UK-based relationship marketing company, Eclipse Marketing. In the midst of her fourth year of competion, Rose has her eyes firmly set on getting her hands on some silverware, and is working to boost her team's overall stamina and navigation skills to make that a reality.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.girlracer.co.uk

The article explains how, after some NLP sessions (neuro linguistic programming) to cure her fear of water, and a crash course in powerboat racing with 7-time world champion Neil Holmes, Rose set out to prove that she had what it takes. The story also goes on to report some of the challenges she and navigator Sharyn Brown have faced since then, as well as the team's involvement in the current long-distance Cowes races. Check out the full article HERE.

Whatever Happened to Offshore Powerboat Racing? Matt Trulio Post Strikes a Chord with Offshore Boaters

When I first read Powerboat Magazine Editor Matt Trulio's post about offshore powerboat racing on Boats.com - Whatever Happened to Offshore Powerboat Racing? - I had to say there were a lot of things I was forced to agree with. You can't argue that the sport isn't struggling somewhat in the current world economy - but what is troubling is that a lot of the troubles are political and inherent to the sport: Team rivalries (Class 1), money and support (OSS) are just a couple of examples of the problems we are seeing now. Like any sport where strong personalities, significant amounts of money and complex rules may come into play, the results can often be less than desirable.

A lot of expectations have been set for this fall's CBS telecasts of Super Boat International races, and everyone is wondering how the product will look to television audiences. As Trulio points out in his article, those who have followed the sport through its ups-and-downs over the years are adopting a wait-and-see attitude; many just don't see the sport appealing to a mainstream audience - at least not the way it is currently constituted.

When I first started this thread about this story on the Serious Offshore forum, I thought it might provoke some comment from the die-hard racing enthusiasts there on the board. [to actually read the thread, you'll have to register, but it is FREE] Well, I was right. Current racers, fans and some of the most respected people in the sport (Rich Luhrs, Brownie and Trulio himself) have logged on to offer their thoughts on the subject, as have many others.

Surprisingly, this thread has also been one of the most civil and well-thought out conversations about powerboat racing we've seen in a while...many similar "discussions" about the racing scene have quickly dissolved into personal attacks and bitter recollections of the past. So far, we've seen some positive ideas brought out, a general consensus that some type of consolidation is critical, agreement that strong central leadership is a must, and a realization that some fresh ideas are badly needed.

PHOTO CREDITS: (above) woodenboat.com (Trulio) boats.com.

I would recommend that you register at SOS, read through the posts and see what you think. If nothing else, it will give you a valuable look at the landscape of offshore powerboat racing - especially in the U.S., and some insights to how we got to where we are now. More thoughtful discourse like this won't solve the problem by itself, but it may help point us to some solutions that will benefit powerboat racing worldwide. Anything we can do to make it better will help - let us know what you think!

Italian Boat Design Shines on The "High Blue Sea"

It's clear that great boat design knows no boundaries in terms of time or location. Some of the first stepped-hull designs are almost 100 years old, and many of the most innovative design ideas have come from overseas. Such is the case with Renato "Sonny" Levi, who's expressive and effective boat designs are showcased on a very interesting Italian website, Altomareblu - which translates to "High Blue Sea." The site, which is written in Italian, can be fairly well understood in translation; simply click the appropriate language flag, which you'll see in the right-hand column when you visit the webpage. The site is loaded with fascinating historical and technical information that any lover of fast boats will be sure to appreciate.

Born in Karachi in September, 1926, Levi is known throughout the world for his sleek and risk-taking designs. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, he became projects manager in the AFCO yard of his father, who was producing different types of pleasure, sailing and motorboats. The decisive turning point in his career was in 1961 with his transfer to Italy and the Navaltecnica yard of Anzio, where he built the legendary "A Speranziella" which he led personally to victory in the Cowes-Torquay race in 1963. In 1965, Levi became independent and began work as a freelancer and consultant for a large number of manufacturers around the world. In this role he designed a number of racing boats and pleasure craft -- working in wood, iron, aluminum, fiberglass, rubber and even stainless steel.

In addition to Levi himself, the website has a number of other valuable contributors, such as Antonio Soccol and many others, all of whom share interesting stories and insights into past and present examples of Italian boat design. Also covered are the work of other boat designers and racers, with Dick Bertram being just one example. In typical Italian style, a Soccol recollection of the American offshore scene of the mid-60's makes it clear he is quite taken with the mother-daughter racing team of Rene and Gale Jacoby:

"Those compliments on the two American pilots: they create "moral and material damage" with my journalistic collaborations; with well more than a hundred titles written, the memory, sometimes--often goes haywire. However, I am sure that what I had written 43 years ago, was true: Rene and Gale were truly American -- 'cheerful and rather reckless.' And the fact that they were mother and daughter increased their charm."

Some of the stories have appeared in print publications (like "Nautica" - above) and it's fun to note that some include a reference to the subjects "tipping a few" and sharing good times together; many are very personal and engaging, even though they are not always easy to sort out in translation. Don't worry --you'll get the gist of it.


Even if you have a tough time wading through the language translation - the real treasure here are the number of vintage photos you will find. The designs--including boats like "Dart" , the well-known quad-engine "Barbarina" and others. An in-depth study of the designs reveals that although many of the fast boats are very attractive and sexy-looking (what else would you expect from the Italians) the hulls are based on very sound hydrodynamic principles. For example, there is a very nice analysis of "The Ventilation of Planing Hulls" here. You'll also find some neat restoration projects, including this sharp Levi-designed "Mini-Dragon" featured here.

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos in this article, courtesy of Altomareblu.com.

As I noted before, the translations - which are done automatically by Google - sometimes leave a lot to be desired. But the information and entertaining insights you'll find on Altemareblu are definitely well-worth the effort. Be sure to take some time and check it out. Note: All the links I've included run the site through the Google translation system, including the homepage, HERE.

READS: Tiki Your Way to a Summer Frame of Mind

With the weather being a little cold in some places, not everyone has been able to run their boat as much as they'd like - or even had a chance to sit around a pool or lake, sipping Coronas. But you could get in a better frame of mind with Sven Kirsten's Tiki Modern, a great follow-up to his 2003 book, The Book of Tiki. The latter was a real inspiration to me, providing the impetus to build a tiki bar and generally turn my backyard into a summertime Bali Hai playground. Well...at least as much as our Ohio climate would allow. My wife drew the line at fake palm trees, but we'll see.

The book provides about as comprehensive a look as you could ever want at this remarkable cultural phenomenon. It may seem strange to us now, but for hundreds of thousands of American servicemen who served in the South Pacific during WWII, the tiki style provided an idyllic reminder of the region's natural beauty--even as it was experienced in the midst of a brutal war. Tiki Modern, like it's predecessors, is more than just a dip into nostalgia, it's an in-depth study of pop culture, and it's a great escape from our current cool weather. Kick back with one of these books and a Zombie or Mai Tai, and your spirit will soon be drifting off into a world of palm trees, gentle surf and skimpy bikinis.

Inspired? You can also head over to the Eastside Tiki store and get yourself a shirt, or a cool clock. It's just the thing to get you and your friends back on track with your summer plans!