Thousands Turn Out for OPA Races at St. Clair, Michigan

Thousands of offshore racing fans lined Palmer Park Boardwalk for this year' 16th annual St. Clair River Classic offshore race on Sunday July 25th. Clearly one of the Offshore Powerboat Association's (OPA) favorite racing locations, St. Clair attracted 50 fast boats divided into 11 different classes.

PHOTO CREDITS: thevoicenews.com

As always, crowd favorite Miss Geico pounded down the river at speeds of up to 150 mph, placing first in the Turbine and Extreme Class. Together, the Blue Water Offshore Racing Association and OPA have teamed up to put on a great event every year; the races regularly attract over 30,000 spectators to the city.

PHOTO CREDITS: offshoreonly.com member frickstyle

“We’ve had a great weekend. I estimate there to be at least 40,000 people downtown here to watch the race,” St. Clair Police Chief Richard Jefferson said. The next OPA race is scheduled for Patchogue Long Island, NY August 20-22 - for more information, surf over to www.greatsouthbayracing.com

Cigarette AMG Boat Combines the Best of Both Worlds

First seen in February, the new Mercedes-AMG inspired Cigarette 46' Rider features hand-applied AMG ALUBEAM silver paintwork seen on the new SLS AMG. The boat is currently on a worldwide tour, after being unveiled first at the Miami Boat Show.

PHOTO CREDITS: Cigarette Racing / AMG

Inside, the boat features marine-grade upholstery that resembles the two-tone AMG Design porcelain and white Nappa leather offered on the SLS AMG. While many of the influences of the SLS AMG can be seen in the exterior paint work and interior, most of the excitement here is found in the technology developed for this boat. Featuring more than 100 technical innovations, this all new 46' Rider serves as a incredible showcase for Cigarette.

From the propulsion system to the rigging, a clean sheet approach was utilized to build the Rider. Powered by a pair of revolutionary twin-turbocharged 552 ci, 1350 HP Mercury Racing engines, boat is estimated to have a top speed in excess of 130 MPH. Truly, an incredible example of the boat-builder's art; hats off to everyone at Cigarette Racing.

Ilmor Opens New Marine Engine Manufacturing Facility in NC

Performance engine builder Ilmor Marine, recently began production at its new, 50,000 square foot marine engine assembly and test facility in Mooresville, NC. Under construction since 2008, the new plant is capable of assembling up to 15,000 engines per year.

THE NEW ILMOR GEN IV - 725 / PHOTO CREDIT: Ilmore Engineering Inc.

“This is a great day for our marine division. The program has been in the works for over three years,” said Paul Ray, President of Ilmor Engineering, Inc. “We made the decision to enter the inboard market in 2007, and since then, our staff has worked flat-out on engine design and development, in-water testing, engine integration and facility construction. This new facility allows us to expand into higher volume markets."

Ilmor Engineering, Inc., employs 15 in Mooresville, but plans to have 30 workers by year's end. The facility took over a vacant building on the Penske campus in the Mooresville Business Park.

4th of July Hot Spot: The Torch Lake Sandbar

If you've ever listened to Kid Rock's All Summer Long, you've probably heard him reference to "splashing through the Sandbar." Well, here it is: the famous Torch Lake sandbar, that sits at the south end of this crystal clear lake, near the mouth of the Torch River. Beloved by northern Michigan vacationers everywhere, it's one of the best places you can be...surrounded by sand, sun and crystal-blue water unlike anything else in the Midwest. Here is an 2009 arial photo of the area, courtesy of DeWitt's Marina.

PHOTO CREDIT: DeWitt's Marina.

In past years, they even used to have floating stages and organized concerts, but it grew a little too rowdy and loud for the neighbors. The place is still rocking on the 4th, however, with hundreds of boats and people making their own music and taking in the scenery. Just a few miles north of Traverse City, Torch is a place you don't want to miss...and once you've been there for a 4th of July, you'll doubtless be back again.

Stong Outing at Malta Hooks 2nd Place Overall for Lucas Oil Boat

Thanks to a strong performance in the 2010 Maltese Grand Prix of the Sea, 77 LUCAS OIL SOC now holds 2nd place standings in the European Championship and 5th place in the UIM World Championship. A strong finish in Sunday’s Round 4 Endurance race was crucial for the 77 LUCAS OIL SOC after taking 3rd place in Saturday’s Round 3 Sprint in the UIM World Championship.

“In our practice before the Saturday race, we had taken two extra laps to get a lock on the water conditions,” said team captain Nigel Hook. “We were running well across the 5-foot seas, but since we expected Saturday's waves to keep getting taller, we went with our smallest propeller selection.”

At the end of the day, the top three positions on Sunday's podium were 1st place Issoto Diesel-powered 60 Metamarine Foresti & Saurdi (Italian entry, driver Giampaolo Montavoci), 2nd place Ilmor-powered 77 Lucas Oil Scandinavian Offshore Challenge (Swedish entry, driver Michael Silfverberg), and 3rd place 66 Cranefields Wine (German entry, driver Sigi Greve).

Got to be the Slickest Ear Buds Ever...

Normally, I hate using ear buds - maybe it's just my ears - but they always seem to fall out into my lap. To me, nothing beats the sound of old-school, over-the-ear headphones, and that's what I normally wear - even if I'm out walking or jogging. In addition, if you're on your boat, you're probably more likely to have your music blasting out of the custom stereo you installed.

PHOTO CREDIT: teknines.com.

Be that as it may, I might make an exception for these Teknine Nine Millimeter earphonesmade by a company called MUNITIO. At $250 a pop, I doubt that I will be owning any soon - but these 18k gold, 9mm casing ear buds are very cool indeed. All the components are top end ; to find out more about the features, go here.

The first run is limited to 500 units, so you might want to get one fast. Just the thing if you own a Cigarette Top Gun!

Sunny Isles Beach Offshore Challenge Brings Old School Powerboat Racing to Life

The City of Sunny Isles Beach and Offshore Events, LLC hosts the third annual “Sunny Isles Beach Offshore Powerboat Challenge,” this weekend, celebrating Miami as the birthplace of open ocean racing and high performance boat manufacturing. June 10-13th will see professional offshore race teams and fans from all over come to Sunny Isles Beach for an action packed weekend of racing.


What makes this event unique is that both enthusiastic amateurs and a number of seasoned professionals will be competing in this Miami-to-Bimini Ocean Challenge, a grueling test that demonstrate each participant's endurance and navigational skills. The overwhelming success of last year’s event has performance boaters expecting this year to be bigger and better...and bringing back even more memories of how wide-open, "big water" racing used to be.

The weekend kicks off Thursday, June 10th at Haulover Park Racers’ Village for the Bimini Ocean Challenge Race registration. Friday’s “Putting on a Wish” boat rides for kids and auction benefits the families of the Make a Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, and Saturday, June 12th features the Bimini Ocean Challenge in a demanding 106 mile round trip of wide open ocean racing. Afterward, the evening will feature a meet-and-greet event titled "The Legends of Racing Reunion and Night of Mayhem,'' where fans can get autographs from professional racers at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle resort.


On Sunday, June 13th Race 2 of the OPA/GEICO Offshore Racing Series will take place, along with a closing OPA award ceremony. For the full Offshore Events schedule visit: www.offshoreevents.net or text RACE to #32075. All race events are open to the public; admission into the Racer's Village, where you can see the race boats and meet the racers, is just $5; children 13 and under are free.

STORY PHOTO CREDITS: Offshore Events.net and Daton O. Fullard/ Pepper Offshore