What year did Offshore Racing have its hayday??

[Fast Shafts]

I'm tired about hearing how great Offshore use to be. What year was it great? Was it great when T2 was building cats to run against V's?? Was it the best when the open class went 70 MPH in a parade? Was it the best when it was full of drug dealers?? Was it the best when all the open class boats broke down and the last boat (mid 1970's Latortuga) won?? Please help me identify what year was the best:lurk5:

[Chris]

The greatest year in offshore was the one you enjoyed the most. It's different for everyone. But I'm guessing that the longer you've been around and the more you've seen, the less likely it is that you'd pick one of the recent years.

[phragle]

1492... columbus, brownie and T2x first turned the bahama's and carribien into race and party central

[DAREDEVIL]

IT IS GOING TO BE " NOW " and 2010 !!!!!!!!!!!


Just sitback and watch the show,,,stop bashing and runing around in circles ,,,,let past be past and look forward or don't look at all !!!!!!

[phragle]

if you show up.. I inspected every boat in OC... I looked and looked but couldnt find yours anywhere.... :26: I saved you a serious sticker... I will have it for you at harrison..

[shifter]

1996. Rules were still open class 1 boats racing over here. Key west was a zoo.

A,B,C, modified, open ,superboat, pretty cool racing.

pat W

[Jeff Helmkamp]

For me, the fan, the best two years were '94 & '95. All the orgs came together for over 100 boats in Key West. That is the way it should be.

[T2x]

I'm tired about hearing how great Offshore use to be. What year was it great? Was it great when T2 was building cats to run against V's?? Was it the best when the open class went 70 MPH in a parade? Was it the best when it was full of drug dealers?? Was it the best when all the open class boats broke down and the last boat (mid 1970's Latortuga) won?? Please help me identify what year was the best:lurk5:


From a numbers and investment standpoint...you had two sets of "Golden Years". 1979-88...... 1997-2002. The first years were just prior to the "big split" with huge legal and illegal budgets, and the second period saw Gene and Mike almost pull the sport back together. If you are an Aronow fan..... the magic years would have to be 1961-75...when he actually raced.

By the way..... please don't confuse my boat building with any prejudice for any era...... We built Offshore boats from 79 to 89..... but in truth I was as interested in tunnel boats during that period as Offshore...... Tunnel boats are my first love and our Offshore cats had a number of tunnel boat influences. I really have no ego driven basis for my opinion of the sport by era. I was fortunate enough to cover Offshore Racing as a TV announcer for 20 years during the good times and some lean years so I had a great perch to make a judgement. In any event since my first Offshore race as a competitor in 1964 until today....I have never seen it as bad as it has been over the past 5 years. This is a simple fact...how you deal with it might say more about you than me.

T2x

[Tom A.]

For me the 80's were my hayday! I used to go watch the Benihana Race every year! I loved the NYC boat show and bought stuff from Cigarette every year. While kids were wearing their varsity jackets in junior high and high school, I had my Cigarette World Champion jacket with the "Cigarette/Hawk" embroidered on the back.

I was lucky enough to race with a team from 90-94 in an "A" boat. You could see the fractioning of the sport then. We started in the APBA and then ran with US Offshore. We won the Point Pleasant race in '92 in big water. Good times.

[smokeybandit]

1985! It's the only year I won a world championship.

[DAREDEVIL]

1985! It's the only year I won a world championship.

Thats my plan this year .lol

I know ,,going to be tuff ,,but i think i can do it !!!

I use the rest of the season to dial it in PERFECT !!!!!!!

Ok ,,thats the plan. lol

[Offshore Ginger]

For me, the fan, the best two years were '94 & '95. All the orgs came together for over 100 boats in Key West. That is the way it should be. I agree and one of those years a few of us Skater boys ended up working on Spirt of Norway and what a nice setup they had and a chef to boot .

[TMS1155]

I'm tired about hearing how great Offshore use to be. What year was it great? Was it great when T2 was building cats to run against V's?? Was it the best when the open class went 70 MPH in a parade? Was it the best when it was full of drug dealers?? Was it the best when all the open class boats broke down and the last boat (mid 1970's Latortuga) won?? Please help me identify what year was the best:lurk5:

No, It must be now when the boats go 150Mph in a circle and never lose sight of land.

[Sean Stinson]

I have to agree with T2x....but in my opinion 1986 was the pinnacle of the eighties era, although that was the year that Mark Lavin was killed, you still had a true World Championship with open boats from around the world racing in Key West...I don't remember the exact boat count that year but there were alot of boats and the place was a zoo, I mean a zoo!!! Then again 2000 St Pete and 2001 KW Worlds were both great venues 100+ boat counts and great heads up racing in all classes!!!!!

My personal favorite year was 1978 the year I got to watch 1977 World Champion Betty Cook test and meet her in Marathon I think that was the year she also won the National Championship!!!!!

Those were the best eras for myself anyway because if you didn't have at least a 100 boats it was a bad event!!!!

[THEJOKER]

1999 World's St Pete driver's meeting. We would sit there amazed at roll call. 20+ F1 Boats and 30+ F2 Boats........Turn 1 was fun!

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

85, 86, 87 were great years. pix of 87.

Open cats and V's ran together.
Production was big with outboard cats
Stock was good with outboard twins

33297

33298

33299

[Sean Stinson]

1999 World's St Pete driver's meeting. We would sit there amazed at roll call. 20+ F1 Boats and 30+ F2 Boats........Turn 1 was fun!

Yes sir!!!! I was running with Ragamuffin that year!!!!

[Fever Mike]

Yes sir!!!! I was running with Ragamuffin that year!!!!

What is Rique up to these days?

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Yes sir!!!! I was running with Ragamuffin that year!!!!

I was there too that was fun and the Vinoy was a great place, I just wish it was open water.

[THEJOKER]

I was there too that was fun and the Vinoy was a great place, I just wish it was open water. Indy 500 = St Pete......Daytona was Baja 500! Give me rough water any day!

[cigdaze]

I was there too that was fun and the Vinoy was a great place, I just wish it was open water.

Glad you guys think so. It's hands down one of my favorites (no bias, of course:D). Don't know if you guys saw pics of the poker run this year, but it gets plenty rough in the bay some days.

I still think a great race would be St. pete to Sarasota and back. Spectating everywhere. Great start/finish, and awesome viewing from the Skyway bridge piers. I miss the races here.

I'm got some shots of the 2000 worlds at home in a box somewhere, I'll dig them up tonight.

[Sean Stinson]

What is Rique up to these days?

He has some business interests going on in Jamaica and he travels between Cali and there alot I think he is out of the silicone business altogether!!! His silicone was the best stuff on the market though!!!!:sifone::sifone:

[Sean Stinson]

I was there too that was fun and the Vinoy was a great place, I just wish it was open water.

If I remember it did get a bay chop of a couple feet on it while we were racing to get a little air under the boats but nothing to get them jumping!!!!