DaveP
02-25-2010, 03:05 PM
Miami Herald - July 2, 1983
ATLANTIC ODYSSEY: REAGAN, MAGOON SET FOR RECORD RUN
ERIC SHARP- Herald Boating Writer
A sly grin emerged on Mike Reagan's face Friday when someone asked him if he intended to notify Bob Magoon before trying to break the Miami to New York speedboat record.
"We're going on our own schedule. I think it's up to Bob to be ready himself," Reagan said. "I think it's time for him to be a little nervous ..."
Reagan's answer was an overt attempt to irritate the man who is planning to make the run at the same time in an effort to stop Reagan from taking the record away from him.
Reagan, the president's son, probably will leave between 11 p.m. and midnight tonight on his attempt to break Magoon's 1974 record of 22 hours 41 minutes 15 seconds for the 1,257-mile trip along America's East Coast from Government Cut in Miami to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York Harbor. If the weather looks bad, he will delay the start 24 hours.
If everything goes well, his 38-foot Wellcraft Scarab deep- vee offshore powerboat, driven by three experimental Evinrude outboard engines producing 400 horsepower each, could streak under the Verrazano bridge as early as 6 p.m. Sunday -- which would give him the record with at least four hours to spare. But a more reasonable arrival time would be between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Magoon, who will drive a 45-foot Cigarette powered by twin 1,000-horsepower Detroit diesels, Friday announced a couple of changes in plans aimed at negating the speed advantage of Reagan's boat.
Reagan's Budweiser Lite-7/Eleven Special has a top speed of about 80 miles per hour light, and 72 m.p.h. with a full load of 770 gallons of fuel. But he must make two pit stops en route, the first requiring him to find a fuel boat about 105 miles off the coast near St. Simon's Island, Ga.
Magoon's Parker Meridien-Champagne Pommery boat could go the distance non-stop on a full load of 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel, but that would give him a top speed of only about 50 m.p.h. for the first several hours.
Magoon said he has decided instead to run with a half-load of fuel, which will allow him to approach his top speed of 68 m.p.h. most of the way. He will make one fuel stop at a Moorehead City (N.C.) marina.
Magoon said that he intended to start his run "at 7 p.m. of the day Reagan goes." This means that unless Magoon breaks down, Reagan will have to push his boat to the limit with the knowledge that Magoon will be first to New York, and Reagan's only chance for glory would be to post a better time.
Of course, this assumes that both boats survive the run, and experienced offshore powerboat observers figure the odds are 50-50 that both will break down before the finish line.
Reagan is making the run to earn money for the New York State Statue of Liberty Commission, part of a national effort to raise $230 million to refurbish the statue and Ellis Island in time for Liberty's centennial in 1986.
Magoon is not actively fundraising, but he is running under the banner of the federal Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Foundation, which was appointed by Reagan's father.
Magoon, a 47-year-old Miami Beach eye surgeon, will carry three or four crewmen with him when he starts at South Shore Marina: mechanic Gene Langham of Miami, diesel mechanic Cliff Souza of Red Hook, N.J., and boatbuilder Bob Saccenti of St. Augustine, Fla. Electronics specialist and navigator Tom Packard was ill Friday, and it was doubtful that he could make the trip.
Reagan's crew will be throttleman Johnny Mann of Stuart, Fla., and navigator Steve Lyshon of Fort Pierce, Fla. They will start at the Tanner Diesel yard, next door to South Shore.
Reagan's boat runs about 10 m.p.h. faster than Magoon's, in seas under four feet. But Magoon can maintain his pace of 60 m.p.h. or more in seas up to six feet, and he will lose far less time in refueling.
"The most important fuel stop is that first one," Reagan said. "Although the official distance is 1,257 miles, really Magoon does about 1,120 by going offshore and running straight from Miami to Moorehead City instead of following the coast. I can't afford to give him 137 miles, so that means I have to follow the same route."
And that means Reagan can't leave much earlier than midnight, because he needs daylight for the first refueling, and it will take him about six hours to get there.
Reagan again said that he thought Magoon was horning in unfairly on the publicity Reagan was generating.
"He's not raising a nickel for the statue," Reagan said. "If he's going to use our publicity to hype his sponsors, then I think it's up to him and his sponsors to write a check for the Statue of Liberty."
Magoon answered, "I'll match Mike Reagan dollar for dollar for any contribution he makes from his personal checking account. Not from pledges, but money from his pocket."
Record: 22 hours 41 minutes 15 seconds, by Bob Magoon in 1974. (1,257 miles).
Skipper -- Mike Reagan.
Hometown -- Los Angeles.
Age -- 38.
Occupation -- Promoter.
Experience -- Two-time world outboard champion.
Boat -- 38-foot Wellcraft Scarab deep vee, 12,000 pounds loaded (three Evinrude outboards, 1,200 total horsepower).
Range -- About 450 miles on 770 gallons of gas.
Top speed -- 80 m.p.h. light; 72 m.p.h. with a full load.
Fuel stops -- Simons Island, Ga.; Oregon Inlet, N.C.
Skipper -- Bob Magoon.
Hometown -- Miami.
Age -- 47.
Occupation -- Eye surgeon.
Experience -- Five-time U.S. offshore powerboat champion.
Boat -- 45-foot Cigarette deep vee, 36,000 pounds loaded (twin Detroit Penske diesels, 2,000 total horsepower).
Range -- Capable of making the trip non-stop with 1,500- gallon tank, but will make one refueling stop so it can travel with a lighter load.
Top speed -- 68 m.p.h. light; 50 m.p.h. with a full load.
Fuel stop -- Moorehead City, N.C.
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ATLANTIC ODYSSEY: REAGAN, MAGOON SET FOR RECORD RUN
ERIC SHARP- Herald Boating Writer
A sly grin emerged on Mike Reagan's face Friday when someone asked him if he intended to notify Bob Magoon before trying to break the Miami to New York speedboat record.
"We're going on our own schedule. I think it's up to Bob to be ready himself," Reagan said. "I think it's time for him to be a little nervous ..."
Reagan's answer was an overt attempt to irritate the man who is planning to make the run at the same time in an effort to stop Reagan from taking the record away from him.
Reagan, the president's son, probably will leave between 11 p.m. and midnight tonight on his attempt to break Magoon's 1974 record of 22 hours 41 minutes 15 seconds for the 1,257-mile trip along America's East Coast from Government Cut in Miami to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York Harbor. If the weather looks bad, he will delay the start 24 hours.
If everything goes well, his 38-foot Wellcraft Scarab deep- vee offshore powerboat, driven by three experimental Evinrude outboard engines producing 400 horsepower each, could streak under the Verrazano bridge as early as 6 p.m. Sunday -- which would give him the record with at least four hours to spare. But a more reasonable arrival time would be between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Magoon, who will drive a 45-foot Cigarette powered by twin 1,000-horsepower Detroit diesels, Friday announced a couple of changes in plans aimed at negating the speed advantage of Reagan's boat.
Reagan's Budweiser Lite-7/Eleven Special has a top speed of about 80 miles per hour light, and 72 m.p.h. with a full load of 770 gallons of fuel. But he must make two pit stops en route, the first requiring him to find a fuel boat about 105 miles off the coast near St. Simon's Island, Ga.
Magoon's Parker Meridien-Champagne Pommery boat could go the distance non-stop on a full load of 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel, but that would give him a top speed of only about 50 m.p.h. for the first several hours.
Magoon said he has decided instead to run with a half-load of fuel, which will allow him to approach his top speed of 68 m.p.h. most of the way. He will make one fuel stop at a Moorehead City (N.C.) marina.
Magoon said that he intended to start his run "at 7 p.m. of the day Reagan goes." This means that unless Magoon breaks down, Reagan will have to push his boat to the limit with the knowledge that Magoon will be first to New York, and Reagan's only chance for glory would be to post a better time.
Of course, this assumes that both boats survive the run, and experienced offshore powerboat observers figure the odds are 50-50 that both will break down before the finish line.
Reagan is making the run to earn money for the New York State Statue of Liberty Commission, part of a national effort to raise $230 million to refurbish the statue and Ellis Island in time for Liberty's centennial in 1986.
Magoon is not actively fundraising, but he is running under the banner of the federal Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Foundation, which was appointed by Reagan's father.
Magoon, a 47-year-old Miami Beach eye surgeon, will carry three or four crewmen with him when he starts at South Shore Marina: mechanic Gene Langham of Miami, diesel mechanic Cliff Souza of Red Hook, N.J., and boatbuilder Bob Saccenti of St. Augustine, Fla. Electronics specialist and navigator Tom Packard was ill Friday, and it was doubtful that he could make the trip.
Reagan's crew will be throttleman Johnny Mann of Stuart, Fla., and navigator Steve Lyshon of Fort Pierce, Fla. They will start at the Tanner Diesel yard, next door to South Shore.
Reagan's boat runs about 10 m.p.h. faster than Magoon's, in seas under four feet. But Magoon can maintain his pace of 60 m.p.h. or more in seas up to six feet, and he will lose far less time in refueling.
"The most important fuel stop is that first one," Reagan said. "Although the official distance is 1,257 miles, really Magoon does about 1,120 by going offshore and running straight from Miami to Moorehead City instead of following the coast. I can't afford to give him 137 miles, so that means I have to follow the same route."
And that means Reagan can't leave much earlier than midnight, because he needs daylight for the first refueling, and it will take him about six hours to get there.
Reagan again said that he thought Magoon was horning in unfairly on the publicity Reagan was generating.
"He's not raising a nickel for the statue," Reagan said. "If he's going to use our publicity to hype his sponsors, then I think it's up to him and his sponsors to write a check for the Statue of Liberty."
Magoon answered, "I'll match Mike Reagan dollar for dollar for any contribution he makes from his personal checking account. Not from pledges, but money from his pocket."
Record: 22 hours 41 minutes 15 seconds, by Bob Magoon in 1974. (1,257 miles).
Skipper -- Mike Reagan.
Hometown -- Los Angeles.
Age -- 38.
Occupation -- Promoter.
Experience -- Two-time world outboard champion.
Boat -- 38-foot Wellcraft Scarab deep vee, 12,000 pounds loaded (three Evinrude outboards, 1,200 total horsepower).
Range -- About 450 miles on 770 gallons of gas.
Top speed -- 80 m.p.h. light; 72 m.p.h. with a full load.
Fuel stops -- Simons Island, Ga.; Oregon Inlet, N.C.
Skipper -- Bob Magoon.
Hometown -- Miami.
Age -- 47.
Occupation -- Eye surgeon.
Experience -- Five-time U.S. offshore powerboat champion.
Boat -- 45-foot Cigarette deep vee, 36,000 pounds loaded (twin Detroit Penske diesels, 2,000 total horsepower).
Range -- Capable of making the trip non-stop with 1,500- gallon tank, but will make one refueling stop so it can travel with a lighter load.
Top speed -- 68 m.p.h. light; 50 m.p.h. with a full load.
Fuel stop -- Moorehead City, N.C.
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