Art Lilly, One of the Best Offshore Throttlemen Ever!

[Serious Offshore]

As most of you know, we lost Art on February 29th this year, may he race in peace. This evening a Celebration of his life will take place, and he will be honored by everyone who could possibly make it. I can barely imagine the stories that will be told.

I was lucky to be able to meet Art, and after a bit of time, to be able to call him a friend. When he was running with his son Britt, they were both just a riot to be around. And the stuff he would say to Brit and Kevin when they were racing together, and to those of us competing against them, was sometimes absolutely hysterical.

Anyway, this is just the beginning of a thread, that will someday be converted to an Inside Article, to memorialize the "Badass" Life and Times of Art Lilly, an extraordinary person, (and Offshore Racer), to be remembered.

Please add your stories, picture and thoughts as you have the time.



Photo courtesy Jim Speros

[Serious Offshore]

An early picture, 1985 or 1986, of Jim Speros, aka Mobilemercman, on the left, and Art Lilly. Jim and Art were best of friends for 40 years.



Photo courtesy Jim Speros

[Serious Offshore]

Joker S13 is the first Offshore boat that Art raced in Key West.

Again, 1985 or 1986.


Photo courtesy Jim Speros

Stay tuned for more updates, and again, please contribute as you have the opportunity.

[Serious Offshore]

Art in Key West in 1986. If my info is correct, the bearded gentleman on the boat with Art is a friend of Art's, Bob Wilson, who received the nickname "Redeye" from Art because he was always carrying around Visine. One day Art grabbed it from him, called him Redeye, and the nickname stuck from then on.

The bearded gentleman on the pier with Art appears to be Art's brother Jimmy.





Photos courtesy Jim Speros

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

It was an EPIC gathering. In a room with seating for 300 gathered at least 500 friends and family for Art. I arrived Thursday evening and slept little in anticipation and slept less Friday night and I m still taking in all the love, story telling and reminiscing of that night. What I wasn't expecting was how many people I spoke to from the past 40 years being in Art's circle. We told so may stories: many stories over the years had taking a life of their own. We would laugh as we took turns filling in some blanks each of us had and filled in the back story of various stories. I was touched by how special I felt being Arts friend. In taking in the weekend and hearing what everyone had to say, we were all blessed to have been a friend of Art and were lucky to have been present to share his joy and love of life.
God Bless you Art