HORBA announces Don Aronow Memorial Cup

Top Banana · 02-09-2009, 08:26 PM

HORBA announces the Don Aronow Memorial Cup race series.

In June 2008, HORBA Ocean Racing LLC, successfully staged a real open ocean race from Miami to Bimini and back, a distance of 106 miles. This was the first open ocean event in more than 20 years and was met with a very enthusiastic response by racers and the public alike.

As a result of that response, HORBA will reintroduce open ocean racing beginning in February of 2010, with a race from Miami to Key West on the weekend following the Miami Boat show. This race will be the first in the new race series called the Don Aronow Memorial Cup race series.

The Aronow family has donated one of Don's old racing trophies to HORBA. This trophy will have new base and plaque added and the names of the winners for the coming years will be inscribed on this new plaque. A keeper trophy will be given to the high point winner each year.

As a result of many conversations about the good old days and how much easier it was to become a racer back then, HORBA has created two new entry level class of race boats based on the winning Don Aronow 24 degree deep vee designs for 24 feet and 28 feet.

This new HORBA entry level class of boats will be powered with new 250 HP outboard engines from any of the five engine builders, in alphabetical order, Evinrude, Honda, Mercury, Suzuki, Yamaha. The 24 foot boat class will have a single engine and the 28 foot boat class will have twin engines. (Honda only makes a 225 HP engine, but that is eligible for anyone that wants to run Honda engines.)

HORBA is taking the very best lessons from the successful Honda boat racing class of Europe. We also noted how well NASCAR operates with many different manufacturers supporting different teams. This gets the sport back to its roots, with manufacturers and dealers being able to jump in and support teams who want to compete without mega budgets. Simple, dependable boats on open ocean courses.

For the new Don Aronow Memorial Cup race series, all new hulls and decks will be provided by Banana Boat Co and all boats will be race rigged by a new rigging company called MAS. The three initials stand for McCarthy – Aronow – Saccenti and is a joint venture between Charlie McCarthy, Michael Aronow and Bobby Saccenti.

Additional classes, both historic and modern, will be allowed to compete in these new open ocean races, but only the new entry level class racers of 24 and 28 foot boats, will be eligible to win the Don Aronow Memorial Cup.

See the new entry level 24 foot class race hull, with a single 250 HP outboard, at the Miami Boat Show in the Banana Boat Co booth, right next to the Miss Geico display and right across the aisle from Skater.

More info coming at………HORBA www.historicraceboats.com

HabanaJoe · 02-09-2009, 08:34 PM

That's great news, the entry level class is perfect just like across the pond for the smaller boats! Bravo!

Can you address the age issue so younger people can be riders in the boats. You know in APBA the JS's allow down to 14 yrs old as a "rider". That would be a big plus for this class. My son and I started looking at used JS's this winter just so we can go racing together - it would be nice to do offshore instead - just a thought?

A good way to get new blood in!

oldschoolfan · 02-09-2009, 08:45 PM

This Sounds like a very cool idea. I love the fact that you guys are putting a racing class that puts everyone on an equal playingfeild equipment wise that is. I guess talent and Balls decides who wins vs checkbook. I have the balls maybe even the checkbook for just need to learn the talent.

Charlie will you and Bob be racing as a team because if thats the case it 's going to take alot of learning!! Pretty cool to see an Aronow back in the business.

How cool would it be to win a trophy that was once Don A's?

I hopefuly will be able to get rid of my Banana and pick up one of these new boats. What is the target price on the two models?

Top Banana · 02-09-2009, 09:14 PM

Yes....age is one thing that we will take a look at. I remember sneakng my own son in as he was just a little bit shy of the official age.

Price is something we are still working with the various vendors on.....we hope they will see a great PR advantage to being the official supplier of....whatever for this series and let their OEM price to us for the parts reflect that.

The Honda series in Europe costs around $60,000 US Dollars for their top single engine 225 HP model. We hope to be under that number.

Here is rendering of the race boat look for the 28 footer...just picture one of Brownies brackets with twin 250's, instead of the sterndrive

ChristianGott · 02-10-2009, 05:13 PM

Cool idea...
Would this be akin to the old IROC series?
Would a 24 Superboat be eligible the 24 class, or would it be in one of the non-Aronow Cup classes?
C

Top Banana · 02-10-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristianGott

Cool idea...
Would this be akin to the old IROC series?
Would a 24 Superboat be eligible the 24 class, or would it be in one of the non-Aronow Cup classes?
C

Thanks Christian. Yes, it will be similar to the IROC series with the exception being that the different engine manufacturers will be the leveling factor.

This is the first step of a five year plan to bring the roots of the sport back to where we started...open ocean racing.

For the first two years, these two sizes will be the entry level classes and then in the third year, we have plans for the same concept but in bigger boats...a 35 footer and the fabled 41...both of these will be powered by sterndrives.

We hope to establish fleets of these different size boats in different parts of the country. Northeast, Florida, Great Lakes, California, Midwest, etc etc. This will keep the cost of travel down. They can choose to compete locally or travel to other regions events but at year end, the top points people will compete against each other at Key West.

We are looking at two major "Events" per year and perhaps three or four local style races of shorter length...75 miles for the 24 footers and 100 miles for the 28 footers.

We look forward to a lot of dealer participation and team support, since we have opened it to all brands. Before a Yamaha dealer wouldn't compete in a Merc only class. Now it would not be very wise for any manufacturer to stay out of this competition...it would look like they didn't believe their product would last on a long open ocean run.

Top Banana · 02-10-2009, 07:43 PM

Nothing like some open ocean water....... and some steady runnng outboards at your back....in a 28 foot boat..... to give you a memorable day!!!

fastdonzi · 02-10-2009, 08:22 PM

Are all the boats (24's) rigged the same? or can we choose sit down or stand up? 2 or 3 person? any Regulation on prop hight? setback? Race weight limits? are they going to be "Race Boats" with bulkheads in the cabin or an inner liner/weekender? sorry for all the questions, but I'm interested...

Top Banana · 02-10-2009, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastdonzi

Are all the boats (24's) rigged the same? or can we choose sit down or stand up? 2 or 3 person? any Regulation on prop hight? setback? Race weight limits? are they going to be "Race Boats" with bulkheads in the cabin or an inner liner/weekender? sorry for all the questions, but I'm interested...

We want the questions.....we are trying to create a way for practically anyone to get into offshroe racing and we need your feedback so that we create what you want to race.

We are trying to copy the Honda class boats from Europe as much as possible .....as that class is the fastest growing class in boat racing and is affordable for many.

To answer your questions....the boats will all be rigged the same. We want these boats to be turn key as much as possible for the teams, so we don't create another checkbook league. What you buy will be just as competitive as what the next team buys.

The engines will be on a small bracket and that will be at a set height. We are trying to keep the price down and by that ,we will probably have the base boat a two man boat, with a three man as an option of the team buying the boat. We hope to have a removable deck section behind the bolster / seats so that the boat can be used with the insertion of an optional back seat for pleasure use.

Once again to keep the cost down the cabin area will probably be bulkheads only and all boats will weigh the same...the exception being which engine brand you choose...some weigh much more than others.

The Honda class boats have been able to keep their residual values over these past 10 years and we want that to be the same here. Each boat will have a plaque imbedded in the transom with the serial number of the boat and show it is a registered HORBA class boat.

ChristianGott · 02-10-2009, 08:49 PM

That's great!
I had a 24 Condor (24x7, out of Hialeah) with a 350 and an Alpha.
What a ton of affordable fun. I ran around with a 22 Scarab (same power), and each boat had advantages based on the conditions. It would be awesome to run a bunch of "box-stock" 24x7's with 250's en masse. This is definitely a time who's idea has come!
Good luck, hope I get a chance to play.
Chris