AIR TIME

94 was a great race, Iwas on one of the 50ft cats watching it and got soaked by the wakes. it was sad about GENTRY.

THEJOKER

Check this out!



http://www.jrsperos.com/10.html

Shane B

DAM thats 120+ boats

Pat D

I was in race control in the Ocean Key House. I had 2 boards with 136 boats listed and "pictured" on it so we could keep track of each boats status. Great race for spectators, nightmare in RC and in the emergency room that week. One for the books.

pepper-e

Lots of 'A' and 'B' class racers will remember the 95' Worlds because we lost a good racer and friend, Pepe Fereira, on the first day of racing. Pepe was the owner and throttleman of Mr K/Franks Marine - a 33' Powerplay - B78. Pepe and all the guys from Franks Marine were really representative of the great bunch of competitors in a A and B class, in the early to mid 90's.

Pepper Ernest
Gulfwind's Velocity (B-87)

The following is from the New York Times archives:

"POWERBOAT RACING

Fatal Accident in Florida

Two accidents yesterday marred the first day of racing in the 1995 Key West world championship for offshore powerboats off Key West, Fla. David Di Petrillo, the medical and safety director for Super Boat Racing, said that Pepe Fereira of Miami, owner and throttleman of a 33-foot catamaran, Mr. K/Frank's Marine, was pronounced dead at the scene in one incident. His Class B boat apparently hit a wave and its bow went under. The death is the fifth since 1984 on Key West's 10-mile triangular course. Fereira's driver, Rolando Garcia of Hialeah, Fla., was listed in serious condition at Lower Florida Keys Health Systems Hospital. The boat's navigator, Carlos Gonzalez of Miami, was airlifted to Cedars Medical Center in Miami.

In the other incident, a 45-foot catamaran, Zero Defect, driven by Laith Pharaon of Theodore, Ala., collided with the 30-foot Black Shadow. The crew on Zero Defect reportedly was not injured. But James Finkiipscomb, a Black Shadow crew member, sustained head, neck and shoulder injuries. Finkiipscomb, 32, was airlifted in critical condition to Cedars."

Phantom1

That was a rough week..................

pepper-e

I've never seen these pictures - sure brings that tragic day back to light.

Thats our Navigator (Sarasota's own) Kevin Brown in the water assisting with the rescue effort. Mr K came apart running off our right side - heading towards the first turn. We were the first (only) boat at the scene for several minutes. With boat traffic all over us, Kevin did not hesitate to dive in and do everything he could to help the guys from Mr K. He really put himself in harms way without a second thought and I'm convinced he prevented this tragedy from being even worse.

Thanks for sharing the photos, Pepper...

towhead

So do these kind of "disintegrations" still happen? Or are today's hulls stronger than those of 12 years ago? And while I'm asking questions, what are the advantages of canopies?

bob

That was an incredible event, in all respects. On the water and off! How times have changed.

waterspeed

The Zero Defect runover of the 30 Shadow Cat occured right in front of the start/finish line about 20 yards off of the pier. The entire crowd went silent. we all thought that Laith and his 46 Skater were headed for us.... it was a scary sight watching the guy float in the water tight in front of us...he is lucky to be alive. The Freeze video shows the skeg from the number 6 ripping off his helmet, with the prop just missing his head. you could see the rotation of the prop as it tore up the deck of the boat.