San Francisco To Los Angeles: Apba/uim World Record
SAN FRANCISCO TO LOS ANGELES:
APBA/UIM WORLD RECORD "ROBERT A. NORDSKOG POWERBOAT MAGAZINE TROPHY" FOR PRODUCTION DIESEL POWERED MONOHULLS ESTABLISHED 26TH OCTOBER 2003.
Four veteran mariners battled the seas against the clock to set a new APBA/UIM World record.
Dan MacNamara, Driver/Throttles, Johnny Lindstrom, Navigator, Rique Ford, and Captain Nigel Hook completed the 425 mile course in 6 hours and 43 minutes exactly, in the new prototype 48' Team SCARAB powered by Cummins-Mercruiser diesels.
In doing so, the team shattered Chuck Norris's existing diesel record by 58 minutes and 38 seconds. Chuck Norris, famous actor and karate star, held many endurance records and this one, which was also set in a SCARAB powered by 3208 Caterpillar diesels, had stood since 1988.
Owner of the Team SCARAB and founder of the SCARAB name in boating, Larry Smith, has created a legacy of diesel powered endurance records that have included the Round Britain (50' SCARAB), Chicago to Detroit (SCARAB, drivers Chuck Norris, Walter Peyton), Venice to Monte Carlo (SCARAB, driver Michael Reagan), Tampa to Maimi (SCARAB, driver Kyle Petty), New Orleans to St. Louis (SCARAB, driver Don Johnson) and San Francisco to Los Angeles (SCARAB, driver Chuck Norris).
"We are seeing the emergence of new high performance production diesels, radically changing the offshore performance market, and endurance runs like this one are the proving grounds", said Smith referring to the ZF shaft driven, twin stock 480 Cummins diesels, that powered the 48' Team SCARAB. "This is a new era in marine propulsion demonstrating economy, reliability and performance, that is quiet and clean for the environment", added Smith. He went on to say, "This new boat is our prototype for a new line of 50 foot plus diesel performance express cruisers."
"We burned just 261 gallons all day, which included our 7.00am start from Sausalito, a fly by Fisherman's Wharf before the official clock triggered as we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge and onto our final stopping point at the California Yacht Club inside the Marina del Rey harbor." said Driver, Dan MacNamara. Owner of Team Archer Marine, MacNamara rigged the boat from start to finish and was at the helm during all of the 60 plus hours of testing prior to the run. Apart from two brief times, Dan steered the boat the entire way under the expert direction of Johhny Lindstrom. Lindstrom, a veteran of many endurance runs, is also President of Baytronics South, specialists in marine electronics and whose clients run the gamut from high performance boaters to owners of pristine yachts such as Johnny Carson.
The team had clearly done their homework on the weather, and experienced great visibility for the whole trip. In fact, the predicted fog out of the San Francisco bay and breakers vaporized. Also the raging smoke from the Southern California fires did little to hamper their path. Always prepared, the team was outfitted with the latest array of electronics from Furuno, enough to launch a space shuttle. Even in bright sunlight, the vivid displays showed the exact position.
Rique Ford, alternate driver on the team, remarked on the spectacular beauty running down the Californian coastline. "As we burst under the Golden Gate Bridge looking back we could see the rising sun illuminating the backdrop like it was on fire. At times we were 20 miles off the coast, mainly we could view quite well the sights of Big Sur, Pebble Beach, the mystique of Monterey, San Simeon. We passed familiar Oil Derricks close to Santa Barbara and Ventura that we race around in the Pacific Offshore races", commented Ford. Rique Ford, as well as Nigel Hook, are both APBA/UIM National and World Champions and inductees into the APBA Hall of Champions.
"I think we (Rique and I) were selected as the adult supervision on the team", joked Hook to Powerboat Magazine editor, Greg Mansfield, on the dock before the kick-off, "but I guess that makes me Captain!" Hook added. The team was certainly loaded with talent. Hook and MacNamara raced together, as throttleman and driver, respectively, and took the APBA National Championship back in 1994.
"This is an amazing contrast from Offshore racing. Just last week we were racing in the LUCAS OIL Scarab #7 down in St. Pete taking a checkered in the Outlaw Class, and then here we are today venturing into the unknown without any turn buoys in sight!" Hook shared with APBA Official and Chief Inspector Paul Abreu before leaving San Francisco. Abreu, a formidable racer himself and President of PSA Marine, was the official scorer from the north-end of the course. His counterpart scorer on the south-end in Los Angeles, Jimmy Jones of WCT Products was waiting for the challenging team in his own Scarab emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes.
"We thought we had it in the bag. Everything was running like clockwork. The diesels were humming never having missed a beat the whole way until we came upon Point Dume!' said MacNamara. "We had been lulled into complacency when one engine stopped. We jumped into the engine compartment to investigate. Rique called in to Thad Finley, transportation chief and diesel mechanic. Hook took the wheel and kept us heading on the right course. It seemed like forever and our chances seemed to be seeping away. Based on Thad's expert remote instructions we diagnosed the problem with the fuel system. A rap on the solenoid, the starboard engine roared back to life and we were ready to go again. Nigel was hustling us to get suited back up and ready again for full throttle", Dan MacNamara recounted to Tom Newby, Powerboat Magazine photographer.
Speaking with his LUCAS OIL racing publicist, Keli Gunn, who was on-board with Tom Newby at the entrance to the Marina del Rey harbor, Nigel described the conditions during the almost seven-hour high-speed challenge. "They call the water under the Golden Gate Bridge the Potato Patch and it was certainly perculating today. Rounding the point we were pleasantly surprised at the calm seas and lack of wind, just a seven foot rolling ground swell. Things changed almost on the hour. Winds picked up, waves built and then dropped off again. On average I would estimate we were running across three footers, until we hit Point Conception and were met with stiff winds, white caps and four and five foot waves", Hook described. "We also encountered major pods of dolphins at many stages along the way that charged to intersect us and surf our wake", Hook added. "The whole experience was uplifting especially realizing we've just raised the bar which will get recorded in the history annals of the APBA - in their 100th anniversary year."
The history of this endurance event dates back to 1929. In fact, it was the final race in the 1966 APBA National Championship Series. The entrants competing in this event read like the Who's Who of Offshore Legends: Don Aronow, Dick Bertram, Bill Wishnick, Del Louis, Bobby Ratboard of Magnum, Ritchie Powers, Bob Nordskog and Larry Smith. Fittingly, Larry "Scarab" Smith won that race.
To commemorate this history and highlight of the most colorful record breakers, inductee to the Detroit Motorsports Hall of Fame, and founder of Powerboat Magazine, a perpetual trophy was initiated as the "Robert A. Nordskog Powerboat Magazine Trophy". Bob Nordskog, as he was known to the racing community, competed in these endurance challenges over three decades and still holds the petrol record on the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles course at 5 hours, 57 minutes, 22 seconds set on September 12th, 1988.
On the board of the Deed of Gift are Jerry Nordskog, Bob's son and Publisher of Powerboat Magazine, Lawrence C. Smith, Howard Arneson, legend in the sport and current holder of the New Orleans to St. Louis record, Gary Romberg, APBA (American Power Boat Association) Special Events Chairman and Charlie Strang, UIM representative, NASCAR National Commissioner and inventor of the sterndrive.
Team SCARAB wants to thank everyone who made this event a success. Major support was received from Furuno for the radar, chart plotters and GPS, ZF/Mathers for the drives, transmissions and electronic controls and Cummins-Mercruiser. Particular appreciation to McLeod Seating with the incredible supportive production bolsters, Mustang Survival for the comfortable all weather gear, Baltek Composites for the strength and lightness in building the hull and deck, Viking Liferafts (just-in-case), Aircraft Rubber - Fuel Safe bladders. In addition, the team wouldn't have happened without the tireless efforts of Warren Robbins, who has ensured every custom Scarab is built to perfection, and Gary Sdjaboken, who helped rig the boat and ensured it good to go each time it left the dock. Finally, another renown record breaker, Paul Whittier, who couldn't be there physically, but certainly in spirit.
All individuals and manufacturers are invited to attempt this challengeof Men and Machine against the high seas. To qualify for the "Robert A. Nordskog Powerboat Magazine Trophy" the requirement is for high-performance monohulls that shall not exceed 50 feet in length, built from production molds and powered by production marine diesel engines, with no restrictions on drives, transmissions, or propellers, as long as they are available to the public and warranted by the manufacturer. Adjustable devices that make use of external aero- or hydrodynamic forces are prohibited. Other basic rules, restrictions and guidelines apply and can be obtained by contacting Powerboat Magazine or the APBA.
This new APBA/UIM World record-breaking 48' Team SCARAB prototype will be on display at the upcoming SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) in Las Vegas from November 4th through 7th, 2003
I love that boat. As I said in a previous thread dedicated to this boat, the lines are pure, clean and flowing and it sounds very reliable and efficient. So congrats not so much on the record itself but on the design, research and development, testing which was first-rate and obviously successful. That's the difficult part and although it is quite an achievement, those 425 miles are a formality when all previous steps have been done as well as they were. However, is it really a production boat? Does it have an interior?. If so, please release some photos...
I went for a ride with Dan from Long Beach to Marina Del Rey at 4pm a bad day after the scope poker run. We were seeing 15 to 20 ft waves on our way. It was a fun trip. I would have hated to be in another type of boat out there. The diesels recover very well when you are in and out of the water. They do not over rev. Congratulations Team Scarab.
pat W
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I would have hated to be in another type of boat out there. The diesels recover very well when you are in and out of the water. They do not over rev. Congratulations Team Scarab.
