King of Shaves in Key West
10-26-2007 | 05:50 AM
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From: Lake Murray, SC
King of Shaves in Key West
Palm City offshore racer rules Europe, ready for Key West
Outdoors
By BY ED KILLER [email protected]
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fountain Worldwide, the exclusive international distributors for Fountain Powerboats, was founded in Palm City in 2000 and is based in Stuart.
STUART — Ask Craig Wilson what it's like to run 120 mph on the ocean and he has to think for a second.
"It's hard to explain," said the British-born Palm City powerboat racer. "I can say it's the most addictively thrilling thing you can do in your life."
Wilson makes up half of the Fountain Worldwide/King of Shaves international powerboat racing crew. As throttleman seated next to fellow Brit and driver James Sheppard, Wilson is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the race boat's speed on what is often a shape-shifting treacherous course.
"Offshore powerboat racing is similar to auto racing," Wilson said. "The only difference is that our track changes every foot, every lap."
The uncertainty of the water keeps Wilson focused on an area about 50 to 100 feet in front of the boat, he said. It's up to him to throttle back when the boat bounces high enough to bring the propellers out of the water.
The two men have mastered the art of running a boat smoothly on choppy seas. This summer, the rookie race team won the title of World Champions in the competitive P-1 Series in Europe. In 13 races, they took first place nine times and second three times. The only race they did not place in was one in which they were not even on the continent.
Nice splash for a rookie team.
Wilson plans to convert that splash into sales.
The success on the racing circuit was much more than he could have hoped for. He serves as president of Stuart-based, family-owned Fountain Worldwide — the exclusive overseas distributor and dealer contact for Fountain Powerboats. He said the publicity generated by the racing victories factored heavily into the company's long-term goals — to promote Fountain boats as premier pleasure, racing and fishing boats available to European consumers.
"There are so many boat builders in Europe — Italians, Spanish, Germans," Wilson said. "It's difficult to effectively advertise. However, boat racing's popularity overseas put us in magazines, newspapers, Web sites, YouTube and prime-time television."
Following the championship-clinching event in Portugal, Wilson received more than 40 e-mails and phone calls from customers and boat dealers all over the world.
After starting slowly in 2000, Wilson said sales now hover in the $6 to $10 million a year mark.
"The one nice thing we can tell our potential customers is that the hull on our racing boats is the same hull as the one on a pleasure boat or fishing boat," he said.
Next up for Wilson and the King of Shaves will be the glitzy Super Boat Key West World Championships from Nov. 4 through 11. Although his boat already has won the world title in its class, the Key West race combines entrants from all the major powerboat racing organizations.
During his six-year race career, Wilson has not had great success in Key West.
"Three years ago, in an open boat, we got hooked in Turn 1," said Wilson of the famously disastrous turn for many racers. "The wave spun us out at 80 mph throwing me out of the boat and bouncing me across the water." At times his sport of choice claims the life of a racer.
"It's a risk we know we take."
Sign up for Ed Killer's Thursday fishing newsletter. Go to TCPalm.com, click on Member Center, then Your Options and the TCPalm.com fishing report.
FOUNTAIN WORLDWIDE
Reach: Distributes to dealer network in 23 countries
Marketing: European race season showcased product
Pitch: Hull on race boats is same hull on production models
Goal: To develop new markets and reinforce present ones
On the Web: Fountainworldwide.com
TEAM FOUNTAIN WORLDWIDE / KING OF SHAVES
Boat specifications
Boat number: 99
Boat name: King of Shaves
Nationality: British
Class: Evolution
Manufacturer: Fountain Powerboats in Washington, North Carolina
Hull: Lightning 42
Construction: Vinylester resin fiberglass
Length: 40 feet
Beam: 8 feet, 3 inches
Engines: Ilmor Marine Viper 10 cylinder (two)
Capacity: 8300 cc
Power: 625 horsepower (each)
Fuel: Gasoline, 140 gallons
Next race: Nov. 4-11, 27th annual Superboat World Championship, Key West
On the Web: Superboat.com.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2007/oct/...or/?printer=1/
Outdoors
By BY ED KILLER [email protected]
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fountain Worldwide, the exclusive international distributors for Fountain Powerboats, was founded in Palm City in 2000 and is based in Stuart.
STUART — Ask Craig Wilson what it's like to run 120 mph on the ocean and he has to think for a second.
"It's hard to explain," said the British-born Palm City powerboat racer. "I can say it's the most addictively thrilling thing you can do in your life."
Wilson makes up half of the Fountain Worldwide/King of Shaves international powerboat racing crew. As throttleman seated next to fellow Brit and driver James Sheppard, Wilson is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the race boat's speed on what is often a shape-shifting treacherous course.
"Offshore powerboat racing is similar to auto racing," Wilson said. "The only difference is that our track changes every foot, every lap."
The uncertainty of the water keeps Wilson focused on an area about 50 to 100 feet in front of the boat, he said. It's up to him to throttle back when the boat bounces high enough to bring the propellers out of the water.
The two men have mastered the art of running a boat smoothly on choppy seas. This summer, the rookie race team won the title of World Champions in the competitive P-1 Series in Europe. In 13 races, they took first place nine times and second three times. The only race they did not place in was one in which they were not even on the continent.
Nice splash for a rookie team.
Wilson plans to convert that splash into sales.
The success on the racing circuit was much more than he could have hoped for. He serves as president of Stuart-based, family-owned Fountain Worldwide — the exclusive overseas distributor and dealer contact for Fountain Powerboats. He said the publicity generated by the racing victories factored heavily into the company's long-term goals — to promote Fountain boats as premier pleasure, racing and fishing boats available to European consumers.
"There are so many boat builders in Europe — Italians, Spanish, Germans," Wilson said. "It's difficult to effectively advertise. However, boat racing's popularity overseas put us in magazines, newspapers, Web sites, YouTube and prime-time television."
Following the championship-clinching event in Portugal, Wilson received more than 40 e-mails and phone calls from customers and boat dealers all over the world.
After starting slowly in 2000, Wilson said sales now hover in the $6 to $10 million a year mark.
"The one nice thing we can tell our potential customers is that the hull on our racing boats is the same hull as the one on a pleasure boat or fishing boat," he said.
Next up for Wilson and the King of Shaves will be the glitzy Super Boat Key West World Championships from Nov. 4 through 11. Although his boat already has won the world title in its class, the Key West race combines entrants from all the major powerboat racing organizations.
During his six-year race career, Wilson has not had great success in Key West.
"Three years ago, in an open boat, we got hooked in Turn 1," said Wilson of the famously disastrous turn for many racers. "The wave spun us out at 80 mph throwing me out of the boat and bouncing me across the water." At times his sport of choice claims the life of a racer.
"It's a risk we know we take."
Sign up for Ed Killer's Thursday fishing newsletter. Go to TCPalm.com, click on Member Center, then Your Options and the TCPalm.com fishing report.
FOUNTAIN WORLDWIDE
Reach: Distributes to dealer network in 23 countries
Marketing: European race season showcased product
Pitch: Hull on race boats is same hull on production models
Goal: To develop new markets and reinforce present ones
On the Web: Fountainworldwide.com
TEAM FOUNTAIN WORLDWIDE / KING OF SHAVES
Boat specifications
Boat number: 99
Boat name: King of Shaves
Nationality: British
Class: Evolution
Manufacturer: Fountain Powerboats in Washington, North Carolina
Hull: Lightning 42
Construction: Vinylester resin fiberglass
Length: 40 feet
Beam: 8 feet, 3 inches
Engines: Ilmor Marine Viper 10 cylinder (two)
Capacity: 8300 cc
Power: 625 horsepower (each)
Fuel: Gasoline, 140 gallons
Next race: Nov. 4-11, 27th annual Superboat World Championship, Key West
On the Web: Superboat.com.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2007/oct/...or/?printer=1/
11-06-2007 | 06:14 AM
#2
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All Photos Pits Today Uploaded at www.freezeframevideo.net
All Photos Pits Today Uploaded at www.freezeframevideo.net
11-06-2007 | 06:16 PM
#3
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All Photos Pits Today Uploaded at www.freezeframevideo.net
All Photos Pits Today Uploaded at www.freezeframevideo.net
11-06-2007 | 07:15 PM
#4
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All Photos Pits Today Uploaded at www.freezeframevideo.net
All Photos Pits Today Uploaded at www.freezeframevideo.net
11-07-2007 | 04:31 PM
#5
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Race 1 -2 And 3 Today Photos Will Be posted Tonite
Race 1 -2 And 3 Today Photos Will Be posted Tonite www.freezeframevideo.net
11-07-2007 | 07:22 PM
#6
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11-09-2007 | 07:19 PM
#7
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Races 4,5,6 Will Be Posted At www.freezeframevideo.net Are On Web Site Now!!!
Races 4,5,6 Will Be Posted At www.freezeframevideo.net Are On Web Site Now!!!
11-14-2007 | 06:46 AM
#8
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All 9 Races And Drypits Photos Are Posted
All 9 Races And Drypits Photos Are Posted At www.freezeframevideo.net
11-15-2007 | 04:06 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,219
Likes: 1
From: Michigan
Nice pictures and all but I see the most important ones are missing...after seeing the pics in H2O mag this month I can honestly say King of Shaves has some of the hottest roadies. And don't even tell me they didn't bring those girls to KYW!!!
So who got pics of the fountain girls???
So who got pics of the fountain girls???
