Fountain Worldwide/King of Shaves
10-24-2007, 08:42 AM
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Fountain Worldwide/King of Shaves
to race in Key West. From the P1 website
[Evolution Champions Go (Key) West
This year's newly crowned Powerboat P1 Evolution Champions, Craig Wilson and James Sheppard, will be taking their all-conquering Ilmor Viper-powered Fountain Worldwide race boat to the UIM-sanctioned Super Boat Key West World Championships in Florida, USA.
The annual event, which features three races over five days and all counting towards the American 'World' Championships, will take place between 7th-11th November.
Both Craig and James are familiar with racing in the USA. Craig lives in Florida and has raced extensively on the US circuit while James shocked the US establishment last year when, in partnership with Nigel Hook, the pair of them won the Super Vee world title against the odds. This was the first time a British crew had won a world title in Key West since Steve Curtis achieved the feat back in 1985.
The King of Shaves-sponsored entry was shipped back to the Fountain facility in Washington, North Carolina, immediately after winning the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea. The team's technical director, Mark Wilson, intends to carry out some weight-saving modifications to the boat in a bid to seek out its maximum performance before deciding on what class - of the many on offer - the team will choose to compete in.
"Americans have a love of absolute maximum power and top speed so we'll need to be careful which class and title we aim to contest," said team manager Chris Witty. "We're mindful of P1's growing reputation in the USAand therefore we don't want to disappoint ourselves or the series we're representing."]
[Evolution Champions Go (Key) West
This year's newly crowned Powerboat P1 Evolution Champions, Craig Wilson and James Sheppard, will be taking their all-conquering Ilmor Viper-powered Fountain Worldwide race boat to the UIM-sanctioned Super Boat Key West World Championships in Florida, USA.
The annual event, which features three races over five days and all counting towards the American 'World' Championships, will take place between 7th-11th November.
Both Craig and James are familiar with racing in the USA. Craig lives in Florida and has raced extensively on the US circuit while James shocked the US establishment last year when, in partnership with Nigel Hook, the pair of them won the Super Vee world title against the odds. This was the first time a British crew had won a world title in Key West since Steve Curtis achieved the feat back in 1985.
The King of Shaves-sponsored entry was shipped back to the Fountain facility in Washington, North Carolina, immediately after winning the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea. The team's technical director, Mark Wilson, intends to carry out some weight-saving modifications to the boat in a bid to seek out its maximum performance before deciding on what class - of the many on offer - the team will choose to compete in.
"Americans have a love of absolute maximum power and top speed so we'll need to be careful which class and title we aim to contest," said team manager Chris Witty. "We're mindful of P1's growing reputation in the USAand therefore we don't want to disappoint ourselves or the series we're representing."]
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10-26-2007, 05:51 AM
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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/
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