MORE ABOUT THE OFFSHORE PRO SERIES

The Offshore PRO-Series is a consortium of professional powerboat racers who compete on an annual schedule of offshore races sanctioned by nationally recognized powerboat racing organizations. The Series is designed to provide racers of catamaran class canopied offshore race boats with an annual Tour of high quality race venues.

Based on the class or division, these offshore "Cats" range in lengths from 35 to 50 feet, and are powered by twin engine power plants, each having from 525 HP to over 3000HP, depending on the configuration. Two of the most popular configurations in the Series are the normally aspirated Cat Lite and Super Cat classes powered by twin 525HP and twin 750HP engines respectively.

With emphasis on safety, professionalism and competitive racing, the Offshore Pro-Series provides fans of offshore racing with nationwide up close racing action on 5 to 10 mile stadium style courses at various inland and ocean front locations.

Much of the excitement of offshore racing is due to the diverse and extreme racing conditions often found in the open water ocean front venues.

For more information visit the Offshore Pro-Series web site at http://www.offshoreproseries.com

EXTRAORDINARY REPLICA OF MISS THRIFTWAY HITS THE WATER

Wow, wow, wow! The headline says it all. Story here: http://tinyurl.com/2p78n9

THE NEW UNLIMITEDS DETROIT CALENDAR IS OUT

One of my favorite annual souvenirs is the Unlimited Hydroplane calendar put together by the Unlimiteds Detroit fan club. If you haven't seen these before, they're great, and this years is among the best of them! Twelve monthly photos and more.

The calendar runs from July to June each year, and will be available at their trailer in the Gold Cup Merchandise Mart. It is also available by mail (+s&h), but this year's version is not listed on their web site yet. Plenty of other stuff there to see in the meantime: http://www.unlimitedsdetroit.com

INTERESTING ONBOARD VIDEO FROM A V-8 POWERED HYDROPLANE

From the back of the pack to 2nd place, this hydro is movin'! Turn it up. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=wottenad
My caption for this: "I b passn all u kittehs... on th outside"

A NEW SEASON, A NEW MISS MADISON / OH BOY! OBERTO

MADISON, Indiana--It is official, the new Oh Boy! Oberto boat will be christened at 3 pm, Wednesday, June 27th at the judge's stand on the Bill Cantrell Memorial Race Course on the Ohio River in the Madison Regatta Pit area.

Assuming water conditions are good, the boat will be in the pit area for photo's and the ceremony. Art Oberto and Larry Oberto along with Madison dignitaries will be in attendance.

"We basically evaluated where the sport has gone and how the team has done. We feel confident in supplying them with new equipment," said Larry Oberto, sponsor representative of the Miss Madison team. " We want them to have a good raceboat--one that gives the driver the confidence to go as fast as he can without worrying about the consequences."

No one is more upbeat about the new Oh Boy! Oberto hydroplane than driver Steve David. Steve has won won back-to-back National Driver Championships in 2005 and 2006 for the Oberto team and has no intention of resting on his laurels in 2007.

"The City of Madison and Miss Madison, Inc., along with significant contribution of the Oberto Sausage Company, have built the most modern, leading edge Unlimited ever to hit the water," said David. "The new boat is over 600 pounds lighter than last year's hull. This will aid in lap times and top end as well as getting a preferential lane at the start.

"It's also wider between the sponsons, which helps with acceleration and entry-to-exit times," added David. "It's built out of the most space age composites on earth, which means structural integrity and rough water readiness."

The family of Larry and Art Oberto has sponsored a total of 11 Unlimited hydroplanes since 1975. The Obertos' Seattle-based meat products business is the oldest corporate sponsor in Unlimited racing today.

The Miss Madison team is the oldest in the history of Unlimited racing. The citizens of Madison have had a boat in competition every year since 1961.

Between 1961 and 2006, five hulls saw service as the "Floating Chamber of Commerce" for the picturesque Ohio River town. The sixth and newest standard bearer will make its competitive debut at the 2007 season-opener in Evansville, Indiana, on July 1 with David in the cockpit.

This year, 2007, marks the 47th consecutive year of racing for the Miss Madison team...the eighth with sponsor Oh Boy! Oberto.

"The new boat is clear evidence of the commitment of the town, its people, and our sponsor," said David. "You've given me the right team, the right leadership, and the right equipment."

(A special thanks to Linda Lytle, Executive Director of the Madison Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, for organizing this event.)

BREAKNECK PACE TO HAVE NEW MISS M READY FOR EVANSVILLE

See the Madison Courier article about the progress of the new Miss Madison boat, with a couple pictures: http://tinyurl.com/3xrcq6

FROM THE ABRA HYDROPLANE NEWSLETTER

Monday, June 18, 2007

Props Are Turning Up All Over The Place

While the U-37 team was finding propellers, Dave Villwock was sending them off in the mail. Bill Moore of the U-37 team found the Llumar prop lost in the 2005 race on the Columbia River (http://www.kndu.com/Global/category.asp?C=78290&nav=menu484_4_6) while Villwock's shop has been working on propellers for the circuit all off season. Villwock mentioned on the ABRA Media Teleconference that he just packed up and shipped Mike Allen four new props today.

NOTES and RUMORS: Dave Villwock had a successful May in boat racing. He set two new APBA competition speed records in the Super Stock and Pro-Stock flat bottom boats, announcing it on the ABRA Weekly Media Teleconference...Mike Allen will have the U-1 on his FormulaBoat.com craft in 2007 but he wanted to know where the rumor started that the team would be some other color beside red. Allen said the FormulaBoats.com team colors will remain the same.

THE 100TH RUNNING OF THE GOLD CUP

It's not too soon to start planning for the historic 100th running of the Gold Cup, July 11-13 2008!

- Brian Reed - DRRA Volunteer