Key West World Offshore Super Boat Championship


Left: Fabio Buzzi (left) of Annone Brianza, Italy, and Daniel Scioli of Buenos Aires celebrate offshore powerboat racing world titles in Production A and Superboat vee classes Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Key West World Championship. Buzzi and Scioli competed in two different classes and four different races Wednesday, Nov. 8, and Sunday. Right: Offshore racing rescue personnel retrieve crew members of Mr. Technology, a 34-foot Phantom that flipped Sunday, Nov. 12, during the Key West World Championship. The boats occupants Doug Savery of Colts Neck, N.J., Ron Polli of Tom's River, N.J. and Will Smith of Sarasota, Fla., were uninjured.
Photos Courtesy Andy Newman

Sunday Update From SBR

ARGENTINEAN WINS TWO OFFSHORE WORLD TITLES;NEW YORK RESIDENT WINS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP

Buenos Aires offshore powerboat racer Daniel Scioli won world championships in both Production A and Superboat vee classes, while Stuart Hayim of Great Neck, N.Y., captured his fourth consecutive world title Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Key West World Championship. The championship, which featured a fleet of 130 registered entries, was sanctiond by the American Power Boat Association and Super Boat Racing Inc. Although Sunday's race, through Key West Harbor and on surrounding waters was shortened due to a weather system that kicked up seas two to six feet, there were no accidents that resulted in injuries.

Sunday's very safe final heat was in sharp contrast to Wednesday's first race where Miami racer Jose Fereira died and two others were airlifted to Miami's Cedar Medical Center in critical condition. Sunday, Super Boat Racing medical and safety director David Di Petrillo reported that both Carlos Gonzalez of Miami and James Finkl of Chicago were still listed in critical condition but were steadily improving. Officials were clearly relieved that racers heeded warnings, issued at Sunday morning's drivers' meeting, to be careful while on the course. The result - only one accident involving an overturned boat in which three racers escaped without injury.

Scioli, along with his Italian throttleman Fabio Buzzi, was thrilled with two world titles, in two different classes achieved during four separate races Wednesday, Nov. 8, and Sunday. The Argentinean appliance distributor, who lost his right arm in a 1989 racing accident, drove La Baby Argentina at an average speed of 75.68 mph around the 10.1-mile course. After an abbreviated celebration with about a hundred of his countrymen in Key West for the event, Scioli and Buzzi climbed into their 50-foot, fin-tailed Superboat, dubbed La Gran Argentina, and ran the diesel-powered vee- hull at an average speed of 102.55 mph. "I never thought years ago I was able to race on this level," We make a lot of effort to put this together and it's just fabulous," Scioli said. "It was difficult to change concentration for each race. The first race it (speed) was the maximum all the time. The second you had to be more intelligent and not push so hard."

Hayim, who teamed with Joseph Imprescia of Babylon, N.Y., has won an offshore world championship in Key West every year since 1992. "I enjoyed each one of the four (titles)," said Hayim, who drives Recovery, a 46-foot catamaran named for the 48-year-old textile manufacturer's successful battle against lymphoma cancer. "I can't think of anyone that has got to walk on deck and accept the checker flag as many time as I have."

Key West World Championship offshore powerboat race winners
(class, boat name, driver name, hometown):

Superboat vee, La Gran Argentina, Daniel Scioli, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Superboat catamaran, Alcone Motorsports, Matt Alcone, Laguna Beach, Calif.;
Open class, Recovery, Stuart Hayim, Great Neck, N.Y.;
Stock, Conch Attack, Scott Cates, Key West, Fla.;
Production B, Buzzi Buzzard, Charles Burnett III, Houston;
Offshore C, Harrah's 777, Mac Seelig, Absecon, N.J.;
Offshore D, Ocean Spray, Bruce Penhall, Laguna Hills, Calif.;
Modified, Carlos 'N Charlies, Jack Carmody, Austin, Texas;
Pro 1, Restore Marine Products, Charlie Haimes, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Report Courtesy Andy Newman - World Championship Public Relations
(305) 461-3300 or 1-800-275-539

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Last Modified on Monday, November 13, 1995