Tag: Rusty Gardner

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Super Boats Slug It Out In Cocoa Beach!

May 24, 2011  by SBI

Teams Converge on Cocoa Beach for Spectacular Offshore Powerboat Race

KEY WEST, Fla. (May 24, 2011) – The Season opener for the 2011 Super Boat International Racing Series was held this past weekend in Cocoa Beach, Fla. with the World’s fastest boats racing in perfect conditions on the Atlantic Coast, and Miss GEICO Racing taking the top spot. Fans were treated to a spectacular day of racing during the 2nd Annual Brighthouse Networks Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix. Twenty-seven teams competed during the Sunday event and race teams treated fans to amazing speeds along with lead changes and near photo finishes.

“This was one of, if not, the best season opener we have had in the past 20 years of Superboat racing. Today’s race had some of the closest head to head racing and is like a new era for powerboat racing,” comments SBI President, John Carbonell. “We continue to tweak the race courses to make them shorter in distance and closer to the race fans along the beach. It has proven to be quite exciting for everyone including the teams.” In the earlier years of Super Boat Racing, teams would race off 50 miles and return. Now, with the more rectangle shaped stadium style racing, it brings fans up close to the action.

The 2nd Annual event brought out some unbelievable head to head battles with a near photo finish as Loriblu Fastboats.com edged out Team Stihl for a win in the Super Cat class. “It was just incredible today. We had fuel pick-up or some equipment issues that would slow us down in the corners, so we pulled off the course, and then pulled back on, as our boat came back to us. When we saw Loriblu had issues, we just had to stay in it. I think we both had the same problems and coming into the last turn, we were both off the pace. Then almost at the same time, we both picked up speed for the finish and they beat us by a boat length. It was a heart breaker,” comments J.R. Noble, owner and driver of Team Stihl.

Water and weather conditions were perfect, not only for the race teams, but also for the fans. This year’s event appeared to have record crowds lining the beach from Cocoa Beach Pier to Lori Wilson Park. And for those unfortunate fans who could not attend, Super Boat International and Space Coast Sports TV streamed the event live.

Other Super Boat winners included WHM Motorsports (Superboat Unlimited), GEICO Caveman (Superboat Vee Extreme), Absolutely Not (Super Vee Limited), Talbot Excavating (Superboat Stock),  Twisted Metal Motorsports (P1), Zipp Express (P2) and Team Velocity (P4).

Local favorite Superboat Unlimited Team CMS (owned by Bob Bull) encountered mechanical problems early, but it wasn’t without a thrilling blow-by the Pier. Unlimited competitor, Billy Mauff comments, “I wish CMS could have lasted the race and we could have raced each other. This race and location is great.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it last year but I’m glad I made it this year.”

Marc Granet, Driver of Miss GEICO comments,  “Cocoa Beach could be the event of the year. This place is awesome and the crowds were lined up the entire length of the beach. It was absolutely incredible.”

With the support of Cocoa Beach and all the volunteers that made this possible, this weekend has turned out to be a marquee event on the Super Boat International circuit.

Next for Super Boat International

The next race for Super Boat International is June 3rd – 5th, the 21st Annual Miami Grand Prix in Miami, Florida. The dry pits will be located in Bicentennial Park and the race will start at 1:00 pm Sunday June 5th, off Miami Beach.

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2011 Super Boat Race Season Begins!

Super Boat International’s First Race of The 2011 Season • May 18th – 22nd Cocoa Beach, FL

By SBI

KEY WEST, Fla. (April 29, 2011)– Super Boat teams are ready for the season opener, The 2nd Annual Bright House Super Boat Grand Prix in Cocoa Beach, FL. Teams have been getting ready during the winter to compete in what is expected to be one of the best seasons for Super Boat racing. In its second consecutive year at Cocoa Beach, this year’s event is off to a thunderous start.  While Super Boats raced the Space Coast many years ago, it was just 8 months ago (August 2010) that teams converged on Cocoa Beach and raced after a 20-year hiatus.

   Super Boat International is ready to capitalize on what was a very successful event last May in Cocoa Beach. More teams are expected than last year with some of the world’s fastest boats scheduled to race along the sandy beaches near the famous Cocoa Beach Pier. “Last year was a very good first year back and we expect this to be an even more exciting race than before. Coming back only 8 months after our last race here, we are pleased again to see how excited and supportive the community is about Super Boat racing. This is really going to make for a great season opener for 2011,” comments John Carbonell, founder of Super Boat International.

   The entire Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach area is excited and making all the preparations necessary for a great event. “We have had so many people call and say they are coming to the Super Boat race. I know this year will be a record crowd. The town is ready, the fans are ready, I’ve heard from the teams… they’re ready, this is just going to be awesome,” comments Kerry Bartlett, Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix Director. “We have such a great team and many volunteers here putting this together and I just can’t thank them all enough for their support.”

   With the support of SpaceCoastSportsTV and Super Boat International, Cocoa Beach fans unable to attend can follow Sunday’s activities on superboat.com and watch it through the live streaming broadcast. Super Boat International is broadcasting the entire 2011 season online through live streaming and can be found at superboat.com/live-tv on the day of the race.

   While the 2011 schedule was released earlier this spring, SBI has announced their race schedule through the year 2013 with additional news to follow in the upcoming months. Along with Cocoa Beach, races are scheduled for Miami, Sarasota, Michigan City, New York, Clearwater and the World Championships in Key West, Florida.

   The schedule for next month’s 2nd Annual Bright House Space Coast Grand Prix starts off with a sponsor and VIP party May 18th at the Paradise Cove Restaurant. Teams, boats and support equipment will continue to arrive Thursday, May 19th in the Dry Pits across from Fishlips. Also, Thursday afternoon starting at 3:00 pm, boats will be on display for the “Powerboats on Parade” downtown Cocoa Beach. Friday, May 20th is team registration and boat inspections along with parties and live entertainment in the evening near the pits. Teams will be testing on Saturday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The races are on Sunday, May 22nd at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Do not be late… teams head out of the pits early straight to the racecourse in preparation for the start of their respective race. Once each race concludes, the race teams return to the pits for inspections. The awards ceremony will be at the VIP stage in the dry pits at 5:00 pm. Race fans, VIP’s and guests are welcome to attend the awards presentation

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Rybovich unveils $45M mega yacht hub

South Florida Business Journal – by Darcie Lunsford

Date: Friday, March 4, 2011, 2:48pm EST – Last Modified: Friday, March 4, 2011, 3:00pm EST

Flanked by mega yachts Newvida and Fighting Irish, Rybovich owner Wayne Huizenga Jr. unveiled plans to sink a controversial repair hub at the Riviera Beach marina in favor of redeveloping a site his company owns nearby.

“We are willing to make the additional investment to be a good neighbor and a good partner,” Huizenga said to a bank of cameras and note-taking reporters on Friday.

The new plan calls for Rybovich to build a $45 million mega yacht service center on 11 acres about a half-mile north of the Riviera Beach public marina, where it had previously sought to lease land from the city. The use of about one-third of the public marina for a private mega yacht center sparked a wave of public backlash and lawsuits.

The new facility will be designed to handle super yachts up to 400 feet long, which are currently being serviced in Europe. But to do that on the existing Rybovich site will require dredging of an inlet cut along Peanut Island to about twice its current depth. How that will be funded has yet to be hammered out, Huizenga said.

Construction of the new super yacht center could be under way within a year, he said, depending on how long permitting takes. Construction will take an additional year.

The center is expected to create 3,400 new jobs – including 1,000 on-site jobs with average salaries of $45,000 a year – and inject $630 million into the Palm Beach County economy.

Friday’s announcement, viewed as a compromise, comes only days before Riviera Beach voters are set to vote on repealing a ban on private industry at the city marina, which was imposed by voters in November.

But, with the Rybovich super yacht hub no longer on the table for Riviera Beach’s marina, Council Chairwoman Dawn Pardo hopes voters will repeal the ban.

“Wayne [Huizenga Jr.] is no longer part of the Riviera Beach plan,” she said. “Hopefully, the citizens will vote yes.”

If not, she said, other businesses, including a restaurant and several charter boat services, will be forced to vacate the city marina, which could hurt the city’s economy.

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INVASION MIAMI! World Of Boating At The 2011 Miami International Boat Show

The World Of Boating teamed up with Scuba Radio and stormed the gates of the 2011 Miami International Boat Show this past Thursday. With their fearless leader Greg leading the way like the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading a ragtag group of wide eyed children, the radio show gang snaked their way through boats, yachts, the Guy Harvey store, and  boat accessories galore stopping only to grab freebies and candy whenever they could.

The WOB-ers with Neal Watson
Is it possible to be standing still and still feel like your going 100mph?
Capt. Keith Ammons directing traffic at the Discover Boating booth.
Power on display: 350hpx4=WOW!
We can't even afford to look at it.
Oh yea! Arneson Surface Drives=Woohoo!
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Capt. Rusty Gets an Award

In Daytona Beach last week, I received an award from the National Water Safety Congress for the work I have done in the area of safe boating. However, this award really belongs to all of those who provide me with the resources and platforms, such as “WOB”, that give me incredible opportunities to talk about my passion.