SBI Key West World Championships - Multiple champions crowned

by Super Boat International on 15 Nov 2014 The 34th Super Boat International (SBI) Key West World Championships produced some of the most exciting racing seen in nearly a decade with the widest range of conditions and excitement. Miss GEICO won the Superboat Unlimited battle and took first overall during some high-flying action on this past Sunday.

Conditions were perfect on Wednesday (Nov 5th), the first day of competition. Teams met with perfectly clear skies and relatively flat-water conditions. The CMS 03 MTI led the charge in the Unlimited Class and Team STIHL took honors in the Superboat Class on Wednesday. Also on the first day, other classes produced unbelievable racing action on the water. The JD Byrider Superboat Vee flipped in the first race requiring rescue divers to free throttleman Mike Figuero from his safety harness. After he spent a couple days in Miami for observation, he returned to join his team and watch the final day of action from the Outer Mole.

The Snowy Mountain Brewery Team had a lot of air-time from the big waters on the final day in their quest for the World Championship. Mike 'Doc' Janssen, driver of the World Champion Superboat Vee, commented, 'I am just very proud of my whole team this weekend and the effort they put forth. They are all very efficient and professional in what they do and it’s a team sport for sure.'

Another proud winner, Chuck Broaddus of Team Broadco couldn’t be more pleased. 'We were going to let it all hang out today no matter what. This was a great win for our team, I am so happy. This was the most exciting race I have been in, it was awesome.'

Super Boat International Founder and President, John Carbonell, believed it was some of the most exciting racing he has seen in years. 'I have been here a long time and I believe that was some of the best racing I have seen. We had the largest number of big boats in many years. I’m also happy we were able to break the classes up; so in the last two races of the day we were able to run just one class at a time. When there are boats on the course in one class only, now the fans know who wins. With the conditions the way they were on Sunday, it was a decision to keep the course distance and number of laps the same as the first two days. With the big water conditions, I know most everyone was happy with that decision and it helped us to dodge the rains that were all around us. I said in our Monday drivers meeting that I wanted everyone to know how much we appreciated them for coming and supporting Super Boat. It makes me very proud to see all the best racers in the world here and, more importantly, that they wanted to come… so many told me they had a great time. And if you saw the block party on Duval Street Friday night, I believe that was the largest crowd ever!' stated Carbonell.

After getting a second and third place finish, respectively on the first two days of racing, SOS Venezuela knew the only way to win the championship was to win on Sunday. They met the challenge and fought their way to World Champion status. The Super Stock Class is always exciting as the twin outboards with their familiar sound fly off the tops of waves and excite the crowds. It’s classes like these and manufacturer classes that really fuel the passionate stock class fans and racers.

Team Black Pearl, with five wins on the season and 2014 National Championship title, left the door open for competitors after Friday’s race. Needing to win on Sunday, the team took to the final race with the determination to win and it was their slight two tenths of a mile-an-hour higher average speed that earned them the World Championship title in the Manufacturer P3 Class.

Super Boat International will be posting their 2015 schedule in coming weeks with the new addition of Marathon, FL on July 4th weekend. Also, follow superboat.com for the details on the NBC Sports, Sunday’s one hour broadcast of this week’s event. It will showcase our sport of offshore powerboat racing and the world’s best teams like you have never seen before.

Top Three Places (World Championships): (For the complete list, click here)

Superboat Unlimited
1. Miss GEICO
2. CMS 3
3. Team CRC

Superboat Extreme
1. Hooters Instigator
2. Twisted Metal Motorsports

Superboat
1. Broadco
2. Team Amsoil
3. Racing For Cancer

Superboat Vee
1. Snowy Mountain Brewery
2. Hurricane of Awesomeness
3. Sun Print

Superboat Stock
1. SOS Venezuela
2. The Hulk
3. Talbot Excavating

Manufacturer P3
1. Black Pearl
2. Strictly Business
3. Team Kilt

Manufacturer P4
1. In Tone Crazy Chicken
2. Five Guys Rum Runners
3. Two SBI website