Historic port greets US Super Boats International

by Bob Wonders on 23 Sep 2010 Morehead City, on North Carolina's ‘Crystal Coast', has considerable fame as a sport fishing venue, but last weekend the boats on show were just a little quicker than the average sport fish rig.

It was the fifth annual Crystal Coast Super Boat Grand Prix, won in fine form by the unusually-named ‘Team Boat Show Direct', which reportedly ‘stole the show' with a commanding victory. The team won Superboat Vee Extreme class, clocking speeds up to 145mph (233km/hr) at stages and covering the 75.9 mile (122 km) course at an average speed of 93.48mph (150.43km/hr).

Joe Lamberti, driver and owner of the team, admitted he had experienced 'a great day.' 'We ran really strong out there, regularly hitting 140mph (225km/hr).

'My new throttleman, Jeff McCain, did really well and made my job easy. This Fountain of mine really flies and you couldn't have a better boat beneath you. Reggie (Fountain) builds the best boats with the best power and we had a great day as a result,' he added.

Needless to say, the man himself, the colourful Reggie Fountain, was more than pleased. Joe did a great job out there and ran a conservative race under control,' Reggie declared.

'I was wishing he had run a little faster, but as attrition would have it, it looks like he was the smartest guy out there. We had a lot of Fountains running and it was good to see a Fountain in the victory lane,' he added.

Another success son the day came for regular competitor and owner/driver Peter Meyer, aboard ‘Team Instigator.' Like Lamberti, Meyer described the team's effort as 'a great day' as it claimed the flag in Super Vee Unlimited. 'The best thing about this team and our engines is that we've stayed consistent all season,' he declared.

'We've been able to run the easier races and the rough races, all the while keeping our equipment operating. In this sport, that's how you win races, by being out there when the checkered flag drops,' he added.

Super Vee Limited team. ‘Watch Your Back', always a crowd favourite according to organisers, attracted plenty of fans to the races. The sleek, white vee bottom, owned and driven by Dr. Mike Janssen, ran a great race to cover the 49.9 mile (80.30km) course in just 37 minutes at an average speed of 80.59mph (130km/hr).

Many race fans turned out to take a close-up look at the boats and meet the crews during the three-day weekend, with all entries showcased in the dry pit area.

The Super Boats next face the starter at Florida's Clearwater Beach over the weekend of October 1, 2 and 3.

For further information, visit the website: www.superboat.com