The Rise & Demise of Offshore Powerboat Racing

[Webster]

Offshore powerboat racers are a unique breed, combining fearless ambition, skill, and, often, considerable wealth. Known for high-speed, high-risk racing, they embrace both the sport’s thrill and glamour. The sport has attracted a wide range of figures—from career racers to drug smugglers, business tycoons, and Hollywood celebrities—all of whom contributed to offshore racing’s colorful and sometimes notorious history.

Sal Magluta, alongside his partner Willy Falcon, was both a drug smuggler and a celebrated powerboat racer in Miami. Using drug money, Magluta sponsored his own team, creating boats that set him apart in racing circles and mirrored his success in the drug trade. His empire eventually crumbled in the 1990s, leading to a dramatic fall for both his racing career and illicit business.

Similarly, Ben Kramer, another racer with ties to smuggling, became a powerhouse on the water with meticulously designed boats meant for both speed and smuggling. Like Magluta, Kramer’s racing career ended with his arrest in 1987, marking the end of an era when drug money fueled the sport’s rise and fall.While some racers had criminal ties, others brought a celebrity spotlight to the sport.

Don Johnson, famed for his role on Miami Vice, was a genuine competitor who helped popularize offshore racing in the 1980s, drawing media attention and inspiring fellow celebrities like Chuck Norris and Kurt Russell to join the scene. Donald Trump added a business twist by sponsoring races and boats, leveraging the sport's reputation for exclusivity. Major brands, attracted by the sport’s mix of danger and glamour, like Marlboro and Budweiser, became sponsors, turning races into televised global spectacles.

Don Aronow, a pioneer in the sport, founded boat companies like Formula Marine and Cigarette Racing, revolutionizing powerboat design with his deep-V hull innovation, which provided unparalleled stability and speed. Aronow’s influence on offshore powerboat racing set new standards for performance and made his boats icons of the sport.

Trailblazer Betty Cook shattered records, becoming the first woman to win a world offshore championship in 1977 and capturing numerous other titles. Her Scarab boat, Kaama, became famous, and she left a lasting legacy, especially for women in racing, even earning a place in the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Reggie Fountain, another key figure, founded Fountain Powerboats and pushed the limits of speed with high-performance designs that gained a loyal following. Meanwhile, Rocky Aoki, founder of Benihana, helped popularize the sport with the Benihana Grand Prix in New Jersey, though his career was cut short by severe accidents.

Tom Gentry was known for record-breaking speed, capturing multiple U.S. and world titles and setting ocean speed records. His remarkable achievements included a record-breaking transatlantic crossing in 1989 with his iconic Gentry Eagle. Al Copeland, founder of Popeyes Chicken, also left a legacy with his "Popeye’s" racing team, claiming national and world titles throughout the 1980s and ’90s.

Finally, Steve Curtis, one of the sport’s most successful racers, has claimed an unmatched nine Class 1 world titles.

VÉHICULE offers a fascinating look at a world where speed, ambition, and high-stakes personalities collide on the open water. Through these racers' stories—from daring athletes to notorious smugglers and celebrities—the sport reveals its complex allure, blending raw power, innovation, and glamour with a streak of danger. Viewers will see how offshore racing shaped cultural moments, attracted major brands, and became a platform for triumph and scandal alike. Whether driven by passion, fame, or fortune, these figures pushed the boundaries of racing.

 

[DrLeftover]

That's a very similar story as to how NASCAR started.

 

[Webster]

That's a very similar story as to how NASCAR started.

There was also a similar story in sportscar racing in the U.S. as well, Doc.

Back in the 80's they used to half joke that IMSA didn't stand for International MotorSports Association but the International Marijuana Smugglers Associations because an awful lot of the entries (particularly in the GTP category, the prototypes) were being bankrolled and supported by marijuana and cocaine monies. Just look up the history of the Whittington brothers, the Lanier family, John Paul Sr. and his son John Paul Jr., etc. sometime...

Heck, in the 1983 Twelve Hrs. of Sebring a serial killer named Chris Wilder competed, in the #68 Rynerson Porsche 911....the 80's truly were a strange-ass time in racing....