First, On February 26th, 1999 Rum Runner Racing announced The RUM RUNNER CUP. This award will be presented to the first racer who reaches or passes the 80 MPH mark with a fast electric boat on a sanctioned 1/16th.

     Then WAREHOUSE HOBBIES kicked off the racing season with its WATTS N’ WATER race at Titusville, Florida. This NAMBA event was hosted by Central Florida Highvoltage Club which is spearheaded by Anthony Colarusso (email: highvoltage@IBM.net ) and NAMBA district director Chris Harris (email: hammerheadH20@juno.com ).

Fast, Furious and Competitive was the order of this two day event. Old friends met new friends and launched their new 1999 boats and equipment to compete for ‘Fast Time’ and the beautiful trophies. Not to mention bragging rights.

Day One was picture perfect Florida spring weather. Bright sun and gently warm. The 6 cell mono class has proven to be a popular and competitive class at the CFHV club. The Warehouse Hobbies Force 21 boat with its light weight Enforcer hardware is the most popular boat and easily took fast time. Racing competition was stiff...and then the smoke cleared.  The winner was Donnie Wollard (email: flytrek@aol.com ) of the RUM RUNNER RACING TEAM with his custom built Sabre hull powered by a Hughey Gear Drive and Donnie’s secret gears. Whoa!

Also racing on the first day was N-1 Hydro, 0-Hydro, P-OPC Tunnel and a new class at CFHV Club, Offshore. The Offshore boats were surprisingly fast and a real pleasure to watch. They are scale in appearance and performance. Chris Harris debuted his new 30 inch HAMMERHEAD Offshore Cat. This boat was powered twin 05 motors. Each motor powered its own separate HUGHEY gear drive. The boat has two strudders and two props. Several of the other boats where also powered with gears and also showed surprising speed. A new 30 inch long WAREHOUSE HOBBIES scale boat took first place.

N-1 and O Hydro brought stiff competition. Rob Michael’s (email: racing@superiorhobbies.com ), Doug Twaits, Sr (E-mail: snobuster@webtv.net ), and Chris Harris dualled all day. Check out the fast times posted on this page. These guys are fast and tuned for the ‘99 racing season.

Daniel Wollard (age 14) entered N-1 Hydro with his new 20 inch long Rum Runner out-rigger. He is a promising driver, competitive and fearless. Watch out for him at the NATS. He is coming to win. Daniel took fourth place at his first ever driving event.

DAY TWO. Well ....nothing is for certain except change. The weather did exactly that. A winter front passed through Central Florida. The wind blew, and the dust flew. Then it rained. A hardy bunch of racers continued on.

The first race of the day featured N-2 hydro.   Don (dad) and Donnie Wollard debuted the new Rum Runner riggers in this class. Don’s (dad) boat features a gear drive powered by a 9/3 Fantom Motor. The boat handles like a dream and is very fast. Except in a storm. The ESC got wet and it was all over for this boat that day. The second (Rum Runner) boat was Donnie’s Fantom (12/6) powered rigger which showed surprising speed and easily ran with the ‘big dogs’. One DNF and another crash with Rob Micheals knocked him out of the final 3, in points. Motor Magician Rob Micheals took fast time. Rob is the owner of Superiors Hobbies in Orlando. He has years of experience racing F/E cars worldwide. Rob is a delight to have at any F/E boat race.

P-Hydro and P-Mono are the second and third most popular classes at CFHV Club, respectively. The racing action was fast and competitive. P-Hydro went first.

Heat One. Wow! What action. Boats went everywhere. Rob Michael’s launched his new Plettenberg powered HAMMERHEAD into outer space on the back stretch. Shortly thereafter Steve Hatts (email: stratman@home.com ) MAUS rigger powered by a dual 05 motors and Gear Driven found the rocks at the far end of the lake. He did not hurt the rocks. Much! What hard luck.

Club president Tony Colarusso launched his new Plettenberg power rigger that featured a gear drive. Interesting boat. The gear drive was an overdrive system spinning a very small prop, very fast. When he get the bugs worked out we will have a record setting package.

Doug Twaits, Sr. took fast time with a speed of .4878. Excellent considering the racing conditions.

P-Mono is also a popular and highly competitive class at CFHV Club. A few crashes, several flips and lot of racing action later, fast time went to Eric Johnson with his Black Diamond with Plettenberg power. Chris Harris took first place. The surprise of the day was the speed and consistency of Scott Harris’ CESA by Horizon Hobbies. This boat was powered by twin 05 motors on a gear drive and was easily as fast any of the exotic motors in expensive boats.   A radio failure knocked Scott out of the final heat.

COMMENT

Many racers at this event including Rum Runner suffered losses due to something in the water. Receivers, ESC’s and Motor Comm’s and motor bearings were effected and in some cases ruined. Wet parts turned green from water droplets. Hummm!!!!! It seems the race site was a former rock pit. Can’t help wondering what was ‘really’ in that water.

SPECIAL THANKS

Central Florida High Voltage Club would like to extend its special thanks to WAREHOUSE HOBBIES for sponsoring this event. Warehouse hobbies owner Tony Cassonova and his family attended the first days festivities. WAREHOUSE HOBBIES is doing a marvelous job promoting the F/E boat racing sport and with top grade products. Please visit there web site at, http://whobbies.com . You won’t be disappointed.

Other sponsors included HiTech Racing who was very generous with prizes for the club raffle. They build top of the line racing remote control equipment at very affordable prices and are the radio of choice of Rum Runner Racing and Central Florida High Voltage Club. Please support them by visiting there web site at, http://www.hitecrcd.com .

And to Rob Michael’s of SUPERIOR HOBBIES for some outstanding raffle prizes. Rob’s hobby shop distributes several lines of F/E hardware, electronics, batteries, accessories, boats, and many lines of 05 motors and Plettenberg motors. Visit Rob and Superior Hobbies at, http://www.superiorhobbies.com .

Fast Time trophies were donated by Rum Runner Racing and HAMMERHEAD marine.

Our thanks to the Bob Priep and Florida Gas Burners Club for there assistance, equipment and letting us use there lake. They also provided special assistance with time keeping, officiating, and lead there cheering section.

Special thanks to Radio Control Boat Modeler Magazine for special coverage and R/C TV for sending Rick Eyrich.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST. The Racers. A dedicated bunch of fellas who dedicate there spare time and hobby interest in the greatest sport on earth.