"Nuff Respect Out On The Town"
Today, Wednesday October 26th was a day in Offshore Powerboat Racing
history. The long awaited debut and sea trail of the latest Superboat
project by Jim Robinson and Bobby Moore's Custom Marine. She is
appropriately named "Nuff Respect" and she's likely to earn just that. The
first 46 foot Skater four engine Superboat rolled from the doors of Custom
Marine on Miami's famous Thunderboat Row yesterday at 1 P.M. and bears the
now famous number 10 which is the number of her predecessor and 1995
National Champion in the Superboat class "Gone Clear". As the two boats sat
side by side on the launch platform it was clear to everyone that big
brother was in town! You could feel the anticipation in the air as the
mechanics made final adjustments to the tie bars and attached four gleaming
stainless props to her outdrives.
I had the pleasure of observing the sea trial from a lovely Ocean Hawk
escort boat as the four 1000 HP blower motors roared to life and Nuff
Respect headed to open water to stretch her legs for the first time.
She rode bow proud in the water due to the weight of those four huge engines
as we headed South down the Intracoastal waterway to find an appropriate
stretch of water to observe and photograph the first series of runs.
With the legendary T-man Bobby Moore in his cockpit and National Champion
Jim Robinson at the wheel "Nuff Respect" made a series of eight runs and let
me tell you sports fans there will be some condo owners on North Miami Beach
who will need to re-caulk their windows today. This baby is loud!
"Nuff
Respect" lept up on plane and left a 20 foot high roostertail in her wake as
she gained momentum and streaked down the Intracoastal while the crew and
builders with me in the escort boat cheered her on. After 4 runs Mr. Moore
decided to reprop her and four new screws were mounted. The seventh run was
incredible. One could not help but be reminded of "Gone Clear's" National
Championship victory run at Palm Beach recently but was obvious to all of us
that the envelope had opened and we were watching something quite different.
I can just imagine a pair of elderly neighbors having their morning tea on
the balcony of their high rise on North Miami's Intracoastal today and
asking one another if the Space Shuttle made a low pass about 4PM yesterday.
"Did you hear that Evelyn, What was it?"
Ladies, it was "Nuff Respect" and if you come to Key West for the World
Championships November 12th bring your ear plugs and your wide angle
binoculars because she's a stepper.
Well Done Gentlemen.
Carl Hunt Hays III
Offshore Powerboat Racing Correspondent
Visit the Official Homepage of Nuff Respect for the Latest Information
Back to the Key West Page
Back to the Offshore Powerboat Racing Homepage