- April 24, 2024
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I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Rob and Dana Gourley, owners of local company AquaNew and producers of Ultra Pure Water Watt-Ahh. Watt-Ahh, along with Morton’s Gourmet Market and Catering and Birdland Media Works, sponsor local Super Boat Offshore Race Team Team REDS, who will compete in the Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix Boat Race on July 1.
The New Boat: Since winning first place in class P-3 of the SBI World Championship in 2010, Team REDS has moved up in boat size and racing speed. The locally-based crew now races a 36-foot Spectre Cat with two 900-horsepower blower motors and a semi-surface piercing #6 Mercury Racing drive. For those who don’t know boat lingo, the new REDS boat is bigger and faster than ever before. The team races at speeds up to 117 miles per hour in the extremely competitive P-1 class. The boat has previously succeeded in winning national titles, and Team REDS looks forward to continuing the streak. They're ready to “kick some hard tails,” Rob Gourley says.
Strategy /kill vs. Speed: Before the bracketed class system was implemented in offshore racing, any size engine could be placed in any size boat, creating a dangerous race in which teams with deep pockets had the advantage. Since the implementation of the bracketed class system, the size of the boats, engine size and other factors dictate the class and speed limit in which they race. With the size of boats and engines evened out, the race becomes about the strategy and skill of the racing team.
The Team: The race team is composed of a throttle man, driver/navigator and marine engineer. While Team REDS currently races with Nate Hunt as the driver/navigator, there is also a seat for a full-time navigator in the boat. Hunt finds the best line for the boat to travel to gain an advantage on the course. He also needs to keep an eye on the buoys; at speeds over 100 miles per hour the boat can quickly lose the course. The throttle man, Eddie Tamberino, is in control of the attitude of the boat and the all-important aspect of bringing the boat in and out of the water. With the boat spending almost seven seconds out of the water at a time, it is important for the throttle man to understand how the boat acts in the air as well as in the water. The point where the boat re-enters the water from the air is critical, as an off angle can quickly send a boat flipping. Leading up to the race, Rob Gourley, spends time with the boat as the marine engineer, tweaking everything from the prop to the weight and balance of the boat. Gourley says that before Team REDS won their class in 2010 SBI World Championship, on the morning of the race he worked until 4 a.m. to make sure the boat was in the best possible condition to go into battle.
Watt-Ahh and Team REDS: Eighteen years ago Gourley moved to Sarasota, married Dana and became focused on researching an idea involving bubbles and the creation of Ultra Pure Water. In 2007 the Gourleys presented Rob’s Ultra Pure Water, called Watt-Ahh, at E-Fest in Lakewood Ranch. Friends of the Gourleys who drink Watt-Ahh regularly report positive effects on their health from drinking water with no traceable pollutants. In 2010 Watt-Ahh began sponsoring The REDS team, along with with the National Guard. When the National Guard had to stop sponsoring the boat due to national budget cuts, Morton’s Gourmet Market and Catering, Birdland Media Works and the team itself stepped in to keep Team REDS racing. On the business side of Watt-Ahh, the Gourleys continue to test the product to scientifically prove anecdotal evidence of Watt-Ahh’s extensive health benefits. They also partner with charities, including donating part of the proceeds from every bottle sold to ChildHelp. On the offshore racing side, Team REDS is practicing and perfecting their racing technique to prepare for the July 1 race. You can see their boat in person and try some Watt-Ahh for yourself on June 27 at Morton’s Market in Osprey Village, where the boat will be on display from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
