Photo courtesy of Offshoreonly.com, taken by Pete Boden
While the rest of us were heating up the grill over the July 4th holiday weekend, our very own John Tomlinson and team were revving their dual 750HP racing engines on their brand new 43′ MTI Cat World Champion Race Boat to compete in the 35th annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix, which took place Sunday off Lido Beach in Sarasota. This was Tomlinson’s second race after returning as Throttleman for the Performance Boat Center’s Offshore Racing Team, and he’s been excited to get their new carbon fiber hull on the race course.
The race began at 10 am yesterday, and even amid uncertain weather, the race drew hundreds of spectators. For years, the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix has been a boon to the local economy, as well as for Suncoast Charities for Children, which provides services for children and adults with special needs.
According to WFLA, “This year, nearly 70 teams competed in the race, which is almost double the amount of teams from last year. The lineup included teams from the United States along with international teams from the Netherlands, Australia, and even Dubai.”
But the Supercat class, where Tomlinson and driver Myrick Coil competed, featured eight boats. All of us here at TNT Custom Marine congratulate Tomlinson, Coil, and team for their 3rd place victory! Keep your eye out for upcoming races, and in case this weekend’s racing got you in the mood for speed, be sure to check out our gorgeous new and pre-owned boat listings so you can get out on the water this summer.
