Puppies or babies come to mind when talking about bladder control. Race boats … not so much! It is funny looking back that the Watt-Ahh race boat had a bladder control issue, which is not good when going over 100 mph!
Here’s our story: Rob Gourley and Gary Seaboyer were finishing the last touches in getting the boat ready for Sunday’s race during the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix. It was a bad sign when they discovered fuel in the port bilge (four days before the race). They extracted the fuel bladder close to the end of its 20-year life expectancy, and the hole was irreparable (see photo). They immediately called David Dack who is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aero Tec Laboratories (ATL) www.atlinc.com located in New Jersey. David told Rob and Gary each bladder is custom made and rush orders (less than 48 hour turnaround) just do not happen. We were so fortunate that one of ATL’s lead technicians worked well into the night in making the new replacement bladder, and it went out overnight express on Thursday.
On Friday morning, UPS Driver Jack Lyon tried to deliver to a competing shipping company’s store near the dry pits and they declined it – even after Rob called the manager in advance to let him know about this delivery! Fortunately, AquaNew ships by UPS each business day, and Rob contacted them for help, and indeed the bladder was in Rob and Gary’s hands by Friday afternoon (and installed into the race boat). The Team’s practice run on Saturday went well. On Sunday, the Team started with four other world-renowned race boats (Unlimited Class of Miss Geico and Alex N Ani, and Super Cat Class of Cleveland Construction and Warpaint), and completed a sufficient number of laps to win in the P-1 Class.
A video of the Watt-Ahh race boat shot by Tim Burns on Lido Beach during race day can be watched here.
ATL’s David Dack wrote… “WOW, congratulations on your win!!!!! ATL is very happy to have played a part. Everything just came together so smoothly … it was meant to be”.
Thank you, David, ATL and UPS, for making it possible for us to race again in our hometown! ~Team REDS/Watt-Ahh