Don Aronow Memorial race - Sept 24th 2011

HORBA is extending a special invitation to enter the Second Annual Don Aronow Memorial Around Long Island Marathon.

This is old school racing just like in the 60's 70's and 80's. With real open ocean racing, you don't have to run 10/10ths, you just have to have a well prepared boat and crew who know how to read a chart.

Last year the event was won by a 1987 30 foot Sonic, with twin small blocks and Alpha drives with showers on them. Pure pleasure boat, not a special built race boat.

There are many ports around Long Island for refueling along the way. The winner stopped in Shinnecock last year for a refueling stop.

There is a small boat class also, that starts before the bigger boats. Make it a once in a lifetime experience......do it just like the legends of the past did. A great way to end your boating season....nice memories all winter.

Presented by HORBA and Billy Frenz's National Powerboat Assocoiation. National Powerboat Association

Smallest entry for the small boat class is an 18 foot Donzi and we have the largest at 50 feet.


Past Winners:

1959: Jim Lacy 17' HUNTER w/70 HP Merc O/B 8 hrs and 30 min
avg: 34.2 mph 280 miles


1960: Chuck Mercereau 17' POWER CAT w/2-80 HP Merc O/B's 6 hrs
avg: 46.7 mph 280 miles


1961: Sam Griffith 31'Bertram GlASS MOPPIE 2-330 HP Chryslers 6 hrs 22 min
avg: 44 mph 280 miles


1962: Jim Wynne 19' Glastron GULFSTREAM 2-100 HP Volvos 6 hrs and 2 min
avg: 42.9 mph 258.8 miles


1963: Gene Bianco 19'ELTRO 2-100 HP Merc O/B's 5 hrs and 26 min
avg: 44.2 mph 240 miles


1964: Odell Lewis 25' Bertram MONA LOU 2-310 HP MerCruisers 5 hrs and 6 min
avg: 48 mph 245 miles


1965: Stanley Humes 20' OWENS 225 HP MerCruiser 7 hrs and 45 min
avg: 30.2 mph 234 miles


1966: Alan Brown 28'Donzi BROAD JUMPER 2-530HP Holman& Moodys 4 hrs & 42 min
avg: 53.8 mph 253 miles


1967: Dick Genth 28'Formula THUNDERBIRD IV 450 HP MerCruiser 5 hrs & 23 min
avg: 47 mph 253 miles


1968: Bill Sirois 31'Bertram SIDEWINDER 2-475 HP MerCruisers 3 hrs & 59 min
Fred Keikaufer avg: 63.5 mph 253 miles


1969:Peter Rittmaster 31' Bertram AMERICAN MOPPIE 2-475HP MerCs 4 HRS& 33 min
avg: 48.9 mph 222.5 miles


1989:Stu Hayim 32' Skater, RECOVERY set the record for this course at 3 hr 6min
with Joey Impresscia on the throttles.

(Just a point of interest for some of the Ferrari members..... Note that in 1989, the record was set by Stu Hayim running in a non race record run. Stu is the owner of the Long Island and Fort Lauderdale Ferrari dealerships and board sponsor here.)


2010:Joe DeFusco 30'Sonic 30SS "Team Sonic" 2-310 small block PCM V8 in 6hr 15min. 271 mile course.

 

A special presentation will be at the race headquarters, the 1969 32 foot Cary raceboat. This boat is unrestored now, but it will be restored back to the original livery that Don Aronow used in his World Championship winning bid........as The Cigarette

 

Thanks for the post Charlie, cleaned it up for you a bit.

 

Much better, thanks DJ. Hope to see you on the 24th if you can make it. The Brit's will be back with their 50 foot Outerlimits with 4 Fiat diesel engines to try for the record......let's hope we Yanks can keep it here.

 

Very cool event! would love to be there.

 

Pops sure did win that race in 89'! I was like hmmmm....14!

 

Every team entered will get a brand new edition of John Crouse's SEARACE. This 600 plus page history of offshore racing was written by John and published in 1989.

HORBA is donating copies to every team with the hopes all the teams will sign each other's books and these will become treasured mementos......something you can tell your grandkids about.

 

2011 Don Aronow Memorial Around Long Island Race…Postponed to 2012

Unfortunately the 2011 race, that was to be a tribute to Don Aronow has been postponed to 2012, due to lack of entries. The minimum number of entrants needed to make the race both a financial and competitive success was never met and the promoters decided to cancel rather than run the race as a poor imitation of the famous race that Don Aronow actually competed in.

While the Americans have a hard time convincing their racers of the viability of a real 271 mile open ocean race, the British are preparing for their 2,500 mile open ocean race from Cowes, England to Monte Carlo, in 2013. Although still two years away, the required 50 teams have already put up their non refundable deposits and a waiting list is being added in case of any drop outs.

The Around Long Island promoters are trying to find a sponsor for next year’s event, with the hopes of attracting more pre race publicity and help to defray the overhead. A sponsor who is looking to promote their brand in the Metro New York market could use the event to showcase their product before millions of potential users.

Initially an annual three race series was proposed to allow today’s offshore boaters the opportunity to actually race over the famous old courses. In July, a 200 plus mile course for the Great Lakes, in September, the Around Long Island 271 mile event and in November, the Fort Lauderdale to Key West 210 mile run would round out the year.


The following had expressed serious interest in running this race this year.
38 Fountain w/ 4 300 HP Mercs outboards and 400 gallon fuel capacity
19 Monza w/400 small block, 70 gallon fuel capacity
24 Banana Boat / 454, 65 gallon fuel capacity
31 Sonic, 8.2 Mercs, 160 gallon fuel tanks
51 Outerlimits, 1550 HP Sterlings, 280 fuel capacity
30 Sonic w/Small blocks and Alpha drives. LAST YEARS CHAMP
52 Outerlimits w/ quad diesels
With only 2 of the above tentative entries confirmed/entered, the promoters have decided to postpone this year’s event and reschedule for next year.