From Offshore Rebels to Mainstream Rides: The Transformation of Performance Boats
The shift of iconic racing brands to center consoles with outboards reflects a market-driven pivot from raw racing heritage to versatile, finance-friendly designs.
August 29, 2025
In the 1970s and 1980s, offshore powerboat racing was a wild pursuit of raw speed. Engines roared like thunder, slicing through waves with relentless fury. Visionaries like Don Aronow and Reggie Fountain chased greatness, sparing no expense. They crafted deep-V monohulls that danced on the edge of danger, powered by roaring inboard engines. It was a go-big era—glossy hulls, screaming MerCruisers, and the thrill of pushing limits. These boats were statements of audacity, born from a relentless drive to outrun the competition. Today, brands like Fountain, Cigarette, Apache, Donzi, and Formula have shifted to center consoles with outboards. Why?
Racing Heritage of Iconic Brands
Deep-V monohulls defined offshore racing. In 1962, Don Aronow launched Formula Boats with the 233 deep-V hull, dominating national races. In 1964, he founded Donzi Marine, introducing the Sweet 16 racer. In 1969, Aronow created Cigarette Racing, its 28-foot Cigarette becoming a go-fast legend. In 1978, Bobby Saccenti and Ben Kramer started Apache Powerboats, their 41-foot Warpath winning the 1984 APBA World Championship. In 1980, Reggie Fountain Jr. began Fountain Powerboats, with the 10 Meter Executioner hitting 90 mph. Through the 1970s and 1980s, inboard MerCruiser engines powered these boats, drawing celebrities like Don Johnson to race.
Apache Powerboats then vs. now, image by VÉHICULE
Increasing Dominance of Catamarans in Racing
Catamarans gained prominence in offshore racing. In the 1980s, Cougar catamarans set speed records with their twin-hull designs. By the 1990s, Tencara and Victory catamarans dominated APBA Superboat classes in the U.S., with Fabio Buzzi’s turbo-diesel and surface-drive designs reaching 180 mph. Cats excelled in rough water for stability and speed. Brands like Cigarette and MTI built outboard-powered catamarans for recreational buyers, reflecting racing trends.
Cigarette Powerboats then vs. now, image by VÉHICULE
Consumer Demand for Multipurpose Vessels
Buyers shifted to versatile boats. In the 1980s, Cigarette launched the 38 Top Gun Open, an early center console. In the 1990s, Apache built center consoles like the 28-foot Brave mold. In the early 2000s, Fountain entered fishing tournaments with a 31-foot center console, outselling sportboats by 2006. In 2014, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) reported a 37.6% surge in saltwater fishing boat sales, with center consoles holding 54% market share by 2020.
In 2020, first-time buyers drove 12% industry growth. Fountain’s 38-foot center console, reaching 100 mph and seating 12, gained traction. Cigarette’s 59 Tirranna, launched later, used six Mercury 400R outboards for 70 mph and family-friendly space. In 2017, Donzi’s 35 ZF catered to multipurpose use. In 2022, Formula debuted the 387 CCF, a fishing-luxury crossover.
Donzi Powerboats then vs. now, image by VÉHICULE
Finance and Warranty Options for Outboards
Outboards became financing-friendly. In 2004, Mercury launched Verado four-stroke outboards with reliable warranties. By 2010, outboards hit 400 hp per engine, replacing inboard complexity with multi-engine setups. Outboards tilt out of water, cutting corrosion risks compared to inboards. Mercury extended warranties to 8 years, increasing appeal. In 2020, NMMA noted outboards drove 12% sales growth due to easier maintenance and better resale value. Lenders favored outboards for lower default risks, offering better loan terms than for inboard boats with higher maintenance costs.
Formula Powerboats then vs. now, image by VÉHICULE
Shift of Brand Ownership to Profit-Driven Companies
Ownership changes favored profitable designs. In 1987, Mark McManus took over Apache, focusing on custom Kevlar center consoles. In 2002, Skip Braver acquired Cigarette, shifting to luxury outboard models. In 2017, Iconic Marine Group bought Fountain, Baja, and Donzi, prioritizing high-margin center consoles like Donzi’s 35 ZF. In 2021, Lionheart Capital and John H. Ruiz purchased Cigarette from Braver, expanding to jet skis and superyachts. Formula, still under the Porter family, added crossovers like the 387 CCF in 2022. The $47 billion boating industry, per NMMA, rewards versatile, finance-friendly boats. Corporate strategies target broader markets, moving away from niche sportboats pioneered by innovators like Aronow and Fountain.
Fountain Powerboats then vs. now, image by VÉHICULE
Brand Legacy as a Marketing Tool
In the 1970s and 1980s, Fountain, Cigarette, Apache, Donzi, and Formula embodied the raw, untamed spirit of offshore powerboat racing. These brands were synonymous with danger and defiance, their deep-V monohulls slicing through waves like knives, driven by innovators like Don Aronow and Reggie Fountain who lived for speed. Boats were built to break records—handcrafted machines that screamed rebellion with every roaring MerCruiser engine. That era’s legacy, a visceral chase for glory, is now a shadow, repurposed as a marketing tool.
Today’s center consoles, with their plush seating, fishing amenities, and family-friendly designs, bear little resemblance to the race-or-nothing ethos of their origins. Cigarette’s 59 Tirranna, with six Mercury 400R outboards and luxury finishes, markets opulence over raw grit. Fountain’s 38-foot center console, hitting 100 mph while seating 12, leans on its speed heritage but caters to tournament anglers and leisure seekers. Donzi’s 35 ZF, revived in 2017, and Formula’s 387 CCF, launched in 2022, prioritize versatility and comfort, not the single-minded pursuit of velocity. Apache, under Mark McManus since 1987, has drifted far from its racing roots, cynically repurposing old race boats for profit, replacing its high-revving inboard racing engines with detuned inboards suited for cruising, and updating interiors for poker runs and family-friendly outings. McManus has restored over half of Apache’s 1980s and 1990s hulls—shells that remain durable but are stripped of their original fire.
This shift mirrors the transformation of cultural icons like New York or Hollywood. In the collective memory, shaped by gritty films of the 1970s and 1980s, these places were raw, vibrant hubs of ambition, danger, and unpolished authenticity. New York was a city of hustlers and dreamers; Hollywood was a crucible of unfiltered creativity. Today, both feel polished, commercialized, and gentrified. The soul of these places, romanticized in old movies, lives on in nostalgia, not reality. Similarly, the boating industry’s $47 billion market demands profitability over passion. Legacy names like Cigarette and Fountain are leveraged to sell boats that chase broad appeal—versatile, finance-friendly center consoles—rather than the daring, no-compromise spirit of their founders.
This evolution reflects broader societal changes, where the gold standard of craftsmanship and audacity has been replaced by systems prioritizing efficiency and scale. In the 1970s, powerboat builders operated like artisans, handcrafting hulls for racers who valued performance above all. It was an era of tangible value, akin to a gold-backed economy where worth was rooted in substance. Today, the boating industry mirrors a fiat system—driven by market trends, financing schemes, and corporate strategies. Outboard-powered center consoles, backed by Mercury’s 8-year warranties and easier loans, align with a banking-driven world where resale value and accessibility trump bespoke innovation.
Cigarette’s website flaunts its racing roots with images of Don Aronow’s sleek hulls, yet its 2025 lineup emphasizes luxury and comfort for affluent families. Fountain’s ads invoke Reggie Fountain’s 172-mph record, but their boats are marketed for fishing tournaments and sandbar outings. Apache’s restorations, converting race boats to leisure vessels, epitomize this shift, trading the brand’s raw edge for profit-driven pragmatism.
