Admittedly, the number of critics is not exactly small. Powerboats polarise opinion. The fact is that they are incredibly fast, anything but quiet and are not exactly cheap in terms of fuel consumption. But it is also a fact that powerboats are fascinating. One press of the start button is enough to give even the most seasoned of guys goose bumps and weak knees. Warning: the sound of the large-volume V-8s can be addictive. Men with a heart for technology will get rhythm disturbances at the latest when they look under the bonnet. Even Sebastian Vettel doesn't see a turbocharged eight-cylinder with a displacement of 9 litres and 1672 hp every day.
Technology can be thrilling. Add to that racing outfits, 100 mph (160 km/h) top speed, wind, sunshine and the blue sea, and you have to lasso these guys. The fascination that emanates from powerboats is difficult to describe. Perhaps it is the joy of driving "discovered" by the car manufacturers from Munich. To all those who would like to shoot the author to the moon, the majority of powerboat engines have a "volume control" (switchable underwater exhaust) and, calculated in l/km, probably don't consume much more than the powerful diesel of their dock neighbour. And, responsible powerboat drivers (there are far more of them than you might think!) always adapt their speed to the area and the circumstances.
For those who are interested, the birthplace of powerboats is 188th Street, the legendary Thunderboat Row in Miami, Florida. This is where Apache, Cigarette and Magnum are or were at home and where Don Aronow died on 3 February 1987. The uncrowned king of powerboats was shot dead in his car. For the qualified physics teacher, racing boats were initially nothing more than a hobby. The whole thing became professional in 1962 when Aronow founded Formula, led it to success and sold it shortly afterwards. At a profit, of course. "Founding member" number 2 was Donzi, followed by Magnum Marine, which Aronow launched in 1966.
Just one year later, the 40-year-old Aronov won his first world championship title with a 27" Magnum. Further titles and yards such as Formula and Cigarette were to follow. Anyone who wanted to be really fast on the water had Don's telephone number. His customers included the Shah of Persia, Malcom Forbes, George H. W. Bush, former President Lyndon Johnson and the United States Customs Service, which was determined to be faster than the smugglers with its 39" catamarans. The only problem was that the smugglers were often in boats made by Don Aronow. In the end, the winner of the race was Don Aronow
