Episode 62- Powerboat Talk with Richie Powers World Champion Offshore Throttleman
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Richie Powers: Offshore Powerboat Racing Icon and World Champion
In this episode, we sit down with one of offshore powerboat racing’s most accomplished throttlemen, Richie Powers. Across more than three decades in the sport, Powers built an extraordinary résumé: over sixty victories in Superboat and UIM Open Class competition, nearly 12,000 miles of race-winning offshore performance, seven World Offshore Titles, and eleven national and international championships. His success unfolded across some of the world’s most demanding open-water racecourses, while his engineering insight helped shape many of the most important technical advancements in modern high-performance boating and offshore racing.
From Mercury Marine to Lake X: The Making of a Throttleman
Powers’s career began at age 19 as a test driver for Mercury Marine under the legendary Karl Kiekhaefer. His fearless driving style and precision quickly drew attention. His early development at the famed Lake X test facility placed him alongside some of offshore racing’s greatest names—Bob Magoon, Gene Lanham, Odel Lewis, and Don Aronow. By his early twenties, Powers was competing in punishing endurance events such as the historic 548-mile Bahamas 500, as well as major races across the United States.
A Career Spanning World Championships and Racing Dynasties
From racing for Carlo Bonomi’s Dry Martini team in Europe to joining powerhouse American programs with Tom Gentry, Al Copeland, Bernie Little, and Rocky Aoki, Powers’s path reads like a guided tour of offshore racing history. He secured four consecutive UIM World Championships in the 1970s, three U.S. Superboat World Championships in the early 1990s, and set multiple world Kilo speed records, including an astounding 158-mph average in Gentry’s 40' Skater.
Racing With Legends of Hollywood and Motorsports
Throughout his career, Powers shared racecourses and cockpits with some of the world’s most recognizable personalities. He raced alongside actors Don Johnson and Kurt Russell, and encountered motorsports and entertainment icons such as Mario Andretti, Steve McQueen, and Jacky Ickx, all drawn to the intensity and prestige of offshore powerboat racing’s high-adrenaline culture.
Innovating the Offshore Racing World
Powers helped pioneer the first successful canopied, sit-down V-bottom raceboat, the iconic 47 ft. Apache, Apache Heritage. This groundbreaking design went on to capture back-to-back world titles in Key West and helped redefine performance and safety standards within the sport.
A Rare Look Into Offshore Racing’s Golden Era
In this conversation, Richie Powers reflects on the machines, the men, the danger, and the innovation that shaped offshore racing’s most influential era. It’s a rare, insider’s perspective on a remarkable career that helped define high-performance boating from the inside out.
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