Story and photos by DinaRella / Additional photos courtesy of Bill Forenski/WMF Watercraft & Marine
For the second year in a row, Mercury held its three days of in-water, sea trials down at Grove Harbour Marina during the MIBS. In the center console ring, press and potential purchasers had their pick of players like the Adrenaline 47 Reaper, Cigarette 41 Nighthawk, Nor-Tech 400 Supersport and the Sunsation 32CCX. Six Carat, Oklahoma poker runner Derek Wachob’s 59 Tirranna moored on the same pier also scored a few notable mentions.
Au contraire, conjuring up just as much attention coexisting among the center consoles were two 1,000-hp, box-checking beasts. Both powered by twin V8 500Rs and hailing from “West Coasts,” Bill Forenski and his team from WMF Watercraft and Marine in Cape Coral crossed the Sunshine State with their Avalon 2785 Excalibur Carbon Series Windshield Elite, and DCB Powerboats put on a few more miles crossing the country to bring us their latest M37R and the one-and-only catamaran on display.
Shaving a chunk of weight off the superstructure by having done away with its heavy-duty aluminum and fiberglass walls – Avalon has pioneered the possibilities of a carbon fiber pontoon with its Excalibur 2785 Windshield Elite Carbon Series replacing everything (with the exception of necessary hardware) above the tubes right up to the tower!
It’s also Tomlinson and Teague tested and approved! Both industry icons were given a chance at the throttles to slay Biscayne Bay and play around with the Joystick Piloting. You can’t help but notice the newly conceived helm and digital dash takes cues from the auto world, and special touches like placing the RGB lights on the speaker inserts, as well as, throughout the interior, exterior and underwater, speaks volumes about the Excalibur’s commanding presence.
Astonishing the senses since it was first seen with 500Rs back in June at Mercury’s memorable 50th anniversary South Carolina unveiling, the boat boasts a top speed of 84.4 miles per hour. Another insane number is its price; prepare for sticker shock around $350,000.
Tony Chiaramonte and Jeff Johnston of DCB Powerboats arrived to Florida fresh off a jam-packed January. It was filled with both toasting news of the company’s first-ever M42R currently in production at Marine Concepts/Design Concepts; while at the same time, hosting their grand opening gala where 500-plus guests savored flavorful lamb chops and sipped champagne out of crystal glasses while touring the new 27,000-square-foot Phoenix-based facility.
Come February, they were equally tied up, much the same as the blue and white eight-seater WaveMaker untied every 30 minutes for non-stop, pre-booked sea trials. Ours came on Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. After sea-trialing Mad Props owned by Greg Harris and Yvonne Aleman in 2022; changing gears, the goal this year – knowing the M37R also participated in the Mercury Racing 500R premiere, and two months later Tony took the twin-hull titan to a top speed of 124 mph at the LOTO Shootout – was honing in on its handling power with 100 more ponies.
Canvassing the cat before heading out, the clean, classy and convivial interiors on this and every DCB unit are off the charts from the Alcantara and Cool Touch marine grade vinyl upholstery combos to the stitching on the side gunnels and impeccable marine decking. Practical features we love most include: the power-sliding seats and adjustable footrests; having throttles and controls configured into the center console; the dash ventilation system drawing in fresh air; the carbon fiber-covered aluminum tie bar; and the retractable billet aluminum cleats by Sea Smarts.
Remember if you will, the model released in 2020 and ringing the register near $800,000 with MYCO trailer, has foregone the center pod design of past DCB cats for a true tunnel that packs more air and pushes top hops higher due to improved handling in the rough stuff. Snagging the front seat next to Tony, while idling out he tells all of us onboard one of the things he really likes about the 500Rs is also one of the biggest benefits, “Before, to get the most out of the boat, you had to run less fuel and less people. That’s not the case anymore. You’re good with a full tank of gas and five or six people. Because of the increased rpm, acceleration is phenomenal. It pulls harder. And top-end wise, its 2-3 mph faster with the same propellers.”
Continuing, he says, “Coming up on hull No. 22 (at the time of the show) deliveries are stretching out about 22 months and we still have 15 more. They’re going all over the place. One guy we met here in Miami two years ago bought one that’s headed to Guatemala.”
The time for talking is over. And with the 500Rs, so is the wait! Powering onto plane happens by the count of three. Torque hits like a grenade with zero lag. In a matter of seconds 72 mph became 90.5 mph before the monitor was suddenly showing 116 mph.
Twisties came next. Not only were turns bonkers tight, we were doing them hard over… and over and over, at 100 mph. And while conditions were rather calm, this hull unapologetically laps up the power on the straights and figure eights.
Wide open whack has been tracked at 129 mph but the boat’s happy place connecting with the crests was between 85 to 100 mph. Turning back for a peek at our fresh and frothy white trails… the happy face on the ZIP ZAP Power videographer in the rear seat said it all. More words were not necessary to describe to the ride!
Two years flies by fast! The M37R Mad Props cat from the 2022 MIBS is equally bad-azz.
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/articles/see-and-dcb-seen-m37r-mad-props-“enjoys-the-ride”-annihilating-the-east-coast.920/
For the second year in a row, Mercury held its three days of in-water, sea trials down at Grove Harbour Marina during the MIBS. In the center console ring, press and potential purchasers had their pick of players like the Adrenaline 47 Reaper, Cigarette 41 Nighthawk, Nor-Tech 400 Supersport and the Sunsation 32CCX. Six Carat, Oklahoma poker runner Derek Wachob’s 59 Tirranna moored on the same pier also scored a few notable mentions.
Au contraire, conjuring up just as much attention coexisting among the center consoles were two 1,000-hp, box-checking beasts. Both powered by twin V8 500Rs and hailing from “West Coasts,” Bill Forenski and his team from WMF Watercraft and Marine in Cape Coral crossed the Sunshine State with their Avalon 2785 Excalibur Carbon Series Windshield Elite, and DCB Powerboats put on a few more miles crossing the country to bring us their latest M37R and the one-and-only catamaran on display.
The Avalon Excalibur 2785:
Tomlinson and Teague Approved
Tomlinson and Teague Approved
Shaving a chunk of weight off the superstructure by having done away with its heavy-duty aluminum and fiberglass walls – Avalon has pioneered the possibilities of a carbon fiber pontoon with its Excalibur 2785 Windshield Elite Carbon Series replacing everything (with the exception of necessary hardware) above the tubes right up to the tower!
It’s also Tomlinson and Teague tested and approved! Both industry icons were given a chance at the throttles to slay Biscayne Bay and play around with the Joystick Piloting. You can’t help but notice the newly conceived helm and digital dash takes cues from the auto world, and special touches like placing the RGB lights on the speaker inserts, as well as, throughout the interior, exterior and underwater, speaks volumes about the Excalibur’s commanding presence.
Astonishing the senses since it was first seen with 500Rs back in June at Mercury’s memorable 50th anniversary South Carolina unveiling, the boat boasts a top speed of 84.4 miles per hour. Another insane number is its price; prepare for sticker shock around $350,000.
Making Waves with DCB M37R WaveMaker
Tony Chiaramonte and Jeff Johnston of DCB Powerboats arrived to Florida fresh off a jam-packed January. It was filled with both toasting news of the company’s first-ever M42R currently in production at Marine Concepts/Design Concepts; while at the same time, hosting their grand opening gala where 500-plus guests savored flavorful lamb chops and sipped champagne out of crystal glasses while touring the new 27,000-square-foot Phoenix-based facility.
Come February, they were equally tied up, much the same as the blue and white eight-seater WaveMaker untied every 30 minutes for non-stop, pre-booked sea trials. Ours came on Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. After sea-trialing Mad Props owned by Greg Harris and Yvonne Aleman in 2022; changing gears, the goal this year – knowing the M37R also participated in the Mercury Racing 500R premiere, and two months later Tony took the twin-hull titan to a top speed of 124 mph at the LOTO Shootout – was honing in on its handling power with 100 more ponies.
Canvassing the cat before heading out, the clean, classy and convivial interiors on this and every DCB unit are off the charts from the Alcantara and Cool Touch marine grade vinyl upholstery combos to the stitching on the side gunnels and impeccable marine decking. Practical features we love most include: the power-sliding seats and adjustable footrests; having throttles and controls configured into the center console; the dash ventilation system drawing in fresh air; the carbon fiber-covered aluminum tie bar; and the retractable billet aluminum cleats by Sea Smarts.
Remember if you will, the model released in 2020 and ringing the register near $800,000 with MYCO trailer, has foregone the center pod design of past DCB cats for a true tunnel that packs more air and pushes top hops higher due to improved handling in the rough stuff. Snagging the front seat next to Tony, while idling out he tells all of us onboard one of the things he really likes about the 500Rs is also one of the biggest benefits, “Before, to get the most out of the boat, you had to run less fuel and less people. That’s not the case anymore. You’re good with a full tank of gas and five or six people. Because of the increased rpm, acceleration is phenomenal. It pulls harder. And top-end wise, its 2-3 mph faster with the same propellers.”
Continuing, he says, “Coming up on hull No. 22 (at the time of the show) deliveries are stretching out about 22 months and we still have 15 more. They’re going all over the place. One guy we met here in Miami two years ago bought one that’s headed to Guatemala.”
The time for talking is over. And with the 500Rs, so is the wait! Powering onto plane happens by the count of three. Torque hits like a grenade with zero lag. In a matter of seconds 72 mph became 90.5 mph before the monitor was suddenly showing 116 mph.
Twisties came next. Not only were turns bonkers tight, we were doing them hard over… and over and over, at 100 mph. And while conditions were rather calm, this hull unapologetically laps up the power on the straights and figure eights.
Wide open whack has been tracked at 129 mph but the boat’s happy place connecting with the crests was between 85 to 100 mph. Turning back for a peek at our fresh and frothy white trails… the happy face on the ZIP ZAP Power videographer in the rear seat said it all. More words were not necessary to describe to the ride!
Two years flies by fast! The M37R Mad Props cat from the 2022 MIBS is equally bad-azz.
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/articles/see-and-dcb-seen-m37r-mad-props-“enjoys-the-ride”-annihilating-the-east-coast.920/
