Alvarez Testing Set Up Changes in Desert Storm Shootout

Last year, Brendan Alvarez of PSI Racing in Miami dazzled the crowd at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout with a class-dominating run of 134 mph in his Eliminator 25’ Daytona catamaran with a 950-hp turbocharged in-line six-cylinder engine his company built. So impressive was his Missouri event performance that it captured even broader attention for Alvarez in the go-fast boat world, especially on the West Coast where the Eliminator brand has its roots. That’s one of the reasons why Alvarez said he plans to the compete in the upcoming Desert Storm top-speed shootout on Lake Havasu in Arizona, which happens the day after the annual Desert Storm poker run, in late April.

“Since LOTO last year there’s been lots of interest in the boat on the West Coast,” said Alvarez. “We have so many followers out there who want to see the boat run. We said, ‘Why not go out there and take a chance?’ People really want to see the boat, so we’re going. And most people have never heard the sound of an engine like this one. It’s really unique.”

Alvarez said he expects the engine his company built to make even more power in his 25-foot cat, which ran 134 mph at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout last year. Photo courtesy/copyright George Denny.

Running the 25-footer in Desert Storm’s liquid-mile top-speed event also will help Alvarez prepare for the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, where he plans to compete at the end of the summer. Last-minute tweaks to the waste-gate springs for his engine’s turbocharger reportedly cost him 4 to 5 psi of boost at Lake of the Ozarks last year, which he said translated to a loss of 80 to 100 hp. Alvarez has since changed out the waste-gate springs and expects to recover the lost boost and power for the both the Desert Storm and Lake of the Ozarks events.

Thanks to the extra power, Alvarez plans to run a 36-inch-pitch four-blade Bravo propeller at both events rather than the 34-inch-pitch Bravo wheel he ran last year at Lake of the Ozarks.

“The increased boost and horsepower should give me what I need to run the bigger pitch prop,” said Alvarez. “I’m not looking to go out there on Lake Havasu and run a crazy number, I’m just looking to have fun. But obviously, this is a very good testing ground for Lake of the Ozarks.”

Editor’s Note: Alvarez’s 25’ Daytona catamaran will be on display during the Lake Havasu Boat Show April 19-21, which leads into the Desert Storm event.