Cintron Returns to Action this Weekend at Detroit OPA Race

In an unrelated phone call with offshore racer Marc Granet yesterday, the driver of the Miss GEICO catamaran informed me that he would be flying to Detroit Friday morning to race alongside Rich Wyatt in the unforgettable Cintron at this weekend’s Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) event.

Cintron, a 50-foot Mystic Powerboats catamaran, will race for the first time this season in Detroit. Photo by Rodrick Cox

The throttleman of the 50-foot Mystic Powerboats catamaran (the third one built by Mystic owner John Cosker), Wyatt said he’s coming to the inaugural Downtown Detroit River International Powerboat Championships to support the event his father—Wes Wyatt, owner of Detroit’s 24 Grille, a sponsor of the race—is helping promote and organize.

“We’re looking forward to getting back out there in the boat,” said Wyatt, who hasn’t been in the 50-footer since the 2013 Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix in Sarasota, Fla. “My dad has been involved with trying to bring a race to Detroit so when this was added to the schedule we decided to come out and support it. I think there’s going to be a good turnout. I know there’s been a lot of interest in the short amount of time since they started putting the race together.”

Wyatt and Granet will be racing in the OPA Extreme class and are expecting tough competition from the 40-foot Skater Powerboats catamaran Cat Can Do, which is powered by a pair 1,550-hp Sterling Performance engines. The power plants in Cintron, twin 1,500-hp Stotler Racing Engines monsters, have been refreshed and are ready to race.

Granet said he is super excited to drive Cintron, which he called “a killer machine,” and spend the weekend with Wyatt and company. Granet and Wyatt competed together in Cintron at the Super Boat International Key West Offshore World Championships in 2011 and won the Super Boat Unlimited class title.

“I’m looking forward to racing with Rich again—like Scotty B, the guy doesn’t lift,” Granet said, referring to Miss GEICO throttleman Scott Begovich.

Along with 24 Grille, the family’s DF Young and Cintron Beverage companies are sponsoring the boat for the race, which includes a race meet and greet Friday night, testing and a racer appreciation gathering on Saturday, and three race starts on Sunday beginning at noon. The OPA also has an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on the agenda for Saturday at 6 p.m., and are asking all racers, crew and staff to participate in the challenge.

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