Hayim Building New 48’ MTI, Targeting Long Island Run

Noted former offshore racer Stuart Hayim—he earned five world titles between 1990 and 1995—is building a new pleasure boat that might be used to tackle the Don Aronow Memorial Marathon Race Around Long Island on Sept. 22. His new boat, a 48-foot catamaran from Marine Technology, Inc., currently is being rigged with twin Mercury Racing 1350 engines at TNT Custom Marine in Miami.

Looking ghostly in pre-graphics form, Hayim’s 48′ MTI is being rigged with Mercury Racing 1350s at TNT Custom Marine.

The cat should be ready to hit the water by early July.

“I want to have one more fun pleasure boat before I die,” said Hayim. “I’ve owned 15 cats in my life, 13 Skaters and two MTIs. I just want one more.”

Among Hayim’s most notable former rides is the well-known Mercedes 42 MTI, which for many years was owned by Gino Gargiulo, a consistent figure on the poker run scene, until last year when he sold the beautiful and extremely fast cat.

While Hayim says he likely won’t be in the boat for the Long Island event (“My wife won’t speak to me for days if I do it,” he said and laughed), he plans to enter the catamaran in the run.

“I may ask John Tomlinson (the co-owner of TNT Custom Marine) and Joey Imprescia to run it,” he said.

Until Joe Cibellis and Joe Sgro broke the record last year in a 43-foot Outerlimits, Hayim held it with throttling legend Imprescia in a 32-foot Skater catamaran. Hayim questions the validity of the existing record.

“Let’s just say I have some doubts about it and leave it at that,” he said. “But I thought the guys who won it last year did a great job. I even signed their flag when they were finished.”