Ilmor to Power New Outerlimits Offshore Raceboat

In the works since the late Mike Fiore began collaborating with Steve Curtis, the Spirit of Qatar team’s United States representative, on Outerlimits’ catamaran program early last year, the builder’s 39-foot canopied offshore racing catamaran will be powered by a pair of 750-hp Ilmor Marine engines. (The Plymouth, Mich.-based engine company has dropped the “Scorpion” designation from its racing engine program.) The new racing cat was showcased in the Bristol, R.I. custom performance boat builder’s display, which included a new lower-deck SL 41 V-bottom, an SV 50 V-bottom and Outerlimits’ second 46 SC catamaran owned by longtime customer Buddy Thomas.

Ilmor Marine president Paul Ray confirmed the power plan for the Outerlimits race cat and said he was excited to be part of the project.

For the Miami event, the 39-footer was dressed in temporary vinyl-wrap graphics. Paul Fiore, Dan Kleitz and the rest of the Outerlimits crew weren’t certain they were going to bring the new race cat to Miami until the last minute.

“We brought this boat—and all the other boats—so that people can see that Outerlimits is still here and doing what we do best, building boats,” said Fiore. “Every boat here is a new model—none of them were here last year.”

The canopied 39-footer will be piloted by the current Spirit of Qatar offshore racing team of driver Ali-Al Neama and throttleman Billy Moore. The duo recently claimed first place overall in the Supercat class during the inaugural event. (Read the story).

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