SMD Burning The Midnight (Express) Oil

With two Midnight Express center console projects currently on his drawing board, Stephen Miles has moved one step closer to his goal of painting at least one new creation from every major high-performance powerboat builder in the country. Miles just completed a design for a 43-foot Midnight model for repeat client Zach Polsky and will apply it when the boat arrives at his Owensboro, Ky., shop.

The boat is slated for completion by late 2021.

Zach Polsky’s 43-footer will be the first Midnight Express painted by Stephen Miles Design.

“It’s very clean and subtle,” said Miles, who went through a couple of different versions with Polsky before arriving at the final design.

A former owner of V-bottom sportboats and catamarans, 36-year-old Polsky has become a center console connoisseur of sorts. In 2019, he took delivery of a new 39-footer—painted by Miles—from Deep Impact. Before that, he owned a half dozen models from Concept Boats.

But with his upcoming 43-footer powered by five Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines, he’s raising his game.

“I have always had a thing for Midnight center consoles,” he said. “It’s going to have the Solstice layout that they just introduced. And it’s going to be loaded.”

Though Miles has not finalized the design, his second graphics project for Midnight Express involves another 43-footer—hull No. 100 for the popular offering from the Miami-based builder. The boat, which was commissioned by Eric Glaser, the high-performance center console builder’s chief executive officer, will be painted in South Florida and unveiled in July.

Until then, its graphics package will be kept under wraps.

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