WMF To Showcase Third Mercury Racing 450R-Powered Pontoon At Roar Offshore Fun Run

A 27-foot Avalon Excalibur tri-toon powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines, last year’s paceboat for the Roar Offshore Fort Myers Beach powerboat race raised more than a few eyebrows at the Southwest Florida venue. But the 70-plus-mph, almost 9,000 pound 27-footer proved more than up for the task for what was the season finale of the inaugural six-race American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship Series.

Called Frozen Envy, WMF’s latest 27-foot Avalon to be powered by twin Mercury Racing 450R engines will be part of the Roar Offshore Fun Run Fleet this weekend.

For Bill Forenski, the owner of Delaware-based WMF Watercraft and Marine, the paceboat’s performance came as no surprise. Called Grey Goose, the 900-hp tri-toon is one of three 450R-powered Avalon Excalibur models his multi-brand dealership has ordered. And before Mercury Racing introduced the supercharged V-8 outboard, WMF ordered and sold more than a dozen Avalon 27-footers equipped with the Fond du Lac, Wis., company’s six-cylinder supercharged 400R outboard engines.

“Our latest one, which is called Frozen Envy, will debut in the Roar Offshore Fun Run this weekend,” said Forenski, who arrived yesterday with his wife, Patience, at their second home in Cape Coral, Fla. “From the 300 Verado all the way up to the 450R, we’ve done about 40 Avalon pontoons with Mercury Marine and Mercury Racing V-8 outboards. We build the 450R boats as dealer demos for sale. It’s our thing.

“They’re all named after drinks,” added, then laughed.

Blue Agave was WMF’s second 27-footer powered by Mercury Racing’s most powerful V-8 outboards.

Between Grey Goose and Frozen Envy there was Blue Agave, another 450R outboard-powered Avalon beauty. Forenski said he’s reached a top speed of 78 mph and the boats have no trouble maintaining 70 mph.

“Not bad for a 9,000-pound pontoon boat,” he said. “They’re all beautiful and done in custom colors. No two will be will be the same. All of the graphics for Frozen Envy were custom-cut by hand at WMF. It took nine hours to cut and apply them. They all come with Mercury Joystick control and Skyhook and more.”

Striking as it is, Frozen Envy won’t be the only, much less the fastest, ride Forenski will have in this weekend’s event, which is limited to 40 boats and is almost sold out. His recently acquired a 2010 Cigarette Racing Team 42X Lip-Ship Edition will be at his disposal.

Grey Goose was the official paceboat for Roar Offshore Fort Myers Beach in early October 2019. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

“Jim Wolf, the owner of Avalon, is going to run the toon,” said Forenski. “I’m going to run the 42.”

WMF To Showcase Third Mercury Racing 450R-Powered Pontoon At Roar Offshore Fun Run

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