After unfavorable wind conditions kept the factory-sponsored 40’ Fountain from running more than 150 mph on Saturday morning, the team decided to postpone its attempt on the Unlimited V-bottom speed record until Wednesday morning.
Reggie Fountain III drove and Jeff Harris throttled when the boat headed out onto the Pamlico River near the Fountain Powerboats factory early Saturday morning. The twin Sterling Performance engines were dialed up to 1,900 hp each and there was a crowd of media and well-wishers from the offshore racing world. While weather.com showed temperatures of 64 degrees Fahrenheit and winds about 7 mph, when you’re trying to run speeds of more than 180 mph, that’s enough to cause a problem. And as most boaters know when a day starts out windy, it’s rare that the gusts die down. More often than not, they build so with Fountain Powerboats founder and consultant Reggie Fountain II advising, the team decided to put the boat on the trailer for the day.
Looking ahead at the forecast, today, there’s rain in Washington and tomorrow looks clear, so the team said it’s going to shoot for Wednesday morning. Keep an eye on the Poker Runs America website for any updates.
