The story “Storm Chasers,” which appears in Professional BoatBuilder No. 162, tells how a group of Miami restoration specialists brought back life to a 1969 Bertram 31 raceboat named White Tornado. Sparing no expense, the owner was intimately involved in the project, researching the boat’s history racing in Italy for well-known drivers Vincenzo Balestrieri and Francesco Cosentino, and in such detail that he used old newspaper photographs to help fabricators recreate deck fittings, the dashboard, exhausts, and other parts.
The three principal companies involved were TNT Marine, Guardado Marine, and Miami Prestige Interiors. White Tornado’s owner, identified only as Nick, was equally meticulous in documenting the restoration work, taking or commissioning photographs and videos at every step of the lengthy and arduous process. These are available on the website www.whitetornado.com, six of which may be viewed below:
Gary Brinker, Manager, TNT Marine:
John Tomlinson, Partner, TNT Marine:
Mike Thomas, Partner, TNT Marine:
Reiner Lopez, Miami Prestige Interiors:
Eddie Guardado, Guardado Marine:
Eulises Hernandez, Electronics, TNT Marine:
As we’ve written in “Storm Chasers” and “Fast Company” (PBB No. 155), those who designed, built, and raced powerboats in the 1960s and ’70s feel strongly that the offshore (often out of sight of land) races they participated in were more challenging and in some respects more dangerous than subsequent races that evolved along shorelines for the benefit of spectators. Various small groups are beginning to organize members of that aging fraternity, the most recent being the VBV Legend, 1st International Meeting of Classic Offshore Powerboats, in Viareggio, Italy July 21-24. White Tornado will be there, participating in the Concourse d’Elegance, ably helmed by her owner Nick. Organizers Marco Bertini and Gianni Giampaoli are framing the event around the once prestigious Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio race that was held annually from 1962-1992. To view a flyer about the event, click here.
About the Author: Dan Spurr is Professional BoatBuilder’s editor-at-large.
