Team Defalco Joining Class 1 Ranks For 2022 Series
A longtime, well-known member of the high-performance boating community in the Northeast, New York’s Mike Falco is heading into the offshore racing world this season. Falco is the president and chief executive of New York City-headquartered Defalco Construction, one of the city’s largest cast-in-place concrete and foundation subcontractors, and has been a passionate go-fast boating enthusiast for decades.
The Team Defalco Class 1 Outerlimits raceboat will have a Big Apple element in its graphics package.
“I’ve been running high performance V-bottom boats, mostly Outerlimits powerboats, for more than 15 years and a 48-foot MTI with Mercury 1650 engines for a few years,” said Falco, in a Powerboat P1 press release issued this morning. “For some time, I’ve wanted to get involved with offshore racing and be part of an international series, and I regard Class 1 as the pinnacle of the sport.
Based in Riviera Beach, Fla., Team Defalco will campaign a 48-foot Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats catamaran powered by Mercury Racing 1100 Comp engines. Falco, who will throttle, has yet to name his driver for the six-event, eight race Class 1 World Championship Series, which begins May 19-22 in Cocoa Beach, Fla., produced by Powerboat P1
“This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to compete against the best boats with the best equipment and best crews in the world,” said Falco. “Mercury Racing 1100 turbocharged engines have brought a modern, reliable package to the class and Powerboat P1’s international TV broadcast deals and live streaming take the racing into fans’ homes worldwide.”
Falco’s 48-footer will be one of two catamarans from the Bristol, R.I., builder competing offshore this season. Wisconsin’s Vinnie Diorio and Canadian Simon Prevost run a 39-footer powered by Mercury Racing 860 engines and dubbed SV Racing in the Super Cat class.
“We are ecstatic to have another Outerlimits on the racecourse,” said Dan Kleitz, Outerlimits’ national sales manager. “We now have a boat in three premier race classes—Marker 17 in Mod V, SV Racing in Super Cat and now Mike running a 48-footer in Class 1. She’s a big boat and will be awesome in the rough.”
Kleitz (left) and Falco recently spent time together in the Outerlimits display at the 2022 Miami International Boat Show Photo by Cole McGowan copyright Powerboat P1.
It’s been a big week for Class 1 and United Kingdom-based Powerboat P1, which has a 10-year contract to produce and promote Class 1. On Tuesday, the organization announced that JBS Racing will be joining the 2022 Class 1 field.
Said Azam Rangoonwala, the chief executive officer of Powerboat P1, “Team Defalco is an exciting addition to our international fleet and we are delighted that Mike will be flying the flag for New York City.”
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