Catalina Fun Run At Record 50 Boats And Counting
For all intents and purposes, there is one lunch-stop destination between Los Angeles and Honolulu—Catalina Island—and for the most part that explains why the Pacific Ocean off Southern California isn’t exactly a hotbed for recreational go-fast boating. But what a stop it is, and come September 23-25 a solid group of go-fast powerboat enthusiasts will head for the famed island just 26 miles off the Golden State for the seventh annual Catalina Fun Run.
With three weeks remaining before registration closes, the Catalina Fun Run already has an event-record-setting 50 boats signed up. Photo by Erick Bryner copyright Fast and Loud Photography.
So far, a record-setting 50 performance-boat owners have registered for the event, which counts DCB Performance Boats and MTI among its sponsors. The run’s previous record was 42 entries. Registration will remain open until the day before the fleet departs.
Photographer Erick Bryner, who organizes the event with his friends Corey Vodvarka and fellow California-based photographer Daren Van Ryte, said this year’s new two-day format has been a big draw.
“Everyone seems really excited about it, including us,” Bryner said, then laughed. “We’ve got the entire Two Harbors beach area reserved for our private beach party on Saturday with palapas, lounge chairs, private bar and beach games.
“And Tony Chiaramonte of DCB Performance Boats has been instrumental in recruiting a lot of DCB owners,” he added.
With less than 300 full-time residents, roughly double Catalina’s wild buffalo population, Twin Harbors is an idyllic isthmus community that narrowly separates the island’s leeward and windward sides. Most of the weekend activities will be based out of Avalon, the island’s primary population center with almost 4,000 residents.
All the way from South Florida, the Mad Props DCB M37R catamaran powered by Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines is one of four 37-footers from the vaunted builder that will be part of the seventh annual Catalina Fun Run fleet. Photo from the 2022 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.
Chiaramonte will be there to support his customers.
“I have four M37Rs going,” said Chiaramonte. “Greg Harris and Yvonne Aleman, who own the Mad Props 37, are coming all the way from Florida for it.
“Catalina is almost like hanging out on somebody’s private island,” he continued. “Everyone is really cool and laidback. And the two-day format is going to be great. We were a sponsor for last year’s Catalina Fun Run Run and we are happy to be doing it again.”
Said Harris, who returned to Florida a few days ago with Aleman after enjoying’s last week’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout and Super Cat Fest in Central Missouri, “They say the island is smaller than you think, but full of character. It’s a bucket-list trip for us. I can’t wait to stand on the deck of our boat and take a picture with that backdrop.”
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