New 30-Foot Superboat Coming For Bracket 500-Class Competition

Though racing fans will have to wait until the 2023 Offshore Powerboat Association Englewood Beach Waterfest World Championships, set for November 17-20, to see it on the racecourse, a new 30-foot Superboat Y2K model is under construction for Bracket 500-class competition. The open-cockpit V-bottom, which primarily will be rigged by Jason and Johnny Saris at Performance Marine in Bolton Landing, N.Y., was ordered last week by Gavin Jaffarian, an experienced performance-boat owner but a newcomer to the sport.

While their Bracket 500-class 30-foot Superboat is being built and rigged, Jaffarian and Williamson will head for the Bracket 600 class in a 23-foot Warlock that formerly ran as Liquid Courage. Photo by Tim Sharkey copyright Sharkey Images.

Before the Superboat raceboat is complete Jaffarian, plans to join the OPA Bracket 600 class in a 23-foot Warlock, which formerly ran as Liquid Courage, with veteran offshore racer Brian Williamson.

“We’ve been working on dialing in the Warlock for a little while,” said Jaffarian. “It’s cool, but I really want a purpose-built raceboat. The Superboat 30 is the hull to beat in Class 5.”

Quipped Williamson, “The loose plan is to run the Warlock for a race or two to get our feet wet, no pun intended.”

Williamson will throttle and Jaffarian drive the Warlock, as well as the new 30-footer when it’s finished. The new boat will be called To Perdition in a nod to Williamson’s 34-foot Phantom called dubbed Perdition, which he plans to continuing throttling in the Bracket 400 class with driver John Thornton.

Williamson plans to keep campaigning his Bracket 400-class 34-foot Phantom called Perdition. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

While some of the work will be done at Williamson’s shop in Haverhill, Mass., the father-and-son Saris duo will handle the bulk of it in their shop.

“The engine we built for their Bracket 600 boat will be a fine fit for the Superboat” said Jason Saris. “We’ll do some of the major hull rigging here, then Brian will take over the details. They’ll be a great team.”