Nor-Tech At 35—The Lady In Red, Part I

When it comes to building high-performance powerboats, Nor-Tech founders Trond Schou and Nils Johnsen have always thought big. Their first model, which they unveiled in 1991, was a 50-foot V-bottom. At the time, most “big”go-fast V-bottoms topped out in the 40-foot range.

Nine years later, they introduced their first catamaran—another 50-footer.

Looking for scale? Find the driver’s head. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Turned out the Nor-Tech boys were just getting warmed up. In 2011, they built an 80-foot-long, open-cockpit sport yacht powered by twin 1,900-hp Caterpillar diesel engines for a customer named Red Reynolds. Schou and Johnsen called it the 80 Roadster. They called its hardtop sister-ship model the 80 Coupe.

Reynolds dubbed it Lady Lisa—after his daughter.

A poker-run fan at the time, Reynolds ran the boat in a slew of Florida Powerboat Club events. The 80-footer became a club-member favorite. It remains the largest high-performance powerboat ever officially registered for a Florida Powerboat Club poker run.

From a distance, Lady Lisa looks like another attractive, vibrant-red go-fast sportboat. But as the V-bottom, which Reynolds sold a few years back and ended up in Bulgaria, gets closer to the viewer, it becomes obvious that the 80-footer is not “another” sportboat.

The Lady Lisa is—in a word—a massive piece of performance-art. It’s also a tribute to a pair of Norwegian immigrants who build as big as they dream.

Related stories
Nor-Tech At 35—Charity Starts At Home
Nor-Tech At 35—The Perfect Storm
New Story Series—Celebrating Nor-Tech At 35
Fort Myers Offshore Returning To ‘Event-Saving’ Venue For Season Finale

The post Nor-Tech At 35—The Lady In Red, Part I appeared first on Speed on the Water.

Source: https://www.speedonthewater.com/nor-tech-at-35-the-lady-in-red-part-i/