Apache Star®

The Apache Star® is the most famous Deep-V offshore Kevlar® and carbon fiber race boat in history. Originally named Apache® Heritage, the boat broke multiple records and won world championships in 1992 and 1993 while writing powerboat history as the first sit-down Deep-V in the world.

Following more than 7,000 hours of painstaking work to refurbish the boat to as-new condition, The Apache Star® once again wears it’s famed Number 50. Modern upgrades to the boat include new custom-made helmets and Recaro racing bucket seats that utilize technologies developed for next-generation fighter jets, plus twin Mercury Racing bi-turbo engines that generate a combined total of 2,700 horsepower.

Apache Star® set a record for the fastest crossing between Key West, FL and Havana, Cuba on August 1st, 2015.

Apache Star® traversed approximately 110 Nautical Miles in the span of 90 minutes, beginning in Key West Florida on August 1st. This journey beat the previous boat crossing record by over 4 hours! The former record for the fastest Florida-to-Cuba crossing was set in 1958 by Forest Johnson, with a time of six hours, 24 minutes. This beat the original record, set in 1922 by Gar Wood.

The Apache Star® World Record Speed Run

On August 1st, 2015 the Apache Star® made history. Apache Star® was the first Pleasure boat with 4 passengers to travel from Key west to Havana Cuba (110 miles) in only 90 minutes, destorying the former record by over 4 hours!

SHOP APACHE STAR®

Meet The Crew

The crew that made the Apache Star® a world record holder

Mark McManus | Builder & Throttle Man

Mark McManus has enjoyed a storybook career that has seen him manufacture more than 600 offshore boats with Halter Marine, Cigarette Racing Team, USA Racing Team, McManus SuperBoats and Apache Powerboats. Mark has built for the most elite and influencial people in the world from kings and dictators to entrepreneurs and politicians.

Roger Kluh | Owner & Driver

A lifelong boater, Roger Kluh grew up with boats In the family. In the course of his 15-year career as a star ice hocky player In the German Elite League, Roger enjoyed numerous summer vacations in the South of France, where he developed a growing interest in offshore performance boats.

Damien Sauvage | Navigator

Damien Sauvage has captained a wide variety of speed boats and motor yachts to destinations all around the globe.Based in St. Tropez, France, Damien captained a number of luxury yachts for an elite cadre of private owners, overseeing all aspects of vessel operation while visiting ports of call worldwide.

John Pompi | Mechanical Engineer

John Pompi, founder of Marine Performance Inc., has amassed more than 30 years of experience in the mechanical rigging of performance powerboats.He started his remarkable career at the age of 15, working in North Miami with powerboat legends Don Aronow and Mark McManus.

Get To Know The Apache Star®

The Apache Heritage

- Originally built in 1992

- Restored in 2012 as “Apache Star

- Apache 45’ – Deep Vee manufactured by Mark McManus

- Superboat class having three (3) 1000 HP engines

- Apache Heritage is the most valuable deep vee powerboat in the last 25 years of powerboat racing.

Cost

The initial cost in 1992 was 1.25 million Euros to provide the Apache Heritage.

The cost to replace Apache Heritage today is in excess of $3 Million.

Accomplishments

The success of Apache Heritage in 1992 and 1993 changed the future of the sport of offshore racing.

The Apache 45 prototype is the only sit down Apache race boat ever produced!

Apache Heritage proved that sitting under a canopy could be accomplished without problems for visibility and it added 10% to top speeds, in a safe cell for driver and crew.

The design was successful winning two consecutive Super Boat Championships. Many manufacturers copied the design after production but no one has the laminate formulation or aware of how the hull was manufactured and the history of Apache Heritage has never been duplicated.

History

Apache Heritage was the first deep vee sit down under canopy super boat with three (3) engines in the world. It was a prototype that changed the sport of offshore for increased safety, speed and endurance.

Apache Heritage has raced 5 times, only in 1992 and again in 1993 at the Key West World Championship events. It raced against more than 25 competitors, winning Super Boat World Champion overall and total points champion in both years. These victories were over even four (4) engine catamaran boats

Press & Media

History will be made in Florida on Saturday, August 1, when the most famous offshore Deep-V race boat in US history will attempt to set a new world record for the fastest crossing between Key West and Havana.

The Apache Star – a two-time World Champion, Kevlar and carbon fiber Deep-V race boat capable of speeds in excess of 100 mph – will attempt to beat the current record with Apache Powerboats owner and offshore performance boating legend Mark McManus operating the throttles, and racer Roger Kluh driving. The crossing will mark the first time since 1963 that an American-built pleasure boat with an American crew has been authorized by the US government to visit Cuba.

Apache Star will depart Stock Island Marina in Key West, Florida, at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 1, destined for the Hemingway International Yacht Club, Havana, Cuba. The boat will return to Key West on August 3.

The current record for the fastest Florida-to-Cuba crossing was set in 1958 by Forest Johnson, with a time of six hours, 24 minutes. This beat the original record, set in 1922 by Gar Wood.

The Apache Star® – originally named Apache Heritage – broke multiple records and won two world championships in 1992 and 1993, writing powerboat history as the first sit-down Deep-V in the world. Once again wearing its famed number 50, the boat has received a number of modern upgrades as part of an extensive restoration effort in preparation for its record attempt – including new, custom-made helmets and Recaro racing bucket seats that utilize technologies developed for fighter jets. Twin Mercury Racing bi-turbo engines that generate a combined total of 2,700 horsepower have pushed Apache Star to speeds of more than 115 knots in initial test drives. It took more than two years to prepare the vessel for this historic mission, and more than three years to secure the necessary permits.

Apache Star® made history on August 1, 2015, the first Pleasure boat with 4 passengers to travel from Key west to Havana Cuba in 90 minutes. The distance was 110 miles.