1983 Lucky Las Vegas Regatta

After setting the top time at Powerboat Magazine’s World Speed Trials and winning the Lucky Las Vegas Regatta in 1983, Jim DeNooyer was eager to bring the S-42 KING STING for a second round of aquatic dominance. He spent the 12 months in-between the events preparing, primarily by adding more firepower to the already stout Banks-prepped twin turbo V8s. Improvements to the boat included the powerful dual 372 cubic inch engines upped to 398 each, taller gears, different props and nitrous to help get the boat on plane faster.

The result was that the boat was 20 mph faster than anything else on the water. Instead of playing it safe, DeNooyer throttled up and established a 3 to 4-minute lead ahead of his nearest contenders. Despite running at full speed with the engines set to what people thought was “kill,” KING STING and DeNooyer never strained the Banks-built turbocharged engines.

KING STING crushed the competition and clocked in the top speed that Saturday in 1983, and went on to win Sunday’s marathon… for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, the next year the President of Pacific Offshore Powerboat Racing Association banned turbocharged tunnel boats thereby putting an end to the KING’s dominance.