Offshore superboats

Time machine

"The faster you go, the slower time passes" - Albert Einstein.

Einstein's theory has been proven, and it's the basis for the quest for time travel. The theory has it that if a person can go fast enough in space, they could return to the earth younger than the people they had left behind.

So it was on a sunny Friday afternoon when I strapped myself into my own nautical time machine, the Offshore Superboat Saracen. When I returned, I was indeed younger than when I left - or so I felt.

Never in my boating life had I travelled so fast or felt so exhilarated. Yes, I've driven some quick boats 50, 60 knots in powerboats, 20-plus knots in racing yachts. But this was another level altogether.

Sure, I've seen these Offshore Superboats on the tele. I've seen them up close and personal last time they were in Melbourne, but nothing prepared me for a drive of one.

When offered the ride, I was quite blasé: "Sure, I'll go for a ride, this is only a Class 2 boat isn't it?" But, my self-assured attitude changed as I was strapped into this 30-foot purpose-built carbon racing machine.

MERCURY OUTBOARDS
Powered by two 300hp race-bred Mercury Outboards, this beast is capable of around 185kmh or more than 110mph.

I met the owners Tony De Fina and his brother-in-law Simon Thomas at The Anchorage marina in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown. Tony gave me the rundown as we strapped ourselves into the Recaro race seats: "We've got oxygen on each side in case we have a problem," he nonchalantly informed me, "And there's a hatch in the floor in case we're inverted and have to get out." Okay Tony, that's reassuring.

I slipped on my helmet and plugged in the intercom. I was sitting in the throttleman's seat and Tony explained that the throttleman also manages the trim and adjustable height of the engines as well as the adjustable aerofoil between the hulls.

"There's not much of the boat in the water when we're at speed," said Tony, "We're basically riding on cushion of air."

The helmsman also has controls for the water ballast. At the pull of a lever he can instantly take on up to 200 litres of water in the bow to keep it down in rough conditions.

Tony fired up the engines and we slowly motored out onto a relatively calm Port Phillip Bay with a light but building sou'westerly.

Tony eased the throttles forward and we were away. Slight cavitation from the props before we got onto the plane was soon replaced with a scream as the big Optimax Mercs came on song. In no time we were doing 50mph and Tony quipped: "Acceleration is pretty good from here" and pushed the throttles further. I was pushed back in my seat as Saracen leapt forward like an unleashed tiger. Seventy, 80 then 90mph flicked up on the digital readout in front of me. Tony whipped her around to port in a 70mph turn and we looked for our camera boat to get some instructions.

MAD MOMENTS
As we pulled up next to the other boat, Tony offered me the helm. I hesitated for a moment but, hey, how could a bloke refuse a drive of a beast like this. Sure!

We swapped spots and I buckled in for the ride of my life.

Tony was on the throttles. "Head for Sandringham and keep her straight," he said through the intercom.

We were off. The Mercs were screaming and the boat was twitching on the light chop as the speed read-out passed 90. Channel markers flicked passed at an alarming rate. I wanted to keep going but Tony's voice crackled through the intercom: "We'd better head back." He eased off the throttles and I wheeled us around to port at a speed that I wouldn't have dared if the owner wasn't in charge of feeding power to the 600hp on the back.

The boat stayed flat and smooth as I fought with the loads on the hydraulic steering. Saracen's hulls bit the water and we skipped around and headed for our photographers.

Fortunately, we had a very keen newspaper photographer on our camera boat who wanted to take heaps of photos so we stayed out for longer than expected. The VHF radio is plugged into the intercom system so we could receive instructions from the other boat: "Come straight at us and then peel off to port." Got to trust the steering at this speed, I thought.

After several passes and some circle work, we got the message that they were about done. My adventure was coming to a close and although I was wet through with sweat, I wanted to keep going.

"I can see how this could become addictive," I said as we blasted past the camera boat at what seemed to me a ridiculous speed for an umpteenth time.

Tony looked over with a grin: "Oh yeah, it's mighty addictive."

As I climbed out of the hatch and stood on the deck of Saracen, I wondered that, if Einstein was right and speed could actually make you younger, then if I sold my yacht and bought one of these, perhaps it'd cure my greying hair...

Doubt it, but it least I gave it a go.