FOUNTAIN THE FABULOUS
8/29/2007 11:57:13 AM by Sandy Lindsey
Success and speed have always come naturally to Reggie Fountain — including more than 100 victories and a Hall of Fame induction for his speedboat racing. And that’s just the beginning.
The name Reggie Fountain is synonymous with high-performance speedboat racing. Or maybe we should say “racewinning.” His impressive career has included such highlights as becoming one of the rare drivers in speedboat racing to successfully achieve over 100 victories, become a Hall of Fame inductee in the low-flying world of 130 mph F-1 tunnel outboards and earn numerous world titles and frequent national championships. In addition, Fountain has raced for Team Mercury in both F-1 and Offshore factory teams.
So what does it take to make a truly standout memory for the man who has for the past 20 years designed, manufactured, driven and throttled his own boats to win after win in the national offshore racing circuit? It takes a lot, but he has a few memories that stand out throughout the years.
“I started offshore racing in 1978 when I was 38 years old,” says Fountain. “Of all the races I’ve competed in since, the one that stands out happened in 1990-91. All the offshore racing organizations were racing against each other. There were also celebrities such as Don Johnson and Chuck Norris involved. I was in a 47-foot V-bottom Fountain, and I won, beating everyone. That was some race.”
All that experience behind the helm has led to some impressive high-performance designs, all of which are respected across the globe. “After 27 years in the business, I think we have the most complete lineup of high-performance speedboats from 29 to 49 feet, performance fishing boats from 31 feet on up and cruisers ranging from 38 to 48 feet,” says Fountain of his eponymous boat company. “As for the future, we’d like to expand our fishing boat and cruiser lineups. The high-performance sportsboat lineup is pretty comprehensive so we mainly need to maintain and update it.”
Last year, Fountain reports, the company was in the $79 million range, quite a feat by any standards. “We regressed a bit this year, though we still expect to be in the $65-68 million range,” he adds. “Things have already picked up for us, especially at the Miami International Boat Show. We took $20 million in orders at the show for 61 units. That definitely helped beef our numbers back up.”
The goal is to grow the product and grow the network, always striving for improvements in any way possible. Reggie’s goals are in the $70 million range for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and growing to $80 million for fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.
If you’re wondering how Fountain finds the time to relax, the answer’s simple: He doesn’t. Well, at least he doesn’t often. “I’m working all the time. As the company’s head engineer, I’m always working on something, out at the plant making things more efficient, attending boat shows, SKA fishing tournaments, ASA events and racing.”
“Of course,” he adds, “while I may take no time off, I do get out on the water testing boats and some days I don’t have to work as hard as other days.” He credits the company’s continued growth success to working hard and doing what needs to be done to keep it afloat.
When Fountain does take some personal time, he likes to pick one of the available Fountains, preferably the biggest and the fastest in the lineup. He also has several leisure activities he has found over the years to be a great way to pass a few extra hours. “I also enjoy a few good meals,” he concludes. “And dates with pretty young girls.”