Luxury and Performance in High-Speed Powerboats
Production of This Supreme Sport Boat Was Limited
to Less Than 30 Built Between 1968 and 1970
Production of This Supreme Sport Boat Was Limited
to Less Than 30 Built Between 1968 and 1970
Please click the links above to see more beautiful Fino boats!!
If you own one of these rare classic machines, please contact us so we can create a register of the remaining legends.
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THESE ARE THE REMAINING FINOS THAT ARE IN USE OR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING RESTORED TODAY.
This is From Butch Stokes:
Bobby's family owned APECO. We were a big copy machine company; the only real competition was Zerox, Bobby, and his brother. Clayton built Apeco Marina next to Magnum, one of the first dry rack storage places in the South, in 1966. Later changed to Atlas, then to Hi-Lift.
Bobby was a developer; he built the Carriage House on the Beach. The Playboy Hotel was right next door. It was the place to be seen. Around 70, they bought Magnum from Don. Bobby, Don, and Bob Magoon were best buddies. They would play tennis at Bobby's house on the beach a few times a week. They were always in competition with each other on who could buy the best toys.
Bobby bought a Jet Ranger, then Don bought one, then had a Corvette built by George Barris; it was called the Fino Vette. Sold it to John Crowne. Don had Mark Donahue build a couple of trick Camaros for the street. I think Magoon had one of these too. These guys loved to play and have fun, and they did it in grand style. They were a lot of fun to be around.
Rautbord was the best boss I ever had. Bobby married a gorgeous gal named Patty Lou and named some of his boats after her. He owned an ice cream factory in Chicago when he was young, he told me...the best ice cream ever made...his weight went to over 300 lbs., and his dad made him sell it...he stayed trim after that. He is missed by lots of people. Knocky House loved him. He died of cancer in Aspen. Home was between John Denver's and Jill St. John's.
I liked the black hull with the red boot stripe and white deck. I don't remember who got that one. Furthermore, I think the upholstery was white with red trim. Maybe that was Bobby's last one with the outdrives. He showed it to me at his house when I picked up his Ferrari to fix. The brown boat was a lot better looking than you would think. That was probably second choice. The guy that bought it had his place of business right where they filmed the chase in French Connection.
I was out in many Magnums, Donzis, and Bertrams with Holman Moody. The favorite time in a Fino would have to be going to Mike Gordon's for lunch with Mike Seay. Mike G would always come out to help us tie up. He didn't allow many boats there because the dock was falling apart. I never really had any pleasure trips in one, except when Earl Smalley took me to his place in Stiltsville with his family. I also had to ride around with Connie Dinkler a bit. Going to Ocean Reef to deliver was a great trip also.
I don't remember Elton Cary with one at all. His boats were very nice as it was, and classy as well. Buck Fulp and Jim Kimberly both had 27-foot or so center console Carys with 427 Fords in them. One of them had fuel injection, I think Kimberly's. I had to go to Palm Beach a lot to work on it. That was right after he married a beautiful young lady. She was in the news a lot. They both were pretty famous in the SCCA in the 50s and real good friends with Dinny Phipps, our boss at HM.
Did a lot of testing on the boat #2 with Doug Janisch when he was a Mercury rep. We had an overheating problem with the freshwater cooling. Lots of rides in the bay near the Grove.
Never went out with Don, but I did work on his son David's Porsche for a few years. Real nice guy.
Byng Goode is sort of family. He was president of Cigarette for a few years before he started Midnight Express.
Earl S. called me one day because his Onan was on the blink and the ice maker and fridge weren't working. He said he had promised 9 girls they would be the first to get laid on the boat, and he was up to number six tonight. Can't ever forget that one.
Just rambling on, going to bed now...see ya.
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The Fino was raced by Bobby Rautbord and Butch Stokes in the Miami to Nassau Sam Griffith Memorial in 1970. I will update this post with some hard facts from Butch in the coming days. The Fino would have been the fastest production boat in the world if it had not been for a blown engine.
Walt Walters is the designer of the Fino. Walt has designed hundreds of boats, including most of the early Donzis, including the 16 Ski Sporter, the 19 Hornet Bench, and the 19 St. Tropez, as well as the 18 Donzi. Also, the Magnums include the legendary Magnum 35'. But in my opinion, the 30" Fino is by far the most stylish and imitated design he ever drew.
Walt is responsible for the Fino's unique design. He has acquired an almost legendary reputation as the architect of an extensive list of highly successful competition and sports boats. Among them are the Ghost Rider (winner of the World Championship in ocean racing) and the Maritime (winner of every ocean race in the world). He has also designed hulls for all the leading manufacturers of high-performance boats.
The legend is alive and well. Here is a picture I am proud to have taken with the legendary Walt Walters himself.
A collection of old articles collected over the years.
Craig is an expert on The Fino. Having acquired and restored several of the Fino boats here on this site.
Here are some explanations in his own words.
Thanks, Craig
SootFace is not Dale's boat, as noticed on your website. SootFace was SuperSpook. Dale’s boat was my second NickeLess. The first NickeLess is now Tuscany. I had the following:
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