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Project 1080 Update

Cigarette Top Gun created by Mercury Racing and Florida Powerboat Club hits the water.
Project 1080 running shot
Project 1080 has been the featured pace boat at FPC poker run events. Courtesy Florida Powerboat Club

In September we reported on Project 1080, a collaboration between Mercury Racing and Florida Powerboat Club (FPC) owner Stu Jones on the restoration of a model year 2000 Cigarette 38 Top Gun into a modern pace boat, complete with a new interior, new graphics and a re-power with Mercury Racing 540 engines featuring digital throttle and shift (DTS) installed by Mercury Racing dealer Performance Marine Trading in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

The boat is now on the water and you can watch the sea trial video posted by Mercury Racing and FPC.

The finished boat features Mercury Racing Digital Zero Effort Controls and Bravo One XR sterndrives spinning Mercury Racing Lab Finished Bravo I propellers. Integrated Transom Systems (ITS) featuring integral steering rams provide a clean installation of the XR drives. K-Plane trim tabs assist in getting the classic vee-bottom up on plane as well as adjusting hull attitude while underway. Vital engine and hull data is provided via a touchscreen Mercury 703 VesselView monitor mounted alongside a complete set of Livorsi Marine digital gauges. Project 1080 also uses twin Garmin 7612 XSV chart plotters for engine data display as well as navigation. The helm was put together with the help of Technograpahics of Fort Lauderdale, which created new panels for the port and starboard sides, a process featured in this helm project video.

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Project 1080 cockpit
The helm was put together with the help of Technograpahics of Fort Lauderdale. Courtesy Florida Powerboat Club

The boat looks fabulous, in our opinion, with its classic lines and a graphics treatment that’s a just-right blend of retro and current style. The point of the project was to create a boat with classic lines and modern power and controls. Project 1080 has been the featured pace boat at three FPC poker run events so far this season. What’s next? Jones and Performance Marine Trading are going to swap the Bravo One XR lower units for a set of Mercury Racing XR Sport Master gearcases.

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