One of the main questions heading into the 2013 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout was whether or not the 2011 Top Gun winner would be able to challenge the course record, after tying the speed several times in 2011.
That question was answered as Bill Tomlinson, Ken Kehoe and the crew behind My Way—a 50-foot Mystic Powerboats catamaran powered by a pair of 3,000-hp Lycoming T-55 turbine engines from Whispering Turbines—blew past the 208-mph speed the boat had run two years prior. In fact, Tomlinson’s 50-footer handily shattered the event’s all-time top speed, a 209-mph run set in 2007 by another turbine-powered Mystic, Miss Longlite, at the old Shooters 21 location.
224. My Way hit 224 mph, and racing fans were in awe.
His crowning achievement from 2013 as well as his performance boating track record leaves no doubt about Tomlinson’s legendary Shootout status, as well as his place in this year’s Shootout Guide. While everyone would love to see My Way at it again this August, Tomlinson is undecided about participating in this year’s event.
Like those who have come before him—Top Gun champions like Dave Scott and Dave Callan—Tomlinson didn’t get to the top overnight. After turning his father’s modest dump truck business into a 1,200-plus-employee construction company (RW Tomlinson Limited) with multiple divisions specializing in quarries, landfills, trucking and more, Tomlinson has invested incredible amounts of time, energy and money into recreational boating. From owning a 30-foot Bayliner and a 21-foot Eliminator to an 82-foot diesel-powered Sunseeker and a 44-foot Italian-built Riva, the Canadian perfectionist from Manotick, Ontario, doesn’t just favor the ultra high-performance stuff either.
Still, you can hear it in his voice when he talks about winning the Top Gun last summer—the thrill of running 200-plus mph, or better yet the challenge of getting a boat to run that fast, is what keeps him going and what drove him to build his Mystic after owning two Skater Powerboats catamarans and another from Outertlimits Powerboats.
“Whether it’s in a local poker run or at the Shootout, we take it very seriously when we run My Way,” said Tomlinson, whose has been married to his wife, Johanne, for 45 years. The couple’s two kids—son Ron (president) and daughter Cindy (head legal counsel)—run the day-to-day operations of the business.
“A lot can go wrong when you’re approaching the speeds we can reach. And when you get above 200 mph it’s an entirely new ball game. Then from there the dynamic changes every three to four mph.
“I’m not sure if 230 mph is attainable or not in the Shootout distance,” he added. “I mean as far as the power and everything else goes, in a good run you could potentially maybe pick up another 5 mph or so in that distance, but you’re going to have to see how the boat responds to it. It’s pretty dicey; we’re already close to the edge.”
Tomlinson isn’t about to chase after any impressive magic number, unless of course another boat steps up and ties or breaks that record. Kehoe, who owns Kehoe Marine Construction in Lansdowne, Ontario, said he and Tomlinson are going to take a wait-and-see approach to this year’s Shootout, just in case a serious challenger comes into the equation.
“We hope we set an untouchable record,” said Kehoe, who spent many off-business hours with Kehoe Marine’s Dan McMillan and Lyle Stacey as well as turbine authority Jamie Ault to prepare My Way for the Shootout. “The whole project, putting it all together and figuring out the way to make it all work, was a challenge. But being able to be the ones to dial a boat in and make it run like that makes it all worth it. It’s both stressful and fun at the same time. I feel privileged to be involved with the project and with anything Bill takes on.”
Tomlinson was quick to credit the team for the success of My Way.
“Everyone on the team is busy with other things and their own business, yet they still found the time to make sure the boat was ready for the Shootout,” he said. “Our team is all business. Even though what we do is a hobby, we still take it seriously.”
Kehoe reflects the praise, saying it all starts at the top.
“Bill is an incredible guy,” Kehoe added. “He started with practically nothing and built an empire. Every project he tackles has been like My Way—he won’t quit until he perfects it. The nice thing about him is that he’s not afraid to get in there and take care of things. He owns the boat, and he’s not as young as the rest of us, but if he needs to be crawling underneath the motor and helping do something, he does it.”
While Tomlinson’s “need for speed” gene is obvious, he said he doesn’t have to be running fast to enjoy his time on the water.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a speed boat, a ski boat or a cruiser, I just like to get out there and have fun,” Tomlinson said. “Don’t get me wrong, I like going fast. I always will. Even our 82-foot Sunseeker has Arneson drives on it and can run about 40 knots.”
The possibility of Tomlinson being the second Top Gun winner in a row who opts not to defend the title (Greg Olson retired after his 192-mph run in 2012) is very real.
It would be unforgettable to witness another remarkable My Way pass. That may not be on this year’s docket, but its almost certain that Tomlinson and company will at least be hanging around the docks at Captain Ron’s, to see if anyone can top their mark.
