HISTORY & RACING CLIENTS PATROL BOATS LEISURE BOATS NEWS R&D CONTACTS You are here: Home History & Racing Gran Argentina Since 1994 the GRAN ARGENTINA is three times Superboat World Champion and universally acknowledged as the fastest monohull in the world. The hull design is a stepped deep-V, with two transverse steps towards the stern. These steps help to stabilise the pitching at very high speeds and shift the centre of lift forward to help compensate for the heavy weight of the diesel engines. Construction of the hull is in advanced composites, a combination of Kevlar and carbon fibre in sandwich form. The two man crew occupy dedicated seats in the capsule which is designed around the canopy of an F16 military aircraft. This unique design of capsule is designed to offers protection if the boat nosedives and provide the means of survival if things start to go wrong at very high speed. It is float free if the boat starts to sink and is fitted with oxygen for crew survival. Propulsed by quadruple Biturbo Seatek diesel engines with an aggregate output of 3300 KW drive what is the fastest monohull in the world at an incredible speed of up to 135 mph (115 knots). This is a boat for the very select few, as Daniel Scioli (Vice President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007 and current Governor of Buenos Aires Province) the most regular driver, 3 times winner of World Champion Superboat USA and 4 europeans championships. The transformation of la “Gran Argentina” was mainly done in 2000, transforming the boat into long distance record setter. The main modifications were done around the central cockpit that now is for 4 places, with the rear open, and four Tecno G10 seats, all with their own instrumentation, and a single radar is also fitted with two GPS. A new front tank is now extending the range in order to be able to go from Miami to Nassau and back without any refuelling. Gran Trimax set the Miami-Nassau-Miami record at 100 MPH average speed. Engines remain the four twin Turbo Seatek, detuned to 1000 Hp each. Top speed is still 120 MPH. In 2004 FB Design has deeply changed the characteristics of this 55’ boat. As usual U.I.M. has changed the rules banding four engines boats, so the four Seatek have been removed and at their place there are now two Isotta Fraschini 1312 V12, 20 litres engine, rated at 1300 Hp. The range also is extended with two new rubber tanks, for a total of 4200 litres and a range of 70 kn of over 600 nm. In 2004 Fabio Buzzi, with this same mono-hull renamed as Sony, established the new world record in the circumnavigation of the Italian peninsula from Venice to Monaco (1122 nautical miles) with the smashing time of 23h 55’ 51’’ at an average speed of 47 knots (87 km/h). In the same year, after racing in a three race format World Championship Race in Key West and winning the title of World Champion in his class, Fabio Buzzi placed a new Tampa-Miami long distance record in 3h 47’ 30’’. La Gran Argentina raced again in 2010 in the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race with the new name and dress of Silicon Fire, and arrived second after the new restored Cesa 1882. The FB 55' made by FB design is a high-speed interceptor used by many military corps, and it's actually based on the superboat racing boat "La Gran Argentina". Many of these models are currently in use with the Hong Kong Police and Customs and with the Italian Guardia di Finanza. back to top FB Design Srl - Via Provinciale 73, 23841 Annone Brianza (LC), Italy - Partita IVA: 01805830138 Phone +39 0341 260105 - Fax +39 0341 260108 - Email mail@fbdesign.it Follow us on Quality and Environment - Privacy Information - Privacy Policy Copyright © FB Design Last Modified: 03/12/2021.