June 5, 2018

Mercury Marine announced today that the new 4.6-liter V-8 outboard engines it unveiled earlier this month will propel a man’s quest to retrace his late grandfather’s path to the world record in marathon water-skiing. 

Dual Mercury Marine 300hp V-8 Verado outboards will power the Axopar 37 Sun-Top boat that will tow 36-year-old Australian water-skier, Alex Luther, as he attempts to beat the world record his grandfather, Harry Luther, set in 1970. Harry Luther’s record still stands today — 5,010 kilometers (3,113 miles) covered in 10 days, 5 hours, and 36 minutes. In announcing his selection of the new Mercury Verado to power the Axopar tow boat, Luther alluded to the engine’s large 4.6-liter V-8 quad-cam powerhead coupled with state-of-the-art engineering that makes the engine lighter, faster and more fuel-efficient than even its closest V‑6 competitor.

“Together with Axopar, we have the perfect combination in place to set the team up for success in the anticipated conditions — with both reliability and the ultimate in performance assured by the Mercury twin engines,” said Luther.

Margot and Harry Luther, who in 1970, set the World Marathon Water-skiing record that still stands today — 5,010 kilometers (3,113 miles) covered in 10 days, 5 hours, and 36 minutes.

Luther’s attempt at the world record — a project he dubbed, “Chasing Canguro,” with a nod to his grandfather’s nickname — is scheduled to begin Tuesday, June 26 in La Linea, Spain and cruise down the coastline of Tangier, Morocco, following the same route his grandfather used. The Chasing Canguro team will operate through all types of weather and water conditions, launching from Tangier, Morocco and proceeding along the coastlines of Spain, France, Monaco, Italy and Croatia, and then back to the finish line at Cervia, Italy. The route visits seven different countries and crosses six different seas, one strait and two gulfs.

“We’re pleased that the Chasing Canguro team and Axopar chose the Mercury 300hp V-8 Verado for this mission,” said JussiSepponen, Mercury Marine director of marketing and product management, EMEA. “These engines generate powerful torque and apply sophisticated technologies for mitigating noise and vibration, maximizing driver control, and optimizing throttle through turns and other maneuvers. They’re a great fit for the rigors of this marathon water-ski.

This mission also represents a retracing of steps for Mercury Marine. In 1969, Mercury provided Harry Luther with twin Mercury 100hp engines to put on his boat, Miss Pepsi, the first twin rig boat to compete in water-ski racing in Australia.