When offshore powerboat racer Bobby Rautbord introduced the first Fino 30 in 1968, his idea was to create an American sport boat that blended high performance and race-boat handling with the fit and finish of a custom Italian runabout. His boat was an instant success. Between 1968 and 1970, nearly 30 of the Fino 30s were delivered to owners.
As methodical as any offshore powerboat racer would be before leaving the dock, Rautbord assembled a team of experts to help solidify his vision before he began production. He tapped Walt Walters, a designer of early Donzi sport boats, to create a hull that combined the hydrodynamics of a fast boat with head-turning above-water lines. To ensure that Walters’ design had the rugged build that would endure a lifetime of high-speed running in open waters, Rautbord turned to veteran boatbuilder Les Stratton, who helped define and guide stout hull construction and excellent fit and finish at Bertram.
Below the waterline, the Fino 30 had a well-raked stem with a sharp entry and a modest, though effective, flare. A lightly crowned foredeck helped shed wind-blown spray. Three pairs of lifting strakes graced the 24-degree, constant-deadrise, deep-vee hull, and a pair of stem-to-stern spray rails provided a hard chine at the transom. Maximum beam was 9 feet, 3 inches at amidships, with a maximum draft of 2 feet, 9 inches and a weight of approximately 8,500 pounds.
Above the waterline, Walters created enough volume for a cuddy cabin under the foredeck, a cockpit with two forward-facing seats, and a bench seat far aft across the cockpit that could seat three or four people. A sculpted after section had eye-catching tumblehome. A padded sundeck was aft atop two long hatches that opened like gull wings to reveal an engine compartment with room for twin V-8 engines.
A pair of 427-cubic-inch, 325-hp Kiekhaefer MerCruiser inboards were standard power, producing top speeds of about 59 knots. Other twin inboard propulsion options included 440-cubic-inch, 375-hp Chryslers and 482-cubic-inch Kiekhaefer MerCruisers rated for 390 hp—the latter said to reach 69 knots. Racing motor mounts, battery restraints and tie-down brackets for the twin 90-gallon fuel tanks were also standard equipment.
There was room remaining in the engine compartment for an optional 2.5-kilowatt Onan genset to power, among other conveniences, optional air conditioning for the cuddy cabin. Rautbord wanted touches of class as standard throughout: Burmese teak planking in the cockpit and on the built-in swim platform; a bar and icemaker; and heavily padded seats with bottoms that would drop down for driving while standing.
Rautbord’s dream of creating the Fino 30 continues today. Yachtfish Marine in Seattle has acquired the old molds and created new molds with the same lines. Power will be Mercury outboards.
This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue.
