Fabio Buzzi was born in Lecco in 1943, and is descendent from a family tied for centuries to the art of building and design. His powerboat competition career started in 1960 and he graduated in mechanical engineering in 1971 from the Polytechnical University of Turin where he took a degree in mechanical engineering with a thesis on a self-constructed vehicle. Fabio Buzzi founded his industrial activity in the boating sector in 1972, under the FB Design trademark.
Fabio Buzzi began to compete in offshore racing in 1978, when he won the Italian and European Class 3 Championships. The following year he set the world speed record for diesel boats using a VM engine at a top speed of 191.58 km/h.
In 1986 he designed the Seatek engine, founding this company to produce diesel engines with a very high performance. With this engine in 1988 he became Italian, European and World Champion of the Open class.
FB Design boats have won a total of 52 World Championships, the Harmsworth Trophy 7 times and have set 40 world speed records. Buzzi himself has won 10 World Championships.
In 1992, using a Seatek-powered boat he again succeeded in beating the diesel record at the speed of 252 Km/h.
In 2004 Fabio Buzzi is again world champion of P classes in Key West, wins the Harmsworth Trophy, set two long distance records (Venice-Montecarlo and Tampa-Miami) and wins the Pavia-Venezia race at an average speed of 198 km/h with a hydroplane powered by a gas turbine, at the respectable age of 61!
In 2008 FB won the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes of 182 miles, with the restored Cesa 1882 / Red FPT, and he completed the race in 2h 18' 5' at an average speed of 91 mph.
In 2010 Red FPT (with Fabio Buzzi, Emilio Riganti and Simon Powell) won both heat 1 "Cowes 100" and heat 2 "Cowes-Torquay-Cowes" of the UIM Marathon World Cup races.
In 2012 he sets a NEW LONG DISTANCE RECORD: NEW YORK-BERMUDA with FB Design's new FB 41' SF. The distance of 684 nm was run in 17h 06' at an average speed of 40 knots.
THE DESIGNER
As a boat designer Fabio Buzzi’s projects stands out for the winning of many trophies:
- 52 World Offshore Championships;
- 22 European Offshore Championships;
- 27 Italian Offshore Championships;
- 40 World Speed Records;
- The Harmsworth Trophy (1989 - 1993 – 1994 – 1995 - 2003 - 2004 - 2010);
And all the main endurance contests.
THE PILOT
1960:
First race (Pavia-Venice)
1963:
First time Italian Champion (C.U. class)
1979:
Speed World Record for diesel engines (191 Km/h)
1984:
Offshore 3/6 lt class - UIM World Champion
Round Britain Race winner
1988:
Offshore class 1 - UIM World Champion
Offshore class 1 - APBA World Champion
1992:
Speed World Record for diesel engines (252 Km/h)
1994:
Superboat - APBA World Champion
Cannonball Race (Miami-New York No-Stop) winner
1995:
Superboat - APBA World Champion
A class - APBA World Champion
Superboat - APBA American Champion
1996:
Superboat - APBA World Champion
B class - APBA World Champion
1997:
A class - APBA World Champion
1999:
Miami-Nassau-Miami Speed Record (87 kn average)
2001:
FB set 3 world endurance records
- Round Italy - Venice to Montecarlo at 20 Knots
- Montecarlo to London at 33 Knots
- Round Britain at 45 knots
2002:
FB wins the Pavia-Venice Race at average speed of 182 km/h.
2004:
FB wins again the Pavia-Venice Race at an average speed of 197 km/h.
September 22d, Fabio Buzzi with the mono-hull Sony (La Gran Argentina) has established the new world record in the circumnavigation of the Italian peninsula from Venice to Monaco (1122 nautical miles) with the smashing time of 23 hours and 55 minutes at an average speed of 46.9 knots (87 km/h).
2008:
FB wins the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes of 182 miles in 2h 18' 5' at an average speed of 91 mph.
2010:
FB wins both heat 1 "Cowes 100" and heat 2 "Cowes-Torquay- Cowes" of the UIM Marathon World Cup races.
2012:
New York-Bermuda Speed Record (684 nm run in 17h 06' at an average speed of 40 knots.)
