American boatbuilder and racer shot dead

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 5

American boatbuilder and racer shot dead

NZPA-AP Miami Donald Aronow, a boatbuilder and racer who designed the sleek-hulled Cigarette boat used in competitive racing, was shot dead at an exclusive marina, authorities said. Aronow, aged 59, was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds at Mount Sinai Medical Centre, said a hospital spokeswoman, Lori Fagenholz. The victim was shot while in a car leaving the Apache Marina in the exclusive Williams Island neighborhood north of . Miami, a Metr»-Dade police spokesman; Dick

Turner said. Aronow had formed a string of high-perform-ance boat companies: Donzi, Magnum, Cigarette and Squadron XII.

The powerful Cigarette boats are popular not only with racers but with drug smugglers and have been featured on the television show “Miami Vice.” United States customs agents started using the craft to keep up with the smugglers. Aronow, a New York native, was a millionaire by the age of 28.

In 1964, he moved to Florida and beganf’ his career in boats, racing for

the first time in the 1964 Miami-Nassau race. In 1969, he became the first man to win eight offshore races in one season including the Sam Griffith Trophy for the world championship, and the United States National Champions in open class. He was a friend of Vice President George Bush who owns a nine metre Cigarette boat designed by Aronow. Other clients included King Juan Carlos of Spain, the former Beatle Ringo Starr, the tennis professional, Vitas Gerulaitis and the industrialist, H. Ross Perot.