Assuming that fast boats have been an integral part of your life since you were a preteen, you might wonder what kind of boat you’d want to own when you’re an adult. If you’re like Jerry Gilbreath of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, that answer came in the form of an incredible wooden masterpiece of design, craftsmanship, and perfection.
Even though Gilbreath spent much of his life pursuing checkered flags on the water, it isn’t that much of a surprise that he and his wife Donna decided on a classic-looking wooden boat, conjuring up their 34-foot boat, Jefe, with an assist from the talents and ingenuity of the Resort Boat Shop, a division of Hagadone Marine Group, also based in Couer d’Alene.
If there’s one thing that has been a hallmark of Gilbreath’s career on the water, it’s been that he likes to stand out from the crowd. After all, Gilbreath’s family founded one of boating industry’s most innovative and prolific producers of high-performance marine accessories from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s: Gil Marine. Not only did the company have a stellar resume that included virtually every aspect of powerboat competition from marathon endurance to ski racing to offshore, Gil Marine introduced the first successful outboard transom bracket to the marine market in the mid-1970s. When Mercury Racing debuted its overwhelmingly successful HP500 stern drive package, every engine had a set of Gil water-cooled exhaust manifolds and stainless-steel tailpipes on it.
Meanwhile, Gilbreath was busy in his own right developing, engineering, consulting, and rigging many of the most successful offshore raceboats the sport has ever seen. His resume includes teams such as Popeye’s, Alcone Motorsports, and Fountain Powerboats. Just to seal the deal, Gilbreath more often than not occupied the throttleman’s seat, helping high-profile race teams on both the east and west coasts win numerous national and world offshore titles in the sport.