Allan Brown 1935 - 2025

Allan Brown left for the better World on May 28 in Sabastian, Florida, at 89.  A famous figure in the offshore racing and the early days of fiberglass pleasure boat building circles, for four decades  Allan “Brownie” Brown lived a life at full throttle, and could not straighten his head because of neck injuries and two knees replaced, and survived a career of boat racing which would have killed lesser men.  Following the learning of the trade with Challenger in Florida in the 1950's, an unknown name but credited for building the first all fiberglass hull, Brownie was then general manager for Challenger and entered boat building as he was involved with the first two PT boats at Miami Shipbuilding.  He then later assisted Willis Slade in the late 1950’s in the tooling for the first Hatteras 41, the Knit Wits.  Following this Brownie will join Don Aronow and will become Donzi sales manager, a job he will keep after the Aronow selling and till 1968.  In that same year with financial help from Bill Wishnick, he will found Nova Marine debuting with a 24 model as designed by Dick Cole, known as the Donzi designer.  Allan Brown will exit Nova Marine after a year and joins Magnum Marine as a chief engineer, a position he will keep till the mid seventies.  Brownie will then handle the American operation of Cougar Marine as he is hired as President of the British powerboat specialist US facility on NE 188th Street in North Miami.  At some point after his stint at Cougar Marine, “Brownie” rejoins Aronow at Cigarette Racing Team as Director of Product Development a position he will keep till the nineties.  Next stop for Allan “Brownie” Brown was to manage Tom Gentry project to beat the Trans-Atlantic record as held by Richard Branson. An all-aluminium superyacht of 112-feet in length with a moderate vee of 18-degree deadrise hull as designed and then constructed in England.  The record run was made in July, 1989 in 62 hours and 7 minutes, which included a mid-Atlantic stop to top up with fuel. The incredible journey of Allan “Brownie” Brown through the annals of the high-performance boat scene of the 1960’s through to the nineties is unparalleled. He was an influence in so many ways, and made major contributions with many of the other, and better known, racers of his time. Allan Brown, offshore racer, builder, and Hall of Fame inductee, celebrated his remarkable and memorable way in 2018 by publishing a book entitled, “Tales from Thunderboat Row."