Captain
Roger Klüh
Germany
At the helm. Founder of APACHE STAR®, World-Record Setter, Entrepreneur. Conceived and led the Florida–Cuba attempt.
Where to Find APACHE STAR®
Apache Star® — The Boat
Born from a
World Record
Two-time Powerboat World Champion. One-of-a-kind 45-foot custom Apache. 2,700 HP twin-engine. 110+ mph. The offshore powerboat that crossed the Florida Strait in record time — and gave a brand its name.
Discover the StoryThe Crossing
Florida to Cuba.
One Hour, Seventeen Minutes.
On a hot August morning in 2015, Roger Klüh pointed the Apache Star south out of Key West, opened three V8s totalling 2,700 horsepower, and crossed the Florida Strait to Havana faster than any civilian powerboat had done before.
The Apache Star is a one-of-a-kind 45-foot custom Apache powerboat — a length not available as standard from Apache Powerboats. Twin-engine offshore racing configuration totalling 2,700 HP. A hull engineered for open-ocean speed, not for showrooms. At top speed she runs north of 110 mph — territory most civilian craft never see.
The crossing wasn’t a stunt. It was a working record: GPS-verified, witnessed on both shores, and acknowledged by the Cuban government on arrival in Havana. The U.S. Coast Guard cleared the southbound transit; Club Náutico Hemingway received the boat dockside.
The Apache Star is built to perform. Everything else follows from that.— Roger Klüh, Founder · World-Record Setter · Entrepreneur
Specifications
Built for the Open Ocean
Offshore Racing Powerboat
Type
2,700 HP
Twin-Engine
Twin-Engine
Engine Power
110+ mph
Top Speed
Florida–Cuba
World Record
World Record
Heritage
Roger Klüh
+ 3-Person Crew
+ 3-Person Crew
Captain
1 h 30 min
Key West → Havana
Key West → Havana
Crossing Record
August 1, 2015 · Key West → Havana
An International
Four-Person Crew
The Apache Star didn’t cross the Florida Strait alone. A four-person international crew, prepared for months, executed the record-breaking run together.
Engineer
Damien Sauvage
France
Alongside Klüh. French engineer responsible for technical execution and engine performance during the crossing.
Constructor
Mark McManus
United States
American constructor. Sustained a back injury during the turbulent record run — a testament to what the Florida Strait demanded of the team.
Mechanic
John Pompi
United States
American mechanic. Completed the technical crew alongside McManus, ensuring twin-engine reliability across 90 nautical miles of open ocean.
Roger Klüh received the Cuban government’s Orden al Mérito Deportivo, signed by President Raúl Castro — joining chess legend Anatoly Karpov (2004) and marathon swimmer Diana Nyad (2013) on a short list of foreign nationals to receive this distinction.
International Recognition
A Record Acknowledged on
Three Continents
2015 · Washington
A Letter from President Obama
President Barack Obama personally acknowledged Roger Klüh’s Florida–Cuba crossing in a signed letter — a rare civilian gesture at the height of US–Cuba diplomatic thaw.
Read the Story →2015 · Havana
Cuban Government Recognition
Official recognition by the Cuban government on arrival — the first civilian powerboat crossing of the modern era to be acknowledged by the state.
Read the Story →2015 · Hemingway Marina
Club Náutico Hemingway
The Apache Star was received at the historic Club Náutico Internacional Hemingway in Havana — Cuba’s most storied maritime address.
Read the Story →2016 · Hollywood
Hollywood: Speed Kills
The Apache Star was approached for the Hollywood production “Speed Kills” — the John Travolta feature on offshore powerboat racing.
Read the Story →2017 · Port Everglades
The Return to Florida
17 months and 11 days after the record run, a US government–authorized freight forwarder shipped the Apache Star from Marina Hemingway via Mariel cargo port to Port Everglades, USA — returning the boat to her home waters in Florida, where she was built.
Read the Story →The Apache Star Today
From a Powerboat
to a Brand
The Apache Star is more than a record-holding offshore powerboat. She is the source of a brand built on the same principles that took her across the Florida Strait: engineered performance, real heritage, and a refusal to compromise on either.
Every Apache Star® piece — from outerwear to leather goods — carries the DNA of that crossing. We fuse offshore-powerboat heritage with modern performance: rugged luxury that actually performs.
Born from a world record.— Apache Star® · Fuel Your Legend
Built for those who write theirs.
Stories from the Archive
Fourteen Reports.
One Record.
Continue
Where to Next
The Founder
Meet Roger Klüh
The captain behind the crossing — founder of the brand, World-Record Setter and Entrepreneur.
Read Bio RetailVisit Concept Stores
Apache Star® Concept Stores — see the collection in person and the heritage behind every piece.
Find a Store ArchiveFull News Archive
Every report, every interview, every milestone — the complete Apache Star® press archive.
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