Vic Porter, Visionary Founder Behind Formula Boats, Dies at 90

Vic Porter, the serial entrepreneur best known for building Formula Boats into a leading name in recreational boating, died on Sunday in Decatur, Indiana. He was 90 years old. Porter’s career in the boating industry spanned more than six decades and left a lasting mark on boat design, production methods and the broader marine manufacturing community.

Porter’s path to the marine world began after early ventures in mobile home sales, real estate and an ice cream business. In 1958 he converted his ice cream plant into a boat factory and founded Duo, Inc. His first production model, the fiberglass Volare, was an unconventional catamaran powered by twin outboard motors. That initial success led to a range of innovative hull designs: a trimaran named the Hepcat, a model called the Catfish, and monohull runabouts in the X-Series and F-Series lines.

Growth at Duo was rapid. By 1962 the company employed roughly 30 people and was producing about 20 boats per week. Porter soon shifted focus to V-hull designs, and by 1965 Duo operated from a 100,000-square-foot plant with approximately 185 employees. He sold Duo, Inc. to Starcraft Corporation in 1966, but his influence on small craft manufacturing was only beginning.

In 1970 Porter became the leader of Signa Corporation, producing tri-hull boats in a 20,000-square-foot facility staffed by about 50 employees. He sold Signa in 1973 to Fuqua Industries, which already owned Thunderbird Products and Formula Boats. Porter was then appointed chairman of Fuqua’s small boat group, overseeing both Signa tri-hulls and Formula’s deep-V hull designs.

Three years later Porter purchased the small boat group from Fuqua and continued operations under the Thunderbird Products name, maintaining the Signa and Formula lines. Under his leadership Formula introduced the special edition Formula 302 in 1979, marking the brand’s strong presence in offshore performance boating. Porter championed a number of production and styling innovations at Formula, including the use of integrated, continuous cockpit liners, Imron® hull graphics, curved tempered-glass windshields, and the Silent Thunder® exhaust system—features that became hallmarks of the brand.

Formula Boats expanded substantially during Porter’s tenure. By 1988 the company occupied a 345,000-square-foot facility and employed some 600 people. The product lineup grew to encompass a broad range of recreational vessels: Sun Sports (introduced in 1994), the FAS³Techs innovation (1997), Super Sports (1999), the Yachts range (2002), Crossovers (2012), and the flagship 500 Super Sport Crossover (2021). Those introductions reflect a steady evolution in design and a consistent focus on performance, luxury and build quality.

Beyond his business achievements, Porter was active in industry organizations. He served on boards for the Boating Industry Association and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). In recognition of his contributions to recreational boating and marine manufacturing, Porter was inducted into the NMMA Hall of Fame in 2016.

Porter’s family was an integral part of his legacy. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, six children, 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Several family members remain involved in the Formula Boats business: five of his children and six grandchildren continue to work with the company, helping to carry forward the brand he helped shape.

A full obituary is available from the funeral home.