FORM S-8

                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933





                                        FOUNTAIN POWERBOAT INDUSTRIES, INC.
                          (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


            Nevada                                                  88-0160250
(State or other jurisdiction of                       (I.R.S. Employer Identifi-
 incorporation or organization)                                   cation Number)


                          Whichards Beach Road, Washington, North Carolina 27889
                            (Address of Principal Executive Offices)  (Zip Code)

                                         1986 Incentive Stock Option Plan
                                                 Director Options
                                              1995 Stock Option Plan
                                             (Full Title of the plans)
                                             Reginald M. Fountain, Jr.
                          Whichards Beach Road, Washington, North Carolina 27889
                                      (Name and address of agent for service)

                                                  (919) 975-2000
                   (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                          CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE




    Proposed
   securities             Proposed                                           maximum
      to be             Amount to be          maximum offering         aggregate offering            Amount of
   registered             registered           price per unit                 price              registration fee

                                                                                               
Common Stock(1)              780,000               $11.75  (2)                 $9,165,000            $3,160.34
par value $.01




(1)    Includes shares issuable as follows:
                                                                          Number
                             Plan                                      of Shares
                  1986 Incentive Stock Option Plan                       400,000
                  Director Options                                        80,000
                  1995 Stock Option Plan                                 300,000

(2)    The registration fee is based upon the average of the closing bid and
 asked price of the Common Stock as of October 2, 1996 of $11.75,
 which is higher than the exercise price of the outstanding options,
 in accordance with Rule 457(g).







                                                    PROSPECTUS


                                        FOUNTAIN POWERBOAT INDUSTRIES, INC.


                                       Up to 780,000 Shares of Common Stock
                                   Receivable by Directors, Officers and Others
                                    Under the 1986 Incentive Stock Option Plan,
                                    Director Options and 1995 Stock Option Plan
                                     and Reoffered by Means of this Prospectus

                                    This Prospectus shall be supplemented from
                               time to time as the identity of the officers and
       directors and shares to be reoffered by them, if any, becomes known

       Selling  shareholders  will  offer  their  shares  on  NASDAQ,  or on any
national  securities  exchange  if the  common  stock  is  then  listed  on such
exchange.  Selling shareholders,  if control persons, are required to sell their
shares  in  accordance  with  the  volume  limitations  of Rule  144  under  the
Securities Act of 1933,  which  restricts sales in any three month period to the
greater  of 1% of the  total  outstanding  common  stock or the  average  weekly
trading  volume of the  Company's  common stock during the four  calendar  weeks
immediately   preceding  such  sale.  It  is  expected  that  persons  effecting
transactions  will be paid the  normal  and  customary  commissions  for  market
transactions.

                                               AVAILABLE INFORMATION

       Fountain  Powerboat  Industries,  Inc. (the  "Company") is subject to the
informational  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the  "Exchange  Act"),  and in  accordance  therewith,  files reports and other
information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Such
reports,  as well as proxy statements and other information filed by the Company
with the  Commission,  can be  inspected  and  copied  at the  public  reference
facilities  maintained by the Commission at 450 Fifth Street,  N.W.,  Room 1024,
Washington,  D.C.  20549,  and at its Regional  Offices  located at 150 Causeway
Street,  Boston,  Massachusetts  02114,  1375 Peachtree  Street N.E., Suite 788,
Atlanta,  Georgia 30367, 411 West Seventh Street,  8th Floor, Fort Worth,  Texas
76102,  410 Seventeenth  Street,  Suite 700,  Denver,  Colorado 80202,  600 Arch
Street,  Room 2204,  Federal  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania  19106,  26
Federal Plaza, Room 1028, New York, New York 10278, 5757 Wilshire Boulevard, Los
Angeles, California 90036-3648, Everett McKinley Dirksen Building,  Northwestern
Atrium Center, 500 West Madison Street, Chicago,  Illinois 60661. Copies of such
material can be obtained at prescribed rates from the Public  Reference  Section
of the Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549.


                                                         2





                                               SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

       Information  regarding the beneficial  ownership of common stock owned by
each other officer and director of the Company  selling common stock pursuant to
this Prospectus and all officers and directors of the Company as a group selling
common stock pursuant to this Prospectus is set forth below.



                                                      Before Offering                        After Offering
                                                Amount of           Percent            Amount of         Percent
     Name and                                  Beneficial             of              Beneficial           of
      Address                                   Ownership            Class             Ownership          Class

                                                                                                 
Reginald M. Fountain, Jr.(1)                    1,710,415 (2)        51.2%             1,390,415           45.9%

Gary D. Garbrecht(1)                               20,000 (2)          (3)                    --              --

Mark L. Spencer(1)                                 20,000 (2)          (3)                    --              --

Federico Pignatelli(1)                             20,000 (2)          (3)                    --              --

Gary E. Mazza, III(1)                              20,000 (2)          (3)                    --              --

Allan L. Krehbiel(1)                               20,000 (2)          (3)                    --              --

Blanche C. Williams(1)                                100              (3)                   100             (3)

All directors and officers
  as a group (7 persons)                        1,810,515 (2)        56.5%             1,390,515           45.9%




(1)      The address of each person is P.O. Drawer 457,  Whichard's  Beach Road,
         Washington, North Carolina 27889. Except as otherwise indicated, to the
         best  knowledge of management of the Company each of the persons listed
         or included in the group has sole voting and investment  power over all
         shares shown as beneficially owned.  Percentages for each person listed
         and for the group are  calculated on the basis of the  Company's  total
         outstanding  shares  less the  10,000  shares  owned  by the  Company's
         Subsidiary.

(2)      Includes options to purchase 20,000 shares of Common Stock held by this
         individual,  or an aggregate of options to purchase  20,000 shares held
         by  Messrs.  Fountain,   Garbrecht,   Spencer,  Pignatelli,  Mazza  and
         Krehbiel,  and options to purchase an additional 300,000 shares held by
         Mr. Fountain.

(3)      Less than 1%

                                      INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPANY

       This  Prospectus is  accompanied  by the Company's  Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended June 30,  1996 and the  Quarterly  Reports or the latest
Annual Report on Form 10-K,  Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports
on Form 8-K filed subsequent thereto. These Annual and Quarterly Reports as well
as all other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),  13(c), 14
or 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 are  hereby  incorporated  by
reference in this Prospectus and may be obtained,  without charge, upon the oral
or written  request of any person at  Whichards  Beach Road,  Washington,  North
Carolina 27881, telephone (919) 975-2000.



                                                         3





                                                  INDEMNIFICATION

       The Company's  Bylaws and the Nevada General  Corporation Law provide for
indemnification of directors and officers against certain liabilities.  Officers
and directors of the Company are indemnified generally against expenses actually
and  reasonably  incurred  in  connection  with  proceedings,  whether  civil or
criminal, provided that it is determined that they acted in good faith, were not
found guilty,  and, in any criminal matter, had reasonable cause to believe that
their conduct was not unlawful.

       Insofar as indemnification  for liabilities  arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of
the  registrant  pursuant  to  the  foregoing  provisions,   or  otherwise,  the
registrant  has been advised that in the opinion of the  Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable.

                                                     PART II


Item 3.    Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

           The Registrant  incorporates the following  documents by reference in
the registration statement:

           (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed for the year 
                ended June 30, 1996; and

           (b)  A description of securities is incorporated by reference from 
                the Registrant's Registration Statement
                on Form 8-A, File No. 0-14712 filed on June 11, 1986.

           All other documents filed in the future by Registrant  after the date
of this Registration Statement,  under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  prior  to the  filing  of a  post-effective
amendment  to this  Registration  Statement  which  deregisters  the  securities
covered  hereunder  which remain unsold,  shall be deemed to be  incorporated by
reference in this  registration  statement and to be a part hereof from the date
of filing of such documents.

Item 5.    Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

           Not Applicable.

Item 6.    Indemnification of Officers and Directors

           The Company's  Bylaws and the Nevada General  Corporation Law provide
for  indemnification  of directors  and officers  against  certain  liabilities.
Officers and directors of the Company are indemnified generally against expenses
actually and reasonably  incurred in connection with proceedings,  whether civil
or criminal,  provided that it is determined that they acted in good faith, were
not found guilty,  and, in any criminal matter,  had reasonable cause to believe
that their conduct was not unlawful.

Item 7.    Exemption from Registration Claimed

           All sales are  expected  to be either  registered  or exempt from the
registration  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,  by virtue
of Section 4(2) thereof covering  transactions not involving any public offering
or not involving any "offer" or "sale."


                                                      II-1





Item 8.         Exhibits

       3.       Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

                3.1      Certificate of Incorporation of the Company 
                         (Incorporated by reference to the Company's
                         Registration Statement filed on October 2, 1986)
                3.2      Amendments to Certificate of Incorporation of the
                         Company (Incorporated by reference
                         to Amendment No. 1 to the Company's Registration 
                3.3      Amendment  to  Certificate  of   Incorporation  of  the
                         Company (Incorporated by reference to the exhibit filed
                         with the  Registrant's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for
                         the fiscal year ended June 30, 1991)
                3.4      By-laws of the Company (Incorporated by reference to 
                         Amendment No. 1 to the
                         Company's Registration Statement filed on December 2,
                         1986
                3.5      Certificate   of   Amendment   to   the   Articles   of
                         Incorporation,   Consent   Action  in  Writing  of  the
                         Majority  Stockholders,   and  Resolutions  adopted  by
                         Unanimous Written Consent of the Board of Directors for
                         the one-for-two reverse stock split of February 4, 1994

       4.  Instruments Defining the Rights of Security Holders.

                4.1      Form of Warrant Agreement (Incorporated by reference to
                         Amendment No. 2 to the
                         Company's Registration Statement filed on December 10, 
                         1986)
                4.2      Form of Stock Certificate (Incorporated by reference to
                         the exhibit filed with the  Registrant's  Annual Report
                         on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 1, 1989)
                4.3      Form of Warrant Certificate (Incorporated by reference
                          to Amendment No. 2 to the
                         Company's Registration Statement filed on December 10,
                         1986)

       5.       Opinion of Hand & Hand as to legality of securities being 
                registered.  Filed herewith.

       10:  Material Contracts

                10.1     1986 Incentive Stock Option Plan (Incorporated by 
                         reference to amendment No. 1 to the
                         Company's Registration Statement filed on December 2, 
                         1986)
                10.2     Employment Agreement dated May 31, 1989 between
                         Reginald M. Fountain, Jr. and the
                         Company's Subsidiary (Incorporated by reference to the
                         exhibit filed with the Registrant's
                         Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
                         October 1, 1989)
                10.3     Employment Agreement dated May 31,1 989 between Leon P.
                         Smith and the  Company's  Subsidiary  (Incorporated  by
                         reference  to the exhibit  filed with the  Registrant's
                         Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the  fiscal  year ended
                         October 1, 1989)
                10.5     Loan  Agreement  dated  May  23,  1989  by and  between
                         Fountain   Powerboats,   Inc.  and  MetLife   Financial
                         Acceptance  Corporation  (Incorporated  by reference to
                         the exhibit filed with the  Registrant's  Annual Report
                         on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 1, 1989)
                10.6     Revolving  Loan and Security  Agreement,  dated May 23,
                         1989  by and  between  Fountain  Powerboats,  Inc.  and
                         MetLife Financial Acceptance Corporation  (Incorporated
                         by reference to the exhibit filed with the Registrant's
                         Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the  fiscal  year ended
                         October 1, 1989)
                10.7     First  modification  of Loan Agreement dated August 29,
                         1990  by and  between  Fountain  Powerboats,  Inc.  and
                         MetLife Financial Acceptance Corporation  (Incorporated
                         by reference to the exhibit filed with the Registrant's
                         Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the  fiscal  year ended
                         July 1, 1990)

                                                      II-2





                10.8     First  Modification  of  Revolving  Loan  and  Security
                         Agreement dated August 29, 1990 by and between Fountain
                         Powerboats,   Inc.  and  MetLife  Financial  Acceptance
                         Corporation  (Incorporated  by reference to the exhibit
                         filed with the Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K
                         for the fiscal year ended July 1, 1990)
                10.9  Loan  and  Security   Agreement   with   MetLife   Capital
                Corporation   dated  December  31,  1993  10.10  Consulting  and
                Marketing  Agreement  with the  Mercury  Marine  division of the
                Brunswick
                         Corporation dated March 22, 1991
                10.11    Loan Extension and Amendment Agreement with the Mercury
                         Marine division of the Brunswick Corporation dated July
                         11, 1994
                10.12    Amendment to Consulting  and Marketing  Agreement  with
                         the   Mercury   Marine   division   of  the   Brunswick
                         Corporation dated July 11, 1994
                10.13    Standstill Agreement with the Mercury Marine division 
                         of the Brunswick Corporation
                         dated July 11, 1994
                10.14    Amendment No. One dated September 24, 1994 to Loan and
                         Security Agreement of
                         December 31, 1993 with MetLife Capital Corporation
                10.15  Consent to Loan  Restructure  dated  January 1, 1995 from
                MetLife  Capital  Corporation  10.16  Amendment  No.  Two  dated
                January 1, 1995 to Loan and Security Agreement of
                         December 31, 1993 with MetLife Capital Corporation
                10.17    Second Loan Extension, Consolidation and Amendment
                         Agreement dated February 24,
                         1995 with Brunswick Corporation, Mercury MarineDivision
                10.18    Modification of Deeds and Trust and Assignment of 
                         Rents, Issues and Profits dated
                         February 24, 1995 with Brunswick Corporation, Mercury 
                         Marine Division
                10.19    Consulting and Marketing Agreement dated February 24,
                         1995 with Brunswick
                         Corporation, Mercury Marine Division
                10.20    Supply Agreement dated February 24, 1995 with Brunswick
                         Corporation, Mercury Marine Division
                10.21    Master Security  Agreement dated December 21, 1995 with
                         G.E. Capital Corporation  (Incorporated by reference to
                         the  Company's  annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
                         ended June 30, 1996.)
                10.22    Promissory  Note  dated  December  21,  1995  with G.E.
                         Capital  Corporation  (Incorporated by reference to the
                         Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
                         June 30, 1996)
                10.23    Collateral Schedule No. 001 dated December 21, 1995 
                         with G.E. Capital Corporation
                         (Incorporated by reference to the Company's Annual 
                          Report on Form 10-K for the year
                         ended June 30, 1996)
                10.24    Letter of Credit Agreement dated December 21, 1995 with
                         G.E. Capital Corporation  (Incorporated by reference to
                         the  Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
                         ended June 30, 1996)

       21.      List of Subsidiaries (Incorporated by reference to the Company's
                Annual Report on Form 10-K for
                the year ended June 30, 1996)

       23.      Consents of Experts and Counsel

                23.1     Consent of Accountants.  Filed herewith.
                23.2     Consent of Hand & Hand included in Exhibit 5 hereto

Item 9.         Undertakings

           (a)      The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:


                                                      II-3





                    (1)     To file,  during any period in which offers or sales
                            are being made, a  post-effective  amendment to this
                            registration statement:

                            (i)     To include any prospectus required by 
                                    section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act
                                    of 1933;

                            (ii)    To  reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or
                                    events  arising after the effective  date of
                                    the  registration  statement  (or  the  most
                                    recent  post-effective   amendment  thereof)
                                    which,  individually  or in  the  aggregate,
                                    represent  a   fundamental   change  in  the
                                    information  set  forth in the  registration
                                    statement;

                            (iii)   To include  any  material  information  with
                                    respect  to the  plan  of  distribution  not
                                    previously  disclosed  in  the  registration
                                    statement  or any  material  change  to such
                                    information in the  registration  statement,
                                    including  (but not limited to) any addition
                                    or election of a managing underwriter.

                    (2)     That, for the purpose of  determining  any liability
                            under  the  Securities   Act  of  1933,   each  such
                            post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
                            registration  statement  relating to the  securities
                            offered therein, and the offering of such securities
                            offered  at that  time  shall  be  deemed  to be the
                            initial bona fide offering thereof.

                    (3)     To   remove   from   registration   by  means  of  a
                            post-effective amendment any of the securities being
                            registered which remain unsold at the termination of
                            the offering.
 (b)      The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for
          purposes of determining any liability
          under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's 
         annual report pursuant to
          Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and,
          where applicable, each
          filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section
          15(d) of the Securities
          Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the 
          registration statement shall be
          deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities 
          offered therein, and the
          offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the 
          initial bona fide offering
          thereof.

         (i)     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 

Securities Act of
         1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
 the
         registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
registrant has
         been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange 
Commission
         such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
 and is,
         therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for 
indemnification against
         such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant in the
successful
         defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such 
director, officer
         or controlling person in connection with the securities being
 registered, the
         registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel that matter has
been settled
         by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction
 the
         question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as
         expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of 
such
         issue.

                                                      II-4





                                                   SIGNATURES


      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
has duly caused this  registration  statement  to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned,  thereunto  duly  authorized  in  the  City  of  Washington,  North
Carolina, on October 8, 1996.


                                             FOUNTAIN POWERBOAT INDUSTRIES, INC.



                                          By:   /s/ Reginald M. Fountain, Jr.
                                                   Reginald M. Fountain, Jr.
                                                   Chairman, President and Chief
                                                   Executive Officer

       Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
registration  statement  has been signed below by the  following  persons in the
capacities indicated on October 8, 1996.




                                                    Chairman, President, Chief
                                                  Executive Officer and Director
      Reginald M. Fountain, Jr.                    (principal executive officer)


                                                    Chief Financial Officer
      Allan L. Krehbiel                             (principal accounting and 
                                                     financial officer)


                                                    Director
      Gary D. Garbrecht


                                                    Director
      Mark L. Spencer