Flying across the water at 100 miles per hour, twin-engine powerboats running just as fast a few feet away on either side, a Super Cat driver has little room for error.

"It's a little hard to imagine," said Hugh Fuller, offshore powerboat racing's reigning world champion. "Just think about running the Daytona 500, but the track keeps changing on every lap."

Offshore powerboat racing has enjoyed something of a Renaissance in recent years.

Gone are the days when the boats would take off from the beach and disappear only to return a few hours later, leaving spectators scratching their heads wondering what happened.

Uniform rules and tighter specifications have increased competition, while shorter, fan-friendly courses have brought the action closer to shore.

In 2004, three separate sanctioning bodies will host races from California to Florida, competing on bodies of water as varied as the wild Pacific, The Great Lakes and New York Harbor.

But of all the venues in the United States, none is better suited for the big boats than the bright blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico that lie adjacent to the City of Sarasota.

With two separate events planned this season, Sarasota could call itself the "Offshore Racing Capital of the World." Many race teams keep their boats in this city by the sea and use it as a place to test when the rest of the country is covered by ice and snow.

The performance boat manufacturer Donzi, a company that has produced more than its fair share of national and world champions, makes its headquarters here, which in racing circles, gives Sarasota a degree of credibility enjoyed by few other cities.

When it comes to powerboat racing, Sarasota's greatest attribute is still its beaches. The miles of white, sugar sand, backed by some of the world's best hotels and restaurants, make it the ideal viewing area for a world-class sporting event.

The action kicks off the Fourth of July weekend when the "super boats" come to town for the 22nd Annual Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix. The oldest continuous-running race in the sport, this Super Boat International (SBI) event will feature the largest, fastest, most technically advanced race boats ever to grace the waves.

The boats, some 50 feet long and powered by four engines producing 4,800 horsepower, are capable of speeds upward of 170 miles per hour. Both catamaran and vee-bottom boats can carry the "super" designation.

The weekend will also include contests between recreational-style craft straight from the manufacturer. These "local" classes often provide some of the tightest competition and serve as a training base, or farm league, for the larger, "professional" classes.

The first race will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 4, followed by a second running of the boats at 1 p.m. Spectators can get as close as 100 feet to the race boats on Siesta Key or anchor their own boats in the middle of the action in "the infield."

The "wet pits," located behind the Hyatt Sarasota in the Quay Basin and the "dry pits" in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall parking lot are both free and open to the public. Go to www.superboat.com for more information or call 305-296-6166.

Originally posted 6/8/04