By Eric Colby

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more competitive organization in powerboat racing than the Offshore Super Series. In all but one of the group’s eight classes, the difference between first and second place in the national points standings was 12 points or less and in the group’s premier category, that gap was only one point with three races left before the season championship. This elite level of competition is what the founders of the organization had in mind when it was formed in December 2003. A group of offshore competitors decided to form their own group—an organization run by the racers for the racers. The formula is definitely working. The OSS has nine races scheduled this year, including a national championship at a site to be determined and the worlds at Destin, Fla. In the OSS Cat Extreme class, only one point separated two of the fastest boats in the sport, Budweiser Select and Team CRC. The class that’s fast taking over OSS could be Cat Lite. Among the 11 boats, the New Jersey-based Motley Crew held a slim three-point lead over Hooters Hotel and Casino heading into St. Clair, Mich., in late July. In the OSS V class, the top two boats were separated by 10 points and in V Lite, eight points was the gap between the top two. “The action is getting fierce out on the course,” said Misty Velásquez who is in her first year as OSS Executive Director. In addition to striving for top-flight competition on the course, the OSS has continued to work to expand the organization’s reach within—and beyond—this country’s borders. North of the border in Toronto, the sanctioning body received overwhelming response. Additionally, this season saw OSS bring offshore racing back to Puerto Rico for the first time in more than a decade. “You would have never known there had ever been a lapse,” said Velasquez. She added that the Puerto Rican parks and services officials reported all-time high attendance for an event. When she took photos of the post-race awards ceremony, Velasquez said, “It looked like you were at a rock concert. The crowd extended beyond the frame of the picture.” Within the United States confines, OSS has virtually every region covered with events in Florida, the Great Lakes and the Gulf Coast. New this year is an important points race in Las Vegas. Velasquez said that every site on the 2006 schedule has requested a date in 2007 and that she was negotiating with a handful of venues to expand the organization’s reach. As of mid-July, the organization was negotiating for a TV contract, but no official announcement was forthcoming. Velasquez did say that there are some possible reality shows based on OSS teams being considered. Series sponsors include Shell Racing Solutions, Budweiser Select, Marine Technology Inc., Freeze Frame and more. Financial backing is critical, but Velasquez said that the primary goal of OSS remains safe, closely matched competition. Stay tuned to see how the battles play out. (Close Window)