The annual Offshore Racing Edition of Poker Runs America Magazine is a celebration of the adrenaline-pumping action of performance boating. It's in these pages that you'll find some of the fastest boats on the water, and learn about the racers who man their controls.

Today, many of these gladiators of the water are setting their sights on a pair of new benchmarks. As we went to press, the Bacardi Silver Team and its 36-foot Skater set an SBI Superboat Unlimited record of an astounding 196 mph during a kilo race in Marathon, Florida. Boat owner David Scott tells us that the team is already looking to beat the top speeds.

New benchmarks are thrilling achievements. The challenges that are sure to follow make our sport the heart-pounding spectacle that it is.

We're proud that the publication you hold in your hands has become the ultimate reference to who's who in the world of offshore racing. It's truly one of the highlights of the eight action-packed issues of Poker Runs America Magazine that will be delivered this year.

This year's edition profiles more than 200 offshore competitors, highlights the life-saving efforts of the STARS rescue team, showcases many of the famous faces who control these beasts of the high seas, and offers a guide to help the growing legion of new fans understand the offshore phenomenon.

While we celebrate the sport, however, we should also reflect on the loss of two champions in April 2003.

Jack Stoerrle of Mays Landing, New Jersey was killed when his 38-foot Formula crashed during offshore races in Daytona Beach, Florida. Despite the best efforts of an APBA diver who jumped from a helicopter, and rescue crews from the Sheriff's Office and Volusia County Beach Patrol, he was lost. But his memory will live on in a new award that will soon be unveiled to honor competitive spirit.

Only weeks later, the offshore racing world lost Bernie Little of Miss Budweiser fame when he succumbed to complications from pneumonia. Little began his racing career with his first boat, Tempo, back in 1963, and he collected 134 checkered flags, 14 APBA Gold Cups and 22 World Championships during his time in the cockpit. Over 40 seasons, he claimed Top 3 positions in 230 of the 354 Unlimited hydroplane races that he entered, and he created what is undeniably one of the most recognized race boats in the world. In his honor, the Bernie Little World High Points Championship Trophy is now the most coveted award in hydroplane racing.

It's champions like these men who helped offshore racing become the sport that it is today. We salute them. ( Top )