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People who live
in the northern States tend to think of winter as a
slow time of year for boating. Not so in the high performance
world, as the last few weeks can attest! We've been
running around the clock and there's no end in sight.
In late January many of the biggest names in offshore
gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate the numerous accomplishments
of Peter Hledin, the founder of Douglas Marine and driving
force behind Skater catamarans. Hledin was deservedly
presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and we
have all the details in our coverage beginning on page
68.
Barely two weeks later, we were on the other side of
the country attending the Miami International Boat Show.
First up on the agenda was the American Poker Runs Association
(APRA) Safety Summit. This extraordinary gathering brought
together poker run organizers from across America, performance
boat and engine builders, boat dealers, accessory manufacturers,
the insurance industry, the boating media and other
interested parties in a unique forum to reflect on the
past year and review new proposals to improve safety
on the water for everyone. The efforts of these individuals
and organizations will go a long way toward keeping
poker runs safe and enjoyable. Our exclusive coverage
of this keynote conference begins on page 38.
Of course, the boat show itself kept all of us hopping,
as several manufacturers introduced great new products
for 2006. Our extensive show coverage - including full
coverage of our annual Poker Runs America Miami Bash
- is just a few pages away.
As I write this, it is only a few days after the Miami
show, and we're still running hard, testing new boats
in the Florida Keys and putting the final touches on
our 2006 events across North America. By the time you
read this, we should be in Sarasota kicking off the
season with the Sarasota Sun Coast season opener.
So winter has not been a quiet time of year.
Sadly, the last few weeks have been pretty quiet in
our offices as we mourn the passing of Peter Tasler,
a man I've worked with for more than 35 years, Poker
Runs America's founding editor, and a well known - and
loved - member of the performance boating community.
Peter's gift for language brought a unique sizzle to
his work, which has graced the pages of magazines across
the United States and Canada for more than 35 years.
Always someone who lived life at full throttle, he will
be dearly missed.
William E. Taylor, Publisher
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