The desire to go fast in a motorized vehicle - on land, on the water, even in the air - is, to me, only human. That's why, time after time, motorsports of all types draw record crowds. Often people get their kicks just by watching the pros in action. Sometimes, however, spectators become racers.

When I first became involved in performance boating - as a magazine publisher and event organizer - the sport of offshore was very much in its growing stages. Today, thanks to the continuing efforts of national and divisional race organizations (and thousands of dedicated volunteers), offshore races keep drawing more and more fans.

The poker run phenomenon has also helped build the sport of offshore racing. These fun-filled family events emphasize the sheer pleasure of performance boating. They've also become the starting point for many of today's professional offshore racers.

Like its on-land counterpart, offshore racing has different sides. At the top of the list you'll find the exotic (and costly) Lamborghinis and Ferraris of the water - always a crowd favorite. But you don't have to be rich and famous to go racing, thanks to the recently introduced Factory and Outlaw Performance Classes. Open to poker run-style boats, these classes have grown tremendously in a very short time. The general idea is that you use the same boat for pleasure and for racing.

When we first introduced poker runs 14 years ago, we banked on the future. And the future looks bright, considering the runaway success of poker runs and our highly popular Poker Runs America magazine (only in its fourth year of publication). We're proud to continue to promote the true spirit of performance with Offshore Racing 2001, a magazine that is well on its way to becoming the official Who's Who of Offshore Racing.