Announced at a press reception in Cocoa Beach, Fla., during this weekend’s Super Boat International (SBI) race, the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) and SBI reached an agreement to bring the offshore racing show to Qatar early next year.

SBI founder John Carbonell (left) and QMSF president Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani announce the Qatar Cup 2014 at Cocoa Beach in Florida on Saturday.“I am delighted to announce that we have reached this exciting new cooperation between the QMSF and SBI,” said Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani, QMSF president and driver of the new turbine-powered Spirit of Qatar catamaran from Mystic Powerboats that is set to debut at the next SBI race in Orange Beach, Ala. “Two of the key factors in the decision-making process were the strength in depth of SBI and the solid calendar that is in place for the 2013 racing season. This is just another example of the increased cooperation between Qatar and the USA in the powerboat-racing world. We have discussed the format of the Qatar Cup that we will run in Qatar in January and we will host boats racing in several of the top classes.”

Discussions regarding the specifics of the new event are ongoing, but Sheikh Hassan confirmed that prize money spread across the respective categories is set to be in the region of $400,000.

“We believe this is a great opportunity for SBI to showcase the strength of its international sanctioning power along with giving teams access to lucrative purses,” said John Carbonell, SBI founder and president. “Various Superboat classes will each have a $100,000 purse and teams will benefit from the QMSF shipping the race boats to Qatar after Key West.

Read more: SBI-Sanctioned Qatar Cup Set for 2014 Season

Last Wednesday, photographer Jay Nichols and I headed to the Miss GEICO Offshore Racing Shop in Riviera Beach, Fla. For Nichols, that meant a trip across the state. For me, it meant a trip across the country. For both of us, the journey couldn’t have been more worthwhile.

That's because as it happened we arrived on the very first day of testing for the team’s 44-foot catamaran with its new twin Mercury Racing 1650 Race engines.

Pretty black outboards all in a row—on law enforcement boats in South Florida at sunset. Photo courtessy/copyright Jay Nichols/Naples Image.

We scheduled the trip for a feature, which will run in the upcoming July/August issue of Speed On The Water magazine, almost two months ago. At the time I picked the date to visit the shop, neither the Miss GEICO crew nor I had any idea they’d be putting the cat through its first test session on the day we arrived. Timing, as they say, is everything.

One of the best things about working with Jay Nichols is that his photographer eyes never rest. He’s always looking for something to shoot—the images from the trip that you’ll see in the upcoming magazine are unusual and amazing—and it’s not always related to the subject. But he always finds something compelling. He oftens finds the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Take the image above, for example, of a group of Palm Beach County Sheriff boats powered by an array of Mercury outboards. Of course, this isn’t the first time you’ve seen a bunch of black outboards. But the symmetrical grouping of them hanging off the transoms of their vessels, all out of the water on lifts, in near sunset conditions is unusual—and in its own way, spectacular.

Related Story: Miss GEICO First Test Session ‘Beyond Expectations’

In what a press release from the Qatar Marine Sports Federation described as “blustery conditions and breaking waves” in Cocoa Beach, Fla., this afternoon, the Spirit of Qatar’s Ali Al-Neama and Mohammed Al-Nasser finished fifth overall in the Superboat class at the Space Coast Super Boat International Grand Prix. Today’s showing of the former Reliable Carriers 42-foot Marine Technology, Inc., catamaran with twin 700-plus-hp engines from Scorpion Racing Engines, was the Superboat-class debut for the new team.

With fresh graphics and horespower, the Spirit of Qatar Superboat-class catamaran made its debut in Cocoa Beach, Fla., today.

“It was important that Ali and Mohammed got as much seat time in the new boat as possible and finished the first race,” said Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani, president of the Qatar Marine Sports Federation, in the release. “The water was rough and they faced the toughest teams in that class, so they did what they had to do to reach the finish. It’s a long season and the target is Key West. The next race is in two weeks and we hope that the water conditions will be better.”

Read more: Qatar Finishes Fifth in SBI Superboat-Class Debut

With the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout set to turn 25 at the end of August, I for one am already getting excited about the week-long event, which takes place August 17-25. Arguably one of the best performance boat events in the country, the Shootout on the Missouri lake raises a ton of money for local charities and features some of the baddest boats on the planet.

Recently I caught up with Ron Duggan, owner of Captain Ron's Bar & Grill, which has been hosting the Shootout since 2008 (the previous events took place at the non-existent Shooters 21). Duggan informed me that there are plans in place to introduce a Shootout Hall of Fame as well as a memorial to honor the late Bob Morgan—a legend on the lake who never missed a Shootout.

A memorial in Bob Morgan's honor will be erected at Captain Ron's in time for the 25th annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. Organizers plan on selling engraved bricks (like the one pictured) as a fundraiser for the event.Details aren't completely final, but Duggan did send me a rendering of the Bob Morgan Memorial Shootout Hall of Fame that will include a bust of Morgan surrounded by a short brick wall with Hall of Fame nameplates mounted on the opposite side of the wall. As a fundraiser, Duggan said the Shootout will be selling engraved bricks on the wall and on a paved walkway leading to the memorial that he expects to keep growing around the property year in and year out. Once brick purchasing is available online, speedonthewater.com will provide further details.

According to Duggan, all bricks will have up to three lines of text. The 4-inch-by-8-inch bricks on the walkway wll be $75 a piece and the 8x8 bricks on the walkway will cost $150. The price for the 4x8 bricks on the round wall that protects the memorial will be $150 and the 8x8 bricks will be $300. You'll also be able to purchase a duplicate brick to keep at home with you for $15 (4x8) or $30 (8x8).

As a special touch for the debut of the Shootout Hall of Fame, organizers are planning a Tuesday evening induction ceremony dinner that will be open to the public and limited to 300 people. Duggan said tickets will be $20 with half of the proceeds going to the Shootout charities. The unveiling of the memorial with the inaugural Hall of Fame class names will take place Saturday before the start of the Shootout.

Read more: Big Things in Store for 25th Lake of the Ozarks Shootout