Although Peter Hledin, the owner and founder of Douglas Marine/Skater isn’t entirely sure about the name, he is convinced of the need for his new “Fat Boy” series of custom high-performance catamarans.

The 338SS is one of three catamaran models that will be available in Skater's new "Fat Boy" series."We are trying to offer more variations in our small boats," said the noted Douglas, Mich.-based designer and builder in a telephone interview this morning. "We are trying to bring back the small-boat market, which fizzled with this economic downturn. We had too many 'standard' models on the small-boat side of our line."

In the Fat Boy series, Skater will offer its 338 (33' 8" long) and 357 cats (35' 7" long) with up to a 10' 8" beam, and its 392 cat (39' 2" long) with up to an 11' 6" beam. While the by-products of expanding the beam of each model are more cockpit space and seating configuration options, the primary goal is enhancing overall performance, Hledin explained.

"It's a performance-based option," he said. "We are trying to improve performance and get better use out of smaller-power inboard packages. These cats perform better when they’re wider. They carry their weight better. They’re faster.

"We've always offered wider beams on our race boats," he added. "Now we’re doing it with our smaller pleasure boats."

Statement Marine will showcase its newest 42 Ultimate at the Miami International Boat Show.To accompany its recently introduced 34 SUV center console on the show floor, Statement Marine plans to unveil its newest model, the 368 SUV, at the Miami International Boat Show next week (Feb. 16-20). Designed as a "crossover" center console, the 368 SUV boasts numerous unique features and can be configured to accommodate a wide range of on-water pursuits.

At booth C-58 in the Miami Beach Convention Center, Statement also will be displaying its two newest 42 Ultimate offshore boats—Saddle Up and Invitation Only, which are both uniquely themed creations featuring the company's patented Air Cushion floating cockpit suspension system. This will be the first public showing of Invitation Only, the radical offshore V-bottom that is powered by twin Mercury Racing 1100 engines.

The opening of the show also will coincide with the launch of an entirely new www.statementmarine.com. Be sure to check out SpeedontheWater.com next week for updates from Miami.

Going fast on the water is especially accurate when it comes to H1 Unlimited drivers. Champions such as Dave Villwock and Steve David cross the 200-mph barrier frequently in their lightweight turbine-powered boats.

H1 Unlimited rookie driver Scott Liddycoat will be honored at the UIM Award Giving Gala in Monaco this weekend.Between their finely crafted boats and a solid support crew and sponsor, the two drivers seem to have battled every year for the past couple of decades for the series championship. Yet it's not Villwock or David representing the H1 Unlimited Air National Guard Hydroplane Series for the first time at this weekend's Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) Awards Giving Gala in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Rookie driver Scott Liddycoat will be honored at the Feb. 11 event for his victory at the 2011 Oryx Cup UIM World Championship in Qatar. Liddycoat, a 19-year inboard-racing driver from Norfolk, Va., finished third in the 2011 National High Points Championship behind Villwock and David, respectively. In addition to winning the season-ending Oryx Cup, he finished second twice and third once.

Read more: H1 Unlimited Driver to be Honored at UIM Awards Gala

This 46' aluminum Cougar v-bottom is being set up with triple 710-hp Ilmor Marine engines.

The team at AMF Offshore Rigging in Riviera Beach, Fla., is going big—literally. In addition to preparing Miss Geico, the well-known turbine-powered 50-foot Mystic catamaran, top rigger Gary Stray and his crew are working on three other big-boat projects.

One of the projects, a restoration of a 47’ Apache V-bottom headed for Trinidad, is being equipped with twin 1,450-hp turbine engines. Yet another classic high-performance powerboat, a 46-foot aluminum Cougar V-bottom, is being fitted with triple 710-hp Ilmor Marine V-10 engines. The boat will be used in the 2012 Cowes-to-Torquay endurance off the coast of England. On the less “vintage” side, AMF is installing triple Yanmar diesel engines in a 51-foot Outerlimits V-bottom.

Visible on the left is one of the turbine engines going into the 47' Apache to the right.

“I can look out my office window and see all three of the boats being work on,” said Scott Begovich, one of the partners in AMF Offshore Rigging and throttleman for Miss Geico. “It’s really cool.”

Another look at the turbine engines heads for the vintage Apache.