Flying across the water at 100 miles per hour, twin-engine powerboats running just as fast a few feet away on either side, a Super Cat driver has little room for error.

"It's a little hard to imagine," said Hugh Fuller, offshore powerboat racing's former world champion. "Just think about running the Daytona 500, but the track keeps changing on every lap."

Offshore powerboat racing has enjoyed something of a Renaissance in recent years.

Gone are the days when the boats would take off from the beach and disappear only to return a few hours later, leaving spectators scratching their heads wondering what happened.

Uniform rules and tighter specifications have increased competition, while shorter, fan-friendly courses have brought the action closer to shore.

But of all the venues in the United States, none is better suited for the big boats than the bright blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico that lie adjacent to the City of Sarasota.

Sarasota could call itself the "Offshore Racing Capital of the World." Many race teams keep their boats in this city by the sea and use it as a place to test when the rest of the country is covered by ice and snow.

The performance boat manufacturer Donzi, a company that has produced more than its fair share of national and world champions, makes its headquarters here, which in racing circles, gives Sarasota a degree of credibility enjoyed by few other cities.

When it comes to powerboat racing, Sarasota's greatest attribute is still its beaches. The miles of white, sugar sand, backed by some of the world's best hotels and restaurants, make it the ideal viewing area for a world-class sporting event.

The 24th Annual Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Festival runs June 28- July 6, and the racing action kicks off on Fourth of July weekend when the "super boats" come to town.

This Super Boat International Productions, Inc. American Powerboat Association Offshore-sanctioned race will feature the largest, fastest, most technically advanced race boats ever to grace the waves.

Sarasota is the longest continuously running race site in the sport's history. It is also one of the few race sites in the country that has always raised money for charity. Over the past 23 years, the Suncoast Foundation for the Handicapped, Inc. has collected more than $14 million in facilities for local charities that serve physically and mentally challenged children and adults.

The boats, some 50 feet long and powered by four engines producing 4,800 horsepower, are capable of speeds upward of 170 miles per hour. Both catamaran and vee-bottom boats can carry the "super" designation.

The weekend will also include contests between recreational-style craft straight from the manufacturer. These "local" classes often provide some of the tightest competition and serve as a training base, or farm league, for the larger, "professional" classes.

The first race heat will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday July 6th, followed by a second running of the boats at 1p.m.

Spectators can get as close as 100 feet to the race boats on Lido Beach or anchor their own boats in the middle of the action in "the infield." Spectators who don't want to fight traffic out to the beach can relax and enjoy "flag to flag" coverage on a Jumbotron television screen under a large tent at Powerboats By The Bay located at Centennial Park.

The "wet pits", located behind the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, and three days of "dry pits" at Powerboats By the Bay, located at Centennial Park, are free and open to the public. Highlights this year include a golf tournament kickoff party, a "Meet and Greet Who's In The Driver's Seat" reception, a parade of boats, a downtown block party, Powerboats on Main Street, and a Bayfront Fireworks Spectacular. Capt. Keith Colburn (and crew) of the Fishing Vessel Wizard, as featured on Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" are scheduled to make an appearance.

If you go:

For more details and information on the entire 24th Annual Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Festival log onto www.suncoastoffshore.org or call 941-371-8820 ext. 1800.