Easily the part about finalizing the ready-for-press files and the order list for the Speed On The Water 2017 Year In Review magazine—this time around the third annual Year In Review, which you can order here, is a gigantic 196 pages—is shutting down my Adobe applications, closing up my MacBook Pro and shaking up the biggest, coldest deadline martini I can make. The only thing better would be to be drinking one alongside my speedonthewater.com colleague, Matt Trulio, but that will have to wait for another day as he won’t be at my house this evening.

Brandon Purkiss loves his gorgeous Eliminator Boats 27 Speedster powered by twin Mercury Racing Verado 400R engines that is featured in the Speed On The Water 2017 Year In Review magazine. Photo by Tom Leigh/Tommy Gun Images

But the second best thing? Well that’s a close one as it’s really neat to see an overview of this sport, hobby, lifestyle, whatever you want to call it wrapped up in one “year in pictures” type of publication. The new boats are so cool, the biggest stories of the year are fun to look back on and the scenery from places such as Lake Powell, 1000 Islands, Lake Hopatcong, Dubai and more is quite spectacular.

Yet after conversing with dozens of different people recently to identify the many faces and places featured throughout the coffee-table-worthy magazine, I’d have to say the next best part about producing the issue is the communication with various people connected by the powerboat lifestyle. Not only is communication necessary with the event organizers to determine the names of the participants featured throughout, there’s also discussion with racers who are included and of course with the many owners of boats showcased in the New Boats section.

For example, I got to talk with Augie Mendez of Southern California about why he and his wife, Sandra, decided it was time to get a new boat from Advantage Boats in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The former owners of a 34 Party Cat opted for a 27 X-Flight with a Mercury Racing 520 engine and they are delighted with their new ride.

Read more: All About the People