In case any of you were wondering what to get me for Christmas, I appreciate the thought but really have everything I need. OK, sure, I could use a little more time, a little more cash, a little more sleep, a little more everything. But what I could use and what I need are two very different things, and the truth is I am fortunate to have great family, friends and love. The truth is … I have everything I need. Right now.

But I do have three wishes on my list for the high-performance powerboat world, which I’ve been lucky enough to cover for the last 15 years, and here it is:

1. Recovery for Baja, Donzi and Fountain: Because production boat-builder prosperity keeps dedicated, hard-working people … working hard. Without a healthy production-boat market, there is no “feeder” segment for the custom-boat market. Without a healthy production-boat market, you lose entry-level buyers, as well as experienced buyers who cannot afford or don’t want to spend the money for custom boats. All of this and more is essential for the industry’s survival.

2. Continued Safety Push at Poker Runs: Because although we’ve come a long way, we can always improve. My theory, and of course it’s just a theory, is that the push toward safe, responsible driving during poker runs carries over to those days on the water where we’re just out there on the weekends having fun and there is no “event.” Performance-boating is definitely to die for, but no one should have to die for it.

3. Offshore Circuit Unification: Because time and time again, we’ve seen what happens without it. And once again, the offshore racing community finds itself in a fractured, splintered state that nobody (not the racers, not the fans and definitely not the industry)  likes. The sport is simply too small to support more than one sanctioning body in any meaningful way. For Christmas, I want the credo for offshore racing to become one of my all-time favorites: Lead, follow or get out of the way.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. I’ll be back on line Dec. 28.