Despite that the Spirit of Qatar team has remained sidelined since the change of leadership in that country’s marine watersports program (read the story), team manager Steve Curtis will race during the July 4 weekend in Sarasota, Fla. Curtis will share the cockpit of a renovated SV 40 Outerlimits V-bottom with Joe Sgro during the upcoming Sarasota Grand Prix Powerboat Festival. The duo last shared the cockpit during the Qatar Cup in Doha, the country’s capital city, in February.

Curtis will throttle and Srgo will drive this renovated 40-foot Outerlimits V-bottom in the Sarasota Grand Prix Powerboat Festival.

“I like racing, and I haven’t raced since the Qatar Cup with Joe,” said Curtis, who will throttle the canopied 40–footer powered by twin 750- to 800-hp engines with Sgro behind the wheel in the Super Vee class against the formidable Twisted Metal team. “No matter what happens with me, I think Joe is in for at least a few more races.”

Curtis paused then laughed. “I need to go racing,” he added. “I’ve never been more bored in my life.”

Beyond displaying its 50-foot turbine-powered Mystic Powerboats catamaran in Sarasota during the event, the Spirit of Qatar team’s offshore racing plans remain on hold. Curtis said that all of the team’s catamarans are race-ready, and that rigging of its new 39-foot Outerlimits cat will begin in a few weeks—despite that its racing future is uncertain.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they suddenly called me and said, ‘Get the boats ready, we’re racing,’ but until then I’m just waiting,” he said. “Those decisions are way above my pay grade. I’m just waiting and keeping the boats ready to go with the crew.”

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Outerlimits Renovating V-Bottom Raceboatuterlimits Renovating V-Bottom Raceboat