Although Ryan Beckley recently listed his outboard-powered, canopied 30-foot Skater catamaran raceboat—as well as all of his DoublEdge Motor Sports team’s gear—for sale, the longtime Stock-class offshore powerboat racer is not planning on exiting the sport. Beckley, who lives in Bradenton, Fla., has been racing offshore since 1993 and has owned raceboats since 2001. He said that although he isn’t leaving the sport he loves, he is taking a step back to evaluate how he wants to proceed.

“The class is changing,” said Beckley. “We have been fighting over changing engines for the class for a long time, and we have not been able to agree on what power to use.

“Grown men can’t agree on anything,” he added, then laughed. “And I’ve always been a little bit behind the eight ball with this boat. You know, it’s almost 10 years old.”

Said Beckley: “I’ve always been a little bit behind the eight ball with this boat.” Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Chances are good that DoublEdge Motor Sports fans have not seen the last of the team this season. Beckley said that unless he quickly sells his raceboat and gear—with an asking price of $125,000—he will compete in the upcoming Super Boat International National Championships in Clearwater, Fla., as well as the organization’s World Championships in Key West, Fla. (Key West is the veteran racer’s hometown.)

“If somebody ‘has to have it’ before then I’ll sell it,” he said. “But I’m not counting on that. After Key West, I’ll focus more seriously on getting everything sold and then making some decisions.”

First and foremost among those decisions is his next raceboat. While 32-foot Doug Wright catamarans have become the boat of choice for SBI’s Stock class, Beckley said he’d like to stick with Skater if possible for his next Stock-class cat.

“If Peter (Hledin, the founder and owner of Douglas Marine Skater) wants to build me another boat with a 63-inch tunnel out of the 308 cat molds, that’s the way I’d like to go,” he said. “If not, I’d be looking at something from Doug Wright.”

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