Before it ran as Alex And Ani for the past two years during the Super Boat International Key West Offshore World Championships in the Superboat Unlimited class, the 40-foot Platinum built by Douglas Marine/Skater and currently owned by Serafino “Jimmy” Cazzani was owned by offshore racer Chris Cox and called Superheat. (And before that, the 40-footer began life as the original Cintron raceboat.) Photographer Jay Nichols captured Superheat catching air—and displacing lots of water in its pre-flight wake—during the 2010 SBI National Championships in Clearwater, Fla., and liked the image enough to include it his current Flashback series. The image is dedicated to Mercury Racing, one of Nichols’ longtime sponsors.

Nichols caught Superheat taking off during the 2010 SBI Nationals in Clearwater. Photo courtesy/copyright Jay Nichols/Naples Image (click image to enlarge).

Cox, who eventually sold Superheat, runs a 50-foot Mystic Powerboats cat called Envy, and with the departure of Alex And Ani as a sponsor, the 40-foot Platinum is now called Scuderia Cazzani Offshore Racing. Regardless of its name, the cat is sure to find its way into Nichols’ viewfinder during the upcoming offshore racing season.

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