Twenty years ago this month, Mike Fiore, the founder and owner of Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats in Bristol, R.I., was in the thick of scouting locations for the custom high-performance boat company he would officially open on July 5 in Holbrook, Long Island, N.Y. He had already designed his first model, the 37’ Stiletto stepped V-bottom, and was looking for the right place to start his fledgling operation.

“Between building boats I did service work for the first couple of years,” said Fiore in a telephone interview this morning. “Anything to keep the doors open.”

Fiore on the new SV50: “The newest one is always my favorite.”

That was approximately 450 boats ago, according to Fiore. After the 37-footer, the company went bigger with a 47-foot model and then split the difference with a 42-footer. Today, the Outerlimits line includes V-bottoms from 29 to 52 feet long and 43- and 48-foot catamarans.

When asked if he had a “favorite” model, Fiore laughed. “The SV50, our newest one,” he said. “The newest one is always my favorite. It’s always that way.”

Fiore said Outerlimits will celebrate its official opening-day anniversary in July, but had not yet decided what form that celebration would take.

Editor’s Note: Look for a complete Speedonthewater.com feature on the history of Outerlimits in July.