There are two “sports” in offshore racing. One is boat racing. The other is offering opinions about it. Trust me, while I’ve done none of the former, I’ve done plenty of the latter in the past 16 years of covering high-performance powerboating. And though my opinion might be a bit more informed than that of someone who hasn’t been paid to observe so closely, it is only that—my opinion. I’ve been right, wrong and a whole lot in between. And I expect that to continue.

But here’s something I know—without a shred of doubt—to be true: Super V Light offshore racer Randy Schleuss, and guys like him, is the real thing, the heart and soul of offshore racing. While members of the spend-to-win crowd come and go, Schleuss is there for the long haul. He races because he loves the sport and the people in it. It’s that simple.

Schleuss is on my mind because I interviewed him today (and I’ve interviewed him at least twice before over the years) for the next installment of Powerboat magazine’s, “Five Minutes With” department. Here’s just one of the things he had to say about why he sticks with a sport he entered 11 years ago.

“I’ve tried to keep it simple in terms of what I can afford. I never got myself in a class or a position where if I broke a motor or something I’d never be able to come back. I would love to be able to race in a big catamaran or V-bottom. But I can barely afford what I’m in (laughs). I’ve gone as far as I can without some kind of major sponsor.”

What’s not to love about that? Sounds almost, well, practical, maybe even reasonable and sensible.

If you follow my blog on speedonthewater.com, you know that I like to report good news on Fridays. Randy Schleuss is good news—on any day—for offshore racing. And he has been for 11 years.