Qatar Turbine Cat Debut Confirmed for Sarasota Race / Speed on the Water

Offshore racing fans will get their first look at the new and much-anticipated Spirit of Qatar, a 50-foot Mystic catamaran with twin 1,500-hp turbine engines from Whispering Turbines, during this weekend's Super Boat International Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix Festival in Sarasota, Fla. That's the word from Steve Curtis, the throttleman for the Orlando, Fla.-based team, who ended insider speculation that the team boat wouldn't be ready for what looks to be one of the strongest races of the 2013 season.

Shown during its debut at the SBI event in Cocoa Beach, Fla., earlier this season, the Spirit of Qatar Superboat-class cat will be joined by the team's turbine raceboat in Sarasota this weekend.