Skater 28 Cats Star In Sporty Second-Day Outing

Friday’s smooth water, gentle breezes and blue skies for the opening day of the fifth annual Outboard Skater Fun Run weren’t too good to be true. Days like that happen a lot this time of year in Southwest Florida.

But they were too good to last.

Jimmy Speros and company charged hard today in his 28-foot Skater catamaran. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

The 13 Skater catamarans and their guests for the invitational event woke to this morning to a Small Craft Advisory issued by the National Weather Service and prompted by sustained 11- to 18-mph out of the south/southeast. By the mid-to-late afternoon, when many of the participants were putting their cats out of Sarasota Bay, the winds were gusting to almost 30 mph.

Of course, the strong breezes and sporty conditions they spawned thinned the herd. Just six catamarans made the 57-mile roundtrip run up Sarasota Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway to Riviera Dunes Dockside restaurant in Palmetto.

Troy and Chastity Curry ran hard in their Skater 28.

Yet the two 36-footers—the largest cats in the mix—didn’t lead the charge. Instead, Troy and Chastity Curry of Key West and Jimmy Speros of Texas took the point their 28-footers. Asked about it during lunch, Troy Curry—and gentleman of few words—shrugged and, “It was bumpy.”

That a pair of Skater 28 cats blazed the trail today was enough to impress event co-organizer Ron Muller of Electronics Unlimited, who bleeds Skater blood.

Alex Middleton’s vintage Skater 24 proved to be an overachiever.

“Jimmy Speros and Troy and Chastity Curry carried the flag in their 28s showing what a Skater 28 is made for and what it can do—and not being shy because it is blowing a little bit,” he said.

Trailing them was Alex Middleton and his passengers in his 24-foot Skater. Not only was it the shortest cat to tackle today’s run, the 31-year-old Skater was the oldest boat in this weekend’s fleet.

When a neatly staggered formation magically appeared, photographer Pete Boden didn’t miss it.

“It was a little lumpy, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t put it through,” said Middleton. “We tried to catch Troy a few times, but they had a little on us.”

A couple of event first-timers, Justin and Johnna Beischel left their stern-drive engine-powered Skater 368 catamaran back home in Ohio and caught a ride today with fun run co-organizer Chris LaMorte in his 36-foot Skater with 1,400-hp in stern-drive power under the hatches.

Enjoy more images from today’s Invitational Outboard Skater Fun Run.

“It was boring,” he said, then laughed, in reference to his ride to Palmetto.

The good news for Beischel? He won’t be bored on the water, especially if conditions get sporty, during next year’s weekend long celebration of the Skater brand. He has a new 28-footer in the works at the Douglas, Mich., company.

Just as he did with 368, he’ll rig the boat himself—this time with outboards—once it’s delivered and it should be ready in plenty of time for the 2026 event.

Given the model he purchased, if the water gets rough he may even lead or leg or two.