Desert Storm 2015 is happening this weekend. Bunch of the participants had some of their toys lined up so the peons could look at them. Water action starts with a poker run tomorrow and the shoot-out happens Saturday. Sadly, I'm going to miss it.

Many of these teams bring their own chase helicopters so they can analyze performance as the boats run. Some of them will outrun a decent helicopter, so camera guys need to be on the ball. Fastest boat last year, ran 170 MPH. I expect them to go even faster this year.

A rather radical little boat:

Notice the propellors on this outfit. coaxial drive shaft has one turning CW and the other CCW

Lots of dollars tied up in the boats, but also fancy custom trucks and trailers to transport the boats:

Many of the tunnel hull boats are too wide to transport down the hiways without escorts, so special trailers are used to tip them while in transit.

Close up of the hydraulics used to tip the boat for launching

I suspect that Gone Again might be one of the faster boats

Serious HP times 2. Can only imagine the fuel burn at full throttle and to top it off, these rigs burn $10 / gallon racing gas.

Of course, the outboard guys can't be left out either: My boating savvy buddy tells me that outboard motors run about $100 / HP so at that rate, we're looking at $90K before we start adding boat, trailer, tow rig.

A closer look at one of the boats.

Inside the cockpit

And of course, wherever boats are to be found, you should expect to run across some pirates. These winsome lasses were kind enough to pose for a picture. Dangerous looking pirates.

A few of these boats are for sale. Some are advertising stuff like wraps or other stuff. Some are owned and run by the company selling like boats to folks who think it would be fun to fill 400 gal tanks with $10 gas.

Maybe they're just toys to most but I think it might help to remember that outfits like this can make big dollars hauling stuff out in the coastal oceans.

Probably make more on one night's work than a guy would think.

I dunno???

I suspect something more along the lines of the origins of NASCAR, only slightly different chemistry and form.

Gone Again is narrow enough to fit down the highway flat. The wider boats need to be angled upward to present a narrower profile while being towed down the Interstate. I have seen semi-tractors towing them. They are tipped flat to be launched. I can make out a couple cargo straps tied to the inside of the outer sponsons and there are also nice cushioned brackets to rest the bottom corner of the lower sponson. I'll have to get a closer look sometime and take some pics.

Many of these boats follow a summer racing circuit and run on the Lake of the Ozarks, Lake Tahoe, and other large bodies of water that can handle the speeds these guys run. I suspect it's kind of like the monster truck and tractor pulling circuits. Which you pick sorta depends on 'whatever floats your boat', so to speak.