Image of the Week: XXX Rated

Years ago, I wrote a feature for Powerboat magazine on the best high-performance boat paints jobs of all time. I talked to boat builders, painters and boat owners. Of course, it was a completely subjective story but it was a lot of fun to research and write.

Among the builders I spoke with was Mike Fiore of Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats in Bristol, R.I. He named the then-canopied XXX V-bottom, which reportedly topped 161 mph on 1,450-hp Sterling Performance engines in 2004, as his favorite of all time.

Always a crowd-pleaser, the Outerlimits XXX 47-footer was part of this summer’s Boyne Thunder Poker Run fleet. Photo courtesy/copyright Jay Nichols/Naples Image.

I understood his perspective. Between 47-footer’s killer paint job and sexy lines, it was a stunner. And even with its canopy removed, the boat, which now is owned by Glenn and Laurel Fuller, still is. Photographer Jay Nichols captured the XXX Outerlimits during the 2012 Boyne Thunder Poker Run this summer on Lake Michigan.

High-end custom go-fast boats have many lives. The XXX 47 GTX started its life as a canopied machine that was built to make a point in the Outerlimits vs. Fountain speed war. Now, it’s a poker run pleasure boat. But it still looks fantastic.