John Ben-Ali Haggin, Owner and Founder of AMF/Miss GEICO Offshore Racing, believes in his team and does what it takes to stay number one. In just five years, John Haggin has had a tremendous impact on the sport of offshore racing. From equipment to crew, AMF/Miss GEICO Offshore Racing is the world's premier and fastest performing powerboat racing team.   

Haggin has been in love with the sport ever since his father took him to see a Miami-Nassau-Miami race when he was a boy. The crew came off the boat bloodied and battered with broken bones and a plethora of injuries, but the young Haggin noticed something else on the transom of their boat. It said "AMF," which Haggin explains with a wry smile, means America Moving Forward.

John Haggin is a charismatic, good-hearted and down to earth man with a passion for life, people, and the sport of offshore racing. When Haggin put together his team, he not only looked for more than skill, determination and drive, but they had to know how to have fun and put it all out there. Because of that philosophy, his team consists of one big happy family.

"Whatever it takes to be the best, is what I commit to our team. Our sponsorship with GEICO takes that commitment to the next level."  Haggin has high hopes for his AMF/Miss GEICO team this year.

Marc Granet pilots Miss GEICO , the fastest catamaran in the world. Like most offshore powerboat racers, he started in a vee-bottom performance boat - until a friend took him for a ride in a cat.

"We hit about 90, and that was it for vee-bottoms," Granet recalled.

In 2005, Granet joined the American Power Boat Association/Super Boat International racing circuit. He quickly earned the respect of his competitors - and racing team owner John Haggin. Soon, Granet was settling into the cockpit of Haggin's Miss GEICO, whose helicopter engines cranked out 3700 horsepower.

With Miss GEICO , Granet and throttleman Scott Begovich hold speed records of 10 minutes, 41 seconds between Annapolis and Baltimore , and a "Chattanooga Mile" at 188 mph. These days, Granet pilots a new, 50-foot Miss GEICO. Its twin, 2000-horsepower Cobra attack helicopter engines promise even more speed.

"It is going to fly," Granet said.

Ten-year-old powerboat racing fan Scott Begovich and his brother, wearing racing gear, would run their flat-bottomed boat, with its tiny outboard motor, up and down New Jersey 's Metedeconk River .

"We looked ridiculous in those big helmets," Begovich said, "but we loved it."

In 1995, Begovich bought a racing boat and began working his way up through the APBA and SBI ranks. Then, one day, John Haggin called.

"The first time I saw Miss GEICO , I thought, 'What did I get myself into?'" Begovich said. "I had never driven a catamaran before, let alone throttle one. It was kind of scary."

But these days, Begovich and teammate Marc Granet are virtually unbeatable. With Miss GEICO's top speeds in excess of 180 mph, not even the race helicopters can keep up - and Begovich says there's more to come.

"Our new boat is even faster," Begovich said.

World renowned master rigger, Gary Stray, joined the AMF/Miss GEICO team in 2009 and made an immediate impact in helping guide the team to another convincing World Championship victory.

Gary began his career in the racing business in Southampton , England in 1988 with Cougar Marine. In 1994 he signed on with the Victory Team of Dubai rising to the head of Research & Development and ten world titles later, he set up his own rigging company in the United States . Gary established Supercat Rigging, Inc. in 2001 and his boats have won multiple championships and set numerous speed records. He has also created some of the most prestigious pleasure craft in the world today such as Speed Racer, Batman, Mercedes, Ferrari and Corvette.

AMF/Miss GEICO was simply in the right place and time to find Gary and his crew. Gary will also focus his attention and vast expertise to head up AMF Rigging, LLC as AMF/Miss GEICO becomes a full service racing operation.

Scott Norton grew up on the Great Lakes and the coastal waters of New England . His family has always been involved in the marine industry dating back many generations to his great grandfather navel architect, John Hacker, founder of Hacker Boat Company and builder of many mahogany speed boats. Scott received his first ISCG Captains license at the age of 18 and worked for two years at the Americas Cup Hall of Fame before attending Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay .

In 1998, he received a degree in Marine Transportation and his USCG Unlimited Tonnage license. Scott has traveled the world extensively working on many different types of vessels from motor yachts to commercial ships. In 2000, he moved to Florida and began working on high performance offshore vessels.

After gaining specialized experience with turbine power, vessel construction and rigging, it only made sense to team up with the world's premier offshore racing program, AMF Offshore Racing/Miss GEICO Racing. With Scott's expertise in 2009 the Miss GEICO team won its fourth consecutive World Title.