By Cynthia MacGregor - Photo by Paul Lebel

Asked where in Wellington his home is, John Haggin answers, “I live in Shangri-La.” In actuality it's a horse farm at the southern end of town, with the quirky (trademarked) name of Mosquito Mound Farm. The second-floor deck offers sunrise and sunset views, and a vista of three different polo fields. John has lived there for 13 years, the last eight of them with his Dutch-born wife, Princess.

Horses are in the blood of both Haggins, Princess having worked for the Swiss Olympic team. But its boats built for speed that really excite John.

He's on the road 32 weeks a year with his boats. “From April 2 nd to November 23 rd , I live out of a tractor-trailer that's pulling one of my boats,” He says. They're a passion he came by naturally: “My father had a 32-foot Donzi. He used to race the boat with Don Arrow and Lee Martin – the actor – back in the late 60's, and I caught the bug from him.

He now owns 13 of them. John, his boats, and his crew (“Thirty-six of the most wonderful, kind, considerate, patient, [people] and the absolutely best racers”) have captured the world water speed record for performance yachts, at 118.60 mph, as well as winning 51 checkered flags and 54 trophies.

When he wins money, John gives it to the YMCA, earmarked for a specific use: to make sure that older folks have swimming pools to use. This in honor of John's late mother, who was crippled by bone disease. “The only thing that gave her happiness was swimming,” John explains.

If the donations to the YMCA are a tribute to his mother, the name of his racing organization, amfoffshoreracing.com is an homage to his father. AMF stands for America Moving Forward, but the three letters have a less classy if more classic connotation, as well: Adios M***** F*****.

Owning and racing 13 boats (in different categories) is an astronomically expensive pursuit. “Put ‘astronomical' in large print,” John emphasizes. He flies key personnel to the site of each race, buys 32 bocks of hotel rooms, provides insurance, sponsors crew members… and then there's the cost of the boats themselves and their upkeep.

His team comes from all over: 90% are from New Jersey, but some are from as far away as Australia . “They're a bunch of lunatics. I love them to death,” John says exuberantly.

Besides the driver, throttle man and navigator of each boat, John employs a four-star chef to feed the crew, a chiropractor, two massage therapists, a nurse, and a security guard.

One of the boats, “Offshore Princess,” is Barbie Pink and manned (or should we say “womanned?”) by Laura Hanner and Amanda Hagerel, two time world champion racers who wear pink suits and helmets. The boat is dedicated to the fight against breast cancer, with the names of some of its victims written in the pink ribbon that's painted on the boat.

There's also a boat manned by an all-over-65-years-old-crew that John calls the Viagra bunch.

Offshore racing is not only an expensive hobby but a dangerous one. Before every race John gets into a back brace, a kidney brace, knee braces, Ace bandages, elbow pads, neck brace, helmet, life jacket, and gloves. “I look like the Michelin man by the time I'm finished,” he says. And invariably he gets sick to his stomach before every race. But racing “has always been my dream,” and so his wife is supportive of his hobby, regardless of the danger, and she's proud of his accomplishments. “She thinks I'm certifiably nuts, but she has $13 million in life insurance on me,” he says with a grin in his voice.

John Haggin's future plans include racing the Dubai , just another adventure for a man who says, “I have the most beautiful farm, wonderful horses and dogs, and a beautiful wife who entertains me every day. AMF is the largest offshore racing team I the world. I'm the happiest man who ever lived.”

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