Semper Fi

Brownie/T2X-
Sorry for the loss of your friend. While I agree with what you are saying- it was his choice to race and NO boat is indestructable to mishaps on the water. You have absolutely NO control over these factors.

You both have contributed ALOT to this sport and we are all thankful for it.

G

TopSpin80

It may be just me, but these newest skaters just look like they were designed to stuff.

Ernie

rlj676

I believe that is more of your eye deceiving you, caused by the cutdown deck sloping downward on top.

MOBILEMERCMAN

I think its deceiving on the trailer. The bow is near level or is level while its running. Also aids in idle visibility. I'm not sure what the others think but seems to me the big bows are not so poplular any more.




As far as others talking about the bottoms flat looking longer. I first noticed Reggies 40's doing that. A longer not rockered bottom extends the running surface and gives the boat more reach in the rough.

Many years ago Steve Stepps 22 had the same straight surface as a 35 Cig . Measured like you set them on the floor some thing like 17.5' would touch the floor. Thats why the Cafe's have a springy bow at high speeds. The 22' bottom meanwhile has grown to a 26' and now is called a 28. As a 22 it ran like a big boat and carried a lot of weight well.

On a V's the bow only needs to support the bottom. Notice Reggies latest super V's. Buzzi also designed low long bows.

On the Cats there is more Aero involved.The trend lately was been smaller bows. They get blown around less. They still run the long straight bottom surfaces.

My observations for what they are worth. Pennies? or less?

offshoredrillin

I would agree with that, the boats are built to be floating/running not strapped to a trailer for maximum performance. it would be the same as tire balancing at speed, not sitting still.

and to add to Jims post above, back in the day, most boats were standing up, lots of fast boats now are sit down, the bow needs to be cut down.

mccaffertee

T2x...sad thing about the 35 Jesse James, very sorry for that. On the other hand, this same scenario (i am guessing) has played out in every sport out there.

Did anything good come out of the incident? Like the Canopy systems that have saved "how many" lives since?

And i am sure that the industry has gained much critical information from the "accident" as well and is being used on newer designs - like the facts you have posted from experience, forward recovery comes to mind first.

I know that these things cannot replace the mans life, and everyone who knew him most likely has an "empty" spot in their heart, but "Life Happens" to the best.

I have not read all your posts, but damn, the information you leave on here is "unreplaceable" and extremely valuable in terms of boat education; like spinning props the wrong way. I am sure that has helped an untold amount of boaters.

Anyway, sorry to raise the past and thank you much for your contributions to a great sport that doesn't get enough credit.

AND THAT PICTURE YOU POSTED - THE LINES, ANGLES, AND EVERYTHING, JUST WORK. THAT LOOK NEEDS TO COME BACK!

Wishful Thinking!

T2x

Thanks for the kind words, and yes the Lavin Foundation as you so accurately noted has saved a number of lives.

In truth all of us, Brownie, Peter Hledin, Linder, Peters, etc worked off of each other. As one built a hull another would watch and learn from it. The true innovators (and there are very few) took the state of the art and advanced it. Certain boats were examples of this: The first Cougar Cats, the Shadows, The Phillipine Cougar, The Popeye's Super Boat, Rolling Thunder, The Cougar Vee, Jesse James, Copeland's (Sirois') Outboard power head powered hull, Fabio's winged diesel vee, the 40 Skater....... All of these were departures from what came before and while they were evolutionary.... they also were examples of bold and unique change.

This is why I am so intolerant of the heel biting swine who "pop" designs and pawn them off as their own...when in fact they did nothing beyond make a mold and call themselves "original".

While I am grateful for your belief that the Conquest lines should have continued, and I believe that the Captain America design is as good as anything available today, I also believe that , had we continued, our direction would have changed in the years that have passed. My favorite design at present is one that we are about to get some really good data on. It has sat around for 40 years without any advancement or updating at all and it never had the benefit of any kind of engineering budget or financial support.....

I believe it has tremendous untapped potential.

Time will tell.........

T2x

T2x

It is an illusion. The forward entry areas on the sponsons of that Skater have tremendous lift and "anti stuff" properties. At speed the forward deck is basically level. Certainly any hull that hits an abrupt wave at speed is susceptable to a stuff, but there have been almost no instances of that happening to Skaters since his earliest designs (the 24 and 32) were replaced with newer, better technology.

If I had to choose any hull today to feel safe in at speed, Peter's boats top the list.

T2x

P.S. Buy a Skater....I did

MOBILEMERCMAN

T2x, Does it fly like that? Will it stay up or did it eventually come back down. Or where you feathering the throttle to hold it up?

Pretty cool.

socalstone

I hear what you are saying... but that shape (top of the boat) is most likely designed to create additional lift by taking advantage of the air moving over the top of the boat (shaped like a wing).