Time for another V bottom speed record?

[Tank]

Not an attempt to self promote here. I really would like to know what your thoughts are on this?


http://www.powerboatmag.com/tank-sears-blog/

[JupiterSunsation]

XXX is for sale at Shogren with no power.......Chief is building some big, reliable and fast motors. It could be a cheap challenge compared to what Cig spent building their last kilo boat!

It would be fun to see but I would rather see manufacturers spending time/money on boats that I can actually buy..... Give me a boat like XXX for free with big power and the only thing I could afford on it is the fuel (in limited quantities!).

[GENERAL LEE]

It would be fun to see but I would rather see manufacturers spending time/money on boats that I can actually buy.....

I'm not sure I follow you completely?

Most boat companies, or any companies for that matter, are focused on building boats & products their customers can buy....?

[Chris]

I'm not sure I follow you completely?

Most boat companies, or any companies for that matter, are focused on building boats & products their customers can buy....?

Everybody wants a new Top Gun with 525's for $80 grand. Me too.

The guy with the Piper Cub wants an $80k Citation too. It's not just "us".

[GENERAL LEE]

Everybody wants a new Top Gun with 525's for $80 grand. Me too.

The guy with the Piper Cub wants an $80k Citation too. It's not just "us".

Yeah, but it almost seems like there have been some "real" posts arguing this, instead of "just saying". Similar to the argument we discussed about some family boaters complaining about Powerboat not covering the ski boat market?

[Knot 4 Me]

Everybody wants a new Top Gun with 525's for $80 grand. Me too.

And be able to finance it with no money down for 20 years at 3.5% interest. Oh, and it appreciates in value too!

[JupiterSunsation]

I'm not sure I follow you completely?

Most boat companies, or any companies for that matter, are focused on building boats & products their customers can buy....?

Not when they are trying to build stuff like this! If Skip builds 50 boats and just spent 2mm in R+D for a kilo boat it will add 40K in "overhead" to each of his boats sold to customers. Now that 40K surcharge doesn't make my stock boat any faster, better looking with new interior/gauges or paint. So my point was don't waste money on stuff like this if it will trickle down to higher costs for the customer with no improvements on the retail boats!

And to Chris's point of 80K Top Guns........yeah put me on that list too!

[phragle]

The big question is why? When the market was rolling, the kilo scene had its marketing value. Today, that market is much smaller and the people that are buying know what they want. That precludes the factories from playing, the private sector? Sure you could build a boat specifically for it, but then what are you going to do with it when your done?? Race it? is the potatoe chip going to hold up? how big is the extreme vee class?

[Tank]

The big question is why? When the market was rolling, the kilo scene had its marketing value. Today, that market is much smaller and the people that are buying know what they want. That precludes the factories from playing, the private sector? Sure you could build a boat specifically for it, but then what are you going to do with it when your done?? Race it? is the potatoe chip going to hold up? how big is the extreme vee class?

I would imagine plastering "worlds fasted V bottom" in your ads has it's marketing advanteges in any economy. It had worked well for Reggie for Many years.

I'm still suprised no one has gone after the record, especially OL. Mike was hungry for the record at one time and the record could go to show the enhancements his boats have gainedin build technology and speeds.

[phragle]

I would imagine plastering "worlds fasted V bottom" in your ads has it's marketing advanteges in any economy. It had worked well for Reggie for Many years.

I'm still suprised no one has gone after the record, especially OL. Mike was hungry for the record at one time and the record could go to show the enhancements his boats have gainedin build technology and speeds.

Those claims would sway someone new shopping. The palyers left in the upper markets these days are generally not new. They have been around the scene and know what they want. Fiore has his customers on existing reputation alone. If your selling million dollar boats, a catchy magazine ad isn't going to make much difference to your clients. Reggie's marketingclaims weren't to sell 47's... they were to impress the new boaters who were in the market for a 33 or 35 for the cool factor. Those people are now busy looking for new jobs and trying to keep their house from being foreclosed on. Seasoned boaters know that you can make a custom hull, throw huge power in it and go really fast... and that it really doesn't mean much in correlation to the boat Shogren has on the sales floor.

[masher44]

XXX is 7 year old technology. I would have thought OL would have a vessel that could make a really big run towards it. I know that have run some huge numbers with the newer canopy boats but never anything sanctioned. I bet the economy has them thinking to wait but their new canopy boats are just the best looking Vs ever made IMO. I would bet that 52V thats for sale, stripped down with some big turbos would be an interesting run. Just dont think the millions poured into a project like that would pay off for the company right now other than a trophy in the lobby.

[JupiterSunsation]

Just dont think the millions poured into a project like that would pay off for the company right now other than a trophy in the lobby.

That was my point in using the XXX hull and some new big power to make it happen. Then it can be a poker run boat, two time kilo winner etc......

I do think a new 44 or 52 OL would be a weapon for sure!

[masher44]

That was my point in using the XXX hull and some new big power to make it happen. Then it can be a poker run boat, two time kilo winner etc......

I do think a new 44 or 52 OL would be a weapon for sure!

How fast has XXX been? Didnt it run 125 with 1075s? Thats a huge gap to close. You buy it and I'll drive it. Therefore you wont risk injury

[JupiterSunsation]

How fast has XXX been? Didnt it run 125 with 1075s? Thats a huge gap to close. You buy it and I'll drive it. Therefore you wont risk injury

It held the kilo record when OL owned/operated the boat @ 160+++. That was with Sterling 1550's. When it was sold as a PR boat it had 1075's making a 125-130 mph boat.

[mikes280]

It held the kilo record when OL owned/operated the boat @ 160+++. That was with Sterling 1550's. When it was sold as a PR boat it had 1075's making a 125-130 mph boat.

i don't think it ever held the record it had gps speed claims of those speeds but did it have the offical record

[phragle]

Not saying XXX isnt a nice boat, but after seeing things play out in the last couple years... If something went wrong, I don't think your going to be alive to say 'ok, that didnt work'. To run that fast with any sense of confidence, your going to have to start from scratch.

[sy goldberg]

I think that it's a miracle there were no accidents or injuries involving the prior record attempts.I think that more record attempts are only tempting fate and the high performance boat industry doesn't need any more negative publicity.

[Big Time]

I think that it's a miracle there were no accidents or injuries involving the prior record attempts.I think that more record attempts are only tempting fate and the high performance boat industry doesn't need any more negative publicity.

It is going to bite someone eventually.

If you ask me, I'm not really all that impressed with top speed because you can basically throw HUGE power into anything to get it to go fast. If I am an educated consumer shopping for a "fast" boat I would be more interested in how fast each of the boats goes with the same power...Let's say OL vs. Fountain w/1075's.

But then again, people don't buy boats like ours because we want to be last to the dock so having that "record" is a selling point.

[Wahoo 214]

Has anyone survived a serious incident at 180 mph +?

[redhotsommer]

Reg has stated numerous times that he was just waiting for somebody to up his record and he had a 200-mph hull ready to rock...