Speedboats are the ultimate aquatic toys. Many companies build speedboats whose specifications sound like those of a high-end sports car. Through innovative designs, powerful engines, and cutting-edge materials, these powerboat manufacturers have put out some truly powerful models.
Formula FAS3Tech Boats
Formula, a boat manufacturer owned by Thunderbird Products, makes several lines of speedboats. Most notable among them is the FAS3Tech series. Boating Magazine reviewed the FAS3Tech 353 model, which is a 35-foot, 3-inch powerboat driven by a pair of 570-horsepower engines. (That’s a total of 1140 horsepower. For comparison, NASCAR race cars fall far short of that, at around 750 horsepower.) The FAS3Tech 353 smoothly reaches 85 miles per hour while remaining relatively easy to steer. The model Boating Magazine tested cost $484,570. The other models in the FAS3Tech line come in at 29 feet, 2 inches and 38 feet, 3 inches, but regardless of their size, all FAS3Tech boats have the same focus on speed and agility.
Outerlimits Powerboats
Outerlimits Powerboats is a company that makes racing-style powerboats with luxury in mind. At least one of their models, the SV40, has been used in international competition. The newest iteration of that boat should be able to reach 120 miles per hour, according to Speed On The Water‘s website. That particular model uses a pair of race-quality engines and a strong but light carbon-fiber body to achieve its staggering speed. The prices for Outerlimits boats vary, but if you’re interested in one, be ready to spend at least a few hundred thousand dollars.
Fountain Lightning Series
Fountain’s flagship series of boats, the Lightning line, boasts a long history of racing. The Lightning boats vary in size and configuration, but all can reach high speeds. Boating Magazine reports that the 33-foot model–the smallest in the line–uses a pair of 425-horsepower engines and can surpass 80 miles per hour. The bigger models are even more powerful. It has been reported that the 42-foot Lightning, with the right engines and configuration, can top 130 miles per hour. Older models can be had for around $100,000, while newer ones go for many times that.
Skater Powerboats
Unlike many other speedboats, Skater powerboats are catamarans–boats with two parallel hulls instead of one continuous hull. The advantage of having two hulls is that since they are collectively much thinner than a single hull, they produce much less drag. These boats are also built with a focus on lightweight materials. Skater powerboats are up to 52 feet long and can top 200 miles per hour.
Each boat is custom built, so purchasers can make decisions as to which features their boat has–you can customize your boat’s interior almost as you would a home, except that this “home” can slice through the water at blazing speeds. As you might expect, that performance and customization ability come at a hefty price: Skaters cost from the mid-hundred thousands up to around two million dollars (not to mention the $10-per-gallon fuel).
The powerful engines, sleek bodies, and innovative materials used in these boats give them a power-to-weight ratio that allows for incredible speed and performance–plus, with the right features, they can be pretty luxurious to boot. If you’ve got the money and a taste for speed, these boats deliver.
Byline
Dillon Claymore has a fascination with engines, motors, boat mechanics, boat engineering, speed boating, sailboats and other related topics; to learn more about cable dynamics readers are encouraged to view the resources from stewart-usa.com/cable-dynamics.
Image credit goes to SpykerOwner.com.