Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

Reggie Fountain has done more than any other individual to promote leading edge design and performance in the offshore boating industry in the last 20+ years. There, I said it.

And I'll say this again, I don't dislike the boats. Hell, if I was to decide to compete in P-1 or P-2, it would be my hull of choice as Wazzup and On the Chip have proven to be superior under most conditions in these classes. It's the tactics that he uses to promote his designs in the Offshore Racing world and in one highly publicized event at a Poker Run that I have an issue with.

I realize as a CEO of a major corporation, he has a responsibility to his shareholders to increase profits, which he has done a commendable job at indeed, up to this point. But at what costs? The cost has been to us, the fans of offshore racing. Consider our current dilemma coming up in less than two weeks. Key West or Destin? A very popular thread on this forum. There cannot be a single one of us that would not admit that we wish we could all be together to enjoy good times as the tightly bonded community that we are, and the opportunity to watch a true unified World Championship Offshore Powerboat Race together as true racing fans.

Reggies obvious avoidance and/or disallowance to compete against some of the other competitors is, I feel, one of the major causes in the division in the sport that we see today.

To Reggie I say this, "If you are the best in the world, which you just may be, then please go race the rest of the world, or allow them to race against you." Simple solution, smother all doubts.

Imagine how we must appear to the rest of the world, to be holding two World Championships within just hundreds of miles of each other during the same week. Laughable, I'm sure.

It's just hurting us, the fans, and I pray that it stops. :(

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

that was an excellent post Robert. Finally someone has risen to the occasion and approached this with an intelligent response.

Now, let me ask you, doesn't the stagger and therefore farther forward CG make the boat want to run wet forward of the first step and/or be more prone to throwing the weight forward and pivoting on that step? Realizing as we all do that as speeds go up...the window for error in this regard gets exponentially smaller.

now I'm sure reggie has the bottom finely honed, but what about the ave. guy? Will he get in over his head?

EDIT: I'm thinking now about what you're saying...ie: a more consistent CG over the length of the boat within a wider trim window= safer/more stable/predictable in turns???

Makes sense...

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

Come on there RIP, you are not so naive to believe that the insurance industry thinks that no perf boat breaks over 70 mph, or that is even an average high perf today. Cats have done that for years, I had the 30' Daytona we had in stock at 100+ on many occasions. Insurance is based on risk factors, that is why your loaded duramax is more expensive to insure than a base work truck, take 20 years off your age, or add 40 to it and it will change as well. It's all risk based. And you neglected to acknowledge your Porter guys part in your pending "melt down". Unfortunate and stupid chit such as the recent higher profile poker run accidents will have more of an effect on your rates than either Fountain or Formula improving their hull efficiency. And as Margimn said, if you are spending less to go fast on power and perf mods, a little insurance increase may look like a real deal.

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

So the next question is, is it time for the dealer to step up and offer some advice on engine choice? The 35 with 496's will be an excellent package and help limit the speeds for the average (is there such a person?) customer, or long term owner. Benefits are there, but will the customer accept it, or is it "gotta have it" power?

Peter

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

marginmn see my edit above.

Ragged I'm with you on most of this. Though I clearly am not talking anything about cats for one.

For two: you have agreed with me and don't realize it I'm sure...that's right RISK based, often on the ASSUMPTIONS of the underwriters. We are changing their ASSUMPTIONS of what an V powerboat is capable of...therefore the POTENTIAL RISK INHERENT TO THE MACHINE having nothing to do with my demographics.

the last point is a valid one, but what about the guy caught up in the blanket of the new "high-speed" V-bottom thinking that would be quite happy NOT spending additional $$$ on mods to go faster OR more insurance premium? He may well get hosed and doesn't even care to play the game at that level is my point as well.

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject and my only experience on the topic of the new hulls comes second hand from talking to Reggie's former right hand man Ben Robertson (when Ben came to do some testing on my boat for Ilmor this summer). But I asked Ben about the stability of the new full stagger 38's and he told me that the more weight you have in the back of the boat increases the chances of the back of the boat wanting to swap ends in a turn. That makes sense to this Non-engineer. :cool:

In theory, moving the wight of the engines lower in the boat and closer to the center of the boat should make the boat more stable in both chop and in turns. Along with the CG, I think they have also moved the steps forward in these full staggers - so maybe they are not running wetter forward of the first step. I'm sure a call to Fountain's customer support would provide answers to these questions. I may give them a call.

I'd love to test drive one and may try to do so in the spring.

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

Peter,

Lorrie says she hopes you will buy a new 35 so you can return her boat back to her :)

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

Just thought I would give you a look at Trenton Marine from pics taken today...

They seemed to be displaying the Fountain Sign right there next to the Formula.

It's been some time since I have been out there before today.

Their facility has grown quite a bit.

I'll never forget racing off those docks behind their Marina...

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

I was there Sat that's an old sign they never took it down but I hear from a very reliable source that now they don't need to.Check there site in a few months.

Re: Reggie's new 35 Lightning does 103 with 525's!!!
 

Have I got the deal of the century for you, with an extra discount for your sweet and charming wife. You have her give me a call, just sign a check and she can fill in the numbers.