A couple of cool cats checkin out the hardware...........

The Kilo record in Super V is held by a Fountain with HP 500EFIS
with a speed of 106.167.
p.s. My boat is hiding behind the columns in post#19
Brian

At Marathon.

Nice pics, but I was just looking at the new Dragon and this Skater V boat looks an aweful lot like the Dragon, anyone else notice that?

Not even close ;)

I saw 101 on the GPS in an SV Cigarette Gladiator on only the second lap in Daytona, so yeah, I can believe it.

PhantomChaos:


Superlite is a less dense (lighter) form of balsa. I think it came out about 6 years ago. When it did, Skaters got lighter.

Baltek(one of the companies that make the stuff) grows its own balsa trees. I'm sure they use genetic engineering, etc.


http://www.baltek.com/


vtec

The main reason builders are not using synthethic matherials is cost.

Phantom boats will build with synthethic(core-cell), but its an option.

The synthethics are not as stiff as balsa. So you have to use a slightly thicker core with synth. to get the same stiffness.

You don't see to many Skaters sitting in wells, so rot isn't a issue.

vtec

Right on, V-TEC: There's nothing wrong with Balsa if used correctly and encapsulated fully. As a matter of fact, it has some pretty impressive mechanical properties, which is difficult to simulate. It is also pretty cost effective. It is still difficult to match its compression strength and stiffness with many of today's high-tech materials and maintain a similar density and cost. It also has superior adhesion characteristics which cannot be obtained with some modern closed-cell foams.

No wood in (new) Active Thunder boats; all composite.