Gladiator with 575's
 

Was wondering what top end would be on Gladiator with 575's in it. Have been told in they run in the 95-98 mph range. Understand staggered 525's run at 92-93 mph. Anyone have any experience in either one. Looking at taking the plunge and getting one and the prices seem to be somewhat reasonable. Comments?

Your speed estimates are probably dead on. My 2002 with 500EFI's is running in the 87-88 mph range (side by side setup). The boat is a great boat. Everyone wondered if I would like a sit down offshore boat. Believe it or not - I have gotten used to sitting very quickly and really like it. The hardest transition has been the left hand throttling versus all other Cigarettes.

Jeffrey
I have yet to see any photos of your new boat. I did see it LIVE last Saturday (I was at Woody's).
How about some photos. Or if you have already posted some, where are they?
I am considering the 36 Glad' myself. Do you LOVE it ?

Yeah, quit holding out on us Jeffery. I didn't even know you picked one up.

i guess i no longer have to keep the secret now that the cat is out of the bag. i have a few pics, but i'll let jeffrey post pics of his new ride. let me just say that the paint is awesome. it is a great looking gladiator.

jbk

Chad - Thanks for keeping it under you hat for a while. Yes ... I did pick up a Gladiator about a month ago. I have run it twice and it is an awesome boat. It is a "new" 2002. It had about 10 hours on it when I bought it. Long story ...

Anyway, here are some pics of the boat ...

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

Pic 5

I have to ask.....................who's the honey!!!


You did a great job who ever it is!!!!

That looks like BCC. Correct?
I would expect her to sunbathe on nothing less than a Cigarette!:D

Nope ... not BCC. BCC is eight months pregnant as we speak! It will be a while before she bears her mid drift on the back of a powerboat.

The girl in question is the girl I am currently dating. You have to admire a female that takes care of herself and is able to do so on her own. She is a regional sales manager for a large optical company. Brains and beauty and best of all? She LOVES boating! What more can I ask for?

You guys crack me up. You ask for photos of the boat. I comply with five excellent shots and the next two posts say nada about the boat and only ask about the girl. Ha ha ... typical of us guys!:p :D

What boat?;)

Oh yeah, I see it now. Nice ride!!!
I'm glad you are you enjoying it, it looks like an awesome machine!

how about some action shots, JC??? you might even throw in a few action shots of the boat too.....;) :D

chad

What?.....No OSO stickers?

She's laying on top of them :D

Nice rig Jeffery. Sweet boat too.

Nice

Wasn't that boat in either Hotboat or Powerboat as a test boat for the 36 about a year and a half ago?

So, you really need to give a detailed comparrison between the 38 and the 36, at least I would like to hear it.

Gary (Cigarette1) found the original line drawing for the boat. Thanks for sending that to me Cig1! I think I am going to blow it up and hang it on my wall :D

I remeber now it was boattest online that used it.

Here's the Pic but it won't let me link to the video of the test

VB -

Not sure if this boat was used in the test or not. I might have to look through my archives and see.

As for a detailed comparison between the Gladiator and my previous twin step F-2 Top Gun - here is what I can tell you so far:

My initial reaction is that SpeedRacer (the F-2) boat was more fun to drive than the Gladiator is. Whether that is because of the horsepower difference or the fact that I am sitting down versus standing up has yet to be determined.

SpeedRacer was in a class by itself when it came to pure rush and exhiliration. It was akin to driving a powerful go kart. You literally became one with the boat and could really feel what it was doing. Going out in six footers and launching the boat was effortless due to its perfect center of gravity and balance. It flew and landed perfectly every time. It was simply a blast to drive.

The Gladiator - though not quite as much fun (yet) to drive - seems to be a better hull at the high end. SpeedRacer - due to its first generation twin steps and light layup - was infinately more challenging at 90mph and above. The steps are very dramatic on the boat which made it prone to chine walking at the top end.

The Gladiator steps (and hull) are exactly the same as a 2002 Top Gun twin step. The 2000 hull was revised in 2001 and again (slightly) in 2002. I can tell - at 86mph - that the Gladiator hull would be more stable at 90+mph. The proof is in the pudding in the recent Powerboat Magazine article where a new twin step Top Gun with 700+HP ran 105.6. You would want to have a parachute strapped to your back if you were to run SpeedRacer at 105mph! Sorry Chad! :D

Just a little known fact - the Top Gun measures 37'6" in length. The Gladiator measures 36'11" - only a seven inch difference. The hulls are identical. The seven inch loss is due to the significantly lower freeboard. If you lower the freeboard four inches at the nose (and all the way back) you lose seven inches in length.

All in all - I think that the "fun factor" with the Gladiator will defiantely improve. Once I become accustomed to throttling with my left hand and really get used to sitting down - I will probably be more comfortable in the boat. Add another 200HP per side - twin 700HP normally aspirated motors - and the boat will really liven up. I have a feeling that the fun factor will increase exponentially and then it will be very close to the rush I always felt from driving SpeedRacer.

Feel free to ask any other questions!:)

Very informative Jeffrey.........Thanks
Sweeeeeeet Ride !!!:D

Thanks Jeffrey, I found that very informative and what this site is really about!

Jeffrey,

Could you also give a comparison of the visability for the driving postions in the two boats. In the sitdown position is it difficult to see traffic at a moderate speed like 50mph?

Jeffery,

Nice Boat and a very beautiful Lady :)

No visibility problems once the boat is on plane. No real visibility problems to speak of at all. I am only 5'9" and the only time I have to lift my a** off the seat is when I am idling through the harbor and want to be sure I am not about to run over someone on a kayak or something.

A couple of other interesting observations ...

LIKES

I like the small lexan windscreen. It works extremely well at speed and visibility through it is perfect. I like the seats - very comfortable and they work well to cushion hard landings. I like the cnosle layout - gauges, etc. Very trick looking! I like the "no rub rail" look. It has a very "clean" look.

DISLIKES

I don't like the access to the forward berth. Although there is nothing up there access is through the hatch on the deck only. I wish they would have designed some kind of access from the cockpit area.

I don't like the confined cockpit area. The earlier Gladiators (like the OSO Gladiator) were all set up with "side by side" motors. The rear bench seat was about 18" farther back than the newer staggered hulls. The OSO setup offered more space in the cockpit area.

Although my boat is set up with side by side motors - the hull is the same design as the late 2002 and 2003 staggered motor hulls. The cockpit area is significantly reduced whereby the actual floor area in front of the rear bench seat and behind the two front seats measures less than two feet from front to back. Two people would be the most you would want in the back at any time.

Can't think of any additional interesting obeservations at the moment. Keep asking away and I will do my best to answer the questions.

Thanks! One more to add to the collection ... shot the same day.

Jeffrey i love your boat. I like the colors on it also. And the lady on the back is very nice too:D :D

08/23

Appreciate all the good information and pics of your boat (amongst other things)!!!

If the last change to the Top Gun hull was in 2002, does anyone know what the hull number is??
ck

Cigarette Galdiator
 

Thinking of a Cigarette Gladiator??? Check out the boat Dick Simon Marine has in stock. The boat has awesome paint and the perfect set up. Twin HP 525, Full Staggared. The 575's maybe a hair faster, but the 525's are the hot ticket. I know they are offering the boat at a blowout price.

Jeffery has seen the boat, What's your thoughts Jeffery?

For those of you considering a Gladiator the one at Dick Simon Marine is an awesome boat. The graphics are very similar to my boat except they are in blue. It is a better boat all the way around - staggered 525's and the new ITS drive system. If anyone is seriously looking I know they are very motivated to move it. Call or PM me if you want to ask me anything about it. John at DSM will take good care of you!

nice looking ride Jeffrey!

On the Water With the Gladiator
 

This past weekend SCOPE had its first video photo shoot. 18 boats, 80 miles of open ocean running, 88 degrees and sunny, and awesome water - everything from three to four footers to some rough and tumble washing machine five and six footers towards the end.

I am happy to say that my back and my a** survived brilliantly! There was concern about "sitting" in the boat and venturing out in anything bigger than two to three footers. What would the landings be like? Would I need a chiropractor the next day?

For some odd reason - whether I instinctually raised myself off the seat when becoming airborne, or Cigarette has found the secret to soft seat padding, or maybe that my supreme driving skills :D were even better than I thought (ha ha) - I never felt jarred or jolted to excess from the rough water. It was surprisingly comfortable and effortless. Definately a good experience.

Look out for some of the video footage in a month or so and some of the awesome still shots next week!

P.S. Best of all? I had my favorite female companion (pictured herein) along for the ride. As usual ... she loved every minute of it!

You mean you can't reach for a beer unless going thru the hatch! Ouchhhh.:D:D

Nice rig Jeffrey, Congrats.