Staggering puts more weight over the keel, the drives are closer together as well as bow to stern balance. In a boat where cockpit space is not an issue, working on motors is completely different...great in race boats & dedicated prunners...not so great for family performance boats.

X dimension and staggered engines are not the same concept.

Staggered engines put the engined lower in the boat, and the drives closer together and closer to centerline and therefore 'deeper' in relation to the surface of the water.

X dimension is how high the drive is above the bottom of the boat directly in front of the drive -- no relationship to the surface of the water whatsoever. A single engine might have the same X dimension as a staggered twin or triple or anything.

Totally different concept.

On a non-stepped bottom, the boat goes faster the closer the CG is to the transom, so side-by-side was the fastest way to go on a non-stepped bottom.

But of course, the very best non stepped bottom is substantially slower that a decent stepped bottom.

And a stepped bottom wants the weight more-or-less equally divided between the forward steps and the transom, so many feet forward.

Remember that the engines are not everything, the boat usually weighs two to four times as much as the engines, so moving one engine forward 3.5 feet only moves the CG of the entire boat forward about 1 or 2 feet.

Fountains still want more weight on the 'aft planing surface' (near the transom) than on the 'forward planing surface' (really, the two steps forward). This is to still provide the 3 to 4 degree angle of attack that any planing hull wants for maximum lift and minimum drag. And maximizing lift-to-drag is what performance is all about.

If a boat had twice as high a step, then the weight can go even further forward and still maintain that angle of attack, but then you start getting ride problems in rough seas: you still want the ass end down, not the bow diving under the water!

By the way, we just heard that Fountain has built another staggered 35 ICBM with the 7" set back but this one does have the Mercury ITS boxes. We also understand that Powerboat magazine just tested this boat in Florida and it will be featured in an upcoming issue. Rumor has it that Fountain is planning on displaying it at the Miami Boat Show in February.

That's hellafast!!! Wonder when someone will order one with 600's???:evilb:

goto fountainpower.com and build your own fountain.. just remember that horsepower costs big time bucks!

Shogren has an '08 35 in stock with the 600's, it's on their website. I'm sure they would love to put someone right into it.

Very Impressive. Let me know how it does with a 1-2 foot chop and 3/4 tank of gas. Those are most people's every day conditions. Congrats on the number! Reggie shure can make a boat move! WOW!

Shogren's 08 with 600s only shows 106 on the GPS, what's up with that?

:p


Fountain and Merc Racing recomend not exceeding 110 mph during break in!!!

We did run the boat in 1-2 foot chop with approximately 80 gallons of fuel (gas gauge was just coming off full), the two of us at about 185 lbs. each and all of the normal stuff you keep in your boat (life jackets, fire ext., throw cushions, dock lines, anchor w/rope, etc) and ran a solid 103. You have to keep in mind that we are running a 1:35 gear ratio and 32 pitch props. With that gear ratio and the prop pitch being so high, weight makes a big difference. When the boat ran 107 it was with a very light fuel load and one person on board. As I stated earler, it ran 105 at the factory with 20 plus gallons of fuel and three grown men on board. The boat handled the 1-2 foot chop without any problems at all. Reggie does make an awesome boat!