T2x - You're right about everything but the year.... BAJA didn't exist until the early 70's.... remeber the Checkmate Fire?

Flashback-
Did you get my response to your PM (about your Chris Cat)?
Email me and I can go into greater detail about drive height etc.
John

GRH:

........ Baja..... Let's see...first time I saw one?...... How about Smith Mountain Lake Marathon........ 1969...or there abouts.

Call it a draw on the dates....but, they definitely popped a Glastron-Molinari....probably the same one Checkmate used.

Ask SB's JC....... He's an expert on "Popcraft"....

T2x

Dueclaws

Yes, thanks. You have mail comming to ya

Ok. Spoke to Jim @ Awesome marine yesterday, and confirmed that the 31 Thundercat is NOT a Shadow but infact a Chris Cat Mold. (thought it looked alot like the old raceboat) So it seems that the Shadow is at rest somewhere, (T2x mentioned) .Also general consensus is that the post Shadow era, Chris Cat was in fact designed for Inboard power, Hence the subtle changes in hulls to accomodate this. Still share a striking resemblance to each other, though! Just a bit more trivia, but not a 192 mph worth!
, @ 75% throttle!

Now to really confuse you..................

The original Chris Cat plug........was a modified Shadow Cat......

Sponsons were widened to better accomodate big blocks.

This thread is turning a very simple story into something more than it was.

As far as the speed vs a Skater.....and "every dog having its day"....I don't fully understand the thought pattern. As the original builder of the Shadow, I know damn well how good they and the Chris Cat's run. I'm not surprised by their equivalent performance to Skater. However, the Skater is a more advanced design, has very little "Linder Lope", and has much more up to date styling. Further, the use of more tunnel lift allows it to exceed the Shadow/Chris speed envelope in calm water.

George and I created the Conquest concept with Ken Adams, SPECIFICALLY, because the older Shadows and Chris Cats were "married to their molds".....and we had a lot of fresh new designs and concepts that would have been cost prohibitive to tool from scratch. Hence, each Conquest was unique and cutting edge......... Peter Hledin, had a very similar vision and point of view to our group and he continued on a very similar..almost parallel track.

So while the Shadows and Skaters are both great designs....the current Skater represents a natural evolution and improvement over the older Shadow.

T2x

I was only trying to bring out a response from your humorus personality that we all enjoy. The remark was not intended as a jab. I certainly hope that you do not take it that way.

I think that in parralel to what you are saying is that you are correct, that the Chris will run with the other guys in the rough stuff.

I was at a radar run 2 months ago in smooth water and was admiring a 36 Skater parked at the dock and was told by the guy that owned it that " either you are in a skater or your following one " and that the boat would run 112 mph. I never said a word (thought about changing props) but continued to complement his boat and watched as his boat ran 103mph in the run. We won the radar run at 110mph! I never said a word after that but continued to hear the saying even after the run. It seems that we may have cleaned up some of the "lope". So the next weekend in smooth water we brought out our 37' boat and ran up front again, and I was then told that the skater needed rough water to run fast. So does ours!

I guess what I am saying is that in a ford vs chevy confrontation, some days the fords win and sometimes it is the chevys, but it is not always just one sided. And I do understand that conditions play an important part. I like and admire Skaters a lot as cats go, They have done a tremendous job. I also like Cigs and Apaches. But I build and sell American Offshores.

My compliments to you, Ken, and I have already complimented George many times for building a great boat, back then. Any interest in doing it again, with a more modern approach and technologies?

Scott

I owned that 36 skater. I dont think its fair to compare a boat with stock 500HP efi's & 6 drives with trannys, with blowers and bravos.

The boat would not reach 110+ because of the short run up and the messy conditions.

In the poker run Im pretty sure we ran side by side at about 108 with 5 people and full of fuel.

Once again blowers and bravos, and hp500efis and 6 drives with transmissions.

Just wanted to set the record straight.

Curtis

Fast Cats:

"Do I Amuse you?"......... "Do you think I'm funny?".........

-Joe Pesci-"Good Fellas"

Good points.......... Interesting comment about the 36 Skater needing rough water......

baloney..but interesting

Two years ago a large fleet of Super Cats ran at St Petersburg in the World's....... There were two separate and distinct packs.

The leaders , many in Skaters and .............eventually a lap behind,.................the also rans, many in Skaters.

The conclusion......It's not just the boat....... It's the set up...and the driver/throttleman. When one reads the magazines and hears race results, decorum prohibits the media from saying "So and so, stunk up the race course".......but in most races there are a lot of "So and so's"......................who, if not stinking up the race course....are certainly running "off the pace"......

As a matter of fact, I can think of one New Jersey owner/driver who has made a career out of it.....but that's another story

The point here is that a Shadow/Chris in the hands of a JT or Nicky Cutro....will be competitive...but they'd do better in a newer design.

............and a state of the art Skater will be an also ran in "Mr New Jersey's" hands....... against a fleet of canoes.

T2x

P.S. Curtis:......You got beat...take it like a man...get him next time.....and keep a closed mouth until you do....... Just my .02

Remember this from Key West Worlds 1999 3 days Later it was repaired and won the championship.