Info Please on Thoroughbred Boats
 

What can any tell me about thoroughbred boats.I cant find much info on them.Found 1 for sale 1994 26ft. Boat is listed at 33k 465hp bravo1 .It looks like a sonic. any info would be helpful

The 26' Thoroughbred boat you are talking about is probably a Velocity.

nothing like a sonic... flat deck very little head room in the cabin. They have a delta pad bottom so they run pretty hard... speeds close to stepped boats. A friend of mine had a 1993 and had a problem with a crack in the hull and Steve Stepp fixed it no Questions asked....I think they're pretty cool a little over-priced at new....my.02

Thoroughbred is a Velocity. I'm not sure about the name change. I asked about the name change in the Velocity section. Velocity is a light non step pad bottom V. They claim as fast or faster than a steped hull without the handling drawbacks of steps. Unfortunatly do to there light layup alot of bad press has surfaced. Problems with the hulls not holding up under some tough use. They are a bit short in height in the cabin. But I feel the wide beam resulting in a wide cabin makes up for it.

I've looked at alot of boats on land. Velocity is on the top of my short list for my next boat. I've never ran one in the water yet. That's next on my list. But I'm also looking for a boat to run on the missisippi. If I where looking to run some serious offshore I'd own a Pantera no ?'s asked.

Brian

I can't remember all the details but it was Velocity, then Steve Stepp somehow got Regal involved and then split with them after a while and was not allowed to make boats with the Velocity name anymore so he changed the name to Thoroughbred. That's also how the Regal Velocity came to be. There is a guy around here with a 28' Thoroughbred HP500 that does 80mph. I have heard they are a handful to drive though.

Velocity was sold to regal boats.then the name was bought back.In between,stepp built thoroughbred boats.same molds are now renamed velocity again.

Anyone know the years that this took place. So as I understand a Regal Velocity is not a Stgeve stepp velocity built boat? Is there a difference between the ones that Regal made and the real Velocity's?

yea what Airpacker said.

Thxs for the .02
 

Thanks for the info.I am looking for a new ride.
This one was at the upper end of my $$$ but
had no facts on it.

Thxs Riverrunner

always trying to go bigger:D :)

I have a 26velocity they are fast fun boats. They will take anykind of water you want. I run mine on Lake Superior, been in anything from 1ft chop to 6ftwaves. Velocitys are fun to drive although they chime walk about 65, but I have been told once you hit about 70 they settle down. I only have 310hp, so I cant make it there yet only made it to 67so far.:)

I like to refer to it as "Chine Walk". :cool:

Sound a little like Harley and AMF.

OK, here's the story. In about 1984/1985 Stepp was having some financial problems and sold the rights to several Velocity products to Regal, (22, 26, 30) and they were marketed as the Regal Velocity...good try, wrong manufacturer. Stepp then made a few deck changes and called his stuff Thoroughbreds (on certain models). After the licensing expired, he changed everything back over to Velocity and kept the newer deck designs (too bad). Velocity's are laid up light, but that is not why they have problems, light can be right, but takes expensive materials and experienced technicians, which he has NEVER had. They are a handful to drive to the INexperienced drivers, good drivers can drive the boat without CHINE-WALK at any speeds...his 30 footer was a perfect example...the FIRST vee hull to do 100MPH! I have been in the 33 at over 90 MPH and the boat is stable as can be...BUT, you gotta drive it, and that isn't easy without experience!

The price sounds a bit high to me. Last weekend I checked out a new 2001 Velocity 260. They wanted 47K for it. As far as the cabin height, I sat in it and a Donzi 26 zx, and the Velocity had more headroom.

Last Year at the Chicago Boat Show I asked the reps from Velocity if you could install a Roots type blower in the boat. Thier comment back was Yes and No. To install a Root's blower in the boat they suggested that you had to cut a "U" in the panel (structural cross stringer that the gas tank is behind) below the bottom of the rrear seat to accomodate the cut down to 2" blower pulley's. Then the said that you had too cap the "U" shaped cutout with steel to hopefully keep structiual integrity. He also noted that it would void the warrenty and did not recomend it. There is not enough room to use cut down blower pullys from my eyeballing of a 28'.

Just what I was told, Is anyone running a blower on a 26 or 28er???

WHAT YEAR WHO BUILT WHAT?
 

I'm repairing a 1989 but can someone tell me who was building the boats that year??? The outer portion of the main stringers were exposed at each bulkhead therefore allowing water to get into it and rot...It appears the stringers and bulkheads were all built as one unit prior to putting them into the boat, leaving the outside of the stringers without one continueous layer of glass.:(

Another angle:

I think that 33K for the '93 28' with HP465 is a fair price provided the boat is in sound condition. Frankly I've never seen a '90's vintage boat priced that low with that kind of power.

Tim - In 1989 Regal was producing the boats but I'm sure you can verify from the Hull ID - V for Velocity and presumably R for Regal.

Evil Twin - There are plenty of 28's with roots blowers and sufficient room in the engine compartment on the one's that I've seen. Even the new, cut down VR1 featured a Merc 575 at the Miami Show this year! The 260 (24' boat) may have a problem with bulkhead clearances - "Velocity260" can better comment here. The dealer's reference to warranty issue probably had more to do with the hull being fully warranted for factory power only then cutting in a clearance space.

Not sure on the older 28's but for the last 7 years or so they have had 5'4" in the cabin when you first walk in. They have a lot of freeboard and are meant to be run standing up.

I bought a 1993 27' Fountain with 502EFI, Imco exhaust and a killer stereo system in the Spring of 1999 for $35k.

Gary