I'm wondering what your target market is for this boat. I would think that with a price of $150K you're going to be limited to what motor package you can offer. A 496HO (or the new 502) or maybe a 525EFI?

Are you going after Superboat Y2K and Pantera 28 buyers?

Are you thinking entry level offshore guys?

Or more lake type boaters?

As the owner of a Baja 29 Outlaw with twins that is the set up I would want. I am mostly an ocean boater so I want twins. To me the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

I would think the single engine 28-30 foot market is for guys who want a stripped down, light weight boat to haul azz in big water. Not much cabin, no head, etc.

The lake boat market out West here is loaded with single engine 28-30 footers. They are typically lower freeboard, flatter hulls with high quality levels of rigging and gel coat. It's a crowded tough market.

Outerlimits has a reputation of building high end larger boats just as Cigarette does. Cig couldn't sell their 30 Vice so they discontinued it. Also, the Adrenaline comes to mind. That is (was?) a high end beautiful boat but didn't sell well.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure your 28 will be an outstanding boat, regardless of power option but in today's market I'm not sure who will buy it.

Anyway, my choice would be twin small blocks. I know it can go just as fast (maybe faster) with a single bit lot's of people like twins for reasons other than speed/power.

With the 525 and XR...we had 6+ differant boat manufactures that were within 2 mph of each other...
We have seen 84 mph in the 27 Activator and the Fountain, Volocity, Krypt., Warlock and Superboat all weighting in at 5000 lbs. with a 2'' X dimention. I think 90mph in a 28 Hull will be a little tough with the 525 and XR and maybe a little help from the ITS if put on...but any of the boats named above with the 650 Ilmor/Indy package would be over the 90+mph range...and you can forget about blowing drives..
I've owned a Baja 24 O/L, 29 O/L with twins and a 33 O/L with HP500's and the 33 did 89 in race set up...so to have a nice 28' boat that dose 90+ with a single is a great set up...
Look how many guys have a 30' boat or smaller and are putting on blowers and spending 5k to 10k trying to get to the 90+ mph mark...and blowing drives along the way...
i think its a good market to go after...but like alot have said here...price point will make the differance

Yep, because when a single engine breaks down in the middle of the ocean your left with nothing but a song and a prayer.

A pair of merc 377 scorpion motors with bravos i bet it would run real nice seen a few 29 formulas set up like that.

95 mph can be done in a 28 footer with a single 525. It looks like this:

http://www.tuffmarine.com/Boat_Pages...28_inboard.htm

If you hit 95 with higher freeboard and cabin (weight) you have a very efficient hull. This might be the place for the efficiency of a surfacing drive, you have the bustle to cover it.

I stand corrected...I quess I was looking at offshore boats with higher freeboard..it dose look like it is running a ITS..but still 95mph with a 525 is fast.....how dose the 28 Tuff run in the ruff waters

Thanks animal looking forward to it!

UD

show me one guy on this site has been stuck in the middle of the ocean. Usually they are a few miles offshore at most, unless making a crossing to the bahamas.

And if you haven't noticed, your boat isn't an offshore ride, since you are in a little lake. Little, as opposed to great.

Also, the reason the mystique and some of the other boats you mentioned only came w/ twins, is because they are big boats. This OL28 is smaller and much lighter, not needing twins. Your 28 NEEDS twins.

Extreme 29: 83mph w/ a 496mag.
Knowing this... 90 is doable.

Oh wait... Extreme and Phantom are not offshore since they are singles... they only meet SVL standards.

I get the 2 engine thing, Ive blown a drive and needed sea tow and a radio, and Ive had a full electronic failure on a twin and been just as stuck.

At the same time in my experience and opinion an offshore boat with out a radar and linked nav package is really offshore either-

I see twin engine "everythings" against the sea wall waiting for fog to lift all the time. Twins dont help you if you cant see where you are going and avoid commercial traffic

As for hauling the mail in a 28 footer we play pretty hard.

The fastest 28 in our group is this one, 105+ with an Ilmor 710 and quite deep water capable basic design having won the 2002 key west offshore series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apWZkv_f4bc

- not super practical, but a whole lot of fun.

Very excited to see Ol's offering as these are the sized boats we run most in my group.

UD