Gladiator Hook and Ejection
 

This is nuts. I don't know if it has been posted before, but this is the first time I have came across it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK2rm...rec_grec_index

Welcome to F2, and the demise of the class. Bet a healthy portion of the F2 boats spunout at one point or another. I remember the Donzi F2-22 not just hooked but rolled as well.

Why is that? Driver error? It seemed that the boat was out of the turn, straightening out, and doing fine, then BAM! Crazy...

Thats not a cig gladiator any way. Looks like an F1.

I am pretty sure that was DHlaw(Brett) in the F-2 Gladiator(ex virgin boat) in marathon, around 2003??

yes it is

Former Virgin boat. Has a history of tossin' its occupants.

currently for sale in classifieds

exactly! i think it was 2004 or 05 though. Dave Edelstien had it in 03. Thats when he spun it out while testing in brutally cold March water up here in NJ.

Hence the reason they dont build that boat anymore.

Not the reason they don't build it.

:bsflag:

Hmmm. I LOVE to swim - maybe I can pick it up cheap! LOL:lolhit:

Could have been, I started with Scotty late 2004(deerfield), so yeah, was probably earlier that year in marathon, if I remember correctly, it was the year after you changed engines in Deerfield, I have been in Fl since 2002, so it was a year or 2 after that.

Your batting a 1000 in erroneous statements.

You might want to cut back. :drink:

The Gladiator bottom got a redesign in 03. Also, the factory was not as aggressive with the X-dimension.

Ha... I wanted to ask him if he was John Kerry, the flip flop artist.


After watching it again and again, I think I'm starting to see the issue. At first I thought that the driver was steering the boat straight and it ejected both passengers after the wheel (and drives) were already pointed straight. After watching it over and over, I think that the aft of the boat started sliding before the driver started to steer the boat straight, and just before the driver had it straightened out it "bit," or hooked with the drives still a bit crooked, and threw everyone out. Am on right on this?

Hahahahahahahahaha. Looks like he bailed! Funny sh!t.

http://smiliesftw.com/x/bowrofl.gif couldn't have said it better.

That boat in particular was notorious for jerking the chain of whoever had decided to play raceboat driver that week. It rode a little farther forward on the hull than other Gladiators from what I remember the original rigger telling me.

That's funny right there!

Not the reason they don't build the glad anymore, might be the reason it's been for sale for ever though.

Good one GL!!:D Just another guy who has no clue about some of the best Cigarettes built!!

Well....being Tres Martin is selling it, maybe he will throw in some free lessons on stayin in the boat

http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o37145-en.html

All things being equal I would much rather have this 04' T/ Staggered 525 Gladiator for the extra $$$

http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...es/35051_3.jpg

If I'm not mistaken, he built the boat and was the first to race it...

But he never got chucked from it. :cool:

Tru dat...which is why he should be throwin in some lessons

hahah

Is this anything like the two types of people that ride motorcycles?:drink:

Correct. Who wants a boat with all the cockpit space of a cat, but without the performance? :lolhit:

(And please don't even mention the cabin in a 36 NT.)

Quick question - noticed the Virgin boat is side by side.

Curious, I always figured the staggered setups provide faster speeds but does the handling improve as well? I think F2 rules mandated side-by-side setups and there seemed seem to have a lot of hook & ejections. Wondering if there's a correlation???

Or did the F2 guys just run that hard? :coolcowboy::drink:

Putting all of the weight in the back of the hull seems like it would decrease stability through turns. By limitations of the design you're going to have more weight where you don't want it, pushing the rear end of the boat where you don't want it to go.

I'm definitely no expert, just a simple observation.

How much room does a 36' Cigarette have to full stagger the motors? Can they even be short staggered? Wouldn't the rear bench and its bulkhead have to be removed?

Many of them are staggered


http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o35051-en.html

You have to know what your're doing in any agressive twin stepped boat. Use the big power and high tech bottom to beat the crap out of everybody down the straights , slow down , keep the boat trimmed out and turn. I raced a twin stepped Cigarette a full season in APBA and never came close to spinning it out. I'd take a Gladiator anyday.

you can see in the beginning of the video by the rooster tail or lack there of it def wasnt trimmed out enuff, and then what little tail there was disappeared when the drives APPEARED to be tucked even more prior to entering the turn

Where did the mold go? cut up or sold?

They still have it I believe.

Cigarette will still build you a new Gladiator, but be prepared to step up, $$ wise.

The stick man simply didnt slow up for the dude that said I'm going to make a hard one. At that point however when the stick man didnt slow up enough the driver could of turned wider to avoid the spin. But then again sometimes it just racing and you crash.

As a world champ running the subject boat I'd guess Tres just might just have some experience to bestow upon the engaged; too bad most think they truly know how to drive.

It actually works opposite of what you said on a stepped boat like this one.

Having the weight in the back of the hull, keeps the steps "wet" which increases stability through turns.

Not having the weight in the rear, is what will cause the hull to get pushed around where you don't want it to go. The more centered or forward of center the weight is on a stepped hull, the more bow-steer can come into play & cause it to hook.

I think it's the same mold as the 38 TopGun just that the freeboard is lower thus the length is a bit shorter. Some other expert might correct me here.

As for the fact they don't make them anymore; what I hear was that making the hull and deck seamless turned out to be a very time consuming thus expensive process and would make the msrp uncompetitive sales wise. Again more informed people might know better.