Nobody is safe at ballistic speeds.....

There are a few guys (maybe 6)who have an enormous skill set, coupled with whatever experience one can gain at above 150, but nobody can honestly say that they have it "covered"....... The fact is the more time you spend at those speeds, the more the odds stack up against you.

T2x

100% agree T2X and Thank you Matt, It was great to read a point of view from the best

Scotty B

You are right on Matt. Like most of us here on OSO, I have been performance boating a long time and watched the speeds go up and up. Sometimes I amaze myself at the speeds we cruise at, but the boats of today feel so much more stable, I find myself forgetting we are running in the three digits. I remember when you ran 100mph, you were really sweating and holding on for dear life and you had really done something special. Not anymore! I just bought a boat that runs 130mph with stock power and this same boat was run at 177mph by the owner of the company with slightly more power. I wonder if there is a limit where we will start to fly. But it sure is a great feeling to have that kind of power at your fingertips. How exhilarating! I ran a Lambo at 170 through the dessert near Vegas and it felt so fast. It boggles my mind to think about the fact that boats are running this fast and staying in the water. I hope will do not keep pushing the edge until someone is hurt. After all, these are pleasure boats, aren’t they?

I had my corvette up to 165 on a flat road, every tiny bump wanted to pitch me all over, my eliminator feels like a ballistic missle at 90 I couldnt even imagine doubling that

Find a better road,ha ha.... In seriousness you are very correct, while on a road you have the option of braking when spooked, in a boat at 150 there is no brake and conditions can change instantly.

yea 150 in a my mustang and you feel every little thing plus the road doesn't look near as wide at that speed either. I can't imagine the feel of 150 on the water...i have only been 80mph and that is nothing these days. reading that article really make me stop and think about the respect and cation you have to have while operating one of these machines at speed!!!

I remember a few years back at a particular poker run the Capt's meeting had a minute about the 1-2 boats running over 100. Fast forward just 3 years and I sat in the SAME meeting and the COAST GUARD officer was discussing the OVER 160 GROUP.

I whould guess the bigger the boat the safer you'd feelI can't Imagine 180 sick speed car or boat

I had a convertible mustang that wanted to wreck itself anything over 110. 120 felt like the car was going to start doing doughnuts.

That said, 185mph on 1-94 on my bike felt really, really nice...

I've never been over 80 in a boat, but I can't wait to join the +100 club. I can't even imagine what the +140 club would feel like.

I had the pleasure of running on the autobahn at 265kph (165 mph) from south of Heidelberg to Frankfurt in about 45 minutes... I basically never lifted off the floor... after a while the sensation of speed became almost surreal.. I can't imagine that in a boat... and needless to say I was pretty well physically and more so, emotionally spent when I was done...

that said, I would do it again in a second..

i just need to use the water to get my fix here on this side of the pond...