GLH

Yup.... went up another 10mph but I didn't feel like taking a picture then! You do need the right tools and circumstances...

Keytime

+1. I've only GPS'd 147 on my ZX-10R, but a bike feels good at speed. Well, the wind buffets your head around a bit on that bike, even tucked in, but it tracks great. There is nothing like a bike for cheap speed. And the road still feels nice and wide.

Kudos to you FAST boaters. I'm stuck at 75, but still loving the sensation.

CNC

The best I've done w/my Yamaha R1 is 167 on gps had more to go, then cars started to appear and backed off. I can't watch the speedo at that speed, to much going on around me.

Raylar

I think Matt's thread here on ever increasing boat speeds is timely and very important for the future of the performance boating sport and industry.
I believe the big looming problem and sleeping dog here is that at these speeds in boats today there is almost NO ROOM FOR ERROR!
or untimely conditions as some here have mentioned.
At moderate high speeds in a lot of recreational performance boats and were probably only talking 90 mph or so a recipe for disaster is in process almost most of the time on most of the waterways and lakes and its many times just Luck that more serious crashes and incidents don't occur.
Most of the time the 150-180mph capable larger performance boats are being operated or driven by some highly skilled, careful, and capable people.
Its the fact that just through DOCK TALK and Forum conversation and such more and more boaters are being offered the boats and equipment that allow them to reach these higher speeds, many times without the proper skill sets, training or reason to realize that it does take special conditions, special experience, certain type and place for these speeds and yes, a good amount of luck to prevent a boating disaster!
Luckily the design, strength and capability of these new boats helps in reaching these speeds and the large costs tend to prevent just EVERYBODY in the sport from running at these speeds.
My point here is that if we over glorify and keep huge speed as a major reason for performance boating WE WILL KILL THIS SPORT!
As more big speed boats are made available to novice owners and handlers and the boating picture is filled with more of these boats the opportunity for deadly and disaster filled accidents increases every season and as we already know these accidents jump quickly into the media, public knowledge and the worst part lawmaker opportunities to make glorious public statements, fire up the people in this country who don't even want boats on THEIR lakes and waterways! and create legislation that every year further restricts performance boating.
Fellow OSO'ers lets please use some foresight and not make attaining huge speeds on the water as the single motivating reason for having this performance boat sport and the overall recreation and enjoyment that it provides!!!!!
I hope my words can help us all give pause and a great deal of thought to the potential danger that lies in this quest for extreme speeds that seem to many times drive this sport!

OK, I got down off my soapbox and put it away for now!

Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar

ElimiNordic

I agree with Ray. I do not want loose the right to go fast on water and when someone asks that question you know is coming, "how fast does that thing go" I am reluctant to tell them, as the general public is horrified by the speeds of today's boat. If I l just say "high 90's" they still think it is way too fast. If they only knew the truth!! Are speed limits just around the corner?

GLH

With cats available with 1350's off the shelves the people here will have to get use to hearing about people unfortunately wiping themselves out more frequently.

I hope I'm wrong but I have been over 150 in a boat and it's a strange place, to be phenomenally respected...

But I am a grown man making my own decisions and not putting anyone innocent in danger when I do this crap.

Leave me alone, live and let live.

GLH

As for some form of "something has to be done/legislated to stop this" crap... It's empty talk. No one can stop anyone putting a boat in the water and flooring the throttles in an open space or offshore.

It's not like cars where the economics of giving speeding tickets are profitable for the government, there simply isn't enough fast boats for them to care economically and the resources for governmental entity to patrol waterways would make it too expensive to enforce anyway. Even if every two-three months a few people kill themselves, chr!st 50,000 people die in car crash every year, that's 137 a day... that's 1 every 10 minutes...

SHARKEY-IMAGES

I've done 165 + in an open cockpit Skater.

Sat behind the canopy that blocked much of the wind.

Quite honestly, I had more excitement hanging my 19 ft Laser powered by a single 2.4 MERC EFI at 91 mph or my Bullet 130 at 70 mph than running the higher speeds in a more larger comfortable boat.

I got to experience the 165 mark for which I am forever grateful.

Perhaps one day I will see what it's like in a full canopy at a little higher speed but it is something I really only need to do once for my satisfaction...

offshoredrillin

from a friend in his GT3RS...

dank368