The 40 skater classic hull has not changed in 25 years and a 1991 hull is still the lightest 40 classic hull, so not all boat models have gotten faster by technology, yes motors and props for sure have gotten more efficient and have increased speeds.

I was just using that as an example as today I was reading about a 38 AVS with I think 1000hp engines each side and it was running i think 95mph at 5000 rpm. Just compared to some other figures you see on here it seemed very low all things considered. Im sure I have seen boats with "just" 500hp a side saying figures at least equal to that.

It just got me thinking is it just the manufacturing processes of today that make them so fast as everything else from today can be replicated with a repower (set up, drives, engines, props). The two things you cannot really change are the design and how it was made. Just out of curiosity, how do the weights of modern boats compare to the older ones?

Really Jim Darr?? Back again?? Poof......

So take that 38 AVS, make it semi stag, give it some steps, add surface drives and there is your speed compared to today. You also have the aftermarket HP claim vs MFG claim. Are those really 1000s?

Black hair die and gold chains.

I was reading the write up on Outerlimits in the Speed On The Water Mag Vol 2, and in talking with Mike Fiore he stated "between bottom technology, drive technology and propeller technology we are just leaps and bounds ahead of where we were". The new Outerlimits 36' runs 105 with twin 565s. While the original Outerlimits 37 only (I say only while my Velocity only runs 74...) ran 85 with twin HP500s.

$$$

LMFAO!

What makes todays boats faster? SPONSONS AND TURBINES...no sweat suit, gold chains or hair die required!

Makes me think I should revive the cat killer thread!

Take the evolution of the 35 Fountain for example.

The original 1995-ish single-stepped bottom 35 Ex with side-by-side HP 500's and 4 blade Hydromotive props ran around 81 and came up on plane in a snap.

In around 2000 Fountain introduced their new twin step design (with much larger steps) and with everything else constant the boat picked up 3- 5 Mph because of the advanced step design. The 35 Lightning now topped out around the 85 - 86 MPH range.

From 2003 on Fountain switched to 525's and the 35' twin steps broke the 90 MPH barrier. But about the same time advancements in design of 5 props allowed Reggie to start really raising the X diminsion on his Fountains and the speed of the 35 twin stepped side-by side-Lightnings crept up to the 94 range by 2006. However, as the X was raised getting on plane became more and more of a chore.

In 2007 Reggie introduced the Staggered 35 Lightning. He sacrificed a great deal of cockpit space in order to do the stagger but with 525's and now 6 blade Herrings the boat exceeded 100 mph.

Rigging plays a big part in it today as well. Staggered set-up, blue printed bottom's and drives, higher x-dimensions, placement of steps, better props (less slip), lower center of gravity/better balance, and of course bigger and more reliable horsepower (I use the term "reliable" loosely).