you are not comparing apples to apples lol. you really think the f2 boat is at all similar to a standard straight bottom? blue printed bottom, high x etc etc. ask outlast33 on here how fast his boat runs. it a 92 38 tg standard lay up with merc 500 hp, fresh rebuilds to merc specs, then you will have your real world comparison. i believe it runs around 70 and if i'm correct that's a bit more than 6-7% difference from a twin step

are you not reading what anyone is posting? i own a flat bottom 94 top gun with 500efis. im fully aware of what it does for a top speed. while the F2 boat probably has an optimized flat bottom, the speed increase is more than likely due to weight. if it comes in 2,000 lbs lighter...someone has already commented that 1,000 lbs equals 3 mph. The math makes sense. therefore weight being equal, stepped bottoms are 4-5% more efficient.

the F2 comparison is more apples to apples from a weight perspective than a run of the mill heavy 90's flat bottom gun. im willing to bet if i stripped my hull down to the F2 weight (and TS weight) we'd come close to 78...id venture probably 76.

Whoa somebody is having a heat wave, can I come by maybe take a dip in your pool??

Correct, and his is a bravo boat. This thread belongs in the Cigarette forum so owners can comment, not left up to "personal opinions", "cousins opinions", "I knew a guy situations" or I used to have a boat comments.

and his boat weights 12,500 pounds where a TS weighs 9,900 according to my smokin magazine. apples and oranges. has more to do with construction than steps.

Winter summary of this thread.........

T/S are junk unless you own one

Straight Bottoms are better if you are trying to sell one to buy a T/S

no one is arguing T/S are faster there bud. but the 10% claim based solely on steps (weight being negligible) is wrong. at least in the example of top guns.

Matty, sounds a bit sarcastic to me. You may have to push it to 5000 to keep up. 5 steps, dry sump swept back 6's, better props, more horsepower, and how much faster is your boat than mine?

Ok, look at it the other way, add 3,000 pounds to a 500 EFI twin step and see what it runs, , now you are comparing apples to apples...

Does everyone agree a 9500lb twin step with 500 EFI's runs low 80's?? If yes, then you have to compare it to a 9500lb flat bottom with no cabin and 500EFI's to figure out what the steps are really doing.

To compare the boats at 3000lb difference doesn't tell you jack about the steps effectiveness, it just tells you a lighter boat is faster...

I agree the technology is better and it has evolved. It wan't too long ago, that if you ran 70+ and didn't break you were king.
Lighter Layups, vacuum bagged, steps, notches, it all makes a difference. I cant believe no fountain guys have chimed in about steps.

All I know is when I used to throttle down the 93 gun, it was like hitting the airbreaks on a truck.
When Iet off the throttle on the TS, the boat glides for a while on the air cushion and coasts until I hit the throttles again. It doesn't settle in and stop. It just seems more agile, whether it is STEPS, LAYUP, OR WEIGHT. The boat is more efficient. and the Technology is better. And I know that I have an 01 TS and I am sure the 07 and later ones are better and I already know that the staggered 39 is even better,