being a small company , i don't think they can afford to put the effort into racing like fountain does. they did however race a 28 in the past called "WAVE HIPPIE". i have a picture of it at least 5 foot out of the water, level as can be! racing nowdays is not something that boats like a SABER can be competitive in. is there even a class for a 28 foot boat with twins? what does a 28 foot boat run top end with hp500's?

no, it's just a styling preference my friend:p , i just like to be able to look down there and see my drives,imco full hyd. steering, drive showers, K-planes and my double tie bars:D gives me a stiffy just looking at it.:D those motors sure look good in your boat!

Thanks!

Saber28...ok, i just nailed a 8' 2X4 on my bow, now do i have a 36 foot boat?


Often imitated, never duplicated!

:cool:

Just so all knows, Im just having fun with this.:p

here it is in a nut shell....companies that put a huge effort into racing and do well net big results! past and present has shown this...do want to sell your 500 hp w/o an interior for 350K?? most would say yes!...take this year alone both activator (last too) and donzi ring a bell...history tells us this works....cig's, fountain, skater....hummmm...racing results do seem to parallel how much people will pay for a boat???...doesn't take a marketing genius to figure out that one does it????

i certainly could not afford or see paying $350k for a 38 foot boat , i guess thats out of my league.:( i see your point about racing sells

forgot to add the plus after 350K:(

Back four this makes me Laugh!

First off these for these overloaded Butt Draggers Lucky!!! Very Lucky If I were the Coast Guard the first order of Business would be to condemn THEM for any and all Offshore Use.

That is until they got enough Static displacement to reveal at least 1 /3 of the TRANSOM at rest! By Lightening Or lengthening the boat 4 feet or so to acquire the needed numbers.

I saw A Boat by one of these “Expert Builders” had 4 Yanmars and the water was at the rub rail in the Back What a Joke! They are wide open for a lawsuit there and Very Guilty !!

The beak adds noticeable lift? What? Where? At 300 MPH? LOL maybe a little. Sounds like an old Reggie tale!



:p :p :p :p

steve1
what brand of boat are you refering to as a overloaded buttdragger?i'm confused:confused: this thread has gotten way to touchy/feelly:p somebody say something nasty:)

Saber look around any boat where the Waterline is the Rub rail .Or the engine hatch is AKA Wave Ramp!

Also you went to a Custom Builder with a good reputation to build your Boat! Smart Move!:)

i have never second guessed my SABER, steve1, built like a rock.i wish SABER would get more agressive about advertising though, they get such positive feedback, they need to capitalize on it!doug and jim , i think, believe that knowledgable buyers will seek them out, but advertising cannot hurt.

Saber 28
You are right about the Advertising the potential Customers need to know ‘Who” to come to!

I have personally riden in and played with the tab/drive trim buttons on the Wave Hippie race boat. Apache Kid on this board used to own it. Small block 355's and the boat would run 80 mph in 3 footers. I ran with Jay from Grand Haven to Muskegon in nasty 4-6' conditions right next to a 32 Baja. We simply throttled thru the rough while the Baja had a more difficult time with it.

As a honest to goodness boat whore (I sometimes jump boat to boat when mine is down or I don't have it with me!!!) I have ridden in and driven A LOT OF BOATS IN ALL CONDITIONS and I do have to say that the Saber 28 is one of, if not the best riding 28's on the market. The 28 Active Thunder being another, as well as SuperV's 28 Challenger. All VERY different boats, but all ride very well.

And yes, SABER28 does run his boat a lot, in all conditions, and ALWAYS makes me feel slow when he goes flying by me!!!!

Why is it that when ever a rule is changed to make racing more competitive people take personal offense ??? I guess these people have never raced in any other form of motorsports, where rules changes happen almost on a daily basis.

Bottom line to Reggie's grip is that The X dimension specified by APBA is over 1" higher than multiple Fountains that where checked out. Sounds pretty simple sell what you produce.

NASCAR ajusts rules all the time to keep competition even and look how popular it is.what will reggie do if his company goes belly up?

:D :D :D :D

Oh, and bite me copper!!!!!

The real problem........ Michael Alewife http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatla...h/alewife.html

is a Phknlwyer.

Thats the damn truth. I just wish they didnt depriciate so much.

His ego, along with some determination, drive, ambition, and marketing have built a great high performance boat manufacturing business. I wish I was in his position. I'm not crazy about Fountain boats, but there is a lot to be admired in what he has accomplished.

the 24 bat boat will give any boat under 30' a run for the money.

mr offshore,
i did not bash two other major boat companies with my statement, did i? BTW the non boater does not call them fountains do they, no they call them cigarettes! why, because they are the legendary boat, maybe reggie is jealous about this. second i am not the CEO of SABER, so to me there is a subtle diff. between my opinion and the company CEO who states as fact there is no better. kind of like saying you just ate the best burger you ever had and the chef who claims the resturant across town is inferior to his. there is , in my eyes, a difference.
as far as your bat boat, i have never seen one. this boat may somehow be superior, i do not know. nor does it really matter to 99.9% of boaters. these are not a boat with any appeal to a recreational boater.as far as offshore racing, do you think its in better shape today than it was 10 years ago? i think it is far worse, and reggies childish outbursts certainly will make it worse, don't you think?

INDY
lots of companies have been built with CEO's that don't have the ego and are usually better off for it. sure he has built a large company, thats great, i'm not *****ing about that, i'm sick of his bashing other boat builders.

hummm better 10 years ago??...then tell me why the tv coverage has increased this year! the progams are more primtime than ever!!! no 3 am wednesday nights....nows it 10 am saturdays and 3 pm shows during the week...hell,,,,truth be known they should turn it into the WWF!!!!!:D



now i'm git'n OT
:rolleyes:

Saber...If you don't think that CEOs of large companies don't have big egos, than you haven't met many. They are hard driving, "get out of my way", sharp personalities that might project a mild public image, but behind the closed doors, they're tough cookies that are on a mission. It's dog eat dog out there and their ego is going to drive them to success. They might not be wearing gold chains, but think how stupid Reggie would look wearing a three piece suit to a poker run.

Saber, Just let it go, you say you don't bash other boats but you obviously do. "ok, i just nailed a 8' 2X4 on my bow, now do i have a 36 foot boat?"

I don't know a damn thing about Saber boats but your attitude alone has turned me off from them!!!!!!!! I guess Reggies attitude did the same to you on Fountains.

:(

WILL

27 fountain
reggie speaks for fountain, i do not speak for SABER. i never said fountains turn me off, did i? my sig. on the bottom is more of an inside joke with certain other members on this board than a bash on your beak. funny how you guys have such a reaction to any bow type comments:p reggies ego turns me off, not your boat, sir

you guys should also note that nowhere in this thread have i bashed on reggies rather unique apparel preferences. BTW mr. offshore i could add a nice powder coated platform if i wanted, care to saw yours off!:p

SABER28,

It may be wise to take some time and re-read your posts. You claimed that your 28 SABER will out handle any other 28 with the same power. You clearly show your opinionated stand point the SAME way Mr. Fountain does. I must agree with Jesse James, that whether you agree, disagree, like or dislike Fountains, all this talk and hype generates attention. Attention culminates in sales. So in effect you are helping to sell Fountains. Furthermore, I have been in SEVERAL boats 28 feet or less that I can ASSURE you will out run your SABER regardless of water conditions. Does this mean I don't like your boat. ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't know a SINGLE thing about them and so long as you enjoy your boat then that is all that matters.

Four of the boats that I am referring to that will without a shadow of a doubt out run speed wise and out handle your 28 are the 24 Skater, 28 Skater, 24 BatBoat, and the 28 BatBoat. I have owned, been in or raced each of these aforementioned vessels. In addition, these boats will accomplish this with less power. Is this intended to bash, be-little, insult or put down your boat, the manufacturer, or anyone else that has a high performance boat 28 or shorter? NOPE, just stating facts!

As far as Mr. Fountain and his contributions and or detractions from offshore racing... Let me tell you this, there is probably only one or two individuals, especially boat builders that have done so much to enhance the sport of offshore racing. I have been fortunate enough to meet Mr. Fountain on several occassions. No one will doubt his presence and shall we say "exceptionally confident demeanor", but that does not nullify his contributions to the sport. I personally, am more like a Scott Porter type than Reggie Fountain, but we still all need to recognize what he has done and accomplished. Do I agree with everything he says or does? Of course not! I do find him interesting and so does the media. There are many faces of motorsport today that can looked at like Reggie. It is fact of life and it is what has brought him the success he has had.

well said shane...(your last paragraph)

If you are looking for faults with any manufacturer you will find them. Unless of course you own a formula :D:D. Seriously They all have their plusses and minus's. You Saber28 weighed out the plusses and minus and bought your saber while another guy did the same thing and came up Fountain. Do you REALLY think it matters if Reggie has a bad comb over or wears a lot of gold when you make your decision? Do you really think that they glossy adds sells boat? It may get ya to look at one but when it comes down to plunking HUGE cash on a boat there is so much more to it then a glossy add.

As for the troubles that they are in. It is no doubt very bad. HOWEVER like I stated before I am sure that even Cig, Skater and many other competitors to Foutain (even the ones he puts down) are not happy to see them hurting as it sets a tone for the intustry as a whole. Some things are just out of your control. Like today I show up at my shop and the owner that just 3 days ago told me not to worry that I have at leaste tell spring to stay told me that any day now they are going to disconect my power!!!! The guy has been lieing to me all this time. WHAT A SCUM BAG!!!! This is the type of back door BS that companies go through all the time.

I do not think you can argue what Fountain has done with and for powerboating in general. Why slam him for being proud.

Jon

shane
you said you know nothing about SABER, however you are absolutely certain you know which boats can outrun one:confused: talk about confidence. i wonder if you guys opinion of him will change if fountain goes belly up. i'm not cheering for that to happen, but it looks possible. you call it exceptionally confident demeanor, some call it arrogance, it's been the downfall of many companies and people.BTW my comment about handling are more geared towards other recreational boats with cabins and sundecks, i am not comparing it towards race boats or these batboats i heard about.

Saber I do not think that my opinion of him would change if his company failed. I hope that people do not change their opinion of me and my work if my company can not weather this most recent curve ball that I have been tossed. Remember you do not run a company like that on your own. He has a board of directors and a lot of people that go into the decision making process for those boats. Hell maybe some one was skimming off the top some were and they never caught it in the "good" times and now it is coming to haunt them. I mean there are so many variables hear that we could speculate for ever and NEVER be correct about it.

Jon

peoples opinion of your character should'nt change, but opinions of your business skills might. when you put yourself up on a pedestal , you just have further to fall down. hope you get your problems solved, i have my own business too, ain't it fun! good luck:)

if you think he has a ego, he's got alot of wins. go out and beat him. wild chid and i beat him and his son in miami last year.2 outerlimits and a cig 1,2,3. but then he got us in the flat water.

SABER28,

Yup, you are EXACTLY right I said that. See, I have been racing and running poker runs for some 10 years now. I have many top three finishes to my credit on the racing circuits, APBA, SBI and the now defunct U.S. Offshore. I have seen and at times been in these same aforementioned boats when they have out run and out handled boats that were much, much larger. I have seen a 28 Ocke Mannerfelt BatBoat with a single engine walk by 30 Shadows and 32 Skaters. I have seen and run in 24 and 28 Skaters easily pass and run more smoothly than much larger vee bottoms. It does not make those Vees bad boats, this is merely to illustrate the inaccuracy of your prior statement.

Cheers,

Shane:)

Damn,
Ya'll still screaming at each other :p Must be a rainy weekend :D

Saber, let it go. This whole thread is a boring rehash of old opinions. Who really cares?

OK EVERYONE KNOWS NOW SABRE 28 THAT FOUNTAINS HAVE BEAKS AND SWIM PLATFORMS ,SO WHAT THEY STILL LIKE THEM AND BY THEM AND LOVE THEM WHY DO YOU CARE ?? SOME PEOPLE LIKE FORDS SOME CHEVYS THATS WHY THEY MAKE SO MANY MODELS OF CARS AND BOATS :D :D
HIS ABILITY TO ADVERTISE AND SELL IS WELL KNOWN ,I OWN 3 HOLES IN THE WATER ONE IS A 2002 42 WITH #6S ECT,AND I LIKE IT,, YOU LIKE YOUR SARBRE GREAT!!! THEY BOTH SERVED A PURPOSE ,
EVEN CIG ,HAS NEW OWNERS THE INDUSTRY IT SELF IS IN TROUBLE LETS LEAVE THE MAN. ALONE ,,,THEY HAVE IT TOUGH ENOUGH ,:)

Man O' Man..... This is why I own a Formula.!! No posts like this, the Porters have too much class to ever go on like Reggie. .....
now there's one for ya'....the Porters & their racing efforts are a CLASS act.
REGGIES thoughts: ...... (and it does get him MAJOR attention.)
Just remember that most all POLITICIANS say: ANY media coverage is good, it gets your name out there. That's what he wants!!!
His boats are kinda attractive but I have not seen one here hold up as well as a Formula...... I personally prefer the "finished", flowing solid design of Formula's. I doesn't mean his (Fountain)is not a good boat, they are fast, Most Fountain owners I have met, seem to be of the more aggressive type ( that is not bad!!)and add things to go faster. Some will go a LOT FASTER, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF REGGIE. They would go faster in anything!

:D :D :D :D :D

Enough bashing, you all sound like a bunch of little old ladies at a tea party with nothing better to do.