Stock Staggered 575's w/ITS boxes,34 labs

Clockwork,
I can also verify that it is the Team Fisher Donzi! that you are seeing. See Bobby those plates make it stand out, before we just went along not being noticed. maybe Mr. Bigbucks sponsor may see it too.

Rode in the 38ZR when it was intro'd at the Miami show in 2002. It rode absolutely awesome in Atlantic 4-5's in both directions with Doug Valentine at the wheel! It had HP500's and ran 86 with 5 full size males aboard. They felt confident that they would have it dialed to 90 for that race year. That year the Donzi won the world championship with that same boat. With 525's that boat is easy low 90's and with 575's I bet you're approaching lift off at 100!!!

I love the Cig but have never ridden in the Gladiator so it's a tough call!

Go with the Cig because it sounds like a solid deal with all the goodies that the ZR doesn't have. Including N/A engines that will be far less tempermental than the blowers.

I guess my vote won't come as a surprise. Donzi 38ZR. As far as the mass produced hull comment, none of these boats fit in that catagory.

Both boats are awesome but i will say from the onset of seeing the Donzi 38 Zr, i have been in love with that boat, In just plain white with red trim it looks fast. on the trailer and off it turns heads. It is the complete package.

Guys...I love Powerboat Mag but you can't base their awards on what you are going to buy. They named the 39 Magic Voodoo as the 94 Offshore Boat of the year!!!! So, get back to reality guys...That Magic turned out to be a nightmare for many of its owners...it just took three years or so for the deamons to come out of the bilge!

DMan

Make sure and compare apples with apples...don't compare a staggered setup to a side by side and say that the Donzi staggered was better balanced, etc. Of course, the staggered setup with more power is going to be a better ride!

Just Browsing,
Saw that yesterday when I received my copy. That is one sobering set of pictures glad you guys pulled out all right.

What looked like it was getting riped out on the side of the boat in the picture you posted midway behing the cockpit and the stern? I wondered when I saw the big pic in Powerboat.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Too Old
[B]No they gave me this damn faded T-Shirt. ;) :D

This is still just another "would you rather have a Cigarette or something else" thread.

That Donzi is hot though. I agree, theres somethin about it.

Yeah, they definitely earn it. :) :cool:

This board is going to go nuts after the Lauderdale show.

38ZR. I have been in three different ones, HP 500's, HP525's and 575's. Spent a considerable amount of time in the gulf trying to get wet in it, and we never did. Boat runs flat, flies flat, doesnt beat you up, and nothing rattles or comes loose. I have also spent some time in a couple hulls as they came down the line, and the construction is awesome.

Scott B

Like I said - the man himself - Mr. Bob Teague praised the Donzi. I wish he would reply here as he also drove the new Gladiator with 575's late last year. He has tested both and would be able to offer all of us "common folk" a comprehensive and (hopefully) objective perspective.

Hey Bob - where are you? Are you lurking somewhere out there? How about an honest opinion between the Gladiator and the ZR. Inquiring minds would like to know! :)

I think it is delamination from the impact. If you look at the sequence, that is the side that "dug in" causing the boat to flip, rather than spin out. My guess is that the force of the impact popped some of the gel coat off at the point where the boat flexed the most. (Take this with a grain of salt, as I know less about the construction of the boat than I know about driving it!)

I will say, however, that the boat is rock solid. Other than the spot you see in the picture, a broken engine hatch, and a hand full of assorted hairline cracks, the hull was undamaged. As you can see in the last picture, the canopies took quite an impact, as the boat landed perfectly upside-down, yet they are still in perfect condition. I wish I could say the same about the engines and electrical systems. I'm chalking this one up as a valuable (but expensive) lesson learned.

Oh please give it a rest!!!! You are so up Cigarette's a$$ it isn't funny. Yes they make a great boat, but the Donzi is also a great boat.
Let's face it, Cigarette isn't winning any awards for their customer support/service either

Both are great boats. But, I have one question. Where do you put the ice chest?

They are custom built boats any where you want them , i am sure they will accomadate, for a fee of course.

The nose of both of them are 20ft long ice chests!

Trout your a sick man

I guess when both these models are parked on each side of my dock I will have to make a decision, till then I enjoy the banther.

Actually th ZR has 2 huge insulated ice chests on the deck behind the rear seats. We fill them before a Poker Run and with our headphone intercoms I can say,Karen,hand me a Pepsi,LOL. :):)

Just Browsing and Pete B,

I am glad you guys are okay. Your mind set/disposition regarding the unfortunate roll are excellent and commendable. Best wishes for a safe and successful remainder of your racing season.

Shane: Thanks.

Troutly: Very funny! I'm going to rotate the picture in my office to the "log ride" position. When you look at it from that angle, it doesn't look as bad.

Just browsing,
 

Is your boat here for the poker run, repair, lay over? Are you in town with it? I would like to check it out...I,ll tell ya a great story of Steve Simon over a couple cold ones...:fish:

Clockwork:

Pete B. (who lives in JAX) is babysitting the boat for me until the Ft. Lauderdale race. Check with him, and if he is up to it, you are welcome to check it out.

Bobby Fisher

LOL. I have other favorites too. I just like to piss off the haters a little. I think the Donzi is awesome. I really like how they have stepped up and made a sit down F-2 to compete.

I haven't had any problems with service or support. I had new embroidery for the bolsters, side panels, cover, custom carpet, carpet pad, and the wind deflector installed last Spring. It was done in 4 days.

There are so many sweet boats out there, I don't thing Cig is the only game in town. They still set the bar to which all others are measured, hence the title of this post and many others. :)

I ran that Damn Donzi f2 last year and it was the best performing V bottom I had been in. Dollar for dollar you cant beat it . I am not a dealer or broker just a racer that got to race that 38ZR good luck on your boat hunt.Bobby that boat did not do that last year one time!!!!!!!

I love the look of both the Donzi and the Cig. However, I really wish the Donzi had better looking canopies. For some reason, I personally don't like the flat tops. They look unfinished. Just my opinion.

clockwork,
let me know when you want to check it out, it maybe on the way to ft.myers for some prep work prior to ft .laud. this weekend. let me know. Pete

I was down at Dick Simon Marine in Dana Point yesterday. Scott Conrad (DSM's owner) showed me his new Donzi F2 boat. He is campaigning the boat with Ken Bowen. I have to admit - it was one very sweet boat!

He says the boat is currently running around 100-101 with 525EFI's. He says they need to pick up 2-3 mph to be competitive. Amazing that a 38' boat can run that fast on totally stock (relatively speaking of course) horsepower!

It makes you think about the future of BIG blower power and BIG drives. Hmmm ... that's an idea for another thread!!

I say that's fantastic. I'd keep it stock for reliability, 100 is plenty fast!