Does sizereally matter???
 

I am making the switch from a jet boat to an offshore, and was wondering how big of a hull do I need? I was planning on running outlaw A or factory 1. I have found some good deals on smaller boats the question is : can I run a 24 or 26 or do I need a 28 or 30. I am going to run the great lakes series next year so I dont think huge seas will come into play but hey what do I know I am just a river rat. Thanks for your time

After making a couple runs with OSO members on Lake Michigan this year, I can tell you that you need at least 31ft to get a decent ride in 3-4 footers which are pretty common. Our boat is 26ft and heavy and gets beat up pretty bad. The smallest boat on the Racine run we did that seemed to be doing well was a 35' Nordic. This is just my observation under non-racing conditions. Ive also noticed that another boat always looks like its riding smoother than the boat your in.

Ive also noticed that another boat always looks like its riding smoother than the boa
 

I've noticed that too! When it's rough out, it seems that even the 22-24 footers look like they are riding along as smooth as can be while we are getting hammered in our 25 footer. The grass is always greener, I guess!

Team liquid has a 28' Warlock that is currently racing in a F class. The boat is supposed to be very competitive in rough water conditions. The board member that is selling it goes by the name of "Fry". I'd recommend talking to them.

In the water of LOTO I found the Pantera 28 to be excellent. Even with HP500 power, the boat wasn't real fast. But we hit some major holes, easy 6-8' water and the boat just cut through it! A wet ride for sure, but it was a good one. I would have no problem take this boat out on Michigan in almost any weather.

when it comes to boat length ; size does really matter!
bigger is better for rough water conditions..

If you are planing to run factory 1 don't get a boat under 28 ft. Beside runing in ruff water, when racing with 20 others on the coarse it gets ruff and you can use every bit of size, THis where size does matter.

if your going to run in factory 1 in the great lakes series,you need to ck out your competition.....some of these guys are fast,just remember .....the longer you are,the more weight youll be totin around,richards old 25 warlock is up there and its only 4100 lbs,runs in the 80s,my old formula is still up there and it runs in the 80s,but when you get to 28 ft youll weigh in or above 4850 lbs which puts you below 80 mph.......and youll do like us and pray for the roughest,snottiest water mother nature can provide,now randy and glen in the typhoon boat, a 26ft kryptonite pretty much have the best of both worlds,weighing in aroung 44 to 46 hundred pounds.......now if your serious about racing i can get you a super vee lite turn key team with the GM full sponsorship,the old detuned supercat motor which only has about 6 races on it to keep or sell,and you could be racin by the weekend.....the boats a 30 ft phantom speedster,in absolutly perfect condition,and i mean perfect.......now theres almost no competition up there for this boat,so you could become an instant hero.....have been workin on this boat for awhile,and have run it myself to 102 plus mph,and when i finished the X work to it and it had the old A motor in it the boat ran an honoest 106....in the closed canopy it felt like 70 mph.....so if your serious give me a call at 813-247-3049 and ask for AL

If you are serious about running F-1 up there get in touch with the guys down at Extreme Powerboats in FL. They build some of the baddest (and lightest) SVL boats, and he's doing his 29' in an F-1 set up that will be light, and REAL fast.
Should have added their site. www.extremepowerboats.com

Thanks for everyones input, it seems like everyone is saying a bigger hull is the way to go and it probably is, but I would still like to know if there are any competitive 24's or 25's? Its that old drag racer mentality in me that screams less weight = faster. I am not looking to set the world on fire but i dont want to be in last at every race. Thanks Brett

Brett:

You'll be much happier in something at least 28'. Picture from your jet boat back round what happens when any wave comes by you goes fly. Now do it in Much bigger water. The larger boat makes the racing much much more enjoyable, plus 90% of races are not run in ideal conditions so they are slower than a boats top speed. If you're going to do this do yourself a few favors. First find someone on the lake that you know that has about a 35' boat and go out with them on a 4' to 6' day. Now find someone with a 25' and go out in 3' water. No the pain you have the next day after riding the smaller boat mulitply it by 10 after a full race. Next Race in a P class for a year or so until you're ready to go Factory racing. These guys are extremely good, and the competition is very tough. You, and your equipment will thank you for getting the seat time.

Doug