The detail work on this one is amazing, http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-ne...ert-storm.html.

Here are a few more pictures of the 388LE at DS.

Thanks, Blume. The award was the icing on the cake for the Colledges. Their weekend experience at Desert Storm, especially boating with Peter Hledin, will keep them buzzing right into the Big Cat Poker, which is right in their backyard, this summer.

that is the "McLaren" of cats for sure

Matt,

This is a amazing boat for sure. I saw it in Miami and its a work of art.

Question: do you know if it has air and seat belts? I just ask because if this boat was involved in a accident like the M35 what would happen? If the occupants were not belted in they would get slammed against the roof and most likely be knocked out and then the boat would be upside down. I know in a enclosed race boat they are belted in with aux air supply and they take roll classes.

Also the comment about trim makes me wonder what training this driver has had or not had to have owned a cat and not known how to trim the boat? This comes up a lot and I think these manufactures really need to require training before they hand over the keys.

Not trying to be a negative nelly and take away from this amazing piece of work but I am interested in what Safety equipment and and training goes with a boat like this.

Mike

It's simple, he has a long racing history. Try running a boat that fast and doing everything! Gary with Predator drives and throttles but has his co pilot trim. Why do you think in races where the water is rough you have a driver and throttle man?? It's hard to do it all when running like that

I think you misunderstood my question. I was asking about the trim based on the fact the the owner is just now learning how to trim a cat. Trimming up to get the boat out of the water and then trimming back down once at speed is a basic trim tactic that I would assume the owner would learn before he is in his boat for a shootout speed run.

The comment about this being a trim "trick" is what made me wonder what else is missed. I would have thought everyone that owned a cat would understand you need positive trim to air out the boat and then back to neutral or in most cats negative trim to reach top speed and get the power going in the right direction and let the air in the tunnel give it lift.

I totally understand the concept of driver and throttle/trim man.

Mike

Also you don't know me from Adam so to answer your question about doing everything yourself I actually have. I had a 150mph twin engine cat with no windshield or canopy and did everything myself. I get it for sure.

I also happened to be in this owners triple engine enclosed v bottom during a hot boat test and it was a handful with 3 engines, Trans, drives, and tabs. So I have first hand experience of the complexities of these boats. I thought back then that was a scary situation.

Not being defensive just giving you background.

Mike

Ya tell that to the guy driving the M35

Mike, I think you have misunderstood Gary's experience in boating. This is not Gary's first, second or third catamaran for that matter. Gary has raced all types of flat bottoms, V's and he pleasures his Catamarans. He has sufficient experience to trim the boat but as the old adage says. "What's the other guys to do" so Peter volenteer'd to trim the boat during the run and this was not to mean that Gary could not have done so himself.