Sonic's new hull is 16% lighter, whatever that means. So, do you go for the lighter v-hull or join the crowd and go for the stepped hull?

Pass the popcorn, please...

Lighter can cost you the ride depending on the type of boat. For me it would depend on the size and where I Boat.

LOL. I hope it doesn't turn into that!

I think it depends on who's step hull design vs. who's lighter straight layup.

There are poorly done designs in both categories.

IMHO, there are only a few builders that build a step bottom boat that is better in every way. I have a 2000 42 Sonic now but planing to sell and getting an OL. I have rode in both stepped and non in a lot of sizes. My Sonic has 500 efi's and gen. my buddies 382 Formula has the same and we run side by side, I hate the way his boat feels at speed there is no feed back to the driver. The OL's, Nortech's, and Active Thunders I have been in feel great. If you are looking at two boats one stepped one not same power and the stepped bottom is same speed or less than 5% faster I would stay non stepped. It's not worth the bad things about the step to make it worth it.
I have to feel like I know what the boat is doing and going to do, and it's not just stepped boats my buddies 90+mph 25 Baja Outlaw is the scariest thing I have ever been in.

I just can't understand why people would want a heavier boat. If you're so concerned about "ride" that you want a heavy boat, maybe you should rethink the idea of owning a performance boat... maybe a barge or a trans-Atlantic cruiser is more your speed.

In the world of performance, lighter is almost always better.

Get the guys at Sonic to build you a light weight stepped hull.

Less filling.... tastes great..... less filling..... tastes great.... Everyone has their preferences... some people sacrifice ride quality for control... some sacrifice safety for speed... whatever floats your boat. I think at this time I'd rather have a V hull than a cat... not because of speed or handling... but if you want to spend a weekend out on a lake a deep v hull gives you a little more comfort..

I would think since this discussion has been brutalized many times in the past, a better way to start out would be to determine which manufacturer produces the best step design. That's usually been the consensus in other step discusions, and that it was an agreed that all steps are not created equal....or did I read those wrong?

Once that is determined then one could roll into the Sonic V versus the "best step" hull of similar size. Then from there it would be pro-cons of why which boat wins. Then break out the BIG bag of popcorn...

Maybe a poll to start?....

OK, A 42 Sonic great boat does everything well, will cost you somewhere around 250k loaded with 525"s about 75 mph.
A 42 Outerlimits does everything better than the Sonic cost you about 500K loaded with 525's will do about 95 mph. The best thing is it won't lose as much in resale.

I feel they are both just as safe at their speeds.

Outerlimits, Apache, Fountain, Baja.

Okay, let the **** fly!