I know this has been floating around peoples heads everynow and then, probably just mine though. What are the chances that Baja will eventually go stepped hull with there Outlaws being first , then maybe Performance? I read a while back they were going to try it out but I havent heard anything else.
Do you think this will happen in the near future as baja continues to compete with other offshore brands. I know a few other HP boats are traditional v, but as popular as baja is it seems they would go that route, atleast with there outlaw. Would it be a huge risk ? probably, but I am sure it would sell just as much as they do now granted the whole design process would take some time and money. I for one would love to see them with a stepped hull, mainly for the fact it gives it more of that badboy look of a cig and supposedly increase of speed. making the Performance 275 actually reach 70 without having to get a whipple or blue engines. Not a deep thought, but Im sure someone on hear knows or thinks they know if this could happen.
-chris

Baja did design a stepped hull. It is now the Skater 399V.

I hope they stay away from it. After demoing a number of boats, there is nothing like the simple straight Baja outlaw hull for ride and handling in rough water conditions. You know its bad when you are demoing a boat and the guys says to take it easy in the turn or it may spin out.... I ran away fast and bought another Baja!

Actually Baja did not design the Skater 399. Skater designed it, but used Baja's five point axis router to cut out the plug to make a mold. That is the only part Baja had in the making of the Skater v-hull. This info came from a Baja regional rep. that saw the process first hand. If you ever get a chance to see one of the routers in action, it is really impressive.

you are correct but the router is actually at the searay factory in merrit island florida. i was their in november at a searay gathering. as you probably know brunswick owns searay,baja ,boston whaler and a number of other boat companys but the r & d is done at the searay factory. i asked them if they had a stepped baja in the works and they said no.

[QUOTE=isabella]you are correct but the router is actually at the searay factory in merrit island florida. i was their in november at a searay gathering.

Your right, I guess I should have added more detail to my statement.

are stepped hulls really that easy to spin out? thats all you see pretty much at the races. except a few. I don't think I would ever turn fast enough to make my boat spin out anyway but showing that huge ship spin, even though it did have what 3 rudders ? Im sure a lot of non-stepped hull boats could spin out if they go fast enough and turn sharp enough?

I wouldn't say easy, but yes they do have a greater tendancyto spin. For the same reason that steps make a hull faster by aerating and reducing drag in the longitudinal direction, they do the same laterally.

I don't think Baja will ever make a stepped hull...it would be suicidal to abandon and contradict 10 years of anti-step marketing.

I could not agree with Daze more on this. Baja builds a very safe and user friendly boat. Yes if they went to a step they could find a few mph but top speed is not really what they are looking for.

After paying the lawsuit on 272 shooter years ago for 1 crash(although it wasn't a stepped hull),i think they are gunshy. Do any of the "mass production" cookie cutter boat companys build stepped hull boats?