Ok, here's the data, and what I did to get them.

Air temp - 74F
Winds - 15-20!! (Not Ideal!)
Small chop
Fuel - Less than 1/8th tank, 87 Octane
Just me as driver. Made passes of ~3 miles long upwind and downwind, taking most stable high reading (found it to actually be INTO the wind in several runs)
2005 Superboat Y2K 30
Single 496 Mag HO
Tabs - 0, all the way up
Drive - trimmed to the moon (actually found my sweet spot - I did enough runs at constant settings that I could 'over trim' to where I started to loose speed)
Props:
Hydromotive 5 blade 26P
Stock Bravo 26 non labbed
Immediately after these runs with the five blade I put my stock Bravo back on and spent the same time, runs, and repeats to get as best a comparison as I could.

Data:
RPM/GPS
5-Blade
3500/47.5
4000/57.5
WOT, 5050/73.8

BravoI
3500/45.2
4000/54.3
WOT, 5100/72.3

My analysis:
- For whatever reason, conditions did NOT allow me the highest top end yesterday (personal best is 74.1 on my Bravo, I only saw 72.3!)
- The Hydro tended to blow out on the hole shot more than my Bravo - strange.....
- No doubt the Hydromotive out performs the Bravo, especially mid range
- If I ran the Hydro more, I would probably see a new high speed, over 75mph but today I can't claim it

There ya go SB fans - sorry I can't bring better numbers, but the direction is the right way and it would prob be a sound investment

Almost the same results I had with that prop on my Thoroughbred. Picked up one or two mph in the midrange, but lost a little on the top. This is a stock, nonlabbed Hydro X (bowlift) prop, BTW. Not worth a thousand bucks on my boat IMHO. Maybe labbed would be better? Or a Bravo Maximus, (bigger blades)?

KRAKS #'s say he picked up more speed at all rpm....1.5mph top end.
-I would run the prop that was better all around that I liked better.

Hey Krack,
In my opinion your 5 blade numbers are far better than the 4 blade numbers.
+3mph midrange and +1.5mph on top is great!
The slip #s are 2.5 to 4% better with the 5 blade.
Still 13.6% slip on top with the 4 blade is not that bad for a V bottom.
I think those of us that are running 26p Bravos on the 24ft are at about 12% slip.
Hopefully professor Jcap will have something to say...

Hey Patrick,

Have you ever tried a Hydromotive on your boat? I tried a Hydro 4 blade the first year I had my boat. I don't think I had enough seat time to gather any conclusions.

Dave

All around you saw MPH increases over the Bravo. NOW..............When the conditions are Ideal........................instead if 74.1, you'll see 75.6 or better.

I think I'll be looking ino one of them thar Hydro's....pass the popcorn please. Finally I get to let my nails grow back...Keith thank you for the great info!

Keith, Thanks For Update With 5 Blade. I Know Now Thats The Way To Go !!!! Thanks,,,,,,,,gary

And remember, that was a box-stock P5X with few dings on it. Imagine what a Throttle-Up labbed P5X would do!

One other comment about the Superboat 30Y2K...

I've spent quite a bit of time behind the wheel of Krak's boat now, and I've just gotta say it:
That boat is the chit!
JC and Rick should be commended for producing what I think is the most comfortable, best riding, best bang for the buck 30 footer on the market! Simple, (with a single), maintainable, easy to handle aroud the dock (contrary to popular belief, you don't believe it? Watch Krak park that thing...) and gorgeous!

Not to mention, I think it's the out of the box fastest stock boat with an HO. Extreme is predicting 80's with theirs, but I don't think it's happened yet. 74.1 is simply smoking with a stock motor. Most 30 footers are struggling to break out of the 60's.

Jim

Well thanks Jim!!! I couldn't have said it better - I am all smiles every time I come off that boat - hope it doesn't sound like a broken record, but it has far exceeded my expectations!!

And, JC does have it dialed in! Jim (Bglz42) came over with his prop, an awesome piece of work from Velocity - he brought me his Hall's Velocity Stage I prop (Bravo based 4-blade and designed for the Velocity Thoroughbred boats) , a labbed 30p gorgeous prop with sharp edges and we slipped her on - now, the numbers below are with two people and FULL fuel (I had just filled completely up to check mileage one more time), so the high ends are lower - weight is definitely a factor on these boats (yes Gary, I'm re-thinking all the stereo gear! LOL!!!!)! We tried his prop and then came back and did the same runs again with the stock prop - JC has it dialed in right and I sure can't go wrong with the Bravo I!!

Air Temp 77F
Winds 15
FULL fuel, two people

Hall Velocity Stage I 4-Blade
RPM/GPS
3500/41.3
4000/50.5
WOT, 4900/ 70.7

Stock Bravo I 26p non labbed
3500/40.9
4000/52.4
WOT, 5100/70.4

Thanks again to both Jim (Bglz42) and Bill (CaptWK) for letting me try their props - you guys are great, and now I'm off to ebay to look for a second prop - anybody got a stock Bravo I 26p they want to lose??

Keith