Jim going to try and come up to Lake Lanier this summer. Would love to hook up and compare notes!
Not sure I want to do 15" mids because of where I boat and the motors being low to the water but hey you never know. Once I get a good baseline will start looking at phase 2.

I found this older footage of SkaterJim's run. He really airs it out at the approx. 3:00 mark!
http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...%3DKH0rtGGo7kw

I just got some really big news today from a reliable source - Mercury is to release a 15" version of the new 400R in the Fall of this year. It's estimated to be 66 pounds lighter than the 20" 400R - which would put it at 612 pounds. Still too heavy imo for the back of a 28, but starting too sound sweeter for the 30'-34' cats! It would also now make a much better single for the smaller 22'-25' cats with the lighter weight and lower cg - imagine a 15" 400R on the back of an Argo or Twister!

Dale That would be great and I agree it will defintely help the cause. I do see it as a cost effective motor for a single engine small cat. I bet a 21 with one would run great. Maybe Pete can bring back the 24!!

550lbs is the weight of the V8 3.6 and 4.0 liter Evinrude/Johnson. A version of this motor V8 3.5 liter EFI 12inch shaft nitro/alchol motor holds the outboard speed record at 179mph and no one has been able to get with 30mph of it in the last 10-15 years!

two 300 e-tec rudes on an xcat overseas now

Removing 5" from the mid removes 66 lbs? Am I the only one that thinks that numbers sounds aggressive (unless the mid is filled with concrete)?

Being a straight 6, would a 15" mid put the bottom cylinder(s) too close to the water on a 30'-34' cat??? I would be pretty concerned if used in anything other than "X-cat" conditions...

don't think the cylinder would be any closer...you just have one close instead of two on a v6 LOL. and yea 60+ pounds is a lot.

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perhaps the 15" model is a collection of changes:

* lighter cowls
* ligher pans
* 15" mids
* different alloy brackets

I hope they do this. 450HP in 2016 500HP in 2017

dreaming on...



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6" Omc f1 midsection, the motor ran on methanol and used nitrous to get up to speed, but not through the traps. The record is 176.56.
Interestingly, a little it's bitsy merc 2.5 i. f1 legal trim (read restricted) set the inshore kilo record of 160.12 mph. Pretty good for a roundy round boat as opposed to a purpose built kilo boat (hydro) with a liter more CID and exotic fuel.