F4 or Checkmate 43?
 

Ok, I'm asking because I don't know. These boats are way out of my $, I haven't even shopped for them. I love them both, but i'll likely never even get a ride in one.

It looks like the new Punisher is MSRP $499,000 with twin 700's.
If I figured it out right, the F4 is $600,000 with 525's. Is this right?

I know Sunsation has been doing big boats longer and that is a big reason to choose it first. I also think most of the time you get what you pay for so... maybe I'm answering my own questions,

But do any of you think that the Checkmate is a bargain?

Have you confirmed that is the 700/nxt #6 price or just the base price? Doesn't leave a lot of profit room

I think you would have to see these boats side by side for a fair comparison. I have seen an F4 in person, and the riggin and bling was right up there with the best of the best IMO.

I have only seen the new checpache online, but the cabin looks dated and not impressive IMO. The rest of the boat I thought looked great

That being said, I think there is still room for the new checkmate in the market.

I don't have confirmed prices
 

It's kind of why I'm asking, I'm hoping to find people with good info, and real world exp. in buying these kind of boats?

The prices I used were from the two different recent write ups by Matt T. In the one Doug Smith talks about 700's, but I'm not sure if that truly makes it base power.

I checked Sunsations web site for base power in the F4.

Pretty sure base power in an F4 is 700's. They made one with 600's, but only once.

Funny you call it a checpache.

So would you call the F4 a Sunerplay (sunsation and powerplay!)

Both are sweet boats.

F4-001 had 600's/Bravo XR Sport shorties because the 700's/NXT's were not yet available when the boat was completed. It originally was going to be a 525 boat. The only other option would have been 850's/6's and that would have put the boat into stupid money at the time. With the 600's and 5-blade Maximus props, the boat would run 85 - 88 MPH at LOTO depending on conditions. It was faster with Hering's but you needed 2 football fields to plane the boat.

not in same ball park.....

:lolhit:


As for the original posting, I believe these two boats are aimed at different buyers, I doubt checkmate will be able to pull the speed they want out of that hull. The F4's all look great, and seem to put up good speed numbers. No word on rough water ride compared to similar sized boats, at least from what I've read.

The F-4 ate up anything LOTO could throw at it, including the infamous "leaving the Shootout" water.

That was a fun ride after the shoot out, especially the part with Rich's 38 PQ.

LOL! Forgot all about that! "Hi Rich! Bye Rich!" :bunnydance:

Plus the look on his face when Pratt changed rides.

Any F4's rolled yet? That's something to consider also, considering their 32's track record...

WTF...Really????:lolhit:

He just can't keep his hard on for Sunsation in his pants. :lolhit:

Nope..........But remember for the F4 owners the Tres Martin class was a freebie thrown in with purchase when new so you started off your F4 ownership with the right education!


Be careful with "track record' statistics AJ, they can be "bent" to support an argument either way.....Remember more people have died in 33 Powerplay accidents than all the 32 Sunsation accidents combined.

I just know how to ruffle the sunny guys tom... :lolhit:

And Jup- that's bc the sunny's can't get out into big enough water to hurt people... :party-smiley-004:
And I think what you mean to say is more people have died in 33 PowerPlay accidents than 32 dominator accidents. Period. Because obviously both statistics are 'combined' lol. You just try to make it sound good ;) . But everyone knows 33 PP's are run harder to begin with so not fair comparison... :P
But really... I'm seeing a trend with the 32's

Still on your one wonderboy super crusade there of one of the most well respected builders in the field by their piers there fishy? LMAO
I rarely if ever see any Sunny guys ruffled by your jr high game. They all seem to ignore ya whcih is funny as heck! You'll figure it out once you've grown up!
Sorry in advance, I know your a sensitive young man! :lolhit:

But is the trend hull related or driver related? I lean towards driver related but will say that maybe the hull is a bit less forgiving than others. Now the new 36 is absolutely on rails and would be surprised if you see anywhere near the incidents with that hull.

I would tend to agree with you... But since everyone jumped quick to defend Cory's driver skill I figured it was the hull... Lol

And ZP'd... I know about u from your LSC buddies, keyboard commando at best. Try harder.

Don't know about his driving skills but most of the incidents with that hull are from the operator turning it like a jet ski. Not a good idea on any stepped hull boat. I've been in both an Innovator and a Dominator SS at 80 + MPH and did not find the hull to be squirrely at all. But the guy behind the wheel in both cases was extremely competent. And the new 36 is just hooked up. If you ever get a chance to get a ride on one do so. I like that hull better than the F-4.

No I think you better try harder a LOT harder as the Sunny guys never bite. You need to investigate me further. Apparently my ghost LSC buddies are mistaken. Get out your FBI tank top shirt and go for it! :lolhit:
In all seriousness though, don't be so sensitive if your out playing young man. Makes you look a little thin skinnned and verry juvy.
keyboard commando? (is that a new term?) Wait, let me get my karate keyboard out for ya! :) (sorry couldn't resist)
I'll leave ya alone again now as I see the nerves been hit. Beer is on me!

Every thread you act like you are flustering people... I guess you can have your fun Lmao...?

Knot... You know as well as me that i'll ride on any boat, I'm an enthusiast just the same as anyone... Have even posted vids of 288's, a 32, and an F4 and I thought they all were sweet. I just like F'ing with sunny owners bc they take this stuff to the grave. It's amazing the difference in what they say here and what they say after a beer or two on the lake. At the end of the day we all just like to go fast and look good doin it. Unless you're ZP'd, then you like to do it with a boat full of men in Speedos :D

But I'll let anyone on my boat and always have a drink for them... Even Joe Sunsation :) haha

Seems like not a lot of people know much about the Checkmate yet. A little early to tell.

Ya the write up by speedonthewater.com had it in the high 80's i think... hoping for low 90's with propping. Would be nice to see how that hull design would do with a carbon layup bc obviously weight is a factor with those speeds

How did the 38 PQ fair in that rough of water??

why would you want to ask that question???
you know which direction this is going...:lolhit:

They do great in the rough water. The end of the shootout creates excessive wash machine turbulence and if you are not use to it most people get really surprised by it. If you want to run hard in it in a large boat like the 38 throttling technique comes into play, or you are going bust a bravo drive.

I was on the 38 PQ leaving the Shootout that year (2006) and it did great. It just couldn't quite hang with the F4.

Thanks, good to know.

Sometimes you just have to ask...

Thanks for the info!

The ride was great on the PQ. It was about a 10 MPH slower boat than the F-4. 525 SC's/roller cam upgrades/12" boxes vs. 600 SCI's/Bravo XR Sportmaster shorties/ITS.

Although I don't think the specs from the manufacturers support it, I bet the two boats are closer in weight than we might guess. The sunsation site says approximately 10K lbs for the F4, but we never weighed it. I thought the old PQ site said 8500 for the 38, but I can't remember for sure. I just remember standing by that monster one time thinking there is no way this can weigh what the factory says it does. Then again, I bet if we weigh most of the F4s they will be more than 10K. Not sure how much less the first one was with the composite stringer system.

I think Uncle C was well over 10k when he weighed his 38... That's an awful lot of fiberglass for 8500lbs. The dry weight on mine is 7400 I believe and 38pq would dwarf me

I weighed mine on the Vanguard steel trailer, 1/4 tank of fuel and it was just under 14000lbs....

My guess is that would put it right in the 10K range dry weight.

I had the chance to drive a f4 at hot boat this year and it was sweet. I couldn't stop looking back and smashing the throttle just to watch the rooster tail get wider and taller! I also enjoyed taking 2 poops on it that day, very roomy enclosed head.

As for the sunny 525'd 32 I drove this summer. I will say it was an entirely different feeling than my a/t. I think the wheel being a lot higher than my boat was some of the awkwardness I felt but not all of it. You could tell it was a much lighter boat for sure and cross wave action was a bit hairy.

As for the checkmate I had a few conversations over in the old home town of the chief 42' (came from mold that produced the check 43 for thoses that familiar with the history by chance) and most of the guys that were familiar with that boat really wernt impressed with it. That mixed with a few things I heard directly from a person involved with the check 43 project I'd have to say I'd buy a f4 before the check granted I had the coin.

Another good point is Sunsation makes a boat that is unbreakable by the 288Kid! Your 33AT and Z06 Corvette both got taken out of service by the kid but I don't recall any stories like that with the 288!

really???????