If you thought building 200 MPH catamarans had become a business of plug and play, you are very mistaken. Big horsepower is readily available, but when you push the limits of horsepower in one of today’s modern hulls the fact is that the previous rigging will traditionally only support 1000-1200hp applications. The feeding of this new large and reliable power brings challenges to feed fuel, water and air, and it truly defines the challenges of today’s rigging.

Conventional cooling system rigging has shown a massive inefficiency in the ability to support the demands of what were not only Goodwin engines but that of the production turbo engines in the market. Todd Goodwin points out the unique difference in today’s growth in performance power boating. Because the OEM automotive builder builds both the engine and the car they have the ability to test together. While today’s boat builder relies on outsourced power, often the boat builder can only provide very little relative data.

As an engine builder stretching the limits of an engine’s performance, Todd Goodwin of Goodwin Competition set out to find how to solve these problems by investing over $40,000 into an aqua dynamics engineering team and an entire water flow dynamics simulator that he installed in his facility. To some this may seem extreme but if you’ve been to the Goodwin facility you realize nothing is too extreme or out of reach.

What became glaringly apparent was that the conventional water pick up designs that featured mere 1″ at best pick ups that supplied conventional engines have no ability to supply 3 and 4 stage sea pumps demanding 200-300% more water flow. Not only could Todd explain the dynamics, but he had real engineering proof.

He points out that the traditional sea water pump fittings merely carry .849 square inches of water and that a traditional 1″ water pick up will support a single sea pump. But OEM boat builders had merely raised the pick up size up from 1″ in many applications while trying to supply 3-4 stage sea pumps. This has been the plaguing issue of OEM turbo engines continually going into Guardian mode from cooling system challenges.

Goodwin has developed an algorithm showing the dynamics, of speed, pressure and volume based on replicating the boat’s many changes in the water  and it has allowed him to redefine the shortcomings that have been plaguing the highest horsepower applications in the marine market. Today, Goodwin Competition’s 1900 HP applications spec a much larger specific sized water pick up to meet the requirements of his engine. He points out that he’s shared this info with boat builders in the industry and the changes are all bringing success for everyone. Goodwin points out that pick up size, Sea Strainer size and design matched with the proper water pressure bypass are critically effected by the design of the cooling system. Redesigning commonly modified fittings to allow accurate water flow is key.

This level of commitment seems extreme but Goodwin Competition is not only an engine builder and supplier of power across all segments of racing, but a true research and development center. They have in-house Spintron testing centers, numerous dyno’s, flow benches, and their own proprietary machining centers.

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In the middle 1960’s, I was racing offshore, building fast boats, raising a family, and living ‘la dolce vita’. Things couldn’t get much better. I was swept up in the excitement of racing, winning a little, and getting to rub elbows with the cream of international sports. I felt the need to ‘give back’, for all the good things that had happened to me in past few years, so I ran for the American Powerboat Association Vice Presidency for Offshore Racing. With that post, came the task of Union of International Motorboating delegate to their Offshore Comission. In 1967 I won both jobs, and set out to be the best ever. That would not be as tough as it sounds, as there was only one before me, and he never went to a UIM meeting. I appointed my own ten person offshore commission, and set about adopting the US offshore rules to international offshore races, so that it would be possible to race in any country without modification or penalty. We did good work in that line, and, except for occasionally slapping a commissioner for “grinding his own axe”, it went well. At one of the commission meetings during the NY Boat Show, I was ill, and could not attend. My adjutant, Bill Wishnick, ran the meeting, and as first order of business, he made a motion to wish me a speedy recovery. It passed, 5 to 4. Maybe I wasn’t as smooth as I thought.

In November, 1968, the annual UIM Commission meeting was to be held in Stockholm, Sweden. The King of Sweden had a 35’ Magnum boat, and I looked forward to chatting with him about boats and such. I was required to have an assistant, and chose Pat Duffy, who was my Donzi, then Nova Marine dealer in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Pat was rich, funny, smart, short and extremely fun loving. He mentioned that he would be going to London just before the meeting, and that I could meet him there on the way to Stockholm. This was before the days of Jetways at the airport, and when I arrived on PanAm, he was waiting on the Tarmac with the Rolls Royce ‘Shooting Brake’ that had recently been the subject of the movie “The Yellow Rolls Royce”. The chauffeur was the owner of the car and the firm, and we had him on call 24 hours a day. The engine was a V12 Rolls Royce Spitfire prototype, and exceptionally powerful for a car. By the second day, we finally got the chauffeur to drink a little rum, and he let Pat drive. Big mistake. We were drag racing motorcycles, and winning. We picked up all sorts of women, and told all sorts of lies. They may still be looking for Pat.

While there, I met with the British contingent for the UIM meeting, and traded rides in the Rolls for non-hydraulic transmissions, that sort of thing. Stiff upper lip, Tut, Tut, the usual. We flew on to Stockholm and set about the business of keeping Brits, Krauts, Frogs, etc., from bending the rules to suit their stuff. Unfortunately, it was one country, one vote, so I had the same clout as the Union of South Africa (Whose seat I accidentally sat in (USA). It could happen to anybody. I traded concessions in classes that we did not run or that I did not represent (screw ‘em), in order keep the world rules in line. I was mildly successful. At the beautiful ‘going away’ dinner, I sat between Tommy “Snoopy” Sopwith and the Prince of Sweden, Carl Gustav. The Prince was a great guy, and when his Dad checked out, he became King.

With all the skullduggery to get my way with the rules, I had run up a pretty good sized ‘favors’ tab with the small countries’ representatives. Since we all had to fly to a European hub to make connections, I invited the guys who had helped me with rules to meet in Paris, for a night at the Crazy Horse Saloon. The Crazy Horse is the best “joint” in the world. It seats around a thousand people, has two or three hundred of the best looking women on the planet (Melania would not have been hired when she was 18). I was inducted into the secret “Crazy Horsemen” society, thanks to my dear friend, Dick Cole, who taught me draw boats. My best memory of Dick was at the London Boat Show, where he farted the first three bars of “God Save The Queen”. Brought the house down! Anyway, we arrived at Terminus Hotel, at the Gare Ste. Lazare, in the heart of Paris, at five in the afternoon. The town was bursting at the seams with geezers in old military uniforms. Holy Shit! It was the fiftieth anniversary of Armistice Day, marking the end of World War One, the War to End All Wars (Yeah, right). It was November 11th, 1968. We were able to get a string of seats at the bar, using a “Green pass”. We drank some excellent wines, and had horses douvers, no, whores ovaries, well, anyway, snacks. We were seven guys in a row, and the Yanks and Canadian veterans kept shoving us together. (Note here. I have NO disrespect for the veterans of any war. WWI was the worst, and anyone who survived it must have been scarred for life. God Bless them). They were reminiscing about getting killed, when a WW2 Vet began discussing the Murmansk Run. That was the North Sea supply route to Russia, and in the winter, literally murder. The Vet closest to us at the bar was discussing a particular incident, concerning an ammo ship that had taken a Nazi bomb right down the stack, blown up, and sunk four other ships from the blast. “Hey, Alf, what was the name of that ship?” “I don’t remember, but I knew one of the guys on it”. “Dammit, I’ve got to remember that name!” At that time, the guy at the end my group said “It was the “William G. O’brian” (or something like that). “Yeah, that was it! Swell, let me buy you a drink. What outfit were you with?” “The vier hundert funfzig funf Luftwaffe”. Suddenly, we were all alone. Oh, well. Off to the Crazy Horse!

Skater Powerboats has built what many boats considered in poker run and racing circles to be those of legend. One of these Skater’s is Dale Razors 30′ skater most recognized by its unique paint scheme and aptly named “Prototype”.

The legend behind this boat is just how fast with nominal power this boat was capable of running. To be exact the boat is the fastest naturally aspirated, pump-gas-engines powered boat Peter at Skater has ever built to date.

Having owned the boat and participated for years in numerous poker runs, the year after year expense and maintenance of the high-end setup of the 30 led Razor to look for an every day boat  which was again a Skater, a 28′ boat equipped with 300XSs, The boat excellent reliability and blistering 120mph rides left the 30′ sitting at home most weekends. Before long the expense and maintenance of now owning two, twin engine Skaters quickly took it’s toll.

So with the evolution 400R Merc engines a plan was brewing. The potential of the 30 to have a pair of 400hp outboards on the back looked to be a viable option for the perfect boat.. After waiting to see results of similar boats with the 400Rs – the 318 Skater running 114 and the 32 Doug Wright running 122 – He decided the sacrifice of the speed of the 150mph beast for the reliability and owning one boat was the best move possible.

Sure giving up bragging rights of owning a 150+ mph Skater wasn’t easy, but after seeing what he believed might be a safer option than a 150mph 30′ boat was a simple decision. Don’t get me wrong he’s not all about safety as he pilots a blown alcohol hydro for when in need of a adrenaline fix.

Skater acknowledged in agreement that loads of orders for new 400R powered cats were the evolution of the market. Razor said I’m in and off to Skater the boat has headed. The boat will feature a new Lee Aerospace full wrap windshield the exclusive choice of Skater power boats as well as changes to the transom with a new bussel and tunnel extension and re-rigging of the boat with 400Rs.

With the decision clear Razor points out I couldn’t de-rig my 30 fast enough and get it back to Skater!  Were really looking forward to seeing how fast they can get the 30 to run with a pair of these 400s on the back.

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This year Powerboat Nation raffled off a brand new DJI Phantom 3 drone to one lucky winner during the Key West Poker Run!

As the leader of media when it comes to all things powerboating we wanted to make it possible for one of our fans to embark on their own powerboating media journey with a cool new piece of equipment that any boater would love.

So congratulations to Tim Ossman of Wilmington, Delaware on winning your very own drone! We look forward to seeing your future video creations and we wish you the best!

Enjoy!