Oct 7

Oct 7 Velocity Powerboats Moving Forward: New Builds for the Famed Brand

The boating world has created many legendary brands over the years but there are only a few that have stood the test of time. Sure, many have been resurrected more than once but when a brand has been around as long as Velocity Powerboats, you can’t help but get excited by the new energy the company now has. Scott McCormick purchased the company a couple years ago and has brought together a dedicated crew to bring a very well rounded line of boats to the market. Scott has a long history with the brand. By bringing together sport boats, center consoles and bay boats, all built off the performance essence of the famous Steve Stepp hulls, Velocity Powerboats looks stronger then ever.

I recently spoke with Walt Braithwaite, VP of sales and marketing, about some great boats they are building and the exciting direction of the company. For us, we are mainly concerned with the sport boats, which Velocity is dedicated to building. As many companies are, the bigger boats are being updated to incorporate outboard power and Velocity has a new 220 in the works as well as a full line up of sport boats up to 41’. Recent builds include a stunning 230 SC outboard and a couple 290 SC hulls.

Some pretty fancy paint work on this 230 SC OB Velocity.

Velocity is focusing on quality craftsmanship, utilizing all modern materials and construction processes, fully cored, vinyl ester resin with quad axial fiberglass. The hull designs will be the renowned designs; wide pad, aggressive lifting strakes and notched transoms. Velocity always utilized pad bottom straight V hulls over stepped designs because of the handling benefits and in many cases top speed, particularly in the smaller hulls. For the CC and Bay boats, the same hulls will be utilized, which is smart and the decks vary by model and customization. Expect these to be really fast fishing boats that can handle rough water very well; they look fantastic.

The 230 and 220 share a bottom, with the 230 having a higher freeboard and different deck with a cabin. This might be a sweet spot as the 230 can handle the new big engines well I’m sure. These are good size hulls, 22’11’ overall, with an 8’ beam and weigh in at around 2,500 Lbs, the 220 will be a little lighter. A 220 with a 250R or 300R would make a great little wave crusher and a perfect class 7 boat possibly.

The 260 VR is a classic and comes with sterndrive power whereas the 290 has optional outboard power. Walt told me initial tests with the 300R had them running 93 MPH with some room for adjustments. That’s quite good for a larger boat, 28’6” and a generous 8’2” beam. Customization is part of the program too, with some pretty wild builds recently.

A new 290 with a custom paint job, ready for twin 400Rs.

I’m hoping to see a new 230 or 220 in the flesh and possibly take one for a drive. The team at Velocity has the right approach and the proven hulls behind them to really push the market. Boat brands like Velocity have amazing history and had a major impact on racing and design, so it is great to see them prosper in a new age of boat building.