Nov 10

Nov 10 Lavey Craft 2750 NuEra: An Enthusiasts Speedboat

The first time I met Ray Lee was at the Miami Boat Show a few years ago and since then I have run into him at various boat events over the years. Ray has been with Speedboat Magazine since 2010 as a team member and later in 2012 as a publisher and co-owner with Chris Davidson, who had Performance Boats Magazine previously. When you run into the Speedboat crew at an event, they are always working hard and running around getting as much content as possible. So even meeting Ray a few times I didn’t really know to what extent he was a performance boat enthusiast until I learned of his Lavey Craft 2750. I love Lavey Craft and especially the 2750, so I talked to Ray quite a bit about his boat. Here’s a close look at Ray’s incredible 2002 Lavey Craft 2750 NuEra.

Lavey Craft is a little different than many other California builders in that they build boats with deep deadrises, narrower beams and seem more geared toward offshore than smooth river running. That’s not to say they are the only West Coast builder like that, but it’s generally true. For Ray, he and his brother Robert had the boat custom built new. And I would say it’s one of the nicest 2750s I’ve ever seen. A few things standout, the clean tasteful graphics, the twin deck rails and it’s a closed bow with big power, which I like. Ray worked closely with Chris Camire on it throughout the build process.

All hand made, vacuum bagged and custom to order. Ray worked closely with the Chris on the build, beautiful colors.

Originally, Ray opted for a stock MerCruiser 496 HO and Bravo, getting an impressive 70 MPH. But, as most enthusiasts do, they want more. Ray found a carbureted HP 500 and had a Whipple supercharger installed, tuned by Art Whipple himself, good for about 850 HP. That engine ran great until 2015. The current engine is a custom 548 cubic inch with a blower.

From Ray, “It now has a custom built 548 c.i., Whipple-charged 1150hp engine dialed in by Aaron Fluent at Absolute Speed and Marine of Lake Havasu City, AZ on a single IMCO SCX outdrive with an SC lower. It has a FAST EFI conversion kit by Comp Cams that was tuned by Brian Macy of the EFI Store, also in LHC.”

“I currently run a 32-pitch, five-blade Hydromotive propeller or a 34-pitch, four-blade Mercury labbed prop but am getting a five-blade Mercury Max-5 for better overall performance. I've seen 106 mph with the four-blade but expect better with the new prop.” This is incredible, especially considering the boat has a full stereo and a cabin full of amenities.

With 1150 HP, the Lavey really moves, 106 MPH with more there and this is a certified wave crusher.

The Lavey 2750 NuEra is really built for the rough stuff, featuring double ventilated steps, a 24 degree deadrise, 8’6” beam and a length overall of 28’6”. The 2750 hull has had success on the race course and is the same hull as the Lavey Craft 28 Evo and Evo R race models. There aren’t many nicer looking boats in this size range. With a slightly curved deck line, a low profile raised cockpit faring, the beautiful Lavey is all business. I love how it blends old school and new school, to this day it looks incredibly modern but has the specs of an old school offshore hull. The freeboard is generous, while the boat has that unmistakable low slung look.

Ray runs the boat mostly on Lake Havasu and sometimes will get it out on the Pacific. Since the original trailer has taken a beating over the years and the salt is never kind, he is upgrading to a custom Myco trailer very soon. The dash has been upgraded as well, featuring Livorsi silver dials with custom blue bezels, upgraded controls to Livorsi Platinum Series billet controls and an Isotta Carlotta steering to complete the custom makeover.

All new hardware make the boat really fresh. Custom Livorsi gauges are always a nice touch.

Ray and I spoke about the industry and how someone almost has to bring you into performance boats if you don’t grow up around them and it’s true. Ray is an incredible ambassador for performance boats and is a real enthusiast. He has always been super generous with his time and supportive, so if you see him crushing waves in the Lavey, say hello. Thanks for sharing your beautiful boat Ray.