Aug 28

Aug 28 Offshore Racing Gets a Breath of Fresh Air: A New Stock Single Engine Cat Class

When it comes to offshore racing, there are a few classes for single engine V hulls and the Class 700 is the most accessible as a single engine outboard. But if you want to get into an outboard cat, right now it’s the Super Stock twin 300R boats, and the 450R class. Bother are really exciting and popular but are generally for experienced racers and those with a substantial budget. That might change very soon. A new single engine catamaran class will feature 23’ to 26’ hulls with up to a 8.5” beam and a horsepower limit to keep the boats fast yet safe.

You could say the UIM 3C class inspired the new class and it did to a degree but the American class will have a few safety features that make the boats a little heavier and probably use different power. I think this is going to be an extremely popular class and here is why.

This is a 3.4L V6, Mercury Racing already has APX racing versions of the V6 and V8, but I think the new class will feature and engine closer to a R version in the 225 or 250 HP range.

For one, many class 7 teams are running older hulls and want to move up to faster speeds, while also having aspirations of racing Super Stock or Stock 450R one day. The single engine cats should probably end up doing about 85 MPH to 90 MPH, weigh around 3,000 to 3,300 pounds and have a safe 2 man canopy. I spoke with Todd DeFilipps about the new race class and he has had an overwhelming response to his new hull that is being tested. I saw the boat in Sheboygan Wisconsin, it looks awesome, and I really believe this could be the most popular class in offshore racing that we have seen in a long time.

Todd has been working on the boat itself for over a year and he’s convened with Rich Luhrs and Shaun Torrente, who is testing the boat, and others. The boat I saw was being tested with a Mercury 3.4L V6 with an offshore mid, tie bar and sport master gearcase. There is a debate about which engine to run, as the boats are heavier than the European class but whether it runs a V8 250 or V6 225, the idea of a more affordable boat and really reliable power for them is very attractive.

The Wicked Powerboats 24' Super Stock Lite test boat.

Being able to run unrestricted to around 85 to 90 MPH will make for some very competitive races, while giving teams lots of opportunities to test different setups. Todd’s company, Wicked Powerboats, will be making hulls and the class is open to other boat makers. Because Todd has racing experience on the water as well as on the technical side inspecting race engines, he’s been instrumental in moving this forward. I think others have stated their interest in the class as well so it is going to be well received and supported initially. Although it is not confirmed, the name for the new offshore race class might be “Super Stock Lite.”

I love that this new race boat could be a really safe and competitive class for those looking to get into offshore boat racing but also let’s someone graduate to the faster cats in time. Expect to hear much more very shortly about the specs and engine selection. I anticipate a V8 based 250 HP but I’m hoping it’s a tuned V6. This is a great direction for offshore powerboat racing.