Trick Powerboats 23 Widebody: Passion and Experience Create a Winning Compact Sport Cat
In the compact sport catamaran space there are a few options but realistically if you want something new and cutting edge, the Trick 23 widebody is the one. A full windscreen, excellent performance with modern power, and a size that can meet most performance boaters expectations. Jeff Haag designed the boat and used his decades of experience to create a truly unique offering. And the market has responded; Trick has orders leading up to 2026. Here’s a behind the scenes look at the company after I visited the factory in South Carolina. The Trick team includes; Lee Dashiell, Pat Vella and Jeff’s wife Rita; along with skilled workers building the boats..
First, Jeff wanted to build something that had to check a lot of boxes. A new compact sport cat would have to be fast, stable, practical, and look like it was a modern boat. Many hulls out there are from designs that are over 20 years old. Jeff has worked with some of the leading boat builders over the years, from ground up design and tooling to building his own boats under the Trick name for about 8 years before building boats overseas. The original Trick 21 was a cool little cat, and like most true tunnels in that size it had a bit of a hop in the mid range speeds, and was quite small by todays standards. Jeff wanted to use his knowledge to get the performance he wanted and the look, yet maintain a good value.
You can run a single or twins with the Trick 23
The key attributes of the new 23 are the widebody design; it has a really generous 8’5” beam. One was in the mold when I visited the factory and it’s a big 23. The cockpit depth was a really interesting part of the design process, because as Jeff explained, he wanted you to be in the cockpit behind the windshield yet it still needed to be low and sleek. Obviously the tunnel depth and cockpit design dictate that. Jeff spent years designing this boat and it shows.
With four sport seats and storage in the back, the 23 is really able to be a family hauler.
For performance, he knew he wanted the hull to be drama free, to be able to handle big singles and twins if someone wanted. The “Trick” was the unique twin step hull with a raised center pod, where at low speed the V pod keeps the boat flat, and once up to speed is completely out of the water. Additionally, the steep deadrise of the center pod makes a really soft landing in the event of running through some chop, whereas flat center pods can really compress the water. With the Trick, you get the performance of a true tunnel, from speed to sharp handling, but none of the compromises. The tunnel width is 55”.
A good picture of the 55” tunnel and raised V center pod. The Trick 23 can pack air, run like a tunnel but eliminates the negative traits of a small tunnel like mid range hop.
Virtually everything is done in house, including the unique sport seats that have an automotive performance design which are comfortable but slim and not bulky or heavy. Trick makes the composite seat and instead of using foam and filler covered in vinyl, they attach thin cushions to the shell, like a Recaro RCS seat. I love the modern minimalist interior and 4 bucket layout. The Trick 23 is all business. The most recent build featured a Gulf Blue paint job and a Mercury Racing 400R.
The windshield is form and function. The seats are a really race inspired shell with different upholstery options.
Jeff really focused on the construction where everything about the layup was to be strong or light but not a compromise in anyway. They do a solid fiberglass running surface and core the rest. This provides a really solid build, slightly heavier but no chance of delamination on the running surface. Over time, cored bottoms can compress and create voids, leading to problems in the long run. Closed cell foam core is infused using vinyl ester resin throughout the rest of the hull and deck. Composite bulkheads and knees create the rigid structure, and the transom is overbuilt and fully capped at the top with a thick tab to reinforce it. Overall, it weights about 1,400 lbs unrigged.
Everything is purpose built to add strength and be as light as possible.
Because of the strong demand, with orders into the fall of 2026, Trick is adding more workers and expanding the factory. This really speaks to how well received the new 23 widebody is to the market. There is a real sweet spot for this boat; fast, drama free, compact and great value.
The Trick is built to last and be as strong and light as possible. With foam core panels, and a beefy structure, the 23 widebody is built for the long haul. All boats are painted beautifully in 2 or 3 colors. 27 gallon tanks are positioned aft of the rear bulkhead.
In the end, Jeff and the team put together a boat that was designed from the ground up and probably lived in Jeff’s head for years before he designed it. Even then the 23 wide body took a little longer than he originally thought, there are just so many details they wanted to get right. To me, the single Mercury Racing 300R is a perfect combo, running just under 100 MPH and makes for a well priced turnkey package. If you want more performance, a single 400R runs about 108 MPH, the 500R has yet to be run but two are in the pipe being built. Twin 300R can run well over 120 MPH quite easily but I personally think a single is the ticket on this. I’m going to head back to South Carolina to go for a run when one is ready. Jeff’s business partner Lee has put together great pictures and videos of the boats running on Lake Murray. This is a fantastic sport cat, and I really can’t wait to run one.
The Trick 23 Widebody getting ready for finishing work.
