Promarine?

[JMSCARD]

That's a pretty poor example though. Both boats in your example look like Chinese spaceships and aren't very fast. It's pretty easy to choose the one that performs better, because the other one doesn't have much to offer beyond that. If you compare a boat that looks like a real boat and is fast to one that is super wide and corners well, you have a different discussion.
There are a lot of boats out there that look great and go fast, but aren't ideal for heat racing. There are also boats that corner quite well but look more like a toy boat than a real boat, and are somewhat limited in straight-line potential. I think both types have their place, as well as some models that land right in the middle of the spectrum.

I've seen the Promarine model run enough to say that it's NOT a miss. The hull works. The remaining question is more in regards to which one of these categories it fits. It's either the heat race boat (and definitely the best looking one I've seen if that's the case), or it's the in-between. It's definitely not a straight-line only boat.

Keith I have no soft spot for sv's that's for sure :) more I'd like boats to handle more then zoom zoom... And I do care what they look like, and bravo promarine it the boat looks good and handles well, I like to have my cake and eat it too... And my favorite cake are boats that I can run wide open a lot, not just in sprints... I think Tony got what I was saying and you might have just read it different! I guess the hobby is different to everyone... But I like running around the corners as fast as the straits, but I like a good looking boat too, I still like them fast of course but if it can't turn at a rapid rate I'm not having as much fun.

[skater368]

Our boats are built to go around a course quickly. NOT JUST IN A STRAIGHT LINE. they accomplished both.
good luck everyone.

[rayzerdesigns]

in az huh, care to comment on who? if he is a racer, I would know him

[T.S.Davis]

Finally got my grubbies on one. LOTS of potential in my opinion. Didn't get to see it run though. We weren't really there for that yesterday. Plus, who would have guessed mid 60's in December for us? WTH!

Fit and finish is good.
Paint scheme is killer.
The seam where many of us experienced cracking on our other RTR cats is reinforced with more cloth.
TFL motor mount/servo rail assembly looked like it would stay put. They didn't always on the HK Pursuits. Think they've fixed that now.
The bottom is really close on the one we saw. It has some of the classic characteristics of mass production that could use a little blueprinting. Really minor though. Nothing like some we've seen. I don't think anybody will be sheeting one.
The edges are pretty sharp right out of the box.
I didn't measure but the steps are truly stepped. Not just a ventilated pad like the early Geico.
There are strakes and a chime ridge. Not sure how that will effect it in a race. I don't think I've seen that before. I suspect it will need to stay on top of the water instead of letting it settle to turn like we do with say a Mystic for example. Time will tell.
Stuffing tube is stainless with teflon.
Hardware is the same as the Genesis with the offset rudder bracket. Pretty standard. Works.
I did not look at the radio but being TFL it's likely a Flysky with very basic functions. They work.

Overall I was pretty impressed with the boat. We'll definitely put it through the wringer come spring.

Oh also, it comes in a nice box. haha I know we're not supposed to care about that but if we/us/FE want to see more boats in more hands these will eventually need to be on shelves. It's the point of nice packaging. "Oh, what's that!? I want that!" Shiny object disorder. We all have it. Brown paper sack doesn't look good on a shelf. Works for Traxxas. Those Spartans are sketchy but they still sell them. At least these aren't junk.

Mike's going to sell a skillion of these.

[Flying Scotsman]

Thanks Terry for the report...finally some decent info on this hull!!!...now I have some interest....Skater, please offer without a radio and/or a bare hull


Douggie

[T.S.Davis]

Mike's going to sell a skillion of these.

Which is of course very nearly a poop ton.

[ray schrauwen]

I'd love one but, I don't have 1000 Canadian loonies for one!!!

[skater368]

https://www.promarinerc.com

they are available in ARTR with no radio gear.
Thank you for posting your thoughts are my boat and my Company. I set out to do just what you said, Build a better boat, a great looking boat and a great runner which you will see it does.

[skater368]

and the boat lived up to my HYPE !

[Doby]

TFL does build a nice boat.

[Jeff Wohlt]

I ran a Charger Bass boat for about 20 years. A sweet little 17 footer with a hot Johnson 150 and props done by Bill Seebold, Sr. It was blistering fast but my point is...a hull with Chines makes all the difference when running trimmed up at 80 mph. When Bob Cox redesigned Charger in 1985, (formerly Champion boat partner) one major component was getting that hull to ride high and ride on the rear pad with little to no chine walking.. redesigned and longer strakes were added. I was one of the first to have the newer design because the factory was an hour from me and we knew they were everything a bass fisherman wanted and I was always a Charger fan...fast, dry ride, Very deep front V and could corner. So chines should give you the opportunity to trim higher and be stable... certainly in v-hulls...cats will blow over at some point but when on the edge it will make the boat ride stable. Congrats to Mike for making more than just another regular copied hull bottom. There are cats we all call stepped and then there are true steps designed for true performance...not just to vent a hull. The offshore racers know the difference and the design elements as they get to work and give input to their manufacturers in tuning a hull.

[Darin Jordan]

...not just to vent a hull. The offshore racers know the difference and the design elements as they get to work and give input to their manufacturers in tuning a hull.

One of the issues, however, with "true steps", is that they are designed to provide OPTIMAL performance at ONE SPEED. Everywhere else, they are a compromise and an actually hurt performance. Since water and weight don't "scale", I imagine what works on the real boats may not have a similar effect at our scale.

That's why some of the RTR Cats out there, that are designed to perform well at a multitude of performance levels, have more "OPC" like ride surfaces, with "vents" instead of "steps".

Jay Turner provided me with a white paper detailing the mathematics and design elements regarding stepped hulls vs. ramped hulls vs. continuous ride surfaces. Interesting read.

Each design has it's benefits and each has it's pitfalls.

Good Job to Mike if he figured out how to balance these for our power levels. It'll be nice having more options for our racers out there!

[Jeff Wohlt]

No doubt about it, Darin. ... nothing compares real racing to a toy boat...no trim adjustments while running on our little riggs, etc. I was working on that at one time and have some drawings and ideas but never built one. As in tunnel hull racing, the boat would never corner like they do unless they had a fast trim down...which most are 24volt...or at least Tim Seebolds is.

Always changes in the boat racing industry and they continue to make small changes but for the vast design...it remains the same.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Obviously design of the tunnel and lift for a cat is critical as well. That is why many big cats have an adjustable rear gate they were working with for several years. Have not seen that for a while.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Would be nice to have Jay explain a little on another thread about these dynamics.