Mercury Racing and Mercury MerCruiser engines powered 15 out
of 18 boats recognized by Powerboat Magazine in their annual “Awards for Product
Excellence.” Powerboat presents the awards to boat builders who survive the
extensive evaluation put forth by the magazine’s expert test team. The team
evaluated a total of 46 boats in a series of performance trials that were
featured in the December through April issues of Powerboat. The May, 2000 issue
of the world’s leading performance magazine features seven categories of boat
builder product excellence awards including Offshore, Offshore Sport Cruiser,
Sport Boat, Catamaran, Tow Boat, Production Runabout and Custom Runabout. In
addition to boat of the year honors, workmanship, performance and value were
recognized where appropriate in each category.
Mercury Racing Sterndrive engines powered seven boats to excellence and won the
praises of the Powerboat test team.
Outstanding Offshore Performance:
Powerquest 380 Avenger/Twin Mercury Racing HP500 EFI
“Powered by two Mercury Racing Hi-Performance 500EFI motors, the boat ran to a
top speed of 79.8 mph at 5200 rpm. Time to plane with the tabs down was 5.3
seconds, and in 20 seconds the boat ran 68 mph. Mid-range performance was
equally smart, as the 38?footer blasted from 30 to 50 mph in 5.4 seconds, 40 to
60 mph in 6.5 seconds and 40 to 70 mph in 12.3 seconds.”
Offshore Boat of the Year:
Donzi 38 Daytona/Twin Mercury Racing HP600SC
“First and foremost, the 38 Daytona performed. On glassy smooth water coupled
with nasty Florida humidity, the boat used the force from its twin 550-hp
Mercury Racing Hi-Performance 600SC motors to run 83.2 mph at 5,300 mph. In
better speed-run conditions, perhaps with a touch of chop, we estimate the boat
could run 85 mph or better.”
Outstanding Offshore Workmanship:
Baja 40 Outlaw SST/Triple Mercury Racing HP500 EFI
“The 40?6?-long, 8?6?-wide model was conceived, constructed and rigged with
serious attention to detail, which makes it the winner of our Outstanding
Offshore Workmanship award.? ?Baja installed the three Mercury Racing
Hi-Performance 500EFI motors in fine fashion, going with thru-bolted L-angles
for the two side-by-side motors aft and a four-point offshore mount/L-angle
configuration for the forward powerplant.”
Custom Runabout of the Year:
Ultra 247 XS/Single Mercury Racing Scorpion 377 Sterndrive
“A hot-rod boat deserves a hot-rod engine, and the 360-hp Mercury small-block is
certainly that.? ?The 247 XS ran a radar-recorded top speed of 70.6 mph at 5300
rpm.” “Change nothing, folks.” “Equipped with a Scorpion 377 engine from Mercury
Racing, the 24’7″-long, 78′-wide bowrider captivated every member of our test
team.”
Catamaran of the Year:
Douglas Marine Skater 36/twin Mercury Racing HP500
“We’ve run the Skater 36 before in pleasure versions. This year, we tested the
36′-long, 10’6″-wide catamaran in Factory 3 race form, which primarily meant it
had two Mercury Racing Hi-Performance 500 engines and an extra bulkhead. Our
boat, privately owned by Team Yahoo Racing, also had a 112.846-mph kilo record
to its credit.”
Sport Boat of the Year:
Wellcraft 26 Excalibur/Single Mercury Racing HP500 EFI
“Forget the hype” when it comes right down to it, there aren’t all that many
production sport boats that can run an honest 70 mph. Our test boat did-70.4 mph
at 5200 rpm to be exact, The boat’s 470-hp fuel-injected motor also provided
enough juice for the 5,200-pounder to pop on plane in 4.5 seconds with the trim
tabs down (5.8 seconds with the tabs neutral.)” “When we got on the throttle in
the mid-range, where bragging rights are most often decided, the boat snapped
from 30 to 50 mph in 6.1 seconds and from 40 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds.”
Outstanding Sport Boat Value:
Baja H2X/Single Mercury Racing Scorpion 377 Sterndrive
“With that power under the hatch of the 24? long, 8?4?-wide H2X, the boat turned
out to be one wild ride for our test team.? ?The numbers were strong-64.5 mph at
5100 rpm.? ?In mid-range tests, the H2X went from 20 mph to 40 mph in 6.1
seconds and from 30 mph to 50 mph in 8.1 seconds.”
Mercury MerCruiser Sterndrive engine packages were the power behind of eight
Product Excellence Awards including Outstanding Offshore Value, a Shockwave 29
Magatude powered by twin Mercury MerCruiser 7.4 MPIs, Outstanding Sport Boat
Performance, an Eliminator 260 Eagle powered by a single Mercury MerCruiser 454
Magnum MPI, Outstanding Sport Boat Workmanship, a Donzi 28ZX powered by twin
Mercury MerCruiser 350 Magnum MPIs, Outstanding Runabout Value, a Rinker 212
Captiva powered by a single Mercury MerCruiser 5.7 EFI, Outstanding Runabout
Workmanship, a Formula 260 Bowrider powered by a single Mercury MerCruiser 7.4
MPI, Production Runabout of the Year, a Chaparral 230 SSi powered by a single
Mercury MerCruiser 350 Magnum MPI and Offshore Sport Cruiser of the Year, a
Fountain 32′ Sport Fish Cruiser powered by twin Mercury MerCruiser 454 Magnum
MPI engine packages.
Mercury Racing and Mercury MerCruiser congratulate our boat builder partners on
these prestegious awards.
By: Rick Mackie, Mercury Racing, Mercury Marine
