Mungle to Test Gone Again Team’s Skater 368 with Re-Tooled Rudder

Though the final name of Kenny Mungle’s Skater 368 catamaran has yet to be determined, according to its owner, work on the eventual replacement for the 32-foot Gone Again Skater made famous by Mungle in top-speed events around the country, is continuing in earnest at TNT Custom Marine in Miami. John Tomlinson and his crew at TNT should receive and install the boat’s completely retooled rudder this week—the machining was handled by Apex Manufacturing and Design LLC in Joplin, Mo.—so that he and Mungle can test the 36-footer, which currently is powered by a pair of 1,550-hp supercharged Sterling Performance engines next week.

“The original rudder had a hook in it,” said Mungle. “It was off an eighth-of-an-inch off from top to bottom. We had that corrected by Tyson Garvin at Apex. We also took the pivot point and moved it back, and also machined a nice edge in front so it will cut through the water instead of push it. We’re confident it will make a huge difference in the way the boat is handling. In moving the center point back, the rudder will be steering the boat rather than the water trying to steer the rudder.”

Before Mungle has his 36-footer’s twin engines converted to make 1,950 hp a side, he’ll spend much of the off-season getting to know the boat. Photo courtesy/copyright Jay Nichols/Naples Image.

In addition to removing the catamaran’s rocker plates and having the notches in the sponsons created to accommodate them filled in by the Guardado Marine glass shop, TNT completely re-rigged its engine compartment. That job included replacing the original engine-mounting rail system with a new one, as well as installing two-speed transmissions.

Once the work at TNT is complete, Mungle will take the Skater 368 back to his home near Houston, Texas. For “practice during the off-season,” he said he’ll run the boat on its current 575-cubic-inch, PSI-blower equipped engines. Before the top-speed shootout season begins, he’ll send the engines back to Mike D’Anniballe at Sterling Performance in Milford, Mich., for conversion to the company’s twin-turbocharger platform, which in its first version made 1,700 hp. Since then, D’Anniballe has substantially increased the power output for the turbo package.

“They’re making a true 1,950 hp on the dyno now,” said Mungle. “Mike has done some fine-tuning.”

Mungle to Test Gone Again Team’s Skater 368 with Re-Tooled Rudder

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