Second Skater 318 Catamaran Hits 120 MPH

Skater Powerboats Peter Hledin and Tyson Garvin took the latest 318 catamaran for an impressive ride today. All photos courtesy/copyright Paul Rose/Seriousoffshore.com.

In a test session today on Lake Michigan about eight miles from the Skater Powerboats facility in Douglas, Mich., the second Skater 318 catamaran powered by twin Mercury Racing Verado 400R outboard engines reached 120 mph. One of seven Skater 318 models currently on order, the catamaran was piloted by Tyson Garvin.

Skater principal Peter Hledin and his crew set up the 31-footer with Mercury Racing CNC 15-1/4” x 33” propellers. Last Thursday, Peter Hledin, and Skater Powerboats national sales manager Tony Cutsuries hauled the boat to Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago for a testing and dial-in session with Mercury Racing product manager Mike Griffiths. But while the sea trial was productive, the water conditions proved too rough for serious top-speed runs. So they continued today on their local waters.

Click here to watch a video of the latest Skater Powerboats 318 in action.

“We learned from the first boat and made a couple of changes,” said Peter Hledin.

Added Cutsuries, “The engines were running 7,000 rpm and we were on the limiters with the 33s. It’s fast, man, for an outboard boat. And it’s solid.”

Perhaps the most impressive aspects of the Skater 318’s performance are its ability to cruise at more than 100 mph and handle rough water, as the boat saw plenty of both this weekend.

For more images of the boat in action check out the slideshow above.

Peter Hledin and Tyson Garvin ran up the coast Saturday on Lake Michigan at 105 to 110 mph. “We ran 120 miles, mostly over 105 mph,” said Garvin. “And the ride was awesome.”

Given its stunning performance and sexy profile, it’s no wonder that the Skater 318 catamaran is leading the company’s sales.

Editor’s note: To read a first-person account and view more images by Paul Rose of the second Skater 318’s test session, click here.

Story Update: Since this story was published, the second Skater 318 reportedly reached a top speed of 122 mph with 35-inch pitch propellers, according to Skater’s Tony Cutsuries.

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