Sterling 1700-Powered Skater Back on The Water This Week

While the much-awaited Lake of the Ozarks Shootout debut of a Skater 388 Skater catamaran with twin 1,700-hp turbocharged engines from Sterling Performance fizzled thanks to a bent propeller shaft, according Sterling principal Mike D’Anniballe, the boat should hit the water this week. The boat currently is with David Wade Marine, the Baton Rouge, La.-based outfit that is dialing-in the 38-footer.

“They could be on the water today,” said D’Anniballe. “They were waiting for new propellers.”

The bent propeller shaft in one of the cat’s Mercury Racing No. 6 drives, which derailed the owner’s Lake of the Ozarks plans in late Augst, likely was damaged when one of the propellers threw a blade during testing in Louisiana the week before the event. Although the propeller shaft was replaced in time for the event, a new set of forged propellers was not readily available.