Countdown To Miami 2022: Outerlimits To Showcase Pair Of 37-Foot Catamarans

In a purely literal way, the Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats presence at the Miami International Boat Show, February 16-20, could be the “smallest”—at least when it comes the size of the new boats on display—in the almost 30-year history of the company. But with its first two SC 37 catamarans at the show, one in the Miami Convention Center and another elsewhere available for scheduled demos, the 2022 show is a big deal as it marks the Bristol, R.I., builder’s official entry into the thriving outboard engine-powered, sport cat segment.

Outerlimits will exhibit two SC 37 catamarans—including this one—at the upcoming Miami International Boat Show. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

By way of contrast, in 2019 and 2020 Outerlimits showcased 46-foot, stern-drive-engine-powered catamarans, not to mention a 40-plus-foot V-bottom or two, at the annual Miami event.

The first SC 37 built, a mostly white model owned by a Connecticut-based repeat client, will serve as the company’s demo boat. In a test session earlier today on Mount Hope Bay, the 37-footer hit 131 mph.

“The boat was on rails all the way up there,” said Dan Kleitz, the company’s national sales manager. “I think there’s more speed left in it. We are still testing and dialing in, but it is rock-solid at 130 mph.”

Earlier today, the first Outerlimits SC 37 catamaran achieved its best top speed to date.

Hull No. 2 will be inside the Miami Convention Center at the Outerlimits display. That boat is owned by loyal customer Vinnie Diorio of Wisconsin, who also campaigns a 39-foot Outerlimits catamaran in offshore racing’s Supercat class.

Diorio tasked Stephen Miles of Stephen Miles Design in Owensboro, Ky., to create the graphic design for the boat. The cat will be wrapped by Massachusetts-based Outerlimits client Brian Mihelis of AdPro Design, who like Miles is another longtime Diorio friend, and Miles’ paintwork will be limited to the cowlings of the boat’s twin Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines.

Though the design process between Miles and his multi-time client could be described as combatively collaborative, both are delighted with the finished product.

Massachusetts-based AdPro Design will handle wrapping Diorio’s 37-footer in graphics created by Stephen Miles Design.

“I spent a bunch of time doing his first three designs, but it had curved lettering on the sides,” Miles said, then chuckled. “So I did a completely different design on the sides per Vinnie‘s request. I came up with the final design myself very quickly and he loved it.”

Countered Diorio with a laugh of his own, “I had to argue with him about some tweaks I wanted to make and he told me I was nuts. I said, ‘Do it anyway’ and when he got all done with it he said, ‘Yeah that’s cool.’”

According to Kleitz, the builder may still have another new build—of the big V-bottom variety—in its Miami display.

“I’m still working on it,” he said. “In the meantime, people who are interested in demo rides in our cat should call me at the factory and make an appointment. We will be running scheduled demo rides out of Grove Harbour Marina, our go-to marina South Florida.”

Editor’s note: Dan Kleitz can be reached at 860-729-7304.

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