Speed On The Water Video To Chronicle Class 1 Skater Build

The driving force behind Skater Powerboats in Douglas, Mich., Peter Hledin hasn’t built a dedicated Class 1 raceboat since the early 1990s. But with Tyler Miller’s planned entry into the Class 1 offshore racing ranks next season, that’s about to change. Equally historic, Miller’s Skater 438 catamaran also will be the first Class 1 raceboat completely built to meet the most current Union Internationale Motonautique safety and construction standards.

Since these photos were taken, lamination of the new 43-footer’s hull and deck has been completed. Next up is marrying the hull to the deck—and the Speed On The Water video crew will be there to capture it all.

Speed On The Water is producing a video covering the historic Skater 438 raceboat build for the Kansas-based, Super Cat-class M CON team owner. The same crew behind the Speed On The Water “In The Lead” video series is tackling the project, which is being backed by M CON, Performance Boat Center and P1 Offshore/Powerboat P1.

“The thought that the new Class 1 build is the first of its kind in many years is very exciting, but thinking about the amazing people dedicated to building a masterpiece is even more exhilarating,” said Miller. “Skater Powerboats backed by world-class rigging from Mark Waddington’s Performance Boat Center makes the suspense for this Class 1 project off the depth charts.”

In addition to joining Class 1 next season, Tyler Miller will continue competing alongside Myrick Coil in the Super Cat class.

The significance—current and historic—is not lost on P1 Offshore/Powerboat P1 chief executive officer Azam Rangoonwala.

“Having Skater Powerboats—a leading powerboat manufacturer—build a boat specifically for our Class 1 Championship Series is an exciting development, one that fills me with increased confidence for the future of our race series,” Rangoonwala said.

Rangoonwala described Miller and his wife, Lindsey, as assets to the Class 1 team-owners group.

“Tyler and Lindsey have been amazing to deal with over the past few months talking about joining Class 1 and they are great ambassadors for the sport,” he said. “We look forward to them playing the same role for Class 1 next season.”

Miller and company, including Myrick Coil, who will not just drive the 43-footer powered by Mercury Racing 1100 Comp engines but will help manage the build, the rigging and the testing, are hoping to have the boat completed and dialed in for the 2023 Class 1 season-opener (May 18-21) in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

Performance Boat Center’s Myrick Coil will be closely involved in every aspect of the new 43-foot catamaran’s rigging and setup.

Handled by principal videographer Brad DiMaggio, shooting will begin in the next two to three weeks at Skater headquarters when the cat’s hull and deck are joined. From there, the Speed On The Water video team will capture the build through its major stages of engine compartment and cockpit rigging, painting and testing at Performance Boat Center. Based on the volume of boats rigged and their success on the racecourse, the Osage Beach, Mo., multi-brand dealership has become the nation’s leading offshore raceboat rigging outfit.

The video will debut before the team’s first race. Frequent teaser/update videos and stories will be released on speedonthewater.com throughout the build.

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