PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) COURTESY HAMPTON PONTOONS, COURTESY MANITOU PONTOON BOATSTUBULAR
INNOVATION
Manitou’s designs are
easily recognized, due
to the stylized fiberglass
deck fencing and seat-
ing arrangements — not
to mention the gorgeous
paint jobs. But it’s un-
derneath where the de-
sign, setup and riggingproduce the speed and
handling characteristics
that make these ’toons
favorites among the per-
formance and show-o
fanatics. Manitou VP of
Operations Dave Curtis
designed and patented
Manitou’s V-Toon hulldesign, drawing on his
extensive snowmobile/
motocross racing and
performance pleasure-
boating background.
Manitou employs a
l arger (27-inch-diame-
ter) center tube between
the two smaller 25-inch-diameter outboard
tubes. This arrangement
eectively presents a
V shape to the water,
which delivers a ride
akin to that of a V-hulled
runabout. This design,
coupled with strategic
placement and shape of
the lifting strakes and
spray rails, produces flat
cornering and strong ac-
celeration, along with
enhanced top speed han-
dling. Manitou startedrigging twin-engine hulls
in 2017 with up to 600
hp. Recent packages with
twin Mercury Racing
Verado 400R outboards
have seen speeds of 73-
plus mph with factory
stock rigging.
PlayCraft pontoons,
even the lower-cost
Hampton series mod-
els, are all designed
with performance in
mind. With a single
Mercury Racing 400R
outboard, the 2685
Hampton hit 78 mph
at LOTO in 2017, with
Dorris’ wife, Carolyn,
handling the driving
chores. PlayCraft’s most
popular rig is its 27-foot
Xtreme with a single
Mercury Racing Verado
350 or 400R outboard;
speeds with the 350
are in the mid- to high
50s, while the 400R
tops 60 mph. The lat-
est popular package is
the “10 Wide” (10-foot-
wide) hull; at lengths
between 30 and 36 feet
and fitted with twin
350 Verados, speeds are
in the low to mid-60s;
with twin 400Rs, these
boats run just under 70
mph. PlayCraft employs
stepped running surfac-
es; much like perform-
ance oshore racers,
the steps relieve water
pressure under the
sponsons and aerate the
water, providing perfor-
mance gains from 2 to
nearly 5 mph (depend-
ing on the number, size
and shape of the steps)
over a conventional84 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2018