On our last visit to Iconic Marine in Washington, N.C., to see the Fountain 40 Raceboat being prepped for a future attempt at the APBA/FIM Unlimited Vee Bottom speed record, Ben Robertson called our attention to the Livorsi 1050 stepped trim tabs the team had recently mounted on the boat. Stepped hulls have been around forever, with the steps designed to aerate the running surface and reduce drag with the water. The same idea applies to the Livorsi tabs.
“Standard, non-stepped tab designs stick to water, reducing speed, performance, and efficiency,” explains a Livorsi tech document. “Livorsi stepped tabs introduce air via a number of different grooves, channels and steps, reducing that stickiness and making the tab faster and more efficient. These tabs perform flawlessly in all sea conditions and can make your boat more fuel efficient compared to a non-stepped tab. For performance-based applications, the stepped design allows the tab to release from the water stream faster, reducing drag and providing an overall faster boat.”
The Livorsi stepped trim tabs are offered in two styles; the 1050 model with a square end shape and 299 square inches of surface area and the 1150 model “fishtail” design with 314 square inches of surface area. Both mount on Livorsi 12-inch wide transom plates or on 14-inch wide Mercury plates for retrofits. Both models can be fitted with optional four- or six-inch LED underwater lighting or with a Garmin Panoptix™ PS30 Down sonar transducer. These billet aluminum trim tabs are mil-spec hard coat anodized and topped with a powder coat finish to prevent corrosion. The powder coat is offered in 11 color options. All hinge pins and hardware are stainless steel. Five anodes complete saltwater protection. Transom angles are adjustable without the use of special tools. Hydraulic cylinders are designed for 1500 PSI working pressure with dual seals. Custom logos are available.
