Speedster Powerboats
Folks in other parts of the country love to take shots at West Coast boat companies, saying they don’t make boats that can run well in the ocean. They haven’t seen the 3200 SS from Speedster Powerboats.
This twin-engine sit-down hot rod is loosely based on a design that was originally developed as a single-engine canopied 32’ Cougar offshore raceboat. Dan MacNamara, one of the co-founders of Speedster, was the throttleman and crew chief for that raceboat. When he campaigned the boat on the American Power Boat Association national circuit, MacNamara knew that the twin-stepped bottom would work well for a recreational performance boat.
NEW INSURANCE FOR FAST CENTER CONSOLES
“When I stripped the boat after the Offshore A class went away, I always had in the back of my mind it would make a great pleasureboat,” said MacNamara. He modified the bottom, changing the angle of attack on the center pad and added center strakes that he extended to run full length so the boat feels as if it’s riding on a pad. Finally for proper and to fit twin engines in the boat’s 7’6” beam, he staggered them. “I figured with a pair of big blocks and Bravos it would be unstoppable,” said MacNamara. The photo of the boat accompanying this article was taken when MacNamara was running in 4’ swells off Long Beach, Calif.
With a pair of Mercury Racing HP 525 EFIs, the 3200 SS tops 100 mph and with a pair of the 430-hp MerCruiser 8.2 MAGs, which you can have warranted for up to five years, it runs 84 mph. Speedster is also offering a 26’ non-stepped single-engine boat that was a former national champion and kilo speed record holder in the Offshore A class.
The 3200 SS, which features seating for five people behind quarter canopy windscreens, measures 32’ long and weighs 6,000 pounds. It’s built with vacuum-bagged construction that includes vinylester resin and multidirectional fiberglass around a balsa core. You can pay extra for epoxy construction. The hull-to-deck joint is capped and finished on the outside, eliminating the need for a rubrail and increasing the need for good docking skills. Standard equipment includes full hydraulic steering, Mercury Racing K-plane trim tabs and indicators, high-performance controls and more. Retail pricing starts at $140,000 with twin 345-hp small-blocks and so powered, it should run about 75 mph.
