For several years now, thanks to modern construction techniques and new materials such as carbon fiber, more and more compact, light and resistant catamarans have developed. Two hulls connected by a connection structure called a bridge which, resting on the sea, glide with a stability, maneuverability and surprising speed such as to be used in speedboat speed races such as for example the class 1 of the Offshore World Championship that takes place in the open sea. One of the leading companies in the construction of these high performance catamarans is certainly the Skater founded in 1978 by Peter Hledin, boat designer, the first to use vacuum epoxy bagging techniques with S2 glass sandwich for the construction of the entire boat. , carbon fiber and balsa core.

 

 

It is now the most technologically advanced company in the construction of high-performance motor boats, the first in the world for the production of catamarans for offshore championships, winning numerous world and national titles and speed records.

In this regard, Peter Hledin made the following comment:

“The raw materials of a skater represent a much higher percentage of costs than anything else. We put carbon fiber in every boat, epoxy resin in every boat and we suck up every bag. We put a lot more money into the hull and deck than other manufacturers, while they put a lot more bling into the boat. “

A niche, that of hyper-fast boats which is a typical passion of the Americans and few others in the world, in addition to the teams that compete in offshore competitions, nonetheless it is a very competitive sector with companies that seek to hire the best professionals, many of these come from right from the formula 1 sea competitions.

The Skater uses the experience gained in the races to then build the same models set up in the pleasure version, maximizing comfort and more according to the directives of the buyers who are usually people with a large portfolio in search of the great pleasure that offers speed on the water. They are boats with attention to the smallest details with sunbathing areas in the bow, where there is almost never a cold room and a powerful stereo in the cockpit.

 

Every Skater catamaran is configured to capture all these elements and more to make the ride on the sea as pleasant and safe as possible with the clear conviction of producing the best possible motor boat and always improving it.

“Whatever customers want, we will do it. For me, getting a light and balanced boat is a priority from the start, “says Hledin.” When a person comes to buy this boat, I have to know what his expectations will be. You try to determine what customers want and we try to do better than that. We give them something that is beyond what is out there. We do it for every model we build. “

All Skater boats regardless of length ranging from 28 to more than 54 feet have a deep V-keel which allows the boat to have excellent stability, handling and responsiveness even in bad weather, thanks to the talented effort of Hledin and his team that focuses more on the design parameters of the hull bottom.

Furthermore, each model is made with the same construction technique and can be completely customized to meet the needs and expectations of each customer.

Among the range of performance catamarans that the Skater produces, the 388 is 38 feet long (11.58 m) and 11 wide (3.35 m) which weighs only 4,400 pounds (1,996 kg) and is the current winning model in the championship national and world offshore offshore with the speed limit of the boat exceeding 190 mph equal to about 306 km / h.

This 38-footer is an evolution of the 368 model, a 36-footer by Skater and offers more guarantee than the smaller cat in driving stability when the waters are more choppy and where evidently the extra 2 feet are felt.

For some experts in the sector, this model may be the best Skater product so far for both racing and pleasure craft, made to be equipped with the best engines in the world both in the inboard and outboard version as standard or supercharged because it is important to first have a Skater to then think about how to feed it.

In particular, excluding the engines used in races, the 388 can be equipped with a pair of Mercury Racing 400R outboards, thus obtaining speeds in excess of 115 mph. Remaining in the outboard version the boat can be pushed by two 450R engines which is the most powerful and reliable and technologically the most advanced of the moment of the Verado line made by Mercury Rancing launched on the market in 2019 with unprecedented emotional power for engines built in series 450 hp with 4.6 liter 8-cylinder V with a 2.4 volumetric compressor.

Or alternatively with an inboard version with 2 twin Mercury Racing QC4v 1,100 hp engines with this cavalry the 388 is able to easily exceed 160 mph. These are just some examples of motorization that the customer can choose.

This boat for fast boaters was built for the pleasure of racing with the entire cockpit of the command post covered with a fabulous upholstery, is protected by a wraparound windscreen that covers all the occupants of the boat, with the possibility of widening the width 10-inch standard that allows you to vary the numbers of passengers on board from 5 to 7 with the expanded configuration. On request, the boat can be enlarged even by 13 inches compared to the standard size thus able to accommodate up to eight passengers 4 forward, the central ones for pilot and co-pilot, and 4 on the bench immediately behind.

With the standard type there are 2 bucket seats, customized forwards for the pilot and co-pilot and behind on an ergonomic lowered bench with reinforced profile with ample legroom and another 4 seats for passengers. The two seats for the pilot and co-pilot are divided by a central support, where the throttle grips and the inverter knobs are installed separately to allow the pilot and co-pilot to divide the tasks during navigation.

The upholstery of the seats is coordinated with the color of the exterior of the boat with the stitching patterns made to perfection. From the paint to the interior, the boat can be customized according to the owner’s tastes and from a list of options and from the choice of numerous very bright hull colors.

The interior of the 388 like all the models in the range, comfort is simple, functional and not overly complicated, it is cared for exclusively to provide a feeling of safety on board. Safety, strength, reliability and comfort are the priorities, where Skater concentrates its efforts mainly.