Smooth and Speedy

The benefits of wake-adapted running gear can pay big dividends

- Capt. Karl Anderson

Technology and engineering continue to play a significant role in the advancement of sport-fishing boats. Improvements in those technologies and the many facets of engineering throughout a boat have given us speeds that were unheard of 20 years ago, and it's not just because we have so much more horsepower. Some of the most obvious benefits are certainly better-riding, better-performing and more-efficient boats of all sizes, thanks to some major developments in hull design as well as the use of modern composite construction materials and their application techniques. Computer-aided design programs such as Siemens Star CCM+ and the older but tried-and-true-Autocad for 2D and 3D rendering, Rhinoceros for 3D solid modeling, and Maxsurf and NAPA for bottom design all include tools to measure stability and resistance of the hull bottom. Each of these computer technologies, combined with fluid-dynamics analysis and testing platforms within the software, has given modern hull design a space-age boost of improvement.

Basically, a naval architect can predict-and prove-how the boat will run when given a certain weight and horsepower directly on the computer screen, long before the first bit of glass or timber is ever applied to the build.

THE NEED FOR SPEED