Offshore Catamaran of the Year

At this point in time, few custom high-end performance boatbuilder are more on their game than Marine Technology Inc. Randy Scism, Gary Stray and the rest of the hard-driving team at MTI have in the past few years, produced one mind-blowing catamaran after the next.

Based on the 42 Super Cat we tested in Sarasota, Fla., we can't see that changing anytime soon. The 42-footer was everything we've come to expect in an MTI creation, meaning fast, well mannered and finely constructed.

To power the 42 Super Cat, MTI opted for a couple of Mercury Racing HP1075SCi engines linked to No. 6 dry-sump drives with Hering 38"-pitch five-blade propellers. With that propulsion package, the catamaran reached 153.8 mph before less-than-optimal, windy conditions forced us to back off. Rest assured, the cat still had more top speed left.

Even propped as it was for top-end, the 9,500-pound cat provided solid standing-start and midrange acceleration. It came on plane in 6.1 seconds and reached 74 mph about 14 seconds later. The boat ran from 40 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds and from 40 to 70 mph in 9 seconds.

In addition to carving through turns in a clean fashion, the 42 Super Cat dominated the 1- to 2-foot seas offshore. We have no doubt that the cat could handle bigger - as in much bigger - water.

Part of our confidence is based on the 42 Super Cat's construction, which from the tooling to the paint work deftly handled by Visual Imagination of Kansas City, Mo., was jaw-dropping. Gary Stray might well be the best rigger in the business, and his work in our test boat's engine compartment, right down to the color-matched yellow mesh covers for the wire looms, provided ample evidence of his formidable talents.

With no cabin, the 42 Super Cat was all cockpit with two high-back bucket seats up front and two individual buckets, rather than a traditional aft bench. There wasn't a bad seat in the boat thanks to the wraparound acrylic fairing.

Given its recent, more-intricate projects, such as the Mercedes cat for offshore-racing legend Stuart Hayim, the 42 Super Cat was a simple boat. Simply perfect.

Marine Technology Inc. 42 Super Cat
Performance Test Results

For the Performance Report on the MTI 42 Super Cat, see "Elite Company," April 2006, Page 92.

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