Screaming Beauty
The new 28 Daytona Speedster from Eliminator Boats is as good looking and as powerful as sport catamarans come.

There’s no doubt Eliminator Boats was swinging for the fences when it began working on its latest sport catamaran—the 28 Daytona Speedster. But the Southern California boatbuilder didn’t just hit a home run with the sexy 28-footer. After testing the debut model at the 2009 Performance Trials, we can tell you that Eliminator knocked it out of the park.

Generally, a company’s first effort will have a fault or two, it’s just the nature of the business. But the 28 Daytona Speedster didn’t reveal any weaknesses. Between the stunning gelcoat, the jaw-dropping rigging and the boat’s lights-out performance, our Test Team could not pinpoint one thing we strongly disliked about the sport catamaran.

One thing we did establish was that the new-look 28 Daytona Speedster with its wraparound windshield should be all the rage.

PERFORMANCE

Using the proven 28 Daytona bottom, it was no surprise that Eliminator’s 28 Daytona Speedster received stellar marks in all of the performance categories. From handling chop on the Colorado River to turning at high speeds, lead test driver Bob Teague praised the 28-foot catamaran.

“This thing tracks perfectly all the time,” Teague said. “It turns well, it handles well, it’s comfortable and it goes over the bumps easily. And even though it was hot and we didn’t have ideal conditions for top-speed runs, we still were able to reach dang near 134 mph.”

Top speed in the 28 Daytona Speedster was in fact 133.9 mph on radar. At that speed, the twin Ilmor Marine MV-10 7-10 engines were turning 6,100 rpm and the boat felt rock-steady. To harness the boat’s 1,400 horsepower, Eliminator turned to IMCO Marine’s top-of-the-line Xtreme Advantage SCX drives and a pair of 32"-pitch Hering five-blade propellers. The combination didn’t disappoint as the catamaran cruised at 103 mph at 4,500 rpm.

The only place the 28-footer didn’t entirely impress our Test Team was in the acceleration department, and that was because the boat was propped primarily for top-end. It didn’t take too long to reach plane—6.6 seconds—but in 20 seconds from a standing start, the 7,400-pound boat was running 65 mph, nearly half of the boat’s top speed.

In the midrange, the boat was average. It needed 7 seconds to run from 30 to 50 mph and 6.5 seconds in the 40-to-60-mph drill. At the higher end of the spectrum, the sport cat took 13.5 seconds to go from 60 to 100 mph.

WORKMANSHIP

As good as the performance of the 28 Daytona Speedster was, the workmanship effort from Eliminator was even more impressive.

The boat featured an engine hatch that our workmanship inspector drooled over. Based on the 36 Daytona Speedster, Eliminator constructed a similar engine hatch that incorporated the sides of the boat. Lifting on a pair of hydraulic actuators, the hatch provided great access to the sides of the engines.

As usual, Eliminator did a fine job rigging the Ilmor engines. All the wiring was well supported and the engines were mounted on L-angles through-bolted to the stringers. The bilge was finished in yellow gelcoat and, in a nice touch, the builder gelcoated the section between the engines to match the boat’s graphics.

Featuring an orange and yellow base with gray, blue and purple streaks, the gelcoat was expertly done. Even the boat’s vinyl rubrail was painted to match. For added protection, Eliminator installed stainless molding at the front of the catamaran where it could potentially bump into the trailer guides.

The hardware on the boat was perfect for the 28 Daytona Speedster. Hardware included Accon Pop-Up cleats in clear bezels, flush fuel fills, billet engine hatch vents and a grab handle above the billet swim step. Last but not least, the installation of the all-new wraparound windshield from Aero-Marine was flawless. But Eliminator didn’t stop there. The builder painted the base purple with white pins to match the gelcoat.

INTERIOR

Sitting in the cockpit, which included a pair of low bucket seats and a four-person rear bench, our interior inspector also emphasized the sanitary installation of the three-piece wraparound windshield. He praised the visibility and the fact that it kept most of the wind off passengers in the back.

Also new for Eliminator was the upholstery, which was primarily gray and purple, and it too was nicely done. The gunwales were well padded with gray upholstery, but Eliminator’s Tony Charamonte said the company is working on an optional fiberglass liner for the cockpit that can be painted to match.

To starboard, the driver’s spot featured an IMCO tilt helm and a full complement of Livorsi Marine gauges in silver bezels. Centered above the wheel were two Monster-size tachometers. Although installing the 140-mph Monster GPS speedometer between the driver and co-pilot was nice for everyone else in the boat, a second one in front of the driver would be a bonus.

Bluewater accessory switches and trim tab indicators were mounted on the dash panel and high-end Latham Marine throttles and shifters were on an extension from the gunwale. Eliminator could have taken the easy route and carried the cockpit’s orange fade across the dash panel, but it didn’t. The builder kept the deck’s graphics going right onto the dash.

Below the speedometer centered on the dash was a cutout for access to the cabin, make that a carpeted stowage compartment that included a pair of coolers in dedicated recesses. Other stowage consisted of a carpeted locker under the rear bench, cargo pockets in the back of the bucket seats and a billet glove box ahead of the co-pilot.

OVERALL

No doubt, the 28 Daytona Speedster looked sharp, but appearance isn’t everything. Fortunately for Eliminator Boats, the debut model, which cost $405,000, was a performer. It took full advantage of the 1,400 hp, was as solid as a sport catamaran comes and was a total blast to drive.

Who are we kidding? With looks that sexy, it wouldn’t matter if the 28-footer ever left the docks or the local sandbar.