Art in Motion
Expertly constructed and long on performance, the 39 Evo from LaveyCraft is simply stunning.

Few boats are as eye-catching as a canopied V-bottom race boat with a clean flat deck. Done well by a number of builders, the look is at once contemporary and classic. And yet when it comes to pleasure use, few designs are as utterly impractical. Imagine trying to convince your spouse—trying to stay gender-neutral here—and kids to climb through the hatch and into the cockpit for a day on the water. Your first day out there would likely be your last.

But the look is compelling and fortunately there’s a compromise—the “half-canopy,” or more accurately, the full-cockpit wraparound windshield. And never has the sexy design been better realized than in the 39 Evo from LaveyCraft Performance Boats.

The first time we saw this 39-footer—the first one out of the molds—was during our Speed Roundup last spring. With twin Mercury Racing HP700SCi engines and NXT1 drives, it ran almost 110 mph on the Colorado River. This time around, the 39 Evo with the same staggered setup was a few ticks slower because of less-than-ideal conditions, but it was still lots of fun to drive.

PERFORMANCE

Among the strongest aspects of the 39 Evo’s performance was its turning ability. A deep carver, the boat grooved comfortably through sweeping turns, as well as aggressive slalom turns. It also did a great job mowing down the 1- to 2-foot, wind-whipped Colorado River chop in a head-on and following attack. The V-bottom was less sure-footed in quartering conditions, where the modified Mercury Racing 380S K-Planes—shortened by about 4 inches—came in handy.

Those tabs also proved useful in keeping the boat settled at top speed where, without dragging the tabs, balance proved delicate. But with the tabs down, the 1.5:1 ratio drives trimmed conservatively and the throttles punched all the way forward, the 39-footer felt rock solid at its 106.3-mph top speed.

Also with the tabs down, the boat came on plane in 6.4 seconds—not bad given the tall 37"-pitch Mercury CNC propellers. Bowrise during the process was substantial and that, combined with the top of the boat’s wraparound windshield, made forward visibility a challenge. Once it leveled off, the stepped V-bottom accelerated steadily and reached 82 mph in 20 seconds.

Having earned a strong reputation for producing midrange power—second only to their reputation for reliability—Mercury Racing’s HP700SCi engines certainly delivered lots of midrange punch. The 39 Evo ran from 30 to 50 mph in 4.7 seconds, from 40 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and from 40 to 70 mph in 8 seconds.

INTERIOR

The easiest way to get into the cockpit of the 39 Evo was to board from the stern. To this end, the fastback-style featured a nonskid “pass-through” center section with a removable cushion in the middle bucket seat.

Once in the cockpit, passengers will appreciate the three-place bucket-style bench seat. That’s always a better call than a straight-back bench when you’re dealing with a go-fast boat—and the 39 Evo certainly qualifies as that. LaveyCraft also earned praise for the seat padding.

The same plush padding was incorporated in the observer and driver seats, which had removable bottom cushions complemented by angled footrests. Far from the typical, no-frills co-pilot station, the spot to port featured a Northstar GPS, a Sony stereo system and a glove box with the LaveyCraft name laser-etched into its heavy billet lid.

Lacking nothing, the helm was outfitted with a second GPS unit, Livorsi Marine gauges mounted in silver rims and silver bezels, a Mercury SmartCraft VesselView monitor and Bluewater aircraft-style switches for the boat’s accessories. The throttles and shifters also were from Livorsi.

Below the windshield, the cockpit gunwales were not padded. However, there was padding at the windshield line. The LaveyCraft logo was neatly cut into the boat’s lay-in carpet.

The substantial cabin door opened to reveal an even more substantial cabin with 6 feet of headroom at the highest point, a horseshoe-shape lounge, a large V-berth and a suspended headliner. Cabin stowage was in the forward-most bulkhead, which had a hinged door and a twist-ring latch. Because the deck had no hatches, LaveyCraft used directional spotlights and indirect lighting behind valances for interior illumination.

Although the windshield swept aft and the cockpit was relatively deep, getting to the 39 Evo’s foredeck was a bit of a chore. That said, we’re not sure how often owners and their guests will need to get out there.

WORKMANSHIP

The same boat we tested on the Colorado River also attracted some of the biggest crowds during this year’s Los Angeles Boat Show. No big surprise there—the 39-footer’s gelcoat graphics and tooling were among the finest we saw during the 2009 Performance Trials.

The completely vacuum-bagged boat was laid up with vinylester resin and various layers of fiberglass. Balsa was used for coring and all of the balsa in-lays were applied with bedding putty, which according to a LaveyCraft representative is lighter and stronger than resin and fiberglass in the same application. Capped at the bow and stern, the boat was outfitted with a protective stainless-steel rubrail on its hullsides.

Hardware was chosen with an emphasis on maintaining the 39 Evo’s sultry lines. Pieces included billet LED navigation lights and pushpin cleats for the fenders and lines. The wraparound windshield was flawlessly married to the deck.

Under the power engine hatch, the staggered big-blocks were installed in a simply immaculate compartment. Racing mounts and through-bolted L-angles held the engines in place, while evenly spaced stainless-steel cushion clamps secured all of the wire looms. Finished in white gelcoat, the bilge had been sanded to a smooth and shiny finish.

OVERALL

For buyers who want a full-size stepped V-bottom with an offshore-racing form but high-performance recreational function, the 39 Evo would be a great call. Certainly, it’s one of the most attractive boats in its class, it performs well and it is built to the highest standards.

No doubt it’s a specialized design that won’t appeal to everyone, but for those attracted to it, the 39 Evo will be hard to resist.