Originally published in December 2009 issue.

Taking Flight
The new Ocke Mannerfelt-designed V-40 is Vector’s largest and most ambitious model to date. It’s more than a “bat boat.”

Story by Gregg Mansfield • Photos by Shawn Talbot Photography

When it came to designing the next generation of the “bat boat,” Rex Jardine wanted a more versatile offering that was easy to dock and included a cabin, cockpit seating for six and a full sun pad. If anyone is familiar with previous models of the winged V-bottom, it’s anything but that.

But that’s what Jardine, owner of Vector Powerboats, had in mind when he asked renowned Swedish designer Ocke Mannerfelt to create a 40-foot version of his unique boat. Jardine’s company builds a 28-footer of the Mannerfelt-designed V-bottom.

“A lot of these poker run boats are great but all they have are four seats and no cabin,” said Jardine, who used to run Campion Boats. “And the cockpits are so tight you can’t walk around. I wondered why you can’t have it all.”

Mannerfelt faced some challenges in designing the 40-footer. While the boat’s running surface is similar to other “bat boat” models, his test was figuring out what to do with the boat’s famed wings. With the wings out, the boat has a beam of 14 feet—which makes docking and trailering difficult at best. (With the wings in, the beam is 10 feet, 7 inches.)

So the designers had to make the wings retractable without taking up too much space in the cockpit or the engine compartment. Think of the wings as a slice of pie sliding back into place inside the gunwales and around the staggered engines in the engine compartment.

Jardine knew that on a high-end boat such as the V-40 that the hinges and actuator could not be visible but the wings had to be stable and rigid. While the boat doesn’t actually “fly” when the wings are extended, it does create ground effect, which provides stability at higher speeds.

If one of the wings is damaged, replacing it is fairly simple, said Neil Gilbert, a trained Naval architect who was the lead engineer on the project.

“We took the time to look at all of the potential problems to make sure it was done right,” said Gilbert, later adding, “It was one of the most difficult engineering tasks I’ve done in this business.”

Gilbert and a team of designers also were tasked with building a functional cabin and cockpit. An entrance on the port side leads to a fully finished cabin with a horseshoe-shape lounge that has as much as 50 inches of headroom and a V-berth done in rich fabrics. It also includes a head, refrigerator, TV and stereo. Zebrawood is used for accents in the cabin and a pair of round deck hatches lets in plenty of natural light.

Gilbert said they looked outside the marine industry for design cues.

“We looked at automotive stuff and interior design for inspiration,” he said. “Yet it all had to be functional.”

From the windshield to the dash layout, the cockpit has a futuristic automotive feel. The seating is laid out in pairs with each row offering excellent visibility. Probably the most unique feature in the cockpit—and in most performance boats—is the entertainment console situated behind the driver and co-pilot seats.

The countertop lifts up to reveal a large cooler but the console also includes footrests and grab handles for the passengers seated behind it, as well as a flat-screen TV built into it.

It might seem like an odd spot for an entertainment console but it works within the boat’s layout. “We felt it was an opportunity to do something different and not compromise,” Gilbert said.

The builder installed Livorsi Marine throttles and shifters in a console between the sculpted bucket seats. Monster gauges are centered above the 12-inch Garmin GPS screen, while the other gauges are grouped in front of the driver and observer spots.

By design, the boat’s windshield fits seamlessly into the rounded curves of the V-40. Side windows not only provide extra visibility but they help reduce the wind in the cockpit.

For the first V-40, Jardine went with Teague Custom Marine 1200 EFI engines and Mercury Racing No. 6 drives on Stellings Marine standoff boxes. Although the boat still needs further dialing in, Jardine said it reached 125 mph—a solid number, especially for a V-bottom that weighs 13,000 pounds.

One person impressed with the new boat is Powerboat P1 offshore racer Nigel Hook. After testing the new model, Hook plans to run a canopied version of the V-40 under the Lucas Oil banner in the Evolution class of the overseas tour in 2010. Because Powerboat P1 rules prohibit air-entrapment devices, the race-boat version will feature flared sections on the sides to represent the wings.

Hook said what sold him on the boat was how it handles going into sharp turns. The boat’s strakes and running surface go to the bow, which Hook believes helps with handling.

“It runs nice and light on the water and you can turn it really hard,” he said. “You can drive it hard into a turn like an old traditional V-bottom.”

Hook ran the V-40 at high speeds with the wings in and out, and said there is a noticeable difference.

“With the wings in it was like a regular V-bottom,” he said. “With the wings out, you could just feel the comfort. You don’t have to be quite as attentive. I think it’s going to improve the safety.”

Mannerfelt said that’s the beauty of the design, which has won 15 offshore racing world championships since its debut in 1993.

“The design of the bottom is very fast and still forgiving,” Mannerfelt said. “I can see the same evolution as we have seen in the car industry when true racing car experiences come to modern cars. You don’t see it, but you notice it and love it. When you later drive an older car you say, ‘Now, I understand what they have done all these years.’”

Jardine knows that the winged creation isn’t for everyone. With a price tag of $850,000, it’s aimed at very select buyers.

“It’s fresh, it’s new, it’s got some things other boats don’t have,” Jardine said. “You know what? If everybody rode in this boat, we’d sell a ton of them.”

CONTACT INFORMATION
Vector Powerboats, 1810 Kyle Court, Kelowna, BC, Canada V1Z 3Z4, 250-769-3518, www.vectorpowerboats.com.

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