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Throughout the years of press events, boat shows, and tests, I have driven many cats and V-bottom boats that represent the cutting edge of contemporary design and performance. though it had been a while since I had been in cat that is under 30-feet. I was in for a surprising revelation…
Image credit: Lee Dashiell/Trick Powerboats
Last month I was shooting video aboard Michael Fontana’s outrageously fast Talon 22, and while running over 110 mph, I was overcome with that euphoric, visceral sense of acceleration and speed that is not always as physically evident to the driver and passengers aboard much larger craft. 120 mph in a 22-foot boat is most often a different experience than the same speed in a 36-foot craft. This is of course a matter of perspective, but it was that addictive, dopamine-fueled experience that inspired me to create Scream And Fly back in 1998.Image credit: Lee Dashiell/Trick Powerboats
Back in 2007 I met with Trick Powerboats owner Jeff Haag on a small, isolated lake in Florida at 7AM to shoot photos of the first Trick Powerboats 21 that the new company produced. This shoot was for the Mercury Racing catalog, and it granted me the opportunity to examine the boat closely and experience its excellent performance with twin outboards. Everything about the Trick demonstrated meticulous workmanship and near-fanatical attention to detail.Image credit: Lee Dashiell/Trick Powerboats
Over 70 Trick 21s were produced before the company went on hiatus to ride out the economic downturn at the time as well as to focus on creating a new ground-up design for the 21’s successor.Designed entirely by Jeff, the 23 Widebody represents a clean-slate design that looks both ultra-modern and elegant. It strikes a balance of visual appeal and its design intent that this beautiful beast was created to provide intoxicating performance while seductively melding form and function with nearly any power configuration. Indeed, the 23 had been designed from the outset to produce exceptional performance with one or two outboards. In testing, the 23 Widebody exceeded 100 MPH with a single Mercury Racing 300R, and further tuning will likely see that number increase. With a pair of those engines, it is not difficult to estimate speeds over 120 MPH.
Image credit: Lee Dashiell/Trick Powerboats
One aspect of its overall design that I particularly like is how the deck’s clean smooth lines are interconnected by more aggressive hard edges. The design is bold and functional without being overstated. Another noteworthy feature of the 23 is its windshield, which is smoothly blended with the deck, providing effective wind protection for the driver.
The interior’s front seats are designed to wrap around the occupants, not unlike what you would see in high-performance supercars. While not in shown in photos, the 23 Widebody will feature new seat shells that will be integrated into a platform that effectively becomes a part of the interior liner. It’s a unique design that eliminates the need for seat pedestals or mounts and provides a cohesive, blended look to the cockpit. That is important to the overall design mandate of the 23’s interior, which is that all aspects of its function should be presented as a single, unified command center that provides the driver with a more natural, intimate connection with the boat.
Image credit: Lee Dashiell/Trick Powerboats
Hull construction utilizes multi-axial fiberglass that is vacuum-infused with vinyl-ester resin. To keep the 23 very strong and rigid without adding excess weight. All bulkheads are stiffened using honeycomb composites, while the hull and deck are cored with marine foam. All fiberglass components, from the hull to the seat shells, are vacuum-infused. Vacuum infusion accomplishes this by utilizing several tons of compression on the layup to literally pull the wet resin into the fiberglass cloth while squeezing out any excess resin in the process. This layup method is more time consuming and labor-intensive, however it is the gold standard of construction for boats that are capable of the performance that the 23 is.Image credit: Lee Dashiell/Trick Powerboats
Lee Dashiell, a partner with the company, provided insight on the labor of love that fueled the 23 Widebody's concept and creation:"This has been quite the journey, a longer and more expensive one than originally planned but we've rounded the corner and we're thrilled to see the first and now second Trick 23 come out the door. We're working every day on refining every aspect so we can meet the expectations of every new owner. Jeff's vision and craftsmanship has been nothing short of exceptional, the build quality is a 10, and he has truly done an amazing job creating this boat. We both knew that we'd done well when Wally Lamkin came to the shop and gave us the thumbs up. I'm not sure Wally realizes it, but we felt like a legend just gave us the head nod. That was a great day."
Most high-end boat builders abandoned development of new tunnel hull designs in the 20-25 foot size class many years ago, which places the Trick 23 as a compelling option for buyers seeking a wickedly fast 20-something foot performance tunnel that can perform on the lake, intercoastal or offshore. Could the 23 Widebody ignite a new renaissance for high-performance tunnel hulls of this size? I think this just might be the boat to do it.
Check back here or our Facebook and Instagram for updates as they become available. For more information, visit the Trick Powerboats website.
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