good years?
bad years?
what to look out for?
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good years?
bad years?
what to look out for?
The early ones were built by Steve Stepp himself, up to about 1986. Then they were built by Regal thru about 1991. Stepp worked for Regal the first year or so, then left, supposedly because he wasn't happy with the quality.
The Stepp ones are lighter and a bit faster with the same motor. The Regal ones have a cuddy under the deck with two small bunks.
Mine is a Regal Velocity, it originally had a sticker on the side with Steve Stepp's signature. I've been happy with the boat.
Like many boats, the transom and floors can be the weak spots. Mine had tie bars to the stringers added and an aluminum plate on the transom.
Some people say the early Regal ones are just as good as the Stepp ones, just heavier. There are people on SNF with both and seem to like them.
Hope that helps.
If you want the small cabin there is a great example in the for sale area right now.
1985 to Mid 1987. These are the years you would want to look for. Late 87 on up they had a cuddy under the deck with two small bunks. These boats were much heaver and they changed the bottom a little bit. He also made aprox 30 hulls made of Kevlar from 1984 to 1987. The only way you can tell is if there is a yellowish tint to the lay up. Or you aclty order it from the factory that way.
good info
keep it coming :thumbsup:
RLC is right...there were a small number of kevlar hulls, even lighter. And the bottom was changed slightly, they added a small hook that keeps the bow down, which is removable by sanding...it was only in the gelcoat. Several members have successfully done this. My hull, according to the HIN, was May 1987 and it does have the cuddy with two bunks, FYI.
Here are a few pics of my super clean 1985 model that I foolishly let get away last year !
http://i33.tinypic.com/1zd4yfp.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/fkzo0o.jpg
The 22 Velocity is a truly awesome riding boat!! Depends what you're looking to do with it but the cuddy will make the wife or girlfriend happy :thumbsup:
Tom, I probably looked at your pic's 3,000 times.... didn't jump then, should have... :(
How are these in rough water? How do they compare to a Superboat/Challenger/Apache? Any quality/construction issues?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ-sgjuMJcgQuote:
Originally Posted by dba900
I have a 1986 hull and it's light and strong. I can do the rough stuff pretty good for a light hull. The Apache race layup is very heavy as you can tell in this video...enough said...LOL
I think the only thing Foley and I can agree on is that the "Steve Stepp" 22 Velocity is an awesome hull.
Great hull on all counts. If the small cabin is the draw I would vote for the DCB 22 over the Velocity though. Depends on the intended use overall.
I think the only thing Foley and I can agree on is that the "Steve Stepp" 22 Velocity is an awesome hull.[/quote]
Please tell me you are a McCain supporter !:D:D
John McCain is a really nice old man.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Foley
Mercabo test facility used them for years... there are not many hulls that run well with a 150 or a 300 and anything in between. No one is making them now but i suspect a modernized version would give superboat and others a run for the money.
I've got an 84..new stringers, floor, tank, interior..big Johnson:D
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...eolcity004.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ityboat003.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...eolcity005.jpg
Thats so sweet very niceQuote:
Originally Posted by lilabner
Very cool !:thumbsup:
Its a Regal Velocity but it runs just as fast as the Stepp Velocities. I'm the origional owner, I've had it for 16 years its still a solid ride after all this time.
How fast are these boats with say a Merc 250 EFI. Thanks Mike
Mine is a 1990 and is cherry. I'm the third owner. It's been bulletproof for me for five years. I've absolutely loved it. No issues, no problems, We straightened a small hook at the tail end of the bottom when I bought it and it runs and handles great. The Regal years were 1,900 lbs compared to the pre-Regal years of 1,500 lbs. This would obviously make a top end difference, but I walked by a 26 Baja Outlaw two weekends ago, so I'm happy. It's been a great boat.:thumbsup:
Mike,Quote:
Originally Posted by vnemous
I would think 70-75MPH.My 1988 Regal Velocity runs 65-70MPH with a slightly modified 2.4 200.I actually like the cuddy on the Regal Velocity;but I am sure it makes the boat slower than a Stepp Velocity.
Mark
I dont get why it wont run in the 80s. nice wide pad, notch I keep looking but i cant find anyone running those speeds in a velocity with that same superboat/challenger setup.Quote:
Originally Posted by waterboy1
Is the Linder hull that much faster?
Gosh...I guess you just had a fast one, huh?:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by vnemous
Well my Challenger will run 80 soon:cool: but here's the thing. You can read on this site about lots of superboats, intimidators and shadows going 90-100 with 250, 300pm and 300x's. But I am looking all over for a post with a Velocity that runs close to those speeds with these engines. I am not opposed to buying one of these boats instead of widening the pad and notching the transom on my challenger.Quote:
Originally Posted by AirRide
vnemous the reality is that a 22' Velocity is quite a bit bigger boat than a 21' challenger so it isn't quite as fast with the same power ;)
Well I can see Intimidators running those speeds with that power, only because I have at the Mulica River Run 2 years ago. But that boat is super, super light and I just wonder how it does in a chop.
A superboat running those speeds with that power, I can't see it.
24 degree V, no real pad. BUT, it's a wave crusher, so maybe if you really break it loose.
Here it is, with a 300X and a Stepp Hull 83-85 MPH. I can't see 90 to 100 unless its a Kevlar Hull Velocity.
I should also mention, I can fit six people in my boat and still plane off with no problem...
great posts, keep it coming.. :thumbsup:
Great boat, lots of room for a 22' boat. Regal years were heavier but more accomodating. Fairly heavy for a 22' boat (1900lbs Regal years) compared to many other 21-22' boats (21' Checkmate Pulsare = 1375lbs). Without a doubt one of the most fun hulls to "fly" on the pad. It's a variable degree dead rise V that turns into a Pad bottom as you travel aft along the keel. Chines are cupped downward and the boat turns on rails. It can handle lots of power; a few guys ran twin outboards and some guys stuffed massive big block power in the I/O version.
Like everyone is saying, the V22 is bigger, heavier. Stepp ones were 1650 lbs, Regal closer to 1900 and the SB 21 is more like 1250 lbs.
Also, the V22 is wider, 7'10" vs 7'6" and longer, 21'8" vs 20'7".
The pad is wider so there is more wetted surface area when running.
And if you look at the attitude of the boat, SBs fly the bow more, it's harder to get the V22 to fly the bow, which means more drag, less efficiency and slower speed.
I know of at least two 21 Superboats in LI that run about 100 with 300x's. Dirk Pitt and Hoser are the ones I believe and I have been present for one of Dirk Pitt's fly bys in his superboat. 21 Superboats have a pad and are 22 degree V. But alot of these guys are notching there transom and widening their pad. I was looking at the Velocity RLC bought and my friend Marc (waterboy1) and they are bigger than mine. Just thought, with the notch and pad they should be a little faster. My Challenger is a tank and I bet it weighs pretty close to an early Velocity. I will see if I can throw up an 80+ pass on gps this weekend and forget about all the other work. :D Unfortunately I wont have my race boat driver from Lake X driving this time.:(Quote:
Originally Posted by HighVelocity
oh, forgot to mention that the V22 also came in I/O versions, some with tweaked big blocks were known to have achieved triple digit speeds...
http://www.freewebs.com/velocity22/index.htm
RLC should be just about finished with rigging his Velocity. Its a 87 all Kevlar hull. It now sports his drivetrain out of the stingray and his shortened drive. I think his x dimension is somewhere around -2. Should hit the water this Sunday.Quote:
Originally Posted by cutwater
http://i33.tinypic.com/1yu9gp.jpg
What proof is there, that it is an all Kevlar hull? Let us know his seatrail test results come Sunday.Quote:
Originally Posted by vnemous
The layup is yellow in color and Steve Stepp said it was. Do you know something Stepp doesn't about this boat??Quote:
Originally Posted by AirRide
Nice 22 Butch. Ever have any hull delamination issues? Does the center console come out? $$??Quote:
Originally Posted by lilabner
That is yellow and very cool. But I was talking about the matting, but you knew that didnt you:thumbsup:
Yes...and it handles better too.Quote:
Originally Posted by vnemous
Steve builds a good boat and he is a friend of mine, but I believe he designed the 22 as part of the overall Velocity line and not as a stand alone. As a result it borrowed styling from bigger, sleeker hulls and that didn't necessarily translate perfectly as a scale down.
When George designed the Challenger he took a clean sheet of paper with the explicit purpose of creating the perfect hull for the (then new) V6 outboard motors. In addition he wanted three other ingredients:
1. A boat that could handle Great South Bay and all its choppy characteristics
2. The highest quality materials, fit and finish that money could buy for the high end buyer.
3. A completely cored and monocoqued piece that was absolutely solid without flexing or vibration. This not only made for a fabulous riding experience but a rigid bottom is faster than a flexible one.
In addition his knowledge of hydro and aerodynamics...he is an ex Grumman aircraft engineer and boat racer after all...is second to none. That led to a variety of subtle characteristics that are too numerous to mention but include a forward entry section that gives superb turning characteristics and minimum ballistic response on wave impact, and a very unique pad that provides reasonable rough water ride, yet still allows the hull to "fly" on top of it at high speeds.
One other secret ingredient was involved here. George's brother in law, Ginther, a German pattern maker. Ginther made the plugs for the Challenger. He also made the plugs for the 21 Shadow hull and decks, the 30' Shadow Cat deck, and the 36 Shadow Cat hull and deck (which I burned during the partnership litigation). Back in those days (before CNC machines) pattern makers were MUCH more precise than normal marine plug makers. He also could create compound curves that the most of the other guys could only dream about and drool over. These compound curves abound on the Challenger and that is what makes it so unique and its styling so timeless. In short, nobody else could create the shapes, subtle flares, and perfect fit that went into that hull.......
The combination of that mold work,custom stainless, teak, custom interior, and full balsa core made the boat a complete seamless work of art. All of this was in George's specs when he first put the pencil to the paper. In my book it stands alone as the closest thing to the perfect hull ever crafted.
It's a shame that so many "soup bowls" had to have been born out of one set of the molds. It's kind of like making a taxicab out of a Bentley.
T2x
Rich do you know what the dimensions are for the notch and wider pad the Long Island guys are running?? I have to have some repairs on my hull and might do it all at the same time. I really like my boat and would like to take it to the next step. Thanks Mike
All of the notched hulls I have seen have no pad modifications.....( and I wouldn't touch the pad). The notch is 7 inches deep. Simply take a measurement off your buddy's 21 Shadow..... That's what they are copying.Quote:
Originally Posted by vnemous
They find it handles better and is slightly faster....same thing we aimed for when we built it.;)
T2x