Eliminator Boats unleashes its largest catamaran, the 35X Speedster.
By Gregg Mansfield
Photos by Tom Leigh/Tommygunimages.com
While it seems like every new high-performance boat has outboards hanging off the transom, there’s still a segment of go-fast boaters that want the big horsepower and sound that sterndrives deliver.
Count Steve Surmay among the fans of sterndrive power and when it came time to build his next Eliminator catamaran, Surmay wanted a larger boat centered around a pair of new Mercury Racing QC4 1100 sterndrives.
A longtime customer and investor in Eliminator Boats, Surmay worked with the Southern California builder on its newest and largest model, the 35X Speedster. Based on the popular 33X Speedster, the new catamaran is 2 feet longer and taller than its sibling.
“We ordered a (33X Speedster), however, we wanted to put 1100 engines in versus the 700 engines that the 33 was really designed for,” said Surmay, who lives in Dalton, Ohio. “I loved the mitered engine hatches versus just the rectangular ones, so I challenged Eliminator because I really wanted to keep that design in there because I think it’s unique.”
Eliminator took a 33-foot catamaran from the mold to dry fit the 1,100-hp Mercury Racing engines and determined the deck had to be raised 4.5 to 5 inches and the length extended 2 feet to accommodate the power plants.
“The 33X just had a very low-profile stamp to it,” said Jake Fraleigh, president of Eliminator Boats. “For the bigger motors, we had to make more room in the engine compartment, so we stretched some things to make it work.”
The additional space for the 35X Speedster went to the engine compartment, but Eliminator also expanded the cockpit by a few inches. The cockpit features two bucket seats up front and a rear bench with four individual spots. Eliminator builds in-house its seats, which feature carbon-fiber seatbacks and heavy-duty billet seat bases to match the design.
The driver’s spot to starboard has a custom steering wheel with throttles and shifters in a gunwale console as well as a cellphone charger. Both the driver and co-pilot had Simrad screens directly in front of their seats, while a smaller Simrad screen was in the center of the dash for rear-seat passengers to keep tabs on the speed. Eliminator included a locking glove box in the co-pilot’s gunwale.
Custom touches in the cockpit include plush snap-in carpet and blue accents to match the gelcoat and paintwork done in-house by Eliminator Boats.
Eliminator equipped the 35X Speedster with a small space beneath the deck with two bench seats for getting out of the sun. Owners can put a pad up front or use the area for fender stowage, Fraleigh said. Eliminator can build the 35X Speedster as an open bow with a cuddy cabin, but with 2,200 horsepower on the stern, Surmay opted for the closed-deck version.
When building the new 35X Speedster, Eliminator focused its effort on the bustle for the new QC4 big-block engines. The engine compartment was finished in a smooth gray gelcoat and the Mercury Racing engines used every inch of the catamaran’s 9’10” beam. The engine hatches open to the center, providing good access to the power plants.
Eliminator incorporated a nonskid pathway on the transom with steps leading into the cockpit.
“As you get older, you start to lose your shoulder strength and your strength getting in and out of boats isn’t as easy,” said Surmay, 59. “Just from a safety and convenience standpoint, I wanted the bustle to be able to get in and out of the boat easier.”
When Eliminator debuted the 35X Speedster in Lake Havasu, Ariz., in late February, it was the first opportunity for Surmay to drive his new catamaran. Cruising at a comfortable 120 mph with 38” five-blade cleaver propellers from Mercury Racing, Surmay was reminded why he prefers sterndrives over outboards.
“I like the torque of good running engines,” Surmay said. “I have had outboards, and I know they are different today, but I really like good strong midrange and so I like the torque of a sterndrive versus outboard engines.”
Surmay boats primarily around his Ohio-area home including the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) lakes of Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow Lake as well as Kentucky and Norris lakes in the Midwest.
With the first 35X Speedster completed, Eliminator is taking orders on the largest model in the lineup, which spans from 25 to 35 feet. Eliminator builds the Speedsters using 100 percent composite construction. Closed cell polyurethane Coosa is used in the transom, bulkheads and stringers for the model that weighs 5,500 pounds. It comes with an Adrenaline Trailer underneath the boat.
After Eliminator held its own event for the 35X Speedster on Lake Havasu, the Mira Loma Calif., builder showcased the new model at the Lake Havasu Boat Show in early April. Fraleigh said he’s been pleased by the response for the 35X Speedster with the Mercury Racing QC4 engine package.
“It was a really neat experience and I liked making it an official unveiling,” said Fraleigh, noting the event had perfect weather. “It was a spectacle for the cameras and (the boat) looked great for the customers showing up. It was all good stuff.”
Eliminator Boats, 951-332-4300
www.eliminatorboat.com
