Every time people hear about a new boat, they ask one question. “How fast was it?” If you take that approach with the new Hustler 41 Razor, to coin an old phrase, you’re missing the boat.
The 41 Razor is the epitome of a go-fast that was designed with the forethought of people who actually go out and use performance boats on a regular basis. With a pair of Mercury Racing HP700 SCi NXT-1s, it runs as fast as lower-profile boats in this size range, but is loaded with practical, thoughtful features you just don’t see anymore.
Let’s start with the engine hatch. Don’t want people to scuff up the hatch as they walk across it to get to their rafted-up boat before a poker run? Hustler outfits the 41 Razor with a black canvas snap-on cover that fastens from underneath and protects the hatch from scratches. When you’re ready to head out on the water, unsnap it and your hatches still look great.
Speaking of the hatch, a ton of forethought went into its design alone. Not only does it have a nonslip walkway from the cockpit to the transom, there are two lockers recessed into that walkway with hatches that open on snap springs. They’re deep enough for docklines and the shorepower cord. But Hustler’s not done there. The hatch still has upholstered tanning beds on each side to keep moms and daughters happy. Aft on the transom, twin lockers contain the shorepower plug, pumpout and main breaker. American Boat and Yacht Council recommendations say that the breaker can’t be more than 6’ from the connection. When you plug in the cord, if you see a red light, don’t flick that breaker. It’s a great backup system.
“We built this boat so you can go boating with it and still have everything you want,” said Hustler president Joe Lo Giudice.
After I strode up that center walkway on the hatch and stepped into the cockpit on the flip-down middle section of the back seat (it covers the battery switches and breakers). The hatch raises on twin rams and has a cool blue-tinted mirror on the underside. The bilge is finished in silver polyurethane paint for a custom look. A smart idea to keep water off the engines, the air intakes feed into large boxes molded into the inwales. Cool air feeds into the front and the blower hoses attach to the aft end.
The engines are positioned in a short stagger with the port motor forward. This improves the balance of the boat and puts the drives closer together to reduce drag. The 700-hp mills are mounted on full stainless cradles through-bolted to the stringers with backing plates. I liked the shaft support that links to the backing plate for the aft mount on the port motor. It’s clever and has a custom appearance. Gil Marine strainers ensure that cool water flows free of debris to each engine.
Optima batteries are secured in anodized aluminum boxes and trim pumps are in reach should you need to top off one at a card stop. All the panels to which the accessories mount are fabricated out of Coosa composite panels so replacement is easy. Hustler included an oil changer on the outboard gunwale and the fuel shutoffs are smartly located. Finally, all hoses and wires are supported with stainless-steel cushioned clamps.
While in the engine compartment, I noticed that the 41 Razor has five stringers, including one that runs the length of the keel. The boat is laminated with foam coring and multidirectional fiberglass waves wetted out with vinylester resin. The hull and deck are attached in a shoebox fit that’s bonded around the interior perimeter. That joint is capped with a black plastic rubrail with a stainless steel insert. Deck hardware is comprised all of stainless steel pieces, including bow, midships and stern cleats. For convenience, the fuel fill is next to the driver’s bolster. In the bow, the anchor locker has a bracket to retain the grounding tackle.
As you head aft on the deck and over the windscreen, there are steps build into the helm console so you can re-enter the cockpit with ease. I loved the deep freeboard—the deck came halfway up my ribcage—and I always like individual buckets instead of a flat bench for backseat passengers. Because the engine compartment extends forward beneath the cockpit liner, there’s no stowage in the base of the bench seat, but never fear, four-in sole lockers (30” x 36” x 24” each) in the cockpit have plenty of capacity for fenders, cleaning supplies and the like. Side-by-side bolsters up front make it easy for the driver and co-pilot to communicate.
