prj wrote:
Following up with some subjective observations regarding the new engine, and specifically in comparison to the previous engine, a 1989 2-stroke Yamaha 130 HP:

At 350 lbs, the Yamaha was light, powerful and agile. The boat performed like a sports car with near instantaneous on-plane and was quick through the RPMs to a surprisingly high WOT of 44.5-45.7 on a couple runs recorded and published back in 2006. My two splash well drains were right at the water line, with waves washing in and out in any sea state. It was a great engine for this hull.

One mild irritant is the single cylinder trim/tilt system. I've established that it is either unable or unwilling to operate UP at speeds over 45 MPH or so. I'm assuming that its simply not powerful enough to overcome the thrust at that pace, as I can't imagine any sort of electronic override is preventing further trim. This only affects me on WOT speed runs, wherein I need to attempt to find optimal trim at a lower speed before kicking in the last 600 RPM or so. Ideally, to find WOT and max MPH, one can work the trim UP until blow-out, then tuck it back in slightly until it catches. I'm unable to do this.