2014 Prostar scoop?

[Skoot1123]

All I know is that I can't wait to ski behind it!

[pup]

I love my '10 197TT but if they dont release the new prostar in 2014 i'll get a 200

[BlueSki]

I too would bet Nationals, but @pup, you should still get a 200.

[dave2ball]

I hope MC hit a home run with this new boat. That will push the CC and Malibu to better there product and in turn make the sport better.

[Ed_Johnson]

If they are smart, they will have one on the practice Lake at Nationals, so a lot of us will get a chance to ski it.

[jrs]

We have a contract with CC for all slalom practice at Nationals.

[gregy]

if they were smart, they would have come out with a new hull design long before now.

[Nick Sullivan]

I agree with @Dave2ball 100%, compitition drives great things.

[Horton]

The only thing I know about this boat (and I have worked the spy network) is that MC is dead serious about it. I will fall out of my chair if it is not a stunning product.

[eleeski]

@Gregy WTF? MC and Malibu are the only true 3 event boats out there. MC has been constantly improving their product over the life of the hull. The boats drive well, ski well and are quite popular everywhere except among koolaid drinker slalom specialists on this board.

 

Perhaps the delay in getting a new hull on the market is because the old one is so good!

 

Eric

[ForrestGump]

I like coolaid.

[The_MS]

@Eleeski I agree. Lets leave the MC as it is and just give Slalom skiers a choice of boats at tourneys.

[rodltg2]

But will the average Joe be able to afford it. ?

[jrs]

@Eleeski of the top 4 boats, the MC is at the bottom of the list for tracking and steering. I like skiing behind the MC if I can find someone that can keep it in the middle of the course. For me, they need to fix the way it drives. I can handle the way it skis. The rest of it does not matter if the boat away from you at every ball anyway. I was once a 20 year loyal MC owner!

[6balls]

They were smart to wait this long. That hull was extremely competitive across all divisions (and still is tops in some disciplines) for a very long time selling well without significant r/d expenditures. Cash cow. Only now when upstaged in long-line slalom is it getting a re-do. I drink cool-aid but pulling for MC here...though a bit scared of the probable price tag.

[Razorskier1]

I won't be getting out my debt-book (check book implies I'd actually have money) for a new boat anytime soon -- just keep my old 2005 PS 197 in good shape and keep on driving it. Nevertheless, I'm excited every time any brand comes out with a new boat/new hull. I look forward to seeing what the guys at MC have come up with.

[gregy]

@eleeski of the hand full of boats I ski behind the MC is at the bottom of my list for wake. For a beginner or kid it just not good. The little bit of tricking I do it doesn't matter, I suck equally behind any boat.

 

I was a MC promo member in the past. I'm a diehard mastercraft fan, I'm hoping they hit a home run with the new hull. When people mention mastercraft they shouldn't be saying its a good design they should be saying its the best. Just my opinion, I'm hoping the 2014 is the best three event boat ever.

[eleeski]

@jrs Really? My MC has pulled uber deep shortline fine (it was used for Diablo shores). I've trained many first time drivers on myself with reasonable results for novice drivers. None of the MCs I've driven have been even slightly challenging. Something is wrong with you or your boat.

 

@gregy My passion is tricks. The current MC is up there with the best trick wake ever! When MC loaned Stan a boat, we didn't give it back - it was just too good! The pleasant surprise for me was how good the slalom pull felt at my line lengths. It is not Lisa's favorite boat for 30 15 but so many college kids have gone from zero to shortline behind the boat that it can not be an impediment to learning. (I think that UCSD has developed more shortline skiers over the years behind the MC than SDSU has behind the CC. I know the UCSD trickers have done way better.) I am glad to hear that you are open minded about the new boat and I too hope the new boat is still the best boat ever.

 

@MS With all the ZO options, doesn't the boat choice become insignificant? But you do need time behind the boats to figure each one out. Your boat choice idea has merit - as long as those horrible out of date 196s aren't an option. (I love stirring up the beehive.)

 

Koolaid sucks, I prefer my rum straight.

 

Eric

[Horton]

@eleeski "doesn't the boat choice become insignificant" when you ride a homemade ski you can't tell the difference

[eleeski]

@Horton Bagging on my skis from a guy who can't stick with any ski longer than 2 weeks? (And try spel n grammer check). At least you don't drink ski Koolaide...

 

Eric

[Horton]

@eleeski haaaa coming from a guy who can't go two weeks without adjusting his ski with a grinder

[The_MS]

@Eleeski I would choose the CP every time due to it being consistently great with every CP I have skied behind. The 200 can be different boat to boat due to prop and engine. I used to hate the 6L in the 200 but now I prefer it over the 5.7L. JR skiers and slow speed long line skiers will choose to not ski the MC.

[mcskier41]

@MS I totally agree! Give skiers a choice of boats for slalom and guess what, the MC would never get used. If tournament drivers have a choice, it would be the 200 all the way. That boat drives like it's on rails. The MC floats all over the place

[ForrestGump]

You can make a MC197 drive superbly. But it takes some work and testing. Will Bush has a "plan" that if you follow will leave with you with a really, really good driving boat.

[MattP]

I skied a brand new 2013 197 in a tournament a few weeks ago. The boat only had a few hours on it and been in the water twice new. I can't comment on how it drove @webbdawg99 possibly could but that boat skied great. I would not question it twice if I drew it for a round. It was Dean Collins from SC new boat. If all the new promos ski like this one everyone will be just happy if they draw it.

http://distilleryimage8.s3.amazonaws.com/58c4a758a45011e282a322000a1f9709_7.jpg

[disland]

Just so long as they dont put one of those stupid 600lb towers with the too small bimini on there

[swc5150]

It seems like a lot of 197 promos have towers. Is that for resale, I'm assuming? I can't imagine it getting much we from a baller.

[ForrestGump]

Mini tower is about 95 lbs on the 197.

 

[disland]

OK I stand corrected :-)

[jrs]

@eleeski, I can see that you have not driven the benchmark (SN200) or you would not be making such a fuss about how well the MC drives. The MC is a fine boat but they need to work on the tracking so everyone can get a good pull. As to your comment about there must be something wrong with me. In record tournaments this ski season, I have driving 5 of the 43 off sets that have been run.

[eleeski]

@jrs While I'm pretty sure my MC hasn't pulled anyone through 43, it was good enough for plenty of complete 39s with our western region drivers. The couple of passes I've pulled behind the 200 felt no different to me. Tracking on my boat is a 10 out of 10. Trying to create hairs to split over tracking is silly. The variation between boats of one brand may be bigger than the variation between brands. Sorry if my comments weren't fair to you - but if you can drive a 43 with a 200 you should be able to do it with a MC. Others can. (That sounds way meaner than I intend - anyone with that kind of driving skill is talented! Talented enough to make the MC work. Hmmm that still sounds kind of bad, I guess I owe you a beer. Steel Reserve OK?)

 

@MS I don't know how to feel about the boat choice thing. I love it for tricks and would be severely handicapped if I couldn't train knowing exactly what the wake, table and rope I would see in tournament. Every trick is affected by the table or wake. Slalom has much less boat input on the performance (6X2m of wake vs several hundred meters of course length). I was totally prejudiced against Malibu for slalom until I drew one in a tournament. Best score in years behind it! Sometimes the common knowledge is wrong and a random boat draw exposes that. Or the differences between boats really are more imaginary than real.

 

The first CC196 ZO boats were superior to everything else at the time - I'll concede that. They dialed those boats for ZO before any of the others were offering ZO. ZO was a game changer and CC made it work. But it didn't take long to customize ZO to each boat - now ZO feels similar on every new boat. And I've seen too many MC pulled PBs at every speed and line length to believe that the MC is a real handicap.

 

Maybe the new MC just needs some cosmetic changes to change attitudes? Or make it smaller and easier to tow, maneuver and fuel...

 

Eric

[The_MS]

@Eleeski I will ski behind any of them as long as I know my driver can take it. Thats why they make the 28 off loop, to figure out the boat. The wakes of the MC only come into play with the long line and slow skiers. My Tourney PB is behind a MC.

[eleeski]

@MS 28off to start?! This year I'm happy if I ever run it. Sigh. Maybe my ski needs more texture?

 

Most of the LL slow skiers are learning so fast that they learn their way past the real difficulties presented by that range of the MC slalom pull. While the MC wake in that specific range is inferior to some other boats, it is better than many of the wakes I learned on and much better than the real world options (IOs, outboards and Vdrives) that these developing skiers face.

 

Still, giving these skiers a choice may be a fun way to empower them. Boat choice for Grassroots!

 

Eric

[The_MS]

@Eleeski I could run 28 on one of your skis. I tried to one time but after you came out of the water, you wouldn't hand me your ski. You thought I might get hurt if I tried to ski on it.

The W5 and up skiers are not happy with the MC.

[MISkier]

The kids don't like the MC either. I've heard many of them complain on the dock when the round is pulled by that boat. Long line and slow speed are not good for the MC.

 

I hope MC is able to deliver on all fronts. I owned a 2000 Prostar 205 and would still have it if it could have had ZO. And, I was as brand loyal as can be. But, I just didn't want to buy a 197, due to the wake issues. Also, I happened upon a deal for my new boat that made the switch much easier. I wish MC success. I believe they build a quality boat, but one that still needed improvement.

[rodltg2]

Ms gets a gold star !

[Roger]

@eleeski - said "The couple of passes I've pulled behind the 200 felt no different to me."

Sorry dude, but there is either something wrong with that 200 or something wrong with you or the MC koolaide is way more powerful than the CC koolaide you keep talking about.

 

I pulled Karina to 1@41 with a MC a couple of years ago so I know how to make that boat go straight, but the simple fact is that it takes a lot more steering input in the MC than in the CC200.

[DW]

Steering data would be a wonderful thing for this discussion!

[swc5150]

I'm by no means a senior driver, but I don't care for how the 197/190 tracks and handles. I hope the '14 is nimble as well as a straight tracking tug. The 200 tracks like a beast, and it handles like its on rails. Since '95, I've felt MC lost their sports car feel, and are more of a challenge to keep straight. I come at this from a different angle, however, as we don't use our boats as pond tractors only. Naturally we love to ski ball, but I also have a passion for driving these high performance machines around the lakes, much like a fine sports car. The 200 offers that, where the 197 falls short. I have faith the new PS will not disappoint.

[eleeski]

@Roger Guilty of drinking the MC koolaide for tricks!

 

More steering input does not equal a worse ride. A heavier skier (or MC) may require more driver input but a good ride is still possible. Perhaps the steering ratio is not the same between boats but they all get through the center of the course. Perhaps a locomotive is preferable to a Ferrari but really? And any of the major boats have an acceptable balance between stability and response for pulling deep shortline. Maybe I've driven too many truly bad boats (IOs, outboards and Vdrives) in the course so I appreciate a boat that can give a good pull. And swap ends in the course when you want to like my MC.

 

I truly don't understand the bashing of the MC handling it's something I have never heard before...

 

Eric

[swc5150]

I'm certainly not trying to bash MC. We still own an '86 and have owned 8 others. Been running CC's now since '07, as they've been more suited us. I'm cheering MC to hit a home run with this boat.

[Roger]

@eleeski - I'm not bashing the MC. They have a fine boat and I am happy to drive it and ski behind it. However, to say that it is the equal of the 200 in tracking (your words: "The couple of passes I've pulled behind the 200 felt no different to me.") is simply not true.

 

I look forward to the 14 MC as well.

[The_MS]

Are they actually coming out with a new design for 14 or is this all a rumor?

[Chef23]

I agree that the wake on the MC is bigger for the kids. That said I always preferred to have my son practice behind the MC. From my perspective it had two benefits it taught him a good stack and body position plus he was never worried about which bat he drew in a tournament. At slow speeds our 2002 Malibu doesn't have the smallest wake either and I think that served him well when he was learning.

 

The wakes are all better than the 1970s era Correct Crafts I learned behind.

[Nick Sullivan]

Enough with the chatter about the old boat.

[ForrestGump]

No one is bashing the existing boat. Fact of the matter is, it's long in the tooth. Which is what happens when you are on your 12th year of a set of molds. Formula tells us they only plan on using a set of hull molds 6 years, because after that you have an increasing variance. Which is what we see with the current boat.... a variance in wake performance boat to boat. Mastercraft knows it's time and they put a lot of resources into the new hull. Trust me.....you will like it.

[Skoot1123]

BRING IT MC! I hear it's great too. I'll hopefully be able to get a set behind the new one this summer.......

[ctsmith]

Will the new boat show up at The Masters?

[ForrestGump]

Considering that Correct Craft is the sole sponsor of the Masters, even if the boat was ready(and it's not) it wouldn't be at the Masters.

[ctsmith]

Definitely won't be at the Masters! :) I figured the timing wouldn't be far from it, but it sounds like you're in the know.