Director Darwin

No live webcast of prelims or Sweet 16?

I set the ski up for Ward - 6.920 / 2.501 / .748 / 7 deg wing. Greeny's length was 6.930 and I thought that was a bit long. As it turns out, it needs a little more length and backed up to around .740.

Pics of the 2012 version - single exhaust and deeper rudder. Working on getting the boat dialed in before my record tournaments this weekend. I've shaved the rudder a bit and put 100lbs. in the nose. Ward is my guinea pig for the next couple of evenings - his 39's are the best way to gauge how well a boat tracks!!

Congrats to Marc Austin's daughter Bailey for winning U13 slalom. The US Team rocked!! Marc - tell her to bring her medal with her to Cottonwood this weekend!

Let's see what happens at my records next weekend. Then, the scorebook will be in the public domain and will speak for itself.

I witnessed (well, not exactly - I was driving) some nice Fusion action tonight. This ski is FOR REAL.

We'll only have two boats for my September records - SN200 and Centurion CP. Each boat will pull a complete round each day. It will be interesting to hear the comments and compare the scores.

Damn! If I would have known Hager was in the running, I would have off-sided him at 35! Tom - congrats! You owe me a beer!

Considering my buoy count has dropped by 2 this year, maybe I can pull an upset at my tournament.

The new rudder is 1.25" deeper. From the factory, you have to grind the rudder somewhat to taste. 50-75lbs in the nose helps as well. The grinding of the rudder is somewhat similar to what is done to the MC197 - 3" down and 3" back from the top. Once tuned, the boat drives very well.

Yes - my SN200 was sold several months ago - picking up around the 1st of October.

Not yet - two weeks.

One visual difference in 2012 is a single exhaust outlet (similar to Correct Crafts). Not certain why the change - perhaps the addition of cats.

For the most part, I agree w/ Scarlet's analysis. The cockpit ergonomics are somewhat subjective. I'm 6' 3" and didn't have a problem with sight lines. But, I've heard the same complaint about SN200's and I don't have that issue w/ mine. Having the ZO display in front of me as opposed to off-set and down to the right (SN200) is an improvement for me. I agree about the gunsight - not certain that it provides a quantifiable benefit. The ZF transmission is louder when engaging and when in reverse than the PCM I'm used to but that's a trait of that transmission. Always has been. But, the ZF is a bullet-proof product.

It will be here for my record tournaments the last weekend in Sept.

I had the opportunity to drive / ski this boat in a several tournaments this summer. Pulled some deep short line (3@41) w/o issue. The skiers were very positive about the wakes/pull from 28mph to 41-off. I really like the simplicity of the design and layout. The fit and finish seems fine. Considering how utilitarian the design is, I can't imagine a lot of things falling off or coming loose. For me, I simply need a tractor to go up and back. I don't need a lot of options I will never use. And, the price is very competitive compared to the alternatives. An improved rudder is being added for 2012 (and can retrofit a 2011). I'll have a CP on my lake for 2012. I'll be in a better position to provide a long-term review this time next year.

Mark - I talked to someone at Cypress last night that used Horton's (or close) numbers and ran a really nice 38. Worth a try.

Your on! (I'll bring my drysuit!).

Lake wasn't 52 degrees you wuss! Mid 60's at the coldest. The air on the other hand...............

Scot: Nothing Perfect Pass does will emulate ZO to any great extent. The way the systems operate are so different that it is nearly impossible. That said, if you are chasing an identical feel boat to boat, it doesn't exist. We have two identical Nautiques (2007 & 2008) on my lake and each feels somewhat different. Therefore, I would recommend getting a slalom switch, set your PP to classic mode, KX minus and PX 10 or 15. This will give you a somewhat similar "feel" to ZO.  Otherwise, you'll be faced with the same decision I made in August - upgrade.

"Cliff Notes"? High School? I hear they use them as text books at 'Bama! http://www.harvestmkt.com/images/cliffsmakesshort_small_m9rt.jpg

6 skis a year? Me? Not anymore! I'm sold on the RCX but I think they'll be an Elite showing up around these parts in the near future - hearing GREAT things about that ski. We'll see.

"The owner reserves the right to restrict any watercraft from being placed or operating on/in the lake." Case closed.ÂÂ

MS - I believe their "regular" regional sanction fee is $125 - that's IN ADDITION to the USAWS sanction fee. Our region's fee is $50 per event regardless of day. We no longer publish a printed guide so we instituted a regional sanction fee in place of $60 ads in the printed guide.

I've done the same thing since May 1998 - except I set up an Excel spreadsheet that tracks date/lake/boat/driver/buoy count/comments(fin settings,etc). I also indicate whether it was a tournament or not. That allows me to sort the data in any manner I wish. It's a great resource to refer back to when trying to set up a ski or determine what/where you have skied best in the past.