fueled in large part by a patented “V-
Toon” hull design – in which the middle
of the three tubes that provide buoyancy
for the boat is not only 4 inches larger in
diameter than the other two, but also 1¼
inches lower, whi ch provides a
differential of 5¼ inches that boosts the
handling capability closer to what’s
typically associated with a runabout
boat.
All tubes are fitted with positive-angle
lifting strakes, which allow Manitou’s
boats to retain their ability to smoothly
reach top speed in a straight line while
significantly decreasing their turning
radius.
Manitou did extensive testing to
determine optimal depth for the inside
tube as compared to the other two. It
found that positioning it a little higher
reduced turning acumen, while lowering
it a bit more made turning too severe.
Securing the patent took a couple years,
Van Wagenen said, and the company
went back to get a broader patent with
different depth variations to prevent
infringements.
June-July 2014
158| BusinessWorld |
