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A few years ago they build a Critchfield hull with no deck just a small centre steer pod in the middle. The boats were super fast, but didn't like turning. Junior mentioned the boat at the Dunnville race. I kept thinking about how to get one to turn and how to put flotation, battery,& gas tank in it while keeping the boat neat and tidy.

Well Junior..LOOK AT THIS!
http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAdLargeI ... =534518322

I could put everything under the seat, You should be able to shift your weight to go around the corner. I am going to look at it to see if it will fit.

Well this will change the way we think of a T boat and likely cause changes in SO runabout. There are two problems with the centre pod example in the picture. One it is two heavy and two it is too high. But, the idea will work and really improve the handling and performance of a T Boat. Think of a snowmobile and PWC. They both are similar in the seat type and style and both have the advantage of being able to shift your weight front to back and side to side. The fact that your legs press against the sides of the seat enable you to have more control of the vehicle. The PWC seat also allows you to see the water in front of the PWC better because you can move forward on the seat.

We need to change our current thinking of the T boat. Instead of bucket seat think bench seat, Instead of strong box think seat tunnel. We know that the current T Boat has a major weak area in the hull by your feet. This could be corrected if the strong box extended right up to the bow. The track tunnel on a snowmobile is low and this gives it a better centre of gravity.
If you took a bare Critchfield hull with no floor, you could install the low seat tunnel from the stern to the bow. That now becomes the boats strong box and it makes the hull stronger in the front. Instead of the steering being mounted to the deck part of the boat, a console is mounted on the seat tunnel. All of the cables, wiring, flotation, battery, gas tank etc. are installed in the seat tunnel. You may want to mount all of the motor controls on the steering wheel or steering bar.

Advantage: HAS TO BE QUICKER!!
You will have much better feed back from the boat. You will be able to change position in the boat to obtain the best performance. You have better control and better visibility. We will likely see more SO racers in the class because this driving style is similar to their current boats.

Have you ever hooked a PWC at 65mph?? I have...I also have hooked my T boat at around the same speed. The PWC threw my FAR...the T boat kept me inside. That much weight that high in a V bottom can't be safe in a race environment. It might be faster if you're alone on the track but if I raise my 200lb 12" higher in the boat to get my ass and legs under me the flipping and flopping will be something to see down the front straight at Dunnville...

DOC, you still would be seating completely inside the boat with your legs under the deck, not high like a PWC, but low like on a snowmobile frame without a track. I would think there is less chance of being thrown out compared to the open style Delta, VooDoo or Allison. The larger driver would be seated with their legs forward. They would slide back on the seat just like they do on the grass snowmobile drags.

Another thing to remember about the console and the seat. The bench seat would not have to be the same height from front the back. It would be higher in the front toward the steering, so you can pull yourself up higher for better visibility entering the corner and lower toward the back so as you slide back you go lower in the boat.

Are you talking about the Viper boats that were made in SC I believe? And more towards a laydown style but in a reclining position VS on stomach?

Yes that is the original boat. Ours will look much different. That boat has no strong box.
With this style of centre pod you change the present construction of the boat. On most current T boats racers run 4 to 6 inch set backs. Most times the set back is the version used for V6 motors and is heavy. With the strong box tunnel seat the set back will be made with the strong box. It will extend thru the transom and out as far as the racer wants. Because the strong box is boxed in like the frame on a competition off road truck, it will be very strong, light and allow the racer to use the preferred thru transom SST 60 style trim. The pod also gives the boat more strength front to back. The boat is more like an F1 race car. The major components are better protected. Most racers stuffed their boat with 20 flotation tubes. If the tubes are not secured to the hull they float away should the deck split open and the boat will sink. Same happens with blow in foam.