Last week, word got out that Canada's Vision Marine Technologies would be heading to the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout to break the electric boating speed record.
Their 2022 run set the benchmark at 109 mph with a custom-built 32-foot Hellkatt catamaran powered by a pair of their own E-Motion 180 electric outboards.
For 2023, spectators were expecting a return of their all-white Hellkat, which did make an appearance, although the company had another surprise -- a sleek carbon fiber S2 Powerboats 966 catamaran driven by Shaun Torrente Racing (STR) in partnership with Charleston Composites, Raymarine, and Weismann Transmission.
S2 Powerboats was recently founded by Torrente and his racing teammate Sean Conner. Torrente is an accomplished Formula One boat racer who's won three world championships.
The 32-foot black and blue carbon fiber S1 hull featured an enclosed cockpit and a matching pair of Vision E-Motion 180 outboards. The new design now carries the title of the "Fastest Electric Boat in the World."
The record attempts were made during the Shootout's 'kilo runs' on Saturday and Sunday. Kilo runs are the cornerstone of the event and use a 1 km/0.75 mile straightaway on a close course. Boats must enter the run below 40 mph and then can accelerate to max speed before the 1 km/0.75 mile limit.
Torrente and team first ran a 111 mph pass, before making a second run at 116 mph and firmly establishing themselves as the leader in high-performance electric boating.
Not only did Vision and Torrente fire the crowd up with a new record, but this year's Shootout also saw several major engineering feats in gas-powered divisions. The well-known #23 American Ethanol catamaran, a 52' Mystic with over 9000 horsepower and driven by Tony Battiato and throttleman John Cosker, set the 'Top Gun' record at the event with a 214 mph run on Saturday. American Ethanol has been the fastest boat at the Shootout every year since 2017 when the 'kilo run' was shortened from 1 mile to 3/4 mile.
The other fastest catamaran came courtesy of Dirty Duck, a Skater powerboat driven by Myrick Coil and Rusty Williams with twin 2000 hp engines, which peaked out at an impressive 187 mph. The fastest V-bottom boat went to Black Thunder, a 46-foot hull driven by Dennis and Jason Parvey, which tied the all-time V-bottom record at 166 mph.
As for Vision Marine, the Montreal-based company will continue expanding the capabilities of their E-Motion outboards and batteries into 2024. Torrente, along with Vision Marine's visionary leaders Alex Mongeon and Xavier Montagne, will be taking the data from their 2023 record and applying to future products.
The company has been extremely busy recently, including attempting another record -- the electric boating distance record. They also released the world's first 100% recyclable boat in late 2022.
You can check out the record breaking run from Shaun Torrente and Vision Marine in the video below:
