Check Out Our 380 Ray Laser

**Barry Strawn** · 11-22-2007

The problem with adding setback is the lower unit height rule. 12" back with the same height in relation to the bottom will result in lot more lower unit pushing water.

I would try moving the driver back a foot or three

and get the engine as close the transom as possible. Nothing I saw in the current rules prevents that.

Barry

**Dabull1919** · 11-23-2007

We didn`t have an engine hight rule but if you do then thats a shame. These boats handle so much better with the motor back and up.

DB

**bowman** · 12-20-2007

Well the diriver me yes weighed 300 but is now closer to 275 (getting back to working insted of racing will take the weight off) I plan on giving it one more try but i think the real problem is that we may not be pulling all the RPM we need. As you can see in the pictures of the boat it caries good in smooth water and for the most part handles great now. The real problem is that boat shoud go 90 and i can only make it do 80. I think we just need to test and test. I dont know if setting the motor back will do so much, as you know that thing already has a built in set back with a 4" plate on it now. I dont know we will just have to go drive it and find out. I think we need to play with the engine to get it at peak then go after the boat.

has anyone heard of puting a pad on the bottom of that hull to help with the chine walking. I think maybe a flat pad on the bottom in the back may help and get a few more MPH out if it keeps from rocking. As many of you old vbottom racer remember that the rocing is characterisic of a vbottom but i want to try to keep it to a min.

let me know what you think

**steve sr.** · 12-20-2007

If your talking about a delta we ran one on the back of a 20' Howard in the early 80's. Dick Sherrer put it on and as I recall it ran about 4' up the bottom from the transom and vee'd out to 10-12" at the transom. On that boat we ran one of Dick's hot rod 200's. The plug started life as a Schiada Jet boat.

It worked good for us in ski racing, but you had to have an animal for a skier because when it lifted onto the pad it took of like it had been shot out of a cannon. I don't what area you live in but there are a few good glass guys still around that could build it for you.

I can tell you this much there was no walking once it got up onto the pad and it was a real thrill ride when it lifted. We did some amazing things with it at Lake Mead in the marathon races and then again at Clear Lake for the nationals. It also handled rough water pretty good, but you always felt like you were on the edge

Steve Sr.
647/918
THE BIG BLUE BRICK

647and918 · 12-21-2007

Originally Posted by steve sr.

If your talking about a delta we ran one on the back of a 20' Howard in the early 80's. Dick Sherrer put it on and as I recall it ran about 4' up the bottom from the transom and vee'd out to 10-12" at the transom. On that boat we ran one of Dick's hot rod 200's. The plug started life as a Schiada Jet boat.

It worked good for us in ski racing, but you had to have an animal for a skier because when it lifted onto the pad it took of like it had been shot out of a cannon. I don't what area you live in but there are a few good glass guys still around that could build it for you.

I can tell you this much there was no walking once it got up onto the pad and it was a real thrill ride when it lifted. We did some amazing things with it at Lake Mead in the marathon races and then again at Clear Lake for the nationals. It also handled rough water pretty good, but you always felt like you were on the edge

Steve Sr.
647/918
THE BIG BLUE BRICK

Not too bad a memory for an old guy...

Seems to me it was about 12" wide as well, and stood about 1"-1.5" or so off the bottom on each side...

Ahhhhh... I have fond memories of the first time it lifted for me... Kind of like: "Holy sh... What the hell just happened???" or something similar! Somewhere in the 80's it lifted onto the pad and ended up at about 93 (I think) according to the speedo on the Cask 'n' Cleaver boat... I'm not sure how accurate that was, but it seems pretty close... I also remember it being pretty stable (course the juevos were less prone to shrinkage 20 years ago, so I may just be trying to convince myself)...

I'm not sure how the rules would treat it though... It's no longer a "true vee" if you do it...

**Dabull1919** · 12-21-2007

Bowman, What i`m telling you about setback is not just opinion. It all comes from actual
experiance in marathon racing. However, I don`t think setback is your problem. Didn`t i read where your running a 260? That motor should easley put you in the 90`s even if the motor was on the transom. Something is bad wrong and it ain`t the pad. Before we went marathon racing with our 380 Laser we raced it in sprint racing on 1 1/4 mile tracks with a mildly modified 2.4 merc and no jack plate. With a 28pitch Hoss it ran about 90 with a stock pad. Roark would say to leave the pad alone. What kind of rpm`s are you turning and how high are you running the motor. Remember, That motor likes to turn rpm`s in the mid to high 7,000 range. With that motor on that boat and with the right set up you should be in the mid 90`s.

DB

**T-REX** · 03-30-2008

Dang Bull.....Less thro a 2liter on My 380 and go do tha Parker thang....Sounds like a blast!!...Or yo 380, which ever...I thank tha 380 would be tha ticket for tha type ov water that will be...Corse. it will sholy feel strange runn'in 300miles instead ov 300'...

**Dabull1919** · 03-30-2008

Yep, I think your right Mike. Don`t know bout the 2 liter tho. I`ve been studing the new rules and we would have ta be real fast or real slow with the 380 ta have a shot. May have ta use my 3 liter. I also have the 2.5 drag but all i got for a mid is a 12inch.
I`m still studing.

DB

**Ron Hill** · 03-30-2008

Pat has been busy with work, and I've been working SLOWLY on oUR LASER 380 Ray...I talked to Chris Bush, today, he's the one that got me to buy the 380...He likes set backs...

Would you guys run the same set back with a 2.0 liter as with a 2.5?

I took our six inch set back off and gave it to Greg Foster, Tinker Collinge and I plan to make a 10 to 12 inch set back, but was wondering if I should go back farther with the 2.0??

Help?

Hope uou guys come to the Blue Water Resort and Casino 300 Enduro. I'm sure you'll have a great time!!!

That is GREG FOSTER in the white truck..."Snooping" on Rod Zapf and me...

**Dabull1919** · 03-31-2008

My findings have been like that old saying "the more the better". Like i`ve said before, On my 380 comp w/225 yammi excell and a minimum weight of 1800lbs with no gas in the boat our radar and keller said 92mph empty and 90 with a full load (75gal) of gas. We had the motor set back 18inches and a completely stock lower. There were no engine hight rules and blowout was not a problem. We led the Jessi Brent marathon race on the Mississippi river untill we hit a log and dropped to 4th. After a prop change we made it back to 2nd and thats where we finnished. First place boat was an Allison XR2002 with the same motor so i didn`t feel to bad.
Bottom line is that the 380 WILL run and carry weight well. Just set the motor back and test.

DB