Hunt4 Design by Southport
The Southport Ride – a legend in fishing circles around the world.
Southport’s performance advantage is a result of offshore racing technology combined with custom
hull designs from the naval architectural firm of C. Raymond Hunt Associates. Hunt is famous for their development of the deep-v hull which revolutionized the development of fast powerboats in the 1960′s and today they continue to use their expertise to innovate and develop new designs.
In 2003, working closely with the founders of Southport, the Hunt team developed our exclusive “Hunt4 Design®” hull that is specifically focused on maximizing the performance and power of modern dual outboards with today’s cutting edge composite manufacturing capabilities.
No other hull designs combine Southport’s soft ride and incomparable stability in a single boat. In just a few short years, the Southport ride has become a legend in fishing circles around the world.
Hunt4 Design® hull technology is a clever combination of offshore racing laminates and a C. Raymond Hunt Associate’s hull designed around modern dual outboard power systems.
Using a light, strong composite structure, the marine architects at Hunt balanced the weight of modern dual outboards with a wider aft stance and deeper continuously-variable vee design. Southport’s Hunt4 Design® technology actually benefits from the weight of the dual outboards because these designs carry a sharp vee aft on a wide stance, adding crucial buoyancy, and the broad aft chine areas are held firmly in place by the engine weight. The result is a wide, stable platform with a 22-degree deep vee aft that rapidly increases to the mid 30′s amidships and a very fine forward entry.
Described as “astonishingly dry.”
Your first Southport ride will be a memorable experience. Smooth, responsive, and exceptionally quiet. But perhaps the most surprising performance feature is that even in a seaway with a beam sea, spray is practically non-existent. In a gale-blown sea on the aft quarter? Sure, there’ll be spray. But in most sea conditions, even challenging ones, prepare to be astonished at how well the sharp strakes control the water flow.
The formula for the dry ride of a Southport lies in the knife-like sharpness of the strakes combined with the straight hull sections of a Hunt4 Design® continuously variable vee hull design. It is always a straight line from the keel to the chine, the Hunt4 Design® hull directs water out and away from the boat, rather than up and over the gunwales, like many other hull shapes. You can actually see three waves generated by the hull at speed from each of the strakes and the chine, as the Hunt4 Design® hull
attacks and controls the seas.
An amazing range of economical cruising speeds —
from 25 mph to 40 mph.
Most hulls have a narrow band of maximum economy,
usually over 30 miles per hour. But because Hunt4
Design® hulls use the weight of modern outboards for
balance, they plane off in seconds and easily maintain
the planing attitude in the lower 20′s. Of course, the soft
ride of a Southport Hunt4 Design® hull will tempt you to run
fast in most sea conditions. But it’s comforting to know that on those
days when skipping over the tops isn’t a viable option, you can efficiently cruise in the mid 20′s comfortably and safely.
Another significant benefit of the Hunt4 Design® hull is fuel economy in the 2 miles-per-gallon range between 25 mph and 40 mph. You can match the hull speed to the sea conditions without giving up range or economy. When the conditions permit, see what she will do. But when it really gets tough, you and your crew will appreciate that you can ease off without getting knocked off plane by the sea conditions.
Computer-aided design and precise tolerances.
While many boat builders are still tethered to molds and materials that were developed and used prior to computer-aided design (CAD), Southport engineers and designers took full advantage of the benefits of CAD systems and reduced build tolerances levels to hundredths of an inch which allows us to achieve clean cuts, precise fits and ensures consistent, predictable quality on every boat we build.
Safe, Smart and Serious
An incredibly diverse experience base combined with the functional fishing knowledge of the Southport design team resulted in a well configured safe interior with numerous features that the avid fisherman and casual boater will appreciate. All Southport models feature deep safe cockpits, aggressive non-skid decks, recessed stainless steel grab bars and abundant storage for gear, fish and beverages.
Inside a Southport, you’ll find electrical systems designed in a yacht-like manner, scuppers that evacuate green water like a custom sport fish and ergonomically designed components that provide comfort all day long.
Perhaps the most important element of a Southport’s design is passion. We firmly believe that great boats demand great talent, great materials, and a passion for excellence that creates an extraordinary ownership experience.