VELOCITY

260 BAY

Boasting a pedigree that includes multiple speed records, the Velocity 260 Bay hull features a deep, chop-busting V at the bow, a stepped transom to limit bow rise, and a pad bottom to generate lift and reduce fuel consumption.

Clearing the no-wake zone, we slammed the throttle forward, and the 260 smoothly leapt onto plane, a Mercury 350 Verado outboard with lab-finished prop continuing to pour on the coal till the boat peaked at 65.9 mph. Dropping the trim a few notches and cranking the wheel at speed, we came about in knifelike fashion. Later, the term knife came to mind again as the hull sliced efficiently through the waves, reverse chines knocking down the spray while the 260 Bay produced a solid, quiet ride.

When it comes time to chase fish, the hull’s minimal draft, coupled with a standard Bob’s Machine Shop jack plate, enables the 260 Bay to hunt the flats. Three insulated fish boxes are at the ready to store your catch, two on the aft casting platform, and one larger, in-sole box with macerator forward. Livewells are placed both fore and aft. Rod lockers, as well as a large stowage box, hide below the 6-foot-long casting deck at the bow. Rod racks are under each gunwale.

There are two choices for helm seating: our test boat’s beefy, aluminumtubed leaning post with flip-up bolsters, or a fiberglass-enclosed alternative. The former features two tackle drawers, the latter an enclosed tackle station.

The nicely faceted helm includes flat surfaces for two displays; on our test boat, the standard 9-inch Mercury VesselView flat screen was paired with an optional Simrad GO9. Notably, jackplate control is blinker-style behind the wheel. A standard Ritchie compass is stylishly integrated into the design.

A pair of flip-up jump seats are concealed beneath the aft platform, when passengers need a perch. A nicely padded seat with high backrest sits atop the RTIC cooler mounted in front of the console. Optional removable cushions can be added atop the forward deck.