VELOCITY

230 SC

With an arrowlike closed bow, low-profile smoked Lexan windscreen, go-fast painted graphics, and a Mercury Racing 300R outboard bolted to the transom, the Velocity 230 SC looks fast—even before it leaves the trailer, as the saying goes.

The 230 SC hit a top speed of 77.8 mph during our testing, before the pucker factor prevented me from adding in more trim, lift and throttle. In different water conditions, and with an experienced person at the helm, particularly one with time aboard the 230, reliable sources peg that number as closer to 82 mph. I buy that completely. If you’ve got the goods, the 230 SC is one speedy, eye-catching ride.

Like a number of Velocity models, the 230 SC is based off a hull design that has laid claim to multiple speed records over the years. It features a deep, knifelike entry, a notched transom to reduce bow rise, and a pad bottom that generates lift, reducing fuel consumption and smoothing the ride. With a steep 31-inch-pitch prop, our test boat might not have exactly leapt out of the hole, but once on plane, it took off like a rocket, with precious little of the hull touching the water at speed.

It also excelled in the turns. Though that hull may be seemingly designed for straight-ahead speed runs, it handles the corners with both aggression and confidence, tracking precisely without once losing its bite.

Though performance is the obvious selling point, Velocity doesn’t overlook creature comforts, nor the target buyer’s demand for a high level of trim. Dual high-back helm seats feature stylish fiberglass surrounds molded in-house. On our test boat, they were paired with two-tone, metallic-looking vinyl featuring plenty of attractive, diamond-pattern accent stitching. The primary hull color is carried throughout, showing up as an accent color on the Livorsi wheel, throttle and tab-indicator housing, grab handles, dash, and standard SeaDek cockpit flooring. Accommodations include a 7-foot-4-inch-deep V-berth under the bow and 5-foot-8-inch-wide individually bolstered three-passenger aft bench.