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WATERSKI MagazineCorrect Craft was an early leader in V-drive inboard design and has continued to set the pace ever since with leading-edge models that maintain an attractive balance of skiing ability, running performance and interior comfort. The latest-generation product of their V-drive program is the Super Sport, a performance-oriented family boat that remains firmly in touch with its tow-boat heritage.
Riding on a roomy, 21-foot hull, the Super Sport comes with a mission to bring together the easy-running range, spacious cockpit and low noise levels of an inboard/outboard runabout with the reliability, instant power and precise handling of a tournament-style inboard.
Striking this balance required the designers to create a hull that could handle choppy water in a way conventional inboards seldom can, while at the same time offering instant throttle response and acceleration without the bow rise traditionally associated with I/Os.
While the wraparound arena seating and generous storage capacity point in the direction of all-day cruises and relaxed sunset conversations, the remainder of the Super Sport's interior accommodations and accessories tell of a boat born and bred for towable water-sports. The dash features the same tournament-ready
instrumentation as the company's famous Ski Nautique, and the mini-pylons found on most V-drives are deleted in favor of a Teflon-coated, center-mounted pylon.
The lounge-style bow seating, which has become a Correct Craft signature, boosts seating capacity to nine and also allows for a large forward storage locker. Additional storage includes an in-deck ski locker, dashboard and seat base compartments and storage bins that flank the engine compartment under the sun deck.
Power options from PleasureCraft Marine include a 290-hp carbureted engine and the 310-horse GT-40, both based on the 351 block, or the new APEX MFI, which draws 320 hp from a 350 Gen 1 block. Noise suppression is enhanced by Correct Craft's proprietary Isodamp CN system and a Hull-Hugger muffler.
The Super Sport at our 1998 tests was equipped with the GT-40, an engine known for its full-range torque. When channeled to a four-bladed, progressive-pitch propeller, this allowed the Super Sport to turn in a sub-six-second acceleration run – well below the V-drive average – while still topping out in the upper 40s.
This strong low-end performance, coupled with the Super Sport's inboard-style wakes, provide far greater skiing potential than one would typically expect from a family-oriented boat. Our drivers noted that the boat handles well under all conditions and found that the center-mounted pylon enhanced the towing qualities in all skiing disciplines.
As one would expect from any boat that includes Nautique as part of its name, skiers of all ilk will find wakes to their liking, and the slalom course is not out of the question.
The strongest praise, however, came from our boarding faction, whose members found a firm, defined wake for jumping and excellent width for landing wake-to-wake tricks.
As the current generation of V-drive inboards continues to earn newfound respect and recognition in recreational boating circles, the Nautique Super Sport should not only remain at the head of the pack, but will also distance itself as one of the few crossover models that does not compromise skiing performance.
