Cleverly Arranged

In open-bow or closed-deck form, Eliminator Boats' 30 Daytona is a white-hot sport catamaran.

Versatility isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think about sport catamarans—the aquatic equivalents of street rods and sports cars—but that was the quality that impressed the Powerboat Test Team most about the 30 Daytona from Eliminator Boats.

Sure the 30-footer was fast, quick and handled brilliantly. And of course it was built with great expertise and care. But thanks to a clever removable section of the deck, the boat was just as appropriate for cruising comfortably with the family as it was for blasting away solo or with a friend.

Remove the deck piece and you’ve got a forward-facing rumble seat for two—ideal for a mellow outing with loved ones. Reattach the section to the deck via discreet flanges, and the 30 Daytona becomes a closed-deck sport-cat speedster.

The 30-footer, which included a center pod between its sponsons, registered a 120.8-mph top-end courtesy of twin 625-horsepower Ilmor Marine MV-10 engines, IMCO Marine Xtreme Advantage SC drives and 34"-pitch four-blade Bravo One propellers from Mercury Marine. Exceptional high-speed stability and strong handling manners kept the thrills from becoming chills.

Equally compelling, at least to our inspectors, was the 30 Daytona’s build quality. Connected at four points, the boat’s removable bow section fit the deck with such close tolerances that from anywhere but directly above the 30 Daytona, it looked like a “standard” closed-deck sport cat. All of the boat’s tooling was smooth and wave-free, and exceptionally clear quarter-canopies fit the deck as if they were molded extensions of it.

Thanks to pearl-and-metal-flake in-gelcoat graphics, the boat’s bling factor was off the scale. But on the more practical side of things, the catamaran featured six retractable cleats as well as six pushpin fender holders. Billet hardware included grab handles, bilge vents, hinge assemblies for the engine hatch and a swim platform.

As expected from the Mira Loma, Calif., builder, impressive attention to detail was paid in the engine compartment. Color-matched in “tangelo” to the color scheme of the boat, the engines were installed with L-angles through-bolted to the stringers. Four billet boxes were provided for the Odyssey batteries, while conduit protected the wire looms with evenly spaced stainless-steel cushion clamps providing support. The bilge was finished in sanded orange gelcoat and accented with a carbon-fiber section.

Though it would be rather generous to describe the rumble-seat setup as anything more than cozy, the area was functional for smaller adults and children. So, too, was the 30 Daytona’s cabin, which is hardly ever the case in a 30-footer. Per the sport-cat breed, the boat’s cockpit was equipped with two high-back bucket seats and a rear bench. The instruments, as well as the throttles and shifters, were from Livorsi Marine.

Eliminator has long been the dominant player in the West Coast sport-catamaran game for good reason. The company consistently delivers compelling, high-quality products. With this 30 Daytona, the builder modified a standard platform and transformed it into something truly versatile. It’s at least two boats in one—and both of them are spectacular.

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