PROJECT MANATEE

The H:Craft line from the UAE’s Hayaari Marine is preparing to make a Victory-sized splash in the USA.

PROJECT MANATEE

If you are a fan of offshore racing, you’ve no doubt witnessed the fearless team piloting S-42 JackHammer, the infamous 32' Victory hull. Owned and driven

by Reese Langheim and throttled by Ricky Maldonado, the boat has been a fierce competitor in Super Stock class, taking first place in last year’s 2020 Crystal Coast Grand Prix (better known as the OPA World Finals).

Maldonado and his son Julian—himself a decorated offshore racer—have a passion for the Victory brand that transcends the race course. The pair are the U.S. dealer for the brand, which is built in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Their dealership, Manatee Marine Unlimited (Palmetto, FL, north of Bradenton and Sarasota) rigs, powers and sells Victory hulls, as well as another intriguing brand built in the UAE: Hayaari Marine’s H:Craft. This line starts with an 18' skiff and moves up to the 44Z center console, with numerous sizes in between.

H:Craft boats generally fall into three categories of vees: smaller skiffs, center console models (branded as CC) and the Z series, which feature sportier decks; virtually all can be set up for fishing and/or speed.

On the smaller end of H:Craft models built to accommodate serious power options is the H23Z, a twin-step vee hull that features a 6'6" beam. “This is the sports car in the H:Craft range of vessels,” says Manatee Sales Director Julian Maldonado. “It’s basically the sports series model for the local weekend guy who just wants to go

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H44Z: Already a hit in the UAE, the first model in the USA is about to be rigged and powered by Manatee Unlimited, with quad Mercury Racing 450R outboards.

H23Z: This “sport” version of the 23 is the smallest in the Z series, and popularly powered with a single Mercury Racing 400R (although it is rated to accept a 450R). The boat is said to be exceptionally stable and comfortable cruising at 80 mph all day. “With a 6’6” beam, it’s not a wide boat,” Julian Maldonado says. “If it were any wider, it wouldn’t have the performance that it does.”

The H23Z’s sister boat is the H23CC, seen together, below left. The center-console version features a different deck; it’s ideal for a family day on the water with skis or a tube, or just a casual day out fishing.

H30Z: This is the midsized center-console in H:Craft’s Z series. It’s a full 30' long and sports a 7’6” beam; it’s rated for up to twin Mercury Racing 450s.