I think Alan is right. It doesn''t necessarily mean they will win but it gives them more time and options in the tournament aswell as being accomplished anglers, It is a massive advantage. I really love the finish and ride of fibreglass boats after my Allison but the price tags are probably excessive for me as I am not in the tourney scene and now that I fish mainly by myself a light boat makes it so much easier. They seem to be designed to handle the chop well for shallow boats, so far I haven''t seen anyone behaving stupidly in them but I guess it does increase the risk if an accident occurs. The steering in a mates 5m cairns custom craft with 100hp broke while flat chat and he was lucky with only a broken finger and sore ribs.
I think there will be a big change from alluminium to fibreglass by the end of next year in the tournaments. I believe alot of people are more successful at their river/very limited offshore fishing which means they are more likely to spend the $30-50k on an inshore boat. Its great to see more options out there for us when the $$ become available anyway.
I guess u r trying to upgrade Billy, a 40 on your boat will go OK. I get 29knots on the GPS and have been able to keep up with the 475/60hp combo :thumbsup:
