Since its introduction over a year ago, the Trick Powerboats 23 Widebody high-performance catamaran has electrified tunnel boat enthusiasts while breathing a wave of invigoration into a tunnel boat size class that was sharply in need of innovation. With a backlog of orders extending well into the following year, Trick Powerboats founder and president Jeff Haag hit the bullseye with the 23 Widebody, raising the bar for performance and style in this size segment.
To understand Mr. Haag’s vision on what an ideal performance boat should be, is to also understand that Trick Powerboats is very much an expression of his soul. He’s a unique, just-the-facts kind of person with a hyper-focused dedication to his craft. A meticulous professional, Jeff personally oversees every stage of development and construction—from conceptual design and mold fabrication to lamination planning and final production. “I build these boats,” Jeff asserts. “I do not simply observe from an office.”
The Trick 23 Widebody has quickly emerged as a standout in the high-performance boating world, filling a gap that had up until recently been dominated by designs dating back decades.
The fully vacuum-infused 23 incorporates the state-of-the-art construction methods into its completely wood-free design, utilizing honeycomb core bulkheads and multi-axial fiberglass offering strength to easily handle today’s ultra-high power four-stroke outboards. The build process is very tightly focused on precision and quality. It is perhaps the ultimate sport tunnel boat. Consequently, photos and videos of this new outboard tunnel relentlessly ripped across social media, catching the attention of a would-be Trick owner that is very familiar with the level of design and manufacturing prowess that is evident in the very best boats in the industry.
For performance boater Mike Oden, owning some of the most coveted machines on the water reflects his enduring pursuit of the cutting edge of marine technology. His stable reads like a dream list for performance boaters: a DCB M37R, MTI 40RP, Eliminator and a 21 Daytona jet boat among others. Boats such as the ones Mr. Oden owns represent both the pinnacle of performance boating today in both design and construction quality. With that lineup, you’d think every box was checked. Almost.
These boats cover speed and style from every angle, but Mike saw room for something different that could deliver that addictive, visceral experience often muted by the size and weight of larger cats. It’s the kind of experience that only horsepower and the G-forces of acceleration can provide. “The twin 300Rs is a power combo I have been looking for in a small boat,” Mike explains. “No other boat that I’m aware of under 25 feet offers that power combination in a reliable 4-stroke motor.”
The 23 Widebody and Mercury Racing Synergy – A Closer Look
The 23 Widebody was purpose-designed to complement Mercury Racing’s high-performance R-series outboards in either single or twin-engine configurations. When designing the 23, from the outset, Jeff aimed to create a hull that would provide both the agility and reflexiveness of a smaller boat, and the forgiving, more comfortable ride quality generally associated with larger boats. When designing an all-new high-performance cat, that’s not an easy line to balance design decisions on.
Let’s start with the center of it all – the 23’s hull design. The Trick’s modified trimaran hull incorporates a shallow center sponson—a feature that delivers two important benefits: At lower speeds, this sponson acts to add buoyancy and stability, making cruising at more relaxed speeds more controlled while also preventing the stern from squatting too low in the water, especially with additional passengers. This also aids in faster planing. As the throttle opens and speeds approach 80 mph, the center hull sponson’s task is finished, and it lifts clear of the water, reducing drag.
The Trick’s center sponson is designed with a steep deadrise rather than the usual flat or near-flat profile that is common. This design was chosen to soften the entry of the sponson back into the water as speeds are reduced or in rough waters, providing an overall softer and quieter ride.
Channeling the power of the team of V8 outboards on the bright-yellow cat is handled by Mercury Racing’s 34-pitch, five-blade CNC cleavers, which work best with lighter loads for breathtaking acceleration and speed. When the boat is loaded with passengers, a pair of 33-pitch Max 5 propellers are better suited to carrying the extra weight. In either case, Trick jumps onto plane effortlessly.
“It’s definitely a hot rod,” Mike explains. “The acceleration is tremendous. You can’t imagine how hard this boat pulls.”
Step Into The Trick’s Cockpit
The interior of the 23 Widebody is among the very best in the industry for this type of boat right now. It’s a seamless, sculpted design that gives the impression of being carved from a single form rather than assembled from parts. The overall design provides a very blended, sculpted look that is purposeful and shows clear influence from ultra-exotic cars. The seat shells were specifically designed for this boat to provide full body support while remaining relatively lightweight.
Crucial to owner Mike’s requirement for this boat is that its large, wraparound windshield provides complete wind protection, even at very high speeds, which it was purpose designed for. With most boats this size, the driver is essentially looking over the windshield instead of through it, rendering these small windshields as mostly an aesthetic measure than a functional one. As Mike explains, “In my Trick, I could be having a normal conversation effortlessly with my passenger at quite high speeds. I know of no other boat that would be possible in.”
One of the distinctive features that the Trick has up its sleeve is the separation of the dashboard from the deck. This modular configuration allows much of the instrumentation to be pre-rigged into the dashboard before installation into the boat. It’s a design choice that not only enhances production efficiency but more importantly, it also opens the door to customization. Indeed, Jeff informed me that alternate dashboard configurations are already in development.
Trick’s boats distinguish themselves with a boldly contemporary aesthetic defined by sculpted edges and sweeping curves—a design language carried seamlessly into the interior. Inside, Midlands Canvas enhances the experience with precisely crafted leatherwork that achieves refinement without excess. Their attention to detail is particularly evident in the 23’s custom seat shells, which offer fully cushioned support while maintaining a clean, minimalist form.
You might expect this boat to have a 500-watt sound system with large speakers and LED lighting throughout, but you would be mistaken if you did. The only songs on Mike’s playlist are the sixteen-cylinder symphonies produced by those 600 willing horses behind him. To be sure, there is no greater orchestral perfection than that.
The visual and audible presence of the bright yellow catamaran consistently draws more attention than any other cat in his fleet. One memorable moment Mike recalls is when an enthusiastic boater sprinted toward the Trick, exclaiming, “There it is! I’ve been waiting to see when this boat would show up here!” Evidently this particular person was following the build process of Mike’s new Trick on social media,
Trick Powerboats excels at providing frequent, comprehensive updates on the boats currently under construction. This level of transparency and engagement on social media is highly effective in cultivating brand interest and establishing trust, and it remains surprising that many prominent boat manufacturers largely neglect their social media presence. From a consumer perspective, interactive communication with the boat manufacturer via social media is not merely advantageous but is now widely expected.
The Trick 23 Widebody is a profoundly fierce execution of modern, high-performance boat design and technology with Trick Powerboats president Jeff Haag’s unique interpretation of those elements.
Mike Oden continues to accumulate seat time to thoroughly and safely explore the capabilities of his new high-performance catamaran. While Mike brings extensive experience from operating other performance boats, he emphasizes the importance of approaching any new high-performance boat with patience and precision. Rather than succumbing to the common temptation to push the throttles to their limits, Mike advocates for a safe, gradual familiarization process. Either way, Lake Havasu’s new bright-yellow resident prowler will continue to be a sensation to all onlookers.
In the end, calling Jeff Haag’s 23 Widebody a gamechanger isn’t hyperbole—it’s reality. This boat is precisely what was needed in the high-performance powerboat market. Actually, it was long overdue. The Trick 23 has shattered the common belief that consumer demand for ultra high-performance boats under 30 feet is too dangerously weak for a boat manufacturer to invest development in, and not profitable enough to produce. In fact, this cat may be playing a central role in the resuscitation it needed.
If I conclude this by proclaiming that Trick Powerboats has written new consumer market rules for high-performance boats in this size segment, I might be accused of melodrama, even if that statement is accurate. Call it what you will, but Trick Powerboats has irrefutably defied the conception that consumer demand for ultra high-performance boats under 30-feet is not strong enough to invest heavily in.
Trick Powerboats 23 Widebody Full Specifications:
Type: Modified catamaran with elevated center sponson
Length: 23′ 1″
Beam: 8.5′
Weight (unrigged): 1405 lb.
Tunnel width: 55 in.
Cockpit width: 67 in.
Cockpit depth: 33 in.
Power Options:
Single outboard: Mercury Racing 300R, 400R or 500R
Twin outboard configuration: Mercury Racing 200R or 300R
Contact Information:
Trick Powerboats
www.trickpowerboats.com
502-416-5558
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