Hello ***boaters. After doing some searching around on the internet, I found this site, and this is my first post. I'm looking for some insight on a few questions below which are very important to me personally, and I'm hoping to gain some understanding and closure on a decades-old matter; thinking maybe a few boat history buffs here could help me with some understanding and history regarding the design, build, and quality of the Sunkist Tunnel Hull jet boats from 1979-1981. I think many of you will probably be able to figure out the answer to my real question at the root of all these questions below.
What were these boats designed for - recreation or race?
What are/were the strengths and limitations of these boats?
Were the hulls designed to handle over 1,000 hp?
Were they truly designed to run over 100mph?
Were they really designed to "fly on the water", just the jet in water?
Are there any of these boat hulls left in tact, still holding together?
I'll explain more later. Please trust me when I say this is a very hard and serious question I've needed to ask since 1981, and it's taken me until now to be able to do it. Thanks ahead for your time and responses. Duane