Golden 21 Runabout

by Vlad Murnikov 9 Apr 2018 21:50 PDT

Testing of the Golden 21 on Lake Monomonac © Speeddream.org

Introducing Golden runabouts - The goal of this project is to break a new ground in power boat design both in terms of aesthetics and hydrodynamics and then apply the new hull form to the number of future designs. The Golden 21 prototype was built last summer and went through initial tests that fully justified the concept.

The boat looks pure avant garde, like nothing ever seen before yet at the same time she evokes classic runabout style of 1930s and 1950s. It is an attempt to create a "future classic". With her reversed bow, elegantly curved sheer line and swooping barrel back stern, Golden 21 looks fast while standing still.

Golden 21 nearing completion - photo © Speeddream.org

Says Vlad Murnikov, Golden Runabouts designer, “For me, aesthetics, functionality, performance and technology are inseparable. A boat should be beautiful, fast, seaworthy and comfortable and in my work I look for the best combination of all the above. I also love innovation. Tired old ideas are not for me. Evolution is great, but sometimes revolution is called for to move design in a new direction."

“At the same time I'm a great admirer of the classics. My all-time favorites are schooner America amongst sailboats and Baby Bootlegger amongst powerboats. Aesthetically, in my designs I'm trying to create a totally unique, futuristic look that is based on the classic lines and proportions… "Instant future classic"... "Innovation rooted in tradition"...

Golden 21 combines a narrow hull and wave piercing body to achieve great seaworthiness and comfortable ride and sponsons on the back to greatly enhance stability. A wave-piercing bow seems like a controversial idea - to let the boat cut through the waves instead of gliding over them. The truth is that traditional fast boats, both sail and power are not gliding over the waves in rough weather, they are crushing through them, hitting hard, slamming and pitching, jumping into the air with the bow high up after hitting the crest of the wave only to crush down into the next trough. At the very least this is very uncomfortable and it could be dangerous.

Golden 21 during further testing - photo © Speeddream.org

The wave piercing bow greatly reduces pitching, almost eliminates slamming, making the ride smoother and more comfortable. It is also faster as the boat doesn't throw aside huge amounts of water. There is only a small amount of spray and mist flying around.

Here's a link to the short video segment showing Golden 21 prototype slicing through the wake of a much larger boat:

The slender hull is a logical continuation of the wave-piercing bow. Long and narrow boats are faster and more seaworthy, as they cut and slide through the water with little effort. Slender form works equally well for displacement, planing and foiling hulls, especially in rough conditions.,Their only drawback is reduced stability and less useful space. Small side sponsons help to resolve this issue.

Golden 21 during further testing - photo © Speeddream.org

In chop Golden 21 rides smoothly with barely noticeable pitching and no slamming. There is a bit of spray flying around which only adds to the excitement. Some people who tried the boat have called her a jet-ski for grownups, but the most common comment is, "She looks like next James Bond boat!" We like that!

We still continue testing followed by more improvements and refining, but we are very pleased with how well the concept worked so far. Emotional response to the boat is hugely positive and she always puts happy smiles on the faces of everybody who got a ride.

Construction of the Golden 21 - photo © Speeddream.org

Future plans include producing a series of limited edition custom and semi-custom boats while continuing developing the concept. Currently we are already working on a 29ft version with even more built-in seaworthiness. Further down the road we could think of multitude of applications, from runabouts to express cruisers and perhaps even super-fast and seaworthy luxury yachts. Smaller Golden runabouts could become great fun toys to complement mega yachts inventory.

The first prototype has been developed together with boat-builder Mark LeBlanc of IMX Compisites and essentially is a wooden boat built with mahogany plywood frames, douglas fir stringers and clad in cold-molded okoume shell reinforced with fiberglass and carbon fiber. Production boats will be available either in wood (cold-molded) or built in advance composites with optional teak or varnished mahogany decks.