2000 Hustler 388 Slingshot Poker
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If you want attention, nothing will draw a crowd faster than Hustler's 388 Slingshot. In recent years, the 388 earned a reputation for being one of the quickest and best-handling V-bottoms on the water. Hustler's famous stepped-bottom, variable deadrise hull is a poker-run favorite, and a front runner on the Factory 2 Offshore Racing Circuit. To endure the punishment it ultimately receives, the hull is laid up with a stitched Kevlar-fibreglass product and vinylester resin. Foam core is used for the sides, and vacuum-bagged 1/2" balsa cores the bottom. The stringers are covered with carbon fibre and fibreglass, then bonded to the cockpit liner. |
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Opening the engine hatch, a sizeable engine compartment finds Twin Mercury MerCruiser 500 EFI's bolted to aluminum angle pieces into the stringers for maximum strength under load. Immaculately clean, all wires, tubes, hoses and cables are neatly routed and clamped. The 500 EFIs were selected for power, a reliable source given the long running periods this boat sees.
The 388 Slingshot's cockpit is strictly business, with two enveloping bolsters featuring electric dropout seats, and a four-person aft bench. Head-and back-rests, ergonomic padding and safety handles are provided for every passenger aboard.
The Slingshot has an oversized helm with highly visible Gaffrig instruments and a throttle-shift system with built-in trim switches.
The Poker Run Edition's cabin is sparse as Hustler saves weight (approximately 500 lb.) by limiting interior appointments to twin facing lounges.
Heading out for a morning run on test day, the waves were a bit light for a boat this size, but as the day progressed, so did the wind, whipping up a two-foot chop that helped free the boat up for higher speeds. Turning 5,100 rpm, the 8,500-lb., 38 ft. 8 in. boat hit 88 mph on radar. Nice.
While driving at WOT is fun, I personally enjoy accelerating and seeing how boats handle under different conditions. The 388 planed in 4.82 seconds with tabs up, and 4.10 with the tabs level with the bottom. The boat hit 40 mph in 8.02 seconds and I took two readings running from 40 to 70 mph. The first, 10.6 seconds, was with Silent Choice on, while 8.56 seconds was recorded with open exhaust - a difference of two seconds. Naturally it takes time to squeeze every last digit out, but 80 mph was achieved in 21 seconds.
Hustler's patented Tek-Step ventilated bottom has refined through the years and makes for superb control at all times. The boat corners like a runabout - I could literally throw it around at very high speeds, being careful not to bury the bow. While I always back off the throttle upon entry, the boat takes little time to set, then tracks smoothly without banking hard through the turns.
The riding attitude is always flat, yet the hull lifts high off the water to minimize drag.
Knowing that the Hustler can handle virtually any water condition is comforting and while rough water may be its thing, the 388 is just as much fun to drive when trimmed high on calm days.
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Specs: Power/ Performance:
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Test boat engine: Acceleration: Top speed (Radar): Cruising speeds (Radar): Speed testing by Stalker radar
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For the dealer nearest you contact:
Hot Knots
RR1 Forest Home Industrial Park
Orillia, Ont., Canada, L3V 6H1,
705-327-9741
for other dealers near you contact
Global Marine Power Inc., Hustler
124 Springville Road
Hampton Bays, NY, U.S.A., 11946
Tel: (516) 728-8282
