This page is dedicated to the model BananaSharks that are already out there on the water.
If you build one and would like to add it to the page, please let us know.

Tony McCarthy
Tony is the son of Bob McCarthy, ex-offshore model boat racer, and now a well known offshore circuit race boat driver. He races a 19foot open ski boat weighing in at 600Kg all up, with a 130 horsepower outboard bolted on the back, reaching speeds of 65mph in English offshore waters.

Maybe the daft gene is hereditary after all - this would explain this crazy model boat.
Tony's BananaShark comes complete with an old 45-cmb engine straight shaft, and a bent prop which has been along the road. The road is tidal, and after hitting a mooring buoy at full chat busted rudders don't steer. Fill in the blanks yourself.

The layout is fairly standard, but unlike the outboard driven boat the centre of gravity is just about at the level of the first step which in this photo is just under the flywheel.

The radio box has been changed for an electrical junction box with connections for the receiver battery outside, because it has a screw down lid and is a pain to get off. It is waterproof which is just as well because the boat fills when it stops and is held on the surface with two inner tubes inflated down the sides of the hull! The exhaust is just a pipe with a restrictor added for back pressure, sticking out the back of one of the hull tubes.



It sits very low. The deck just acted as a scoop and let the water flow in, swamping the engine.



It does run, but continual swamping and restarting the engine was a pain. Then the radio box leaked and was sensibly changed.



He then added a type of spray deflector at the deck cutout, then a tuned exhaust pipe, which meant losing the back half of the deck.

She takes head seas very well and fast, very fast and level, getting on top of the water like a real race boat. Engine swamping is still a problem but there are plans afoot to solve that, something to do with big holes..



She takes following seas well too.



But sometimes even the inherited racing skills let you down. Literally.



Changes are in the pipeline for this boat, maybe a staight prop? So look back at this page for the next instalment.


Thunder Tiger Outboard Motor
Next up is the model BananaShark powered by a 1.5hp outboard motor, for dynamics more similar to the fullsize RaceBoat.

The outboard has been mounted on a drilled and tapped aluminum bracket to allow height adjustment similar to the fullsize RaceBoat. The scoop on the back of the canopy is used to feed air to the vented steps via two tubes, which can be seen in photo 3.



Look at the back of the steps and you can see the holes, which vent the steps. Although they may look small they seem to do the job and really do make a difference to performance.



The steering servo is mounted outside the radio box on a slider, which can be locked with a screw tightened through a hole in the deck, which is sealed with a grommet. This is to allow the servo to travel with the outboard when adjusting the trim, all possible without removing the deck or opening the radio box. As long as you pack the servos with vaseline they survive the amount of water that splashes on them. The deck is sealed with tape and being suspended in the middle of the hull, even if the boat flips the servo is not sat in water. The servo in the photo has since been changed for a metal geared item after trashing two sets of plastic gears.
Its also got a much bigger fuel tank now!



The radio box is fairly standard and is a cut down food box glued direct to the hull, and so far has stayed dry.



This boat travels really nicely at just over tick over up on the plane.



The centre of gravity on this boat is fairly far back just over the second step, which is below the front edge of the air intake, and at half throttle it goes and looks the part.
Just like the real thing!



Taking rough water with ease.



Give it full bore, and it's gone too fast for the camera in this light without a flash!