With a top speed near 100 mph and smart, convenient
features throughout, this boat is proof that you can have it all.
By Eric Colby

Every time people hear about a new boat, they ask one question. ¡°How fast was it?¡± If you take that approach with the new Hustler 41 Razor, to coin an old phrase, you¡¯re missing the boat. The 41 Razor is the epitome of a go-fast that was designed with the forethought of people who actually go out and use performance boats on a regular basis. With a pair of Mercury Racing HP700 SCi NXT-1s, it runs as fast as lower-profile boats in this size range, but is loaded with practical, thoughtful features you just don¡¯t see anymore. Let¡¯s start with the engine hatch. Don¡¯t want people to scuff up the hatch as they walk across it to get to their rafted-up boat before a poker run? Hustler outfits the 41 Razor with a black canvas snap-on cover that fastens from underneath and protects the hatch from scratches. When you¡¯re ready to head out on the water, unsnap it and your hatches still look great. Speaking of the hatch, a ton of forethought went into its design alone. Not only does it have a nonslip walkway from the cockpit to the transom, there are two lockers recessed into that walkway with hatches that open on snap springs. They¡¯re deep enough for docklines and the shorepower cord. But Hustler¡¯s not done there. The hatch still has upholstered tanning beds on each side to keep moms and daughters happy. Aft on the transom, twin lockers contain the shorepower plug, pumpout and main breaker. American Boat and Yacht Council recommendations say that the breaker can¡¯t be more than 6¡¯ from the connection. When you plug in the cord, if you see a red light, don¡¯t flick that breaker. It¡¯s a great backup system. ¡°We built this boat so you can go boating with it and still have everything you want,¡± said Hustler president Joe Lo Giudice. After I strode up that center walkway on the hatch and stepped into the cockpit on the flip-down middle section of the back seat (it covers the battery switches and breakers). The hatch raises on twin rams and has a cool blue-tinted mirror on the underside. The bilge is finished in silver polyurethane paint for a custom look. A smart idea to keep water off the engines, the air intakes feed into large boxes molded into the inwales. Cool air feeds into the front and the blower hoses attach to the aft end. The engines are positioned in a short stagger with the port motor forward. This improves the balance of the boat and puts the drives closer together to reduce drag. The 700-hp mills are mounted on full stainless cradles through-bolted to the stringers with backing plates. I liked the shaft support that links to the backing plate for the aft mount on the port motor. It¡¯s clever and has a custom appearance. Gil Marine strainers ensure that cool water flows free of debris to each engine. Optima batteries are secured in anodized aluminum boxes and trim pumps are in reach should you need to top off one at a card stop. All the panels to which the accessories mount are fabricated out of Coosa composite panels so replacement is easy. Hustler included an oil changer on the outboard gunwale and the fuel shutoffs are smartly located. Finally, all hoses and wires are supported with stainless-steel cushioned clamps. While in the engine compartment, I noticed that the 41 Razor has five stringers, including one that runs the length of the keel. The boat is laminated with foam coring and multidirectional fiberglass waves wetted out with vinylester resin. The hull and deck are attached in a shoebox fit that¡¯s bonded around the interior perimeter. That joint is capped with a black plastic rubrail with a stainless steel insert. Deck hardware is comprised all of stainless steel pieces, including bow, midships and stern cleats. For convenience, the fuel fill is next to the driver¡¯s bolster. In the bow, the anchor locker has a bracket to retain the grounding tackle. As you head aft on the deck and over the windscreen, there are steps build into the helm console so you can re-enter the cockpit with ease. I loved the deep freeboard¡ªthe deck came halfway up my ribcage¡ªand I always like individual buckets instead of a flat bench for backseat passengers. Because the engine compartment extends forward beneath the cockpit liner, there¡¯s no stowage in the base of the bench seat, but never fear, four-in sole lockers (30¡± x 36¡± x 24¡± each) in the cockpit have plenty of capacity for fenders, cleaning supplies and the like. Side-by-side bolsters up front make it easy for the driver and co-pilot to communicate. The Northstar GPS/chartplotter ahead of the port bolster is interfaced with the SmartCraft system so you actually have a second dash panel as well as a navigation system. In one of the two cupholders is a foam cell-phone cradle to cushion its ride. A glove box is also convenient for stashing hats, sunblock, charts and other items. To starboard, the helm is laid out smartly with Livorsi Marine Platinum Series instruments. Up top, the fuel gauge and depthsounder flank the tachometers, which are on each side of the gps speedometer. You won¡¯t admit it, but these are the gauges most of you look at anyway. A small compass is just under the speedometer as a good backup to the plotter. In the center of the panel, the SmartCraft screen keeps you apprised of engine functions and trim position. On each side, more Livorsi gauges are grouped by engine with instruments for oil pressure and temperature, water temperature and pressure, boost and volts. Livorsi also provided the controls with shifters to port and throttles to starboard with trim on the handle. The separate trim switches are on a flat ahead of the controls, but are set up runabout style. Push the button forward and the bow goes down. Push it back and the bow comes up. I¡¯d rather have up be up and down is down like most go-fast boats. There are two benefits to a boat with tall freeboard, one abovedecks and one below. In the cockpit, you¡¯re protected from the elements, especially with the acrylic wind deflector. In the cabin, there¡¯s plenty of headroom. For privacy, you can¡¯t beat the head to starboard, which two people could shower comfortably in. There¡¯s great space when you¡¯re seated on the commode and excellent stowage space in two lockers. Across to port is the main distribution panel so you can reach the switches from the cockpit. Look closely though. It¡¯s recessed about 1¡± so you don¡¯t accidentally brush against a switch passing by. In the galley, the optional drop-in refrigerator is smart because you don¡¯t need to lug ice on board and there¡¯s a stainless-steel sink. The microwave oven and coffee maker complete the list of accessories you¡¯d want for a weekend aboard. The flatscreen TV is a nice touch, installed on shock mounts to survive a rough ride. Hustler didn¡¯t forget about providing cabin stowage. There¡¯s a large hanging locker wide enough to accommodate a sportcoat without wrinkling it and space in the base of the facing lounges. Take a seat on these cozy couches and there¡¯s still 20¡± of space above your head. The cushions fasten in place with Velcro, but take a close look. Lo Giudice doesn¡¯t trust the adhesive backing on the plastic strips of the material to hold, so he has his people pop-rivet them in place with stainless-steel fasteners. Forward, the V-berth is long, wide and deep enough for a couple to do whatever comes to mind. Even with all that practicality, however, what still comes to mind with most people when they check out a sleek boat with 1,400 hp is performance. This boat delivers, running 97.5 mph on a less-than-perfect day on Peconic Bay on Long Island¡¯s south shore. Winds were blowing at least 20 knots, but the 41 Razor lived up to its name, slicing through the whipped-up chop. Hustler takes an unique approach to the 41 Razor¡¯s bottom, using a mix of old-school and new design concepts. Most noticeable is the single step about 8¡¯ forward of the transom. Virtually every stepped design on the water today above 30¡¯ long has twin steps, but Lo Giudice wants his boats to be user-friendly. It¡¯s got twin strakes per side, with the inner one ending about 3¡¯ forward of the step and the outer running rull length. The strakes are wide, but not in an exaggerated way and the chine is of average width and flat. The transom notch is about 4¡± tall, 14¡± wide and 10¡± deep, delivering cleaner water to the NXT-1 drives. For our test, the manufacturer was running with 1¡± drive spacers that helped boost top end from 90 mph to 95. Hustler tried a 1 1/2¡± spacer, but it put the drives¡¯ extra-large-diameter torpedoes too deep in the water, causing too much tail lift. When I was running the boat, I turned circles at 70 mph, slalomed at 60 mph and even trimmed it all the way down at 80, a move that often trips up stepped hulls. The 41 Razor responded perfectly. I was pleasantly surprised that the more I raised the drives, the more positive trim the 41 Razor asked for. I found the sweet spot at just under eight on the indicators heading straight into the wind and chop at 97 mph. The boat was rock-solid and I could only imagine how great a ride it would deliver during a poker run. So yes, it¡¯s fast, but this boat is so much more. (Page Top) VITAL STATS: HUSTLER 41 RAZOR Length 41¡¯ Beam 8¡¯10¡± Weight (w/twin stern drives) 10,500 pounds Deadrise 24 (CHECK) Cockpit depth 45¡± Fuel Capacity 249 gal. Fresh water 24 gal. Cabin headroom 6¡¯3¡± Power as tested Twin Mercury Racing HP700 SCi NXT-1 stern drives w/1.5:1 ratios spinning Mercury Racing 17 x 33 five-blade ss cleaver propellers. Price w/test power $582,558 PERFORMANCE RPM MPH GPH Db-A at helm 1000 7.1 8.0 91 1500 9.8 15.4 90 2000 19.3 28.8 86 2500 32.8 43.4 93 3000 53.0 55.0 94 3500 64.4 66.8 96 4000 72.3 78.8 97 4500 83.1 95.4 98 5000 93.5 126.8 102 5300 97.5 130.2 103 Provided by Hustler Powerboats by Global Marine Power, Inc., 4062-74 Grumman Blvd., Calverton, NY 11933, 631/208-2933 www.hustlerpowerboats.com

The short stagger in the 41 Razor¡¯s engine compartment
provides for great access to maintenance items.


With the three-person aft buckets and side-by-side bolsters,
everyone has a secure, comfortable spot when you¡¯re running hard.


You¡¯d be hard-pressed to find a cabin in a 41¡¯ boat
with more headroom in the lounge and V-berth areas.

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