Twin engines, joystick control come to Rotax S
Rotax outboard engines producing a combined 300hp will power a new-generation tritoon boatThe revolutionary Rotax S has appeared in its first multi-engine configuration, fitted to the sponsons of a tri-hulled pontoon boat.
The configuration, fitted to a new boat called the Manitou Explorer MAX, has twin 150hp versions of the Rotax S150 outboard engine that will sit semi-submerged beneath the pontoon’s platform, to produce a combined 300hp.
The design, which features a slightly elevated MAX deck built above the outboard engines, provides an extra 1.8 metres of space on the aft section of the platform.
The new alloy pontoon boat will be offered in either 24-foot (7.3-metre) or 26-foot (7.9-metre) lengths.
The new twin-engine design also ushers in the iDock joystick control system that brings a much easier low-speed experience to skippers piloting the new Manitou Explore MAX models.
“The intuitive piloting system puts advanced aircraft gyroscope sensor technology at the fingertips of boaters of all experience levels, allowing them to easily maneuver their boat for easy docking even in the toughest conditions,” Manitou said in a statement announcing the joystick piloting system’s debut.
The new system will be made standard on all Manitou Explore MAX tritoons sold. The joystick control system suggests the Rotax engines will adopt electric power steering and shift and throttle controls.
Manitou, part of Canadian marine and powered recreational vehicle group BRP, announced at the recent Sydney International Boat Show that it would look to enter the Australian market later this year with a single model.
Manitou is one of only three boat brands globally, including US alloy boat brand Alumacraft and Australian-based Quintrex, to feature the new Rotax S engines.
The twin-engine application gives rise to questions over whether Quintrex, built on the Gold Coast alongside sister brands Stacer, Savage and Yellowfin, could also develop a twin-engined version.
Later this year, Quintrex will launch the Freestyler X bowrider featuring either a 110hp or 150hp version of the Rotax S engine.
When it launched last year, the Rotax S surprised the global marine industry with its approach to making boats much more user-friendly by replacing the traditional engine well on the aft section of an alloy boat with a flat, full-beam platform.
The engine is far more compact than a traditional outboard engine, featuring a laid-back powerhead that sends its drive through two right turns before reaching the propeller.
The innovative design means that the engine sits semi-submerged in the water, which allows it to offset some of its weight via the buoyancy provided by the engine casing.
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