Doug Wright 39 Carbon Waves and Wheels Edition Demo Boat Headed to IBEX Then Key West

It’s been five weeks since the new Doug Wright Powerboats 39 Carbon Waves and Wheels catamaran took to the three-quarter-mile course at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in the middle of Missouri and recorded a blistering top speed of 132 mph with veteran throttleman and setup whiz Ricky Maldonado running it in the 36th annual event. And that means it’s only been about seven weeks since the 39-footer, which is powered by a pair of non-warrantied Mercury Racing 450R engines featuring a MoTeC engine management system developed in partnership with Kong Performance in Pennsylvania, came out of the paint booth at Graphix1 Paint in Osage Beach, Mo.

The demo Doug Wright 39 Carbon Waves and Wheels edition is an extraordinary build. Photos by Jim Davis/courtesy Waves and Wheels

Next up for the 39-foot rocket, which was painted, powered and put together to be a demo boat for Waves and Wheels owner Justin Wagner, is an appearance at next week’s IBEX Show at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla., that runs from October 1-3. Following its showcase in the Bluave Marine Audio display at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, Wagner said he is keeping the boat in Florida with the intention of taking it to the Florida Powerboat Club Key West Poker Run in early November.

During that event, Wagner is going to have the boat on display at the Speedonthewater.com Key West Bash on Thursday evening (Nov. 7) at Pickles Pub’s Sandbar on Greene Street. The founder of Waves and Wheels as well as Bluave Marine Audio, Wagner is thrilled to have his demo boat on display at the 11th annual event that is a fundraiser for Samuel’s House, a local nonprofit shelter and service center for women and women with children.

“We’re excited to have our first demo Doug Wright and to be able to showcase it beyond our home waterway,” said Wagner, who had the boat on display at the Shootout On The Strip, which is presented annually by Waves and Wheels on Wednesday night during the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. “I can’t wait for people to get a closer look at the attention to detail that went into this boat. I have to thank my team, and everyone else who helped us get the boat together in time for the Shootout, for another job well done under pressure.”

Check out the slideshow above for more images of the 39-footer on the water and at the docks.

Wagner called out the teams at Manatee Marine Unlimited, Maryland Offshore Performance Marine Center, Go Fast Boat Service, Graphix1 Paint, Kong Performance and MoTeC for their all-hands-on-deck involvement in the project.

“Since this is my personal demo boat, I thought I’d do something a little different; because, thanks to my friends at Maryland Offshore, I met Greg from Kong Performance and the team at MoTeC, and we all agreed to run a new prototype program on the 450Rs,” Wagner explained. “I deliberately bought a set of used, out-of-warranty motors so we could try something fun and different.

“I’ve definitely been impressed with the power, but this package is not something we would put on a new build for a customer,” he added. “If you buy a new Doug Wright from Waves and Wheels it’s going to be new, warrantied Mercury power—there’s no other way to go really. But for my demo boat, this was a good route to try. Plus we got to meet and work with some cool new people, which is never a bad thing. And, in my opinion, the package is going to be a nice option for people with out-of-warranty 450Rs, and another option for Waves and Wheels project customers.”

The new 39 Carbon is powered by a set of Mercury Racing 450R engines with enhancements from MoTeC and Kong Performance.

Wagner, who loves pushing the limits on any project Waves and Wheels tackles, said he only decided to try the engine program because “if it was a disaster then it was my problem, no one else’s (problem).”

“I was impressed with the support of Kong Performance and MoTeC,” he continued. “When it comes to power for the demo, I’m still considering installing a set of 500Rs on the back—I mean Brian’s boat (the first 39 Carbon Waves and Wheels edition completed in early August for Oregon’s Brian Blount) gets into the 130s easily with midrange props. This boat is something else though; it runs so well. I’ve never driven anything like it. I have to toot Doug’s horn—the 39 is his masterpiece. The 36 is incredible and the 42 is also incredible, but this 39 is on a different level in terms of handling and performance.”

Justin Wagner (pictured from left with his father, Mark, Ricky Maldonado and Greg Kong) was thankful to everyone who played a role in finishing the Waves and Wheels demo boat.

The stunning black and white catamaran turned out perfect, according to Wagner, who credited his team for putting two “long weeks” getting the boat ready for its Shootout debut.

“We built this boat to suit my personal taste—I tend to like cars that are black or white and I really like the look of white on black or black on white so we went in that direction with the overall design,” he said. “Out of all the boats I’ve had, I think this is my favorite one. I plan to hold on to it for a while, which won’t be easy considering I had multiple people make me serious offers after the Shootout.

“I love the features and the organization incorporated in the boat—every compartment has a purpose and is finished with SeaDek,” he added. “It’s so impressive overall. The stereo in it is amazing, the accent lighting is awesome and the interior is beautiful and comfortable. I like having the eight-seat configuration in the boat; it’s nice to be able to put four people up front.”

For those interested in getting a demo ride in the 39 Carbon Waves and Wheels in Key West, Wagner said they can reach out to the dealership in advance. He added for anyone attending IBEX next week, to visit Dale Jackson, Bluave Marine Audio’s national sales manager, at the exhibit.