Four Score
Nor-Tech moves to its own groove because company founders Trond Schou and Nils Johnsen—a pair of whip-smart Norwegians who mostly don’t care what anyone else in the high-performance powerboat world is doing—move to their own groove. Take the company’s 4000 Roadster catamaran, which captured big attention during the 2024 Fort Lauderdale and 2025 Miami boat shows. The 40-footer boasts four 500-hp Mercury Racing outboard engines rather than the standard two you find on other outboard-equipped sport cats.
“We are bringing the catamaran line back, but in our way,” Schou explained during an interview at the company’s Cape Coral, Fla., headquarters. “Everyone is doing twin-outboard catamarans. We’re doing quads. Not doing what everyone else is doing has kind been our M.O. all these years. I call it ‘building the next mousetrap’ of what people are going to be buying.
“We also have a couple of other models in line that we’re not going to talk about,” he added.
But chances are good there will be plenty of talk about what’s coming during the company’s annual dealer meeting this month at the Westin Cape Coral Resort. Nor-Tech currently has 12 strong dealers in its network, and so far they have taken orders for 10 quad-outboard-powered 4000 Roadster cats. That’s a strong start for a new offering.
As the only media-hack on the dealer meeting invite list each year, I’m eager to hear the company’s future outboard catamaran model plans. And of course I’ll share them unless I have to sign an NDA. In that case I’ll just enjoy the ride, preferably on 4000 Roadster during the traditional Saturday fun run, and wait for permission to reveal what’s coming next.
I’ve never had to sign one before, but knowing how Nor-Tech operates I have learned to expect the unexpected.—Matt Trulio
