exclusive interview with randy schultz story ron polli photos Jeff Isom / Debbie Schultz It s not often that an entirely new performance boat

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Extreme boats Magazine exclusive exclusive interview with randy schultz story

new performance boat manufacturer arrives on the scene.

In this exclusive interview, Extreme Boats interviews the man behind the boat

1 Extreme boats Magazine exclusive exclusive interview with randy schultz story ron polli photos Jeff Isom / Debbie Schultz It s not often that an entirely new performance boat manufacturer arrives on the scene. It is even rarer that their first offering is a 41 Cat - a Luxury Cat at that! In this exclusive interview, Extreme Boats interviews the man behind the boat - Liquid Glass boat builder, Randy Schultz. 26 extreme boats magazine issue 4.7 Bringing Back the Passion

2 extreme builders Liquid glass Randy Schultz, creator of the new 41 Luxury Cat, has decades of experience as a boat builder, but this time he set out to build something special. For the graphics, he enlisted Mark Morris of Visual Imagination. to Performance Boating 41 luxury cat issue 4.7 extreme boats magazine 27

extreme builders Liquid glass Liquid Glass 41 Luxury Cat Mercury Racing worked with Randy and the LG crew to dial in the new 41 something special First close your eyes and let your mind focus what

Where would your back seat passengers be positioned and what would they have to hold onto? Would they be able to see over the dashboard while running? What would the cabin look like?

It s a lot to consider, but that s what Randy Schultz has been doing for the last decade for others. Now Randy has built the boat that he wants to own - and you can own one too.

3 extreme builders Liquid glass Liquid Glass 41 Luxury Cat Mercury Racing worked with Randy and the LG crew to dial in the new 41 something special First close your eyes and let your mind focus what your ultimate forty plus foot cat would look like, ride like and handle like? How would the throttles feel in your hand? At what angle would you hold the steering wheel? Where would your back seat passengers be positioned and what would they have to hold onto? Would they be able to see over the dashboard while running? What would the cabin look like? How fast would you want it to go? Would you like adjustable seats that move - like a car has? Think about every inch, every nook and cranny, and how you d use that space. It s a lot to consider, but that s what Randy Schultz has been doing for the last decade for others. Now Randy has built the boat that he wants to own - and you can own one too. After twenty eight years of designing and building custom boats, Randy Schultz is finally ready to introduce the boat of his dreams and its called Liquid Glass Powerboats. You ve probably heard of Randy from his career at Profile Powerboats. Randy built that company from scratch and sold it just three years ago because the company grew beyond his comfort zone. Not a bad problem to have but at the same time it forced Randy to do things that he was uncomfortable doing, like dealing with accountants and lawyers. As Randy says Sometimes I d felt more like a babysitter than a boat builder, I never want to grow a company that large again. Liquid Glass will be a specialty boutique shop for luxury performance boats, real custom work for a special clientele. Randy is very passionate about his work and once you get him talking about his favorite subject, there s simply no stopping him. 28 extreme boats magazine issue 4.7 Bringing Back the Passion

4 extreme boats magazine exclusive Randy Schultz interview What was your inspiration for building a brand new forty-one foot Cat from scratch? Randy: I m finally building the boat that s been swirling around in my head for the last dozen years or so. My original goal was to finish the thirty-five foot cat that I started building in the 80s. We built a plug and it ran really well, but we didn t have room to build it in our shop and still have room to build the other Profile models. It was always in my mind, then three years ago after I sold Profile I started working on the big cat again. I ended up wanting to make so many changes to the original design that we just scrapped it and started over from a clean sheet of paper. With the help of my brother-in-law and his wonderful CNC machine, we made the plug. This boat is perfect in every way, you can t build something like this by hand and have it symmetrically perfect, but this one is. I built this boat because I can see a need for a luxury cat that is more focused on comfort than squeezing out every last mile per hour. We designed this boat to have a full cabin with a unique layout that makes it far more usable than a typical cat cabin. What can you tell our readers about the 41? This first boat is powered with a pair of Mercury Racing s new 700s and NXT drive system. It will be plenty fast, but this boat is not about all out speed. That s not the customer I m looking for. I want someone that wants to be involved with every step of the design and build process. I will find buyers that want a unique boat and can appreciate superior design, construction, components and handling. We ll offer some creature comforts that have never been found on a boat before. Like power seats that have sixteen different functions. Power foot rests that go along with the seat. We have finally figured out how to allow back seat passengers to hold on in a comfortable fashion. We sculpted handholds into the back seat armrests; c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 32 System View Randy wanted a modern dashboard, so he uses Mercury Racing s System View to provide the driver with all of the information to Performance Boating issue 4.7 extreme boats magazine 29

extreme boats magazine exclusive Hull and Deck Features Hull produced from CNC-machined tooling Infusion Molded hull and deck construction Stepped, ventilated hull Hull and deck chemically bonded (no

6 extreme boats magazine exclusive Hull and Deck Features Hull produced from CNC-machined tooling Infusion Molded hull and deck construction Stepped, ventilated hull Hull and deck chemically bonded (no rubrail) Full length stringer system Hi-Tec Foam core Two 125-gallon fuel tanks 5 bulkheads High-gloss white Gelcoat base finish 16 degree tunnel rise Molded air intake system Navigation lights 6 flush-mounted pop-up cleats Interior Features 6 passenger cockpit seating Mercury Racing System View RaceEdition engine and gauge readout Livorsi Marine throttles and shifters Electronic trim indicators Carling switches (marine grade) Ignition safety stop switches State-of-the-art electrical wiring system Powder-coated fuel fill Left-hand or right-hand steering capability Electrically adjustable, bolstered driver/passenger sport seats Two electrically adjustable (fore and aft) footrests 4-person aft seating w/integrated support handles / extra-plush seats Tilt steering wheel A/V Center with media controls and high performance speakers Custom carbon fiber dash inlay or custom painted Fire extinguisher with mount Air and sea temperature monitoring Custom high-grade, snap in/out marine carpet Integrated, flush mounted grab handles Twin electric engine hatch covers Indirect cockpit lighting Ample storage: side panels and below aft seating Custom Liquid Glass bumpers and dock tie ropes Liquid Glass 1310 West 1st Street Sumner, IA Phone: info@liquidglassboats.com Drivetrain Proprietary race engine mounting system Twin 700hp Mercury Racing engines with dry sump NXT1 drives Dual stainless steel propellers Stainless Steel through-bolted hardware Backing plates Halon system Dual OPTIMA heavy-duty marine batteries Offshore-style battery mounts Hydraulic steering Automatic bilge pumps Bilge blowers 2 sea strainers Engine compartment lighting Float switches Battery switch Diamond plate flooring Custom engineered CMI exhaust pipes with mufflers 4 chrome noise suppression exhausts Flush mounted dual air vents issue 4.7 extreme boats magazine 31

extreme builders Liquid glass I think that s a first. We will also offer steering from both sides and a tilt steering wheel to finish off the helm position.

I want to work closely with discerning customers and build a limited number of boats a year so it remains fun for me. This will be a very high end, very trick boat, every one will be different.

I know this boat will go very fast, and I know it will handle 1075s but how fast do you really need to go to enjoy boating?

7 extreme builders Liquid glass I think that s a first. We will also offer steering from both sides and a tilt steering wheel to finish off the helm position. We are looking at every single part to see how we can improve on what s currently being used. We are working to achieve ergonomic perfection, if that s possible. Brand New The team started completely from scratch when designing the new Hull. The pictures show their preparation of the original plug and mold. Who is your ideal customer for the 41? I want to deal with the type of person who won t buy a car off the lot, they order them and enjoy the process of building something to their personal specifications. I want to work closely with discerning customers and build a limited number of boats a year so it remains fun for me. This will be a very high end, very trick boat, every one will be different. Actually, I d like to do some theme boats. I just won t deal with customers that have deadlines. You can t rush something like this. Will having a full cabin make you lose some speed? I know this boat will go very fast, and I know it will handle 1075s but how fast do you really need to go to enjoy boating? Who cares about that last mile per hour, I d rather the boat be safe and comfortable. That to me is more important than how fast it goes. I m very concerned about the safety of my customers. I like people to enjoy boating in my boats. I don t build boats for racing. I build boats for pleasure boating and when someone steps up to a fast cat, I d like to see them attend a hands-on class like Tres Martin offers. I m glad to see the industry move in this direction. I ve always been big on showing people how to properly operate their new boat, but with fast cats, it s even more important to get some practical experience before opening the throttles on something that goes over a hundred miles per hour and doesn t have brakes. The cabin won t make it slow, because we are figuring the CG (center of gravity) with the weight of the cabin. We tested the first boat without having the gas tank secured in place. By moving the gas tank we found where the hull balances at speed with a normal load. Get the CG right and everything else falls into place. That s really the most critical issue to having a boat run right. Are you going high tech with the dashboard or do you still like dozens of gauges? Last year I built myself a new boat and installed Mercury Racing s new SystemView. I m old school but I m smart enough to know new technology can be the better way. Who has time to watch gauges when you re running fast? This system is way more than a simple gauge, if there s any sort of malfunction, it will warn the driver and possibly slow the engine so it doesn t get hurt. We ll offer some gauges, but this is great technology, it helps to keep the pleasure in boating. c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e extreme boats magazine issue 4.7 Bringing Back the Passion

extreme builders Liquid glass PPI Premier Performance Interiors (fl) built the custom seats and interior for the new 41 What process will you use to build the boats?

The motive force is pressure therefore, the pressure in the mold cavity is higher than atmospheric pressure.

It allows for a perfect resin to glass ratio, there s no more guess work. It s lighter and stronger than any other method of boat building. It s also a very clean way to make a boat.

8 extreme builders Liquid glass PPI Premier Performance Interiors (fl) built the custom seats and interior for the new 41 What process will you use to build the boats? We ll build all future boats using the Infusion Molding process, this first one was built the old fashion way. With Infusion molding, the Resin is injected into the mold cavity under pressure. The motive force is pressure therefore, the pressure in the mold cavity is higher than atmospheric pressure. In contrast, vacuum bagging methods use vacuum as the motive force, and the pressure in the mold cavity is lower than atmospheric pressure. It allows for a perfect resin to glass ratio, there s no more guess work. It s lighter and stronger than any other method of boat building. It s also a very clean way to make a boat. It s not for mass production but for this application it s fantastic to work with, I ve never seen anything quite like it, and I don t impress that easily. We ll also use my proprietary engine rail mounting system. This is something that I designed and it allows for a very stable engine platform plus it dramatically cuts down on engine installation and removal time. Why didn t you build this boat while you had the staff of Profile Powerboats to help you? I founded Profile twenty eight years ago, it was really fun, I liked it, I enjoy designing and building boats. The problem is when you build too many boats, you end up with lots of employees that can translate to lots of headaches. We used to build about fifty boats a year and the fun went out of it for me. It became purely a business. So for this project I m going to outsource everything to the very best suppliers, Mark Morris at Visual Imagination has done the paintwork on this boat and Premier Performance Interiors (PPI) provided the interior, Marine Audio Customs provided the audio/visual technology. PPI came up with a really unique interior for us. When I was at Profile I tried to doing everything in house, now we will buy the best components available when we need something. It is more efficient, and we get a better end result. How did you get the boat dialed in? This past summer we spent two days in Fond-du-Lac, (WI) for some dialing it in with the help of Mercury Racing. I can t tell you what a huge benefit it was to have the opportunity to take a new boat to Mercury for the final tweaking. Their willingness to help combined with an arsenal of knowledge and the ability to make real time changes is second to none. Once we left their facility this project was dialed in and complete. CE certification is eminent so then we can sell them to the overseas market. You can t be doing this all alone, who s helping you? In order to keep this fun for me, I took on a business partner, Dave Kratz. He ll handle the business-side of boatbuilding and I ll build boats. His son Ryan is working on our marketing and business development right now and he ll be helping with sales, but the backbone of this company is my wife Debbie. She does it all, from talking to customers to bookkeeping, designing the fabrics that we use. I don t know what I d do without her. What s next for Liquid Glass? Randy smiles and looks down the road before saying; Well, like I said, I hate deadlines and I ve already had one and missed it. This boat was supposed to be at the Miami Boat Show last February. Now the plan is to take an order or two to the 2008 Miami Boat Show and then crank up production from there. ebm See you in Miami! Look for the new Liquid Glass 41 Luxury Cat at the 2008 Miami Boat Show where Randy has promised to take EBM for a ride so we can do a follow-up article. 34 extreme boats magazine issue 4.7 Bringing Back the Passion

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