CATS question

[luluzer 53]

Hey crew, my buddy was saying today that centurion was discontuning CATS starting with the 2018 models?  

I had not heard that yet and was wondering if true

[Darkside 249]

CATS is no longer standard,  it's now an option.   This is due to MALIBU owning the "delayed conference" patent.  CATS falls under that umbrella,  so every boat that has CATS, Malibu gets a royalty check.   

Even with the opti V hul,  cats is worth the $

[Spolk69 32]

I have it on my 18  ri257. And love it. It’s amazing to use. 

[DrNate 426]

On 4/12/2018 at 0:12 PM, Darkside said:

CATS is no longer standard,  it's now an option.   This is due to MALIBU owning the "delayed conference" patent.  CATS falls under that umbrella,  so every boat that has CATS, Malibu gets a royalty check.   

Even with the opti V hul,  cats is worth the $

I get that Malibu has a patent but I don't understand how CATS is a delayed convergence device?  It's basically just a large adjustable tracking fin.

[Darkside 249]

2 hours ago, DrNate said:

I get that Malibu has a patent but I don't understand how CATS is a delayed convergence device?  It's basically just a large adjustable tracking fin.

The tracking fin makes the boat Crab slightly.  I personally think it's BS, as well.  However it does create that delayed convergence to make the wake/wave cleaner.   

Surfgate makes the boat crab, just like CATS.  CATS is much less crab though,  even at the upper ranges it doesn't crab as bad as surfgate.

[DrNate 426]

3 hours ago, Darkside said:

The tracking fin makes the boat Crab slightly.  I personally think it's BS, as well.  However it does create that delayed convergence to make the wake/wave cleaner.   

Surfgate makes the boat crab, just like CATS.  CATS is much less crab though,  even at the upper ranges it doesn't crab as bad as surfgate.

interesting.  Learn something every day

[RhuntIII 557]

I'm willing to bet that Fineline let the patent expire and Malibu jumped allover it. They probably have a research team monitoring the patent office.