The fastest pontoon boat in the world as at the 20th of March 2018, is Brad Rowland’s South Bay 925CR. It set a Guiness World Record in 2013 as it topped out at 114 miles per hour (99 knots) in Missouri for the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.
Whilst the wide design, and lack of what appears to be aerodynamic profiling, you would be surprised at some of the high speeds some of them can go… with Brad Rowland’s boat being the quickest on the planet by some distance. Take a look at the video below to see it in action.
Brad Rowland’s Racing Profile
Here is Brad’s full pontoon racing profile:
- Name: Brad Rowland
- Boat Name: Tooned-In 2
- Port of Call: Lake Shelbyville, Sullivan, Ill.
- Boat make/model: 25 ft. 2015 South Bay TriToon with Twin 330X Promax Outboard engines.
- Shootout Race Classification: NPO1F3 Non-Professional Pontoon
- Horsepower: 1,000 + hp
- Modifications: Crankshaft, stroker motors and center pontoon
- Fastest Speed: 114 mph
- Notable Races/Wins: 2016 LOTO Shootout NPO1F3 Top Gun 114 mph, 2003 – 2016 LOTO Shootout Top Gun in division every year except 2009, tied with Ken Gouty.
- Sponsor(s): Forest River Marine, French Construction, Big Thunder Marine and Rowland Plumbing and Heating
- Business: Owner, Rowland Plumbing Heating
- Family: Shelly and two children
Brad has been fine-tuning and customizing his pontoon boat for five years, and still believes that he will be able to eke out even quicker speeds from it. In fact, he said to reporters that he believes he will be hitting 120 miles per hour at some point – and when he does, we will be reporting on it at Pontoonopedia.
Want to Race Your Pontoon Boat?
Every year The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout is held at Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill where the  top powerboat racers and off shore racing power boats from across the country complete, with speeds of up to 200 miles per hour not uncommon. But as of yet, no pontoon has gone faster than Brad’s boat.
Is that set to change?
If you think you have the world’s fastest pontoon boat and would like to pitch yourself against Brad Rowland’s monster, then click here to apply for entry.
The annual event has over one hundred boats racing with nearly a hundred thousand spectators watching from the shore. All proceeds from the event go to the Lake Area Rescue Teams, and other charitable organizations.
You can stay and camp for the whole week, with plenty of events to keep everyone in the family entertained whilst not watching the insane speeds on offer.
The Fastest Production Pontoons
But what about commercially available boats, and what is the fastest production pontoon on the market? You can click here to find out or see a very brief overview below of what they are with their top speeds compared to Brad Rowland’s record-breaking South Bay 925CR.
| Boat Brand & Model | Top Recorded Speed |
|---|---|
| Brad Rowland’s South Bay 925CR | 114 Miles Per Hour |
| PlayCraft Powertoon X-Treme 3110 | 65 Miles Per Hour |
| Harris Crowne SL 250 | 63 Miles Per Hour |
| Manitou 25 X-Plode XT SHP | 62.8 Miles Per Hour |
| South Bay Super Sport 925 | 57.3 Miles Per Hour |
| Premier Pontoons 290 | 52.8 Miles Per Hour |
How You Can Speed Your Own Pontoon Up
If you can’t afford a super-fast pontoon, and they are very expensive, then there are some things you can do to make yours go quicker.
- Trim your engine
- Keep your pontoons clean
- Change your boat’s thrust
- Change your boat’s lift
- Reduce the weight on your boat
- Fit lifting strakes
- Add a third tube to make it a tritoon
- Don’t ride with a full tank of fuel
- Distribute the weight more evenly
- Underskin your pontoon boat
For more details on how to get started with the tasks above, read this guide to making your pontoon go faster.
These tips certainly won’t get you going as quick as the fastest pontoon boat in the world shown above, but it will give you some improvements.
