Pro Boat Voracity-E 36 Review

One glance at the killer-looking, ultra-sleek hull of the Voractiy-E 36 deep-V from Pro Boat and you can quickly deduce that this boat is built for serious performance. With further examination you will find that it is outfitted with a very powerful Dynamite 6-pole brushless motor system capable of handling up to 22.2 volts of power thus allowing it to hit near highway speeds. Along for the ride are reliable Spektrum electronics including the transmitter, receiver and steering servo. The Voracity-E comes ready to run (RTR). The only thing extra needed to buy are the  batteries and battery charger and nothing is needed to assemble except for the boat stand. Time to churn up the water.

Words:  Paul Onorato
Photos: Edwin Rodriguez

REVIEWER’S OPINION
There is a lot to like with the Voracity-E. At 36-inches long, it is a great size with plenty of mass to handle the high speeds it is able to attain even when the water conditions aren’t perfect. The brushless motor system and electronics all work very well and are ones that you are not going to want to swap out any time soon.

ITEMS NEEDED
• LiPo battery charger  (2) 2 or 3 cell (7.4 or 11.1V) LiPo battery pack with EC5 plug
• ‘AA’ Alkaline batteries for the transmitter

ITEMS USED
•  Dynamite Passport Duo 400W Dual  AC/D charger — DYN4300
• (2) Dynamite insulated charge adapter: banana to EC5 — DYNC0052
• (2) Dynamite Reaction 11.1V 5000mAh 50C LiPo Battery, hardcase, EC5 — DYNB3811EC
• (4) MaxAmps.com “AA” batteries

ON THE WATER
Pro Boat recommends using two Dynamite Reaction 11.1V 3S 5000mAh 50C LiPo battery packs to power the Voracity and I followed suit, especially since this setup is the max voltage that it can be run on and will show me what it can really do out on the water. Before heading out for the maiden run, I read over the instructions, gave the boat a once over and checked to make sure the controls were set up properly. I found the instructions to be a bit limited on information. If you are relatively new to boating, you will be a bit lost with the number of adjustments that can be made to the running hardware.

Early one morning, I headed out on a full size boat at a nearby lake to benefit from the lack of wind and a super smooth water surface. I started off by positioning the batteries close to the electronics on the battery trays to help keep the bow out of the water for optimum speed. I powered on the transmitter, plugged in the dual 3S LiPo packs, switched on the speed control, waited for the tones to stop and then attached the canopy hatch. The Dynamite brush less motor system responds instantly to input and moves the Voracity out quickly. I held off giving a full throttle run until I made sure the boat was able to hold a straight line without steering input and that the hull seemed to be sitting properly in the water when up on step. It all checked out and I proceeded to roll onto the throttle until the trigger was squeezed against the body of the transmitter. The Voracity moves out incredibly fast and is at top speed in a matter of several feet. In its wake shoots an enormous roost of water. The Dynamite brushless motor enclosed in the big fiberglass hull makes an absolutely awesome sound like it is turbine powered as it tears across the surface of the water. The sights and sounds of running the Voracity are just too cool. Standing on the bow of the full size boat, I ran the Voracity at full speed back and forth. This boat is so fast and the roost of water is so large that you hear the drops of water hitting the surface long after the Voracity has passed. I was also blown away by how easy it is to pilot at high speeds. It tracks very well and does not exhibit any annoying porpoising that you find on some RTRs. The hull had a nice angle at speed with most of the bow clear of the water. Having the battery packs positioned toward the back of the hull seemed to be the right spot.

After about eight minutes the power cut to signal it was time to bring it back to the boat. Luckily I had brought two 2S LiPo battery packs to continue running the Voracity and give me the chance to recharge the 3S packs for some more high speed action. Now powered with 4S, the boat was definitely slower, but it was still plenty of fun to drive. (If the Pro Boat Voracity-E 36 is your first FE (fast electric), I recommend starting with a 4S setup and then move up to 6S. At full speed the Voracity could carve tight turns without becoming unsettled. It would turn tighter to the right than the left and this is to be expected when the rudder is offset from the prop. This ultimately becomes a non- issue because the boat can make tighter turns without losing speed when compared to a boat with the rudder inline with the prop.

By the time the two 3S LiPo battery packs were ready for action again, the surface of the water changed. There was now a slight breeze that put a chop on the water and the occasional full size boats that passed would make running the Pro Boat Voracity a bit more challenging…or so I thought. Back out and running up at full throttle, the Voracity was able to still be pushed without getting out of control. The 36-inch hull and its overall mass definitely helped keep it from getting pushed around by the different water conditions. I would have to be careful when wakes from full size boat rolled through, but I never felt like the boat would blow over or flip unless I was too overzealous with the steering. At the end of the third and final run the electronics were not too hot to touch and there was only a small amount of water inside of the hull. It was a great day of testing.

SPECS AND TUNING OPTIONS
LENGTH: 36 in.
BEAM: 11 in.
HULL MATERIAL: Fiberglass
MOTOR: Dynamite water-cooled, brushless, 6-pole, 1650Kv, 40x82mm
ELECTRONICS: Spektrum DX2E 2.4GHz, 2 channel, pistol grip
PROP: 2-blade, metal, 1.4×2.478 in.
RUDDER: Offset, knife edged with water pickups for cooling system
DRIVE SYSTEM: Flex shaft

HULL
What makes the Pro Boat Voracity-E look like it means business is the 36-inch long, super sleek deep-V hull design with a low-profile cockpit. It is constructed of hand laid lightweight fiber glass that provides the rigidity needed for high speed running and for rough water conditions. To further accentuate the styling cues of the hull, Pro Boat’s designers gave it a great looking trim scheme with a deep metallic blue base followed by white and gold striping. On our sample, some of the white and gold graphics were starting to come off the hull and there were a few wrinkles. With some work I was able to get the stickers to lay back down on the hull and I smoothed out the wrinkles to where they are nearly unnoticeable.

A large hatch, which the cockpit is molded into, closes up the opening into the hull. It is held in place with two metal pins at the front and a metal thumb screw at the back that securely holds it in place. Around the opening in the hull for the hatch is foam rubber to help seal the inside from water. In case the hatch becomes detached while running the Voracity, a length of polyethylene foam is glued to its underside to keep it afloat. You will also find more foam tucked up into the bow of the hull to provide floatation in case of a mishap out on the water.

RUNNING HARDWARE
On the business end of the hull, the Voracity is fitted with some very nice aluminum running hardware. The flex shaft is held by an aluminum strut that is firmly attached to the transom with four Allen head screws and its height is adjustable. Pro Boat selected a metal, two-blade prop to launch the Voracity forward through the water. Sitting offset to the right of the propeller is a knife-edged rudder to provide responsive steering while not hindering the propulsion created by the prop, especially when in a turn. Holes on either side of the rudder allow water to enter the cooling system for the brushless motor system. Mounted on the sides of the transom are razor sharp adjustable turn fins. These are key components to help keep the Voracity tracking straight and enable it to turn with authority. Next are two stainless trim tabs that are located between the turn fin and where the flex shaft exits. By adjusting the angle of these tabs, you can alter the way the boat travels through the water. Angled up will let the bow come out of the water while also increasing speed and angled down will keep more of the hull in contact with the water for additional stability at the price of making the boat slower. Last but not least is a small knurled aluminum plug found next to where the flex shaft exits the stern. It is a very helpful feature that permits any collected water to easily drain out of the hull.

POWER SYSTEM
In order to back up the Voracity’s speedy appearance, Pro Boat made sure to give it plenty of GO with a massive brushless motor. The Dynamite Marine 6-pole, 1650Kv brushless motor is fitted with a water-cooling jacket and has plenty of power to make this deep-V utterly ballistic. It can be fed with up to 6S or 22.2 volts of battery power and directing the juice to the motor is a Dynamite 120amp water-cooled speed control. The speed control is programmable with either an optional Dynamite LED Program Card (DYNS3005) or with the included Spektrum DX2E transmitter. When purchasing battery packs for the Voracity, make sure they are outfitted with EC5 connectors which are found on the speed control. These connectors are quite big, however they will handle the substantial amp draw created by the motor. Both the motor and speed control are securely bolted onto a composite plastic mount in the hull.

ELECTRONICS
When you have as much power as the Voracity has on tap, you want to feel 100-percent confident in the radio system that controls it. Pro Boat made sure of this by including the reliable and easy-to-use Spektrum DX2E 2.4GHz 2-channel pistol grip transmitter paired with a Spektrum SR310 waterproof 3-channel receiver. The transmitter is furnished with all the basic controls that you would need. There is a bind button, servo reversing switches, throttle and steering trim and steering dual rate. Rounding out the electronics is a Spektrum S603 standard servo to control the rudder and it is also waterproof.

DOCKSIDE DEDUCTIONS
The Pro Boat Voracity-E 36 definitely delivers with excellent performance and looks to match. The price at over $500 might throw people at first until they realize everything they are getting for the money. It is very well equipped with first rate electronics from Dynamite and Spektrum, high quality running gear and a beautifully designed and built deep-V fiberglass hull. When the potent 6-pole brushless motor is powered with two 3S LiPo battery packs, the Voracity absolutely screams across the surface of the water without being a handful to control. It would have been nice if Pro Boat included more in depth instructions to aid in a clearer understanding of the boat and how to tune it. The good thing is that its out of the box setup is relatively neutral to be able to run well in most conditions. As you get more run time under your belt, you can try different adjustments to suit your driving style and water conditions.

LINKS
Dynamite dynamiterc.com, 800-338-4639
Horizon Hobby horizonhobby.com, 800-338-4639
MaxAmps maxamps.com, 888-654-4450
Pro Boat Models proboatmodels.com, 800-338-4639
Spektrum spektrumrc.com, 800-338-4639