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Ranman
03-21-2001, 02:02 PM
PaulO's post of the cigarette pics got me to wondering. I remember seeing Cigarette offering a 20' "Son of a Gun". Is Cigarette still in business? I found the 20 footer on their web page and it's not *that* much different than a Donzi really. Anyone seen one or know anything about them?

GEOO
03-21-2001, 02:11 PM
Ranman,

Here is a copy of Hot Boat's 1995 Article.
CIGARETTE’S NEW 20’

(July 1995)


"The Cigarette name has become synonymous with hard-core, recreational and competitive offshore vee-boating, a reputation forged on the strength of sound design and solid workmanship. This year’s introduction of the company’s 20-foot lake boat—the smallest offering in the line—signals a shift inland for Cigarette, the management of which is banking on a demand for a freshwater boat worthy of its top-gun relations.

The arrival of this downsized newcomer coincides, not so coincidentally, with Cigarette CEO Craig Barrie’s recent introduction to the joys of boating on Lake Havasu in Arizona. "In all the little pockets of all the great lakes," reasons Barrie, "there have to be people who would love to have a Cigarette."

The intricacies of lake-boat building were not completely foreign to Cigarette; indeed, a 20-foot mold lay dormant in the company’s arsenal for about ten years. Barrie ordered it out of mothballs, and the company’s renowned design team set about bringing it into current step.


GETTING ACQUAINTED

Measuring up to the Cigarette name necessitated the creation of a legitimate high-performance bottom, and the hull’s underside quickly became the flash point of the project. An 18-inch-wide pad was melded into the classic vee shape. From the transom, it narrows and finally disappears six feet from its origin.

Topside, the effort draws some influence from the renowned full-size Cigarettes but leans considerably more toward a classic retro style. The 20-footer’s clean, dramatic lines and nostalgic interior motif make a styling statement that is unique in its size class, one signature of a true Cigarette. Within minutes of our settling into the boat’s large comfortable bench, it became apparent that the newcomer is worthy of the designation.

The beam of the small smoker measured 90 inches, and it weighs in at a solid 4,000 pounds. Powr options include MerCruiser’s full EFI menu (350, 454, 502) linked to the torque-melting Bravo Three drive—an excellent package in this application. Our test boat was muscled up with the 502, which didn’t begin to test the hull design’s limitations—another benchmark of the Cigarette breed.

The 20-footer is offered one way—loaded to the gunwales with the rigging that Cigarette believes its customers should have. Standard touches include angled, anodized gauge bezels and exterior hardware, a CD player, an integrated ice chest and integrated storage and Latham hydraulic steering. A single-color gelcoat base is standard, as are the flame-faded Cigarette graphics.

Trim installation, overall rigging and fit and finish all measured up to typically high Cigarette standards. Rigging efforts and hardware were comparable to those used on Cigarette’s offshore-bound efforts.


PERFORMANCE

This tough little Cigarette may be one of the best-built lake boats on the water, and the stout workmanship and liberal use of materials pay off in a big way in rough water. Given the bloodlines, the boat’s superior performance in brutal water should not have caused surprise, but it did nonetheless. Wisely, Barrie and crew held this newest, smallest family member to similar rough-water standards, and it made routine work of horrible water at cruising speeds and even above.

We were also taken with the hull’s predictable nature at high speed, a by-product of the perfectly seated drive height and ideal marriage to the counter-rotating Three drive. At its top speed of 73.7 mph, our test boat offered up a safe, exhilarating ride. As powered, the package seemed perfectly suited for all—from the entry-level performance vee-bottom boater to the core enthusiast.

Low-rpm control of the boat was excellent, and it responded positively to trim and throttle around the docks. It did track somewhat sloppily at idle-out speeds, where it drifted incessantly.

It was sensitive to trim and tab in all conditions and was very receptive to ride tuning to varying water and load conditions. Handling was smooth and solid throughout the midrange, where we executed sweeping and tight turns with equal precision and ease. Unusually aggressive cornering to the starboard prompted an unusual amount of spray, and it was possible to get wet while driving this boat. We didn’t experience that in turning to the port side.

there was, however, no coaxing spray over the bow during controlled speed bursts over and through the three-foot chop. We also delighted in the utter lack of Chine-walk in good water at high speed, a testament to the success of the MerCruiser dialed-in and reworked bottom dynamics.


BOTTOM LINE

The new 20-footer is unquestionably worthy of the distinctive Cigarette insignia and is unmistakably grounded in the company’s rich high-performance scale. Those drawn by this latest brand of Cigarette will pay for their pleasure. At $55,000 (plus trailer), it’s the most expensive stock-powered 20-footer we’ve ever tested." GEOO

"