Donzi Classic 16

[mattyboy]

going on the published info yes there were changes to LOA and Beam in the newer versions

possibly due to the 10% rule in regards to splashes and copyrights and Donzi took a splash of a splash

the SkiSporter 16'7 1/2" LOA 7' Beam

http://www.lgdonziclassic.com/pdfs/skisportlit.pdf


The sweet 16 16'8" LOA 6' 10" Beam the brochure says classic but it is the sweet 16 pictured this is before they made the 2+2 classic

http://www.lgdonziclassic.com/pdfs/sweet16.pdf


The 16 Classic 16' 5" LOA 6' 11" Beam

http://www.lgdonziclassic.com/pdfs/16classic.pdf

[mattyboy]

A Footnote

the SkiSporter during it's production run was never formally called a sweet 16 it was always given that nickname when much later ,people were recalling the golden days of Donzi.

when OMC Donzi re-introduced( in 1990 after a decade of non production) the 16 it had "Sweet 16" decals on it first time it is formally called a sweet 16


referring to the 18 and 22 as Classics came during the Staples era when they added the larger Z boats to the lineup

in the mid 1990s AMH Donzi introduced the 2+2 seating 16 and at one point dropped the lounge seating model the 16 2+2 Classic then for a short time in the 00's they re-introduced the lounge seating calling it the Sweet 16 and the other 2+2 the Classic

it is easy to pick out a newer 16 they look stubby stout husky whatever you call short and fat

[woobs]

Interesting.

I had always thought the discrepancies in LOA and beam dimensions to be anomalies or, errors in measurement; as the Ski Sporter dimensions come from the actual drawings, and I assumed the newer "splashed" hulls were measured after being popped from the mould.

So what is the 10% rule?

[John C in PA]

Hey Mattyboy, my Sweet 16 asked me to tell you this:

monkeytongue60.gif

John C

[mattyboy]

Interesting.

I had always thought the discrepancies in LOA and beam dimensions to be anomalies or, errors in measurement; as the Ski Sporter dimensions come from the actual drawings, and I assumed the newer "splashed" hulls were measured after being popped from the mould.

So what is the 10% rule?

I think it goes that there needed to be at least a 10% difference in design and features if you were making a similar version of an existing design and not an exact copy without license. Not sure how they figured the 10%
the changes in the LOA and Beam I mentioned are roughly 3-4% different from the original .

It was also not a matter of the original 16 molds being mothballed The Chisholm's got rid of the 16 molds the last one was popped in 1980 When the Staple era began there were no 16 molds at the factory. word on the street was they( chisholms) were possibly looking at a law suit on that model which lead to stopping production and also may have been a factor in selling as well . When OMC bought Donzi they put the 16 back in the lineup but didn't re-tool a plug and mold from scratch they just use an existing splash being made at the time.

I had heard from an old timer who was a large OMC dealer in the late 80's they were looking $$$$$$$ for a mint 16 skisporter to take a mold off of but I would imagine they saw the error of their ways quickly and a skisporter was not going to work for them.

when OMC passed the production to goshen indiana the people at Chris Craft refined the 22 hull adding a reversed chine not sure if they did the same for the 16 and 18 haven't had the tape on one . The Donzi by CC were well built boats and sometimes get a bad wrap

the heritage is there on all the classics but some classics have more of a direct lineage to the golden era of Thunderboat row