Watersports boat with enhanced wake generation characteristics and related methods and systems

Abstract

A watersports boat is equipped with a trimmable drive used to generate a virtual ballast effect. Turbulence experienced by a wake rider on startup is reduced by automatically varying the drive orientation as the watersports boat comes up to speed. A pair of water channelers are located at the stern. One of the water channelers is deployed below the running surface to redirect water across centerline and improve wake shape on the selected side.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A watersports boat comprising:
 a hull having a running surface and extending between a bow and a stern;   a drive mounted at the stern and having a drive orientation trimmable through a range from above to below horizontal; and   a controller located in the boat including at least one microprocessor and machine-readable memory receiving a boat speed input, the controller being configured with program instructions to automatically adjust the drive orientation further below horizontal while the boat speed is in increased with the controller in a “surf mode” of operation.   
     
     
         2 . The watersports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the drive is a forward drive. 
     
     
         3 . The watersports boat of the  claim 1 , wherein the drive is a pod drive. 
     
     
         4 . The watersports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the drive orientation from above to below horizontal while the boat speed is increased with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation. 
     
     
         5 . The watersports boat of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the drive orientation while the boat speed is increased with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation from an initial angle of approximately one to five degrees above horizontal to a final angle of greater than approximately ten below horizontal. 
     
     
         6 . The watersports boat of  claim 5 , wherein the initial angle is approximately five degrees above horizontal and the final angle is approximately ten degrees below horizontal to approximately twenty-five degrees below horizontal. 
     
     
         7 . The watersports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the drive orientation while the boat speed is increased with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation once the boat speed input indicates the boat speed is above a lower speed threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The watersports boat of  claim 7 , wherein the lower speed threshold is at least approximately five miles per hour (mph). 
     
     
         9 . The watersports boat of  claim 8 , wherein the lower speed threshold is approximately seven mph. 
     
     
         10 . The watersports boat of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to cease automatically adjusting the drive orientation while the boat speed is increased with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation once the boat speed input indicates the boat speed is above an upper speed threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The watersports boat of  claim 10 , wherein the upper speed threshold is at least approximately ten mph. 
     
     
         12 . The watersports boat of  claim 11 , wherein the upper speed threshold is at least approximately eleven mph. 
     
     
         13 . The watersports boat of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust the drive orientation of while the boat speed is increased with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation from an initial angle of approximately one to five degrees above horizontal when below the lower speed threshold to a final angle of approximately ten to twenty-five degrees below horizontal when the upper speed threshold is reached. 
     
     
         14 . The watersports boat of  claim 1 , wherein the watersports boat further comprises a transverse water channeling system, the transverse water channeling system including:
 a pair of water channelers mounted at the stern on opposite sides of a centerline of the hull, each of the water channelers including at least a first sidewall angled such that a trailing edge is closer to the centerline than a leading edge, each of the water channelers mounted to the stern so as to be independently movable from a stowed position to a deployed position at least partially below the running surface such that the first sidewall redirects water impinging thereon across the centerline; and   a pair of actuation assemblies, each actuation assembly operable to move a respective one of the water channelers between the stowed and deployed positions;   wherein the controller receives a side selection input and is configured to operate the actuation assembly with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation to move the water channeler on a selected side into the deployed position.   
     
     
         15 . The watersports boat of  claim 14 , wherein each of the water channelers further includes a first cross wall connected to one of an upper or a lower end of the first sidewall. 
     
     
         16 . The watersports boat of  claim 15 , wherein each of the water channelers further includes a second cross wall connected to another of the upper or lower end of the first sidewall opposite the first cross wall. 
     
     
         17 . The watersports boat of  claim 15 , wherein the first cross wall is connected to the lower end of the first side wall and is approximately parallel to with an adjacent portion of the running surface in the stowed position. 
     
     
         18 . The watersports boat of  claim 14 , wherein each of the water channelers further includes a second sidewall spaced apart from the first side wall and angled like the first side wall such that water passing between the first and second sidewalls in the deployed position is redirected across the centerline. 
     
     
         19 . The watersports boat of  claim 18 , where each of the water channelers includes first and second cross walls connected, respectively, to upper and lower ends of the first and second side walls. 
     
     
         20 . The watersports boat of  claim 14 , wherein each of the water channelers is pivotably connected to the stern such that a leading of edge of the water channeler is pivotable below a trailing edge of the water channeler; and
 wherein the actuation assembly includes a first actuator operating between the stern and the water channeler to pivot the water channeler.   
     
     
         21 . The watersports boat of  claim 14 , wherein each of the water channelers is slidably connected to the stern such that the water channeler can be raised and lowered relative to the stern; and
 wherein each of the actuation assemblies includes a first actuator operating between the stern and the water channeler to raise and lower the water channeler.   
     
     
         22 . The watersports boat of  claim 21 , wherein each of the actuation assembly includes an intermediate plate to which the water channeler is pivotably connected such that a leading of edge of the water channeler is pivotable below a trailing edge of the water channeler;
 wherein the first actuator operates between the stern and the intermediate plate to raise and lower the water channeler; and   wherein each of the actuation assemblies includes a second actuator operating between the intermediate plate and the water channeler to pivot the water channeler.   
     
     
         23 . The watersports boat of  claim 22 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the first actuators to place the water channelers in a lowered position with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation but prior to receipt of the side selection input and, upon subsequent receipt of the side selection input, to operate the second actuator on the selected side to move the water channeler on the selected side into the deployed position. 
     
     
         24 . A method of operating a trimmable drive on a watersports boat, the method comprising:
 with a controller on the watersports boat in a “surf mode” of operation and receiving a boat speed input indicative of the boat speed being below a lower speed threshold, automatically adjusting a drive orientation of the trimmable drive to above horizontal;   with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation and with the boat speed input indicative of the boat speed exceeding the lower speed threshold, automatically adjusting a drive orientation to below horizontal.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein automatically adjusting the drive orientation of to below horizontal with the controller in the “surf mode” of operation and with the speed input indicative of the boat speed exceeding the lower speed threshold includes gradually adjusting the drive orientation from an initial angle above horizontal at the lower speed threshold to a final angel below horizontal at an upper speed threshold. 
     
     
         26 . A method of enhancing wake characteristics of a watersports boat for watersports, the method comprising:
 trimming a drive of the watersports boat to at least ten degrees below horizontal; and   driving the watersports boat forward with the drive trimmed to at least ten degrees below to generate a wake for a watersports rider.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein trimming the drive of the watersports boat to at least ten degrees below horizontal includes trimming the drive to at least eighteen degrees below horizontal. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , where wherein trimming the drive of the watersports boat to at least ten degrees below horizontal includes trimming the drive to at least twenty-five degrees below horizontal.