Story and select photos by DinaRella / Professional images from Adrenaline & Mad Marketing (Boats Daily)
Adrenaline Powerboats Reaper No. 4 did a lot of luring in amid the superyachts and Seabobs flanking FLIBS… the “REDical” 47-footer was exactly like nothing else. The scenario felt somewhat déjà vu from the GREEN Reaper debut at the Palm Beach show, where it too, stood out. Then, it happened again!
Back in September at the Lake Lanier Pirates Poker Run, RD locked eyes on BLUE hull No. 2 and liked (maybe even loved) what he saw! As you’ll see below, each color combo tells a different story, not from outboards stacked five deep or the $2 mil tag, but rather, its instinctive power to emit that visceral OMG reaction.
The Reaper’s authoritative ethos, elevated sense of fluidity and unrivaled lines fills the void in an industry flooded with fishing and family-centric center consoles. Talking with Adrenaline founder Mike Layton, he assertively says, “We hit such a home run on our design, there’s not much to improve on. I’ve only driven it for one hour, but it handled great, tracks well and there’s definitely more supercharger whine with the 500Rs. Even with the added camera and obstructions on the tower creating drag, it hit 92 mph.”
Apart from its overt fluidity... functionality and technology are found in spades. Taking cues on what to do different, following issues other makers have had with rear doors when in motion, Adrenaline fabricated theirs with extra padded support for locking securely into place when running at high speeds. Adjacent to the doors, and throughout the boat, you can’t help but notice how the speakers sit flush thanks to mold inserts embedded directly into the build. Further back, a generous-sized transom cubby serves as a convenient storage spot for fenders, swimming floats and the ladder.
Adrenaline also worked closely with Garmin to engineer and integrate a variety of electrically controlled features from the helm… so don’t be shocked if the stern bench suddenly rises up to reveal and gain access to all engine rigging, bilge pumps, bow thrusters, generator etc. Inside the compartment (and front anchor locker), which is so immaculate you could eat off the floor, Rhino Linings protective coating solution was used for its strength and durability. Secondly, whereas many manufacturers choose manual clipping methods to secure their wind-blocking doors, the Reaper’s all-carbon retractable ones are also operated electrically.
Heading into the air-conditioned cabin with queen berth, the Corian flooring was next level, as was the self-draining rain shower and Reaper-branded sink with stainless steel finishes in the private head. Including a flat screen TV and better-equipped galley on future models would garner even higher ratings, commented show attendees. Currently the factory is on hull No. 11.
Loaded with billet aluminum and more lighting effects than Clark Griswold’s house in “Christmas Vacation,” Anna Layton (Mike’s daughter) head of composites and product management, updated RDP on the latest add-ons since the original silver hull hit the market in 2022, explaining, “There are 120 molds and the 100 percent carbon-fiber hardtop alone has 14 pieces. The billet hinge on the cabin door is a big attention-getter. At first, we used a push button system, but modified it to a handle latch for ease of operation. Hinge arms were all machined separately, move on their own and were bolted in.”
As for the RGB LED accent strip lighting that’s everywhere, “We machined out acrylic sheets into the sides of the hardtop to really illuminate the cockpit, and also added it on the gunwale by the fuel tank and the border on top of the front sun lounger where the black meets the different colors. On a separate note, we also extended the width of the sun lounger,” adds Anna.
With the red Reaper headed to Jacksonville, and the green machine calling Haulover its hometown inlet in North Miami… what’s coming down the line from Adrenaline will be black, white and red all over to start. It’s also sure to turn heads of buyers with a lower budget, since the big news announced at the show was that a Reaper 42 is on the way. At present, 50 percent of the plugs have been machined and the first model is planned to roll out in about 14 months.
To keep you reading, here’s RDP’s feature on the original Reaper and RD’s thread on the blue one!
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/articles/adrenaline-powerboat’s-“carbon-fiber-rush”-at-the-palm-beach-boat-show.944/
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/adrenaline-poweboats-47-reaper.275443/
Adrenaline Powerboats Reaper No. 4 did a lot of luring in amid the superyachts and Seabobs flanking FLIBS… the “REDical” 47-footer was exactly like nothing else. The scenario felt somewhat déjà vu from the GREEN Reaper debut at the Palm Beach show, where it too, stood out. Then, it happened again!
Back in September at the Lake Lanier Pirates Poker Run, RD locked eyes on BLUE hull No. 2 and liked (maybe even loved) what he saw! As you’ll see below, each color combo tells a different story, not from outboards stacked five deep or the $2 mil tag, but rather, its instinctive power to emit that visceral OMG reaction.
The Reaper’s authoritative ethos, elevated sense of fluidity and unrivaled lines fills the void in an industry flooded with fishing and family-centric center consoles. Talking with Adrenaline founder Mike Layton, he assertively says, “We hit such a home run on our design, there’s not much to improve on. I’ve only driven it for one hour, but it handled great, tracks well and there’s definitely more supercharger whine with the 500Rs. Even with the added camera and obstructions on the tower creating drag, it hit 92 mph.”
Apart from its overt fluidity... functionality and technology are found in spades. Taking cues on what to do different, following issues other makers have had with rear doors when in motion, Adrenaline fabricated theirs with extra padded support for locking securely into place when running at high speeds. Adjacent to the doors, and throughout the boat, you can’t help but notice how the speakers sit flush thanks to mold inserts embedded directly into the build. Further back, a generous-sized transom cubby serves as a convenient storage spot for fenders, swimming floats and the ladder.
Adrenaline also worked closely with Garmin to engineer and integrate a variety of electrically controlled features from the helm… so don’t be shocked if the stern bench suddenly rises up to reveal and gain access to all engine rigging, bilge pumps, bow thrusters, generator etc. Inside the compartment (and front anchor locker), which is so immaculate you could eat off the floor, Rhino Linings protective coating solution was used for its strength and durability. Secondly, whereas many manufacturers choose manual clipping methods to secure their wind-blocking doors, the Reaper’s all-carbon retractable ones are also operated electrically.
Heading into the air-conditioned cabin with queen berth, the Corian flooring was next level, as was the self-draining rain shower and Reaper-branded sink with stainless steel finishes in the private head. Including a flat screen TV and better-equipped galley on future models would garner even higher ratings, commented show attendees. Currently the factory is on hull No. 11.
Blue #2 and Green #3
Loaded with billet aluminum and more lighting effects than Clark Griswold’s house in “Christmas Vacation,” Anna Layton (Mike’s daughter) head of composites and product management, updated RDP on the latest add-ons since the original silver hull hit the market in 2022, explaining, “There are 120 molds and the 100 percent carbon-fiber hardtop alone has 14 pieces. The billet hinge on the cabin door is a big attention-getter. At first, we used a push button system, but modified it to a handle latch for ease of operation. Hinge arms were all machined separately, move on their own and were bolted in.”
As for the RGB LED accent strip lighting that’s everywhere, “We machined out acrylic sheets into the sides of the hardtop to really illuminate the cockpit, and also added it on the gunwale by the fuel tank and the border on top of the front sun lounger where the black meets the different colors. On a separate note, we also extended the width of the sun lounger,” adds Anna.
The Future Looks Black and White
With the red Reaper headed to Jacksonville, and the green machine calling Haulover its hometown inlet in North Miami… what’s coming down the line from Adrenaline will be black, white and red all over to start. It’s also sure to turn heads of buyers with a lower budget, since the big news announced at the show was that a Reaper 42 is on the way. At present, 50 percent of the plugs have been machined and the first model is planned to roll out in about 14 months.
To keep you reading, here’s RDP’s feature on the original Reaper and RD’s thread on the blue one!
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/articles/adrenaline-powerboat’s-“carbon-fiber-rush”-at-the-palm-beach-boat-show.944/
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/adrenaline-poweboats-47-reaper.275443/
