The Viking YachtCompany is proud to announce another tournament champion destined for greatness – the second-generation Viking 74.“When you’re building a better boat every day, there’s no resting on your laurels,” says Viking President and CEO Pat Healey. We just keep designing and refining to develop fresh new models for our owners.”The 74 Convertible follows the iconic Viking 72 – a 45-knot speed demon that saw an incredible 75 hulls built and sold. The goal with this new model was to design and build a 74-footer capable of similar top-end and cruising speeds. The team – which has been working together for more than 25 years – came through big time. “The 72 was the fastest boat in our 60-plus-year history, and the 74 will certainly become the next speed king of the Viking fleet,” says Viking Design Manager David Wilson. “Our goal is to gain efficiency through studying a number of performance elements, including longitudinal center of gravity, hull resistance, trim angle and modifications to the running surface. ”Computational Fluid Dynamics software helps the team achieve performance goals through a series of refinements. For instance, the 74’s strakes and chines are particularly aggressive for increased spray deflection and lift, and the boat’s length-to-beam ratio was dialed in for excellent ride quality.In comparison, the Gen I Viking 74 – built from 2004 through 2008 –had a top speed of 37 knots with twin 2000HP MTUs. That jumped to40 knots when the 2400HP engines became available. Today’s 74 hast he advantage of more horsepower (2600HP MTUs) and hull design improvements. In addition, it’s available with the Advanced VikingPropulsion System (AVPS), which utilizes struts and rudders with modified or “twisted” shapes that minimize hydrodynamic resistance, improving performance. Building materials and methods are carefully chosen to maximize strength and weight savings. The hull, all tankage (fuel, water and waste) and structural bulkheads are resin infused, which optimizes the fiberglass-to-resin ratio to bring the build to its greatest strength.Other construction processes, such as Light Resin Transfer Molding, and the use of a variety of core materials (with specific densities for their location) and carbon fiber contribute to overall build quality and industry-leading fit and finish. Significant weight-saving gains have also been made with the use of specific interior woods. A modified vinylester/epoxy resin is used throughout the hull for blister protection and structural performance.