For a couple of months there, Justin Brower of Oklahoma admits he was a little worried about when, maybe even if, his new boat was going to be completed. Not that he had any doubts that the team at Eliminator Boats in Mira Loma, Calif., would be able to build an incredible boat, it’s just that the 2019 Kevlar edition 28 Speedster with twin Mercury Racing Verado 400R engines and a walk-through/open-bow configuration that he ordered in August was in the works while the ownership transition was developing toward the end of last year.

Oklahoma’s Justin and Laura Brower are excited to show off their new Eliminator Boats 28 Speedster powered by twin Mercury Racing Verado 400R engines at the Desert Storm Poker Run in April. Photo by Austin Foley

Fast forward to March, and Justin and Laura Brower are the proud new owners of a stunning silver-and-black 28-foot catamaran that they expect to be a great family boat for spending time with their young son and daughter.

“This is my first so-called powerboat—I have a PlayCraft Boats tri-toon with a single 400R outboard, but I wanted something sportier,” said Justin Brower, who primarily boats on Eufaula Lake. “Don’t get me wrong, the PlayCraft is fun because it is fully loaded with a barbecue and a huge stereo, but I wanted something faster with outboard engines that was easy enough to manage and had an open bow to give us a little more room. My friend on Eufaula had one of the first 28 Speedsters that Eliminator built with the 400s and I got to ride in it so I knew it would be a good boat for out here. My boat also is an open bow, but it has the lighter layup.”

After running it at the end of February, Brower, who took delivery of the 28-footer, which features a carbon-fiber/Kevlar layup with a balsa wood core, in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and hauled it to Oklahoma after completing Tres Martin’s Performance Boat School course, said he’s looking forward to running the boat more since he hasn’t driven it since then. His first event is going to be the Desert Storm Poker Run back in Lake Havasu City in late April. He plans to keep the boat at the lake and fly back for the Eliminator Boats 50th Anniversary Party at Pirate Cove Resort on May 18.

“The boat is a blast to drive; it handles really well and has great acceleration,” Brower said. “It is light—and it drives light, if you know what I mean. It doesn’t feel heavy or stuck to the water at all. It’s phenomenal in the turns. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Check out the slideshow above for more photos of the 28 Speedster courtesy of Mark Baker and Austin Foley.

According to Brower, the team at Mobile Solutions in Brentwood, Calif., helped tune the Bluave Marine Audio system he requested in the 28-footer. Brower said he pushed Eliminator to install the Bluave components (and paint the speaker grills) because he has them in his PlayCraft courtesy of Waves and Wheels in Osage Beach, Mo., and loves the quality.

The former competitive fisherman also asked the builder to eliminate the gauges and install a 12-inch Simrad display in each dash panel as well as a 5-inch display in the seatback of both front seats.

“Those guys probably thought I was a pain in the ass because I wanted everything digital,” Brower said. “But I’m used to detailed screens from fishing so I wanted screens all around. With the CZone network interface, we can display everything on the Simrads.

“We went with the open bow because it gives us the extra seats and it makes it easier to get up on the bow when coming into the docks or getting off the front of the boat onto the beach,” he continued. “We love the way it came out. The interior is amazing.”

Eliminator’s marine-grade Ultra Suede now comes standard on all new builds, but Brower took it to another level by requesting Ultra Suede for the back panels of the front two seats—something the company had not done before—and continuing it along the cockpit’s side panels and on top of the dash. Overall, he was more than pleased with the boat’s fit and finish.

“Everyone at the company was so great to work with—it’s cool to see how much each of them cares about the product,” Brower said. “I’m proud to have an Eliminator.”

Related stories
RevLine LLC Purchases And Takes Over Eliminator Boats
With A 2,700-HP 36 Speedster Coming, Eliminator- Rockin’ And Rollin’ With New Builds
PSI Racing Moving Ahead As Eliminator’s East Coast Dealer