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If you haven’t checked out radio-controlled boats and vehicles in awhile, you need to see what you’re missing.   

I grew up with R/C cars and trucks; in fact one of my earliest Christmas memories was pleading with Santa in a letter for a Tyco Turbo Hopper when I was just a kid. It’s all I wanted that year and I’m thrilled to report I found one under our tree after somehow avoiding his naughty list.

As my addiction for faster vehicles grew over the years, so did my appreciation for a company like Traxxas that is now truly in a league of its own when it comes to radio-controlled vehicles and customer support.

It seems like the rest of the world has yet to catch up to the performance side of pontoon boats, so if you’re wanting a R/C boat to go fast on the water – and capture every gaze from onlookers at your local sandbar this summer – Traxxas can help.

Starting With A Good One

You know the DCB M41 Widebody catamaran that was designed by Dave’s Custom Boats founder Dave Hemmingson? It’s the largest offering in the DCB M-Series and includes a pair of Mercury Racing 1350 engines on the back. It’s been known to reach speeds across the water at 175mph so if you’re going to model an R/C boat after something impressive, this catamaran is a great place to start.

Traxxas has perfectly captured the incredible looks and performance of the DCB M41 in a detailed scale replica that is versatile, fun, and fast. The catamaran hull has been accurately reproduced to deliver the speed, stability and confidence that the full-size M41 is famous for, allowing you to have fun wherever your marine adventures take you.

Hitting The Waves

Even though I knew the dimensions prior to ordering, I was still a little giddy when the over 40-inch model arrived. My friend was in the middle of warning me over the phone on how brutal the waves can be with an R/C boat after I told him I bought one. Then he paused and asked what brand I got and then told me never mind, “you’ll have no problems if it’s a Traxxas.”

My friend, who once worked in a local hobby shop selling R/C vehicles, boats and planes, was almost as excited as I was at this point to get the Ready-To-Race Catamaran, TQi 2.4GHz radio system out on the water. He was more than right about the performance as the M41 replica blasted across the waves at our lake. Plus, on a smooth stretch of water the M41 was able to rocket up to speeds over 50 mph thanks to the wild Velineon 540XL brushless motor. The razor sharp handling lets you carve turns with authority and precision, yet offers easy control while cruising by the shore to make sure all the kids at the sandbar know you’re there.

Ready To Go

The list of features included is impressive, but what I can truly appreciate the most from the M41 replica is how easy it is to operate. It comes fully assembled with decals already applied at the factory. The industry-leading support is second to none as a staff of skilled representatives is on-hand to answer your questions via phone, website or email. Also, part support allows the M41 to be serviced with parts and support from thousands of hobby dealers worldwide not to mention your investment is also protected by the Traxxas Lifetime Electronics Warranty. Traxxas truly goes the extra mile to ensure your R/C experience is easy, fun, and fast and the professional videos on post-running maintenance and other tips online are also a great added benefit.

Batteries & Charging

The batteries and changer are sold separately so I also ordered the 2990 Battery & Charger Completer pack, which contains an EZ-Peak Dual charger and two 3-cell LiPo batteries. The charger uses its proprietary iD Auto Battery Identification technology to automatically select the proper settings for the attached batteries. So all I had to do was plug the batteries in and press the glowing start/stop button and that was it. It really is the easiest and safest charging system on the market. One quick note on the LiPo battery: if you’re storing the batteries for more than a week just use the LiPo charge button to change the charge mode to “store.” This puts a half charge into the batteries and prevents damage.

Incredibly stable, the M41 handles like it’s on rails and is also equipped with the exclusive Traxxas Stability Management for precision, confidence-inspiring handling. I’m not sure how the skill rating system works, but I passed the throttle to my 10-year-old son and he had no problems maneuvering it around our boat.

If you love being on the water, this is one investment you truly need to consider making.

For more information on Traxxas call 888-TRAXXAS or visit www.traxxas.com.