The Z-Plane Hull

Just what is a Z-Plane hull anyway?

Most of the marine industry continues to use the same technology of a century ago. By incorporating much of the technology from the auto and computer industries, STINGRAY set out to revolutionize the boating industry and bring quality to a new peak.

The exclusive STINGRAY Z-plane or "zp" hull is the first major step in that direction. There are no added volumes or surfaces (strakes). Z-planes act as horizontal planing faces when submerged, and when very near the water's surface the outside edge of the Z-plane acts as a spray release. This revolutionary design passes through the water with no bubbles or vortices formed by the hull shape.

Developed on the CAD (Computer Aided Design) system, this hull is absolutely fair. The use of planar lines have caused the hull to be dip-free from whatever angle it is viewed.

The smooth flow of water generated by this design allows the propeller better bite during both straight line speed and hard cornering maneuvers.

The Z-Plane hull has a notched transom, adopted from the offshore racing boats, that allows the drive to be mounted higher to reduce drag and increase performance.

A numerically controlled (NC) router is used to mill full scale models for tooling, bypassing the manual lofting process entirely. This process reduces prototype cost by more than fifty percent.

The use of computerized design has taken the accuracy level of manufacturing boats from 1/16" to 1/1000" and has allowed for design to be done in 3-D. A scaled 3-D human model allows Stingray the advantage of designing the boat around you, not just making you fit.

STG-1022-093 Z-Plane Graphic Update-FINAL

SEE WHAT THIRD PARTIES ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR EXCLUSIVE Z-PLANE HULL:

BOATING MAGAZINE

"I feared a 3.0-liter would be too wimpy to effectively power a 19-foot boat, but again Stingray defied conventional wisdom. Give credit to the brand's trademark Z-plane hull. The design replaces conventional strakes with shingle-like panels that act as horizontal planing surfaces when powering out of the hole, and spray releases at speed. Stingray claims the smoother flow of water they produce gives the prop better bite, resulting in faster speeds and smoother handling. I just know it works. my test boat jumped onto plane in 3.5 seconds and peaked at 42.5 mph, all while displaying Stingray's trademark aggressive-yet-predictable handling."

BOATING WORLD MAGAZINE

"Credit the lightweight Z-Plane hull's efficiency for its stellar performance numbers, which are achieved without resorting to an extreme amount of power to make it fly. Our test boat has a MerCruiser 4.3 MPIC V-6 that produces 220 hp, which is a relatively modest amount of power. With two people and a full 34 gallons of fuel on board, we reached 58 mph."

LAKELAND BOATING MAGAZINE

"Many boats, when pushed to the limit, trimmed up and run at wide-open throttle, do some chine walking and get downright squirrelly. Stingrays are specifically designed to not behave that way. The company's Z-plane hull, first introduced in 1991 and tweaked since, really does an interesting thing. It features contours to the running surface that extend beneath both sides of the integrated swim platform. This creates a three-point contact with the water at higher speeds. Less hull in the water makes the boat faster, yet the running surface on both sides of the boat skims along the water and provides stability. Stingrays have always impressed me with their easy handling when you feel that need for speed."

BOAT GUIDE CANADA MAGAZINE

"The Z-plane hull is all about performance, so what better way to start a sea trial than by burying the throttle? Put the hammer down and the 3,364-pound Stingray seems to pop up on pl!(ne almost instantaneously, taking less than three seconds to roar from dead stop to fully on plane. The hull's efficiency really is impressive, because time to plane doesn't seem to change much regardless of how the prop is trimmed. It just gets up and goes, exactly as you want."

LAKELAND BOATING MAGAZINE

"This 19-footer outperforms the competition with less power and manages to get better fuel mileage and speed when compared to similar-sized and equipped models on the market. Consider the following: With a Mercury engine, she'll do 45.5mph at 6250 rpm buring 11 gph at a rate of 4.1mpg. At 3500 rpm, the boat burns 3.1 gph and gets 6.8 mpg. Not too shabby. This standout performance is directly related to Stingray's Z-plane (zp) hull."

POWER BOATING CANADA

"With the boat up and running, the Z-planes continue to contribute by controlling spray and ensuring that the boat's running surface passes through water that's free of any bubbles or vortices that could reduce performance. The smooth flow of water generated by this design is said to also allow the propeller a better bite, during both straight line speed and hard cornering maneuvers."

BOATING MAGAZINE

"Stingray has a long history of getting more speed out of less engine, often rivaling a competitor's big block with a small-block alternative. Most of the credit usually goes to the company's ultra-efficient Z-plane hull design. Essentially, it replaces a conventional hull's protruding strakes with a series of stacked, horizontal surfaces. (Think of the way a Venetian blind lies when closed.) During hole shot, they act as horizontal planing surfaces; once on plane, their outside edges function as a spray release. Stingray claims the design allows for a more undisturbed flow of water across the hull bottom, which in turn gives the propeller more clean water to latch onto."

LAKELAND BOATING MAGAZINE

"The thing is, thanks to Stingray's Z-plane hull, these boats have a superb ride, perform flawlessly and are surprisingly economical on fuel — features any boater can appreciate."

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