Magic 34' Sorcerer: Performance Test
Magic 34' Sorcerer: Hammer the throttles, with supercharged engines this boat is magic.
April 11, 2002
The power package was enough to push the boat to a top speed of 90.7 mph at 5,000 rpm. (Photos by Tom Newby)
Some things age well. Take the 34' Sorcerer. With a bottom designed by offshore legend Don Aronow, the 34'-long, 8'-wide boat was the hot shot of the Magic Powerboats line. A few years back, Magic went through rough times and was all but dead until it was acquired by Sleekcraft Powerboats of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Guess what? Thanks to blistering acceleration and a screaming top end, the 34' Sorcerer we tested off Long Beach, Calif., was still plenty hot.
Base price for the true 34-footer with twin MerCruiser 496 Magnum MPI engines is $124,600. Our test model came with a few extra goodies, twin Mercury Racing HP500 motors with Whipple intercooled superchargers chief among them, that raised the price to $184,933.
Performance
An Aronow classic, the 34' Sorcerer's 24-degree deep-V hull had no steps, notches or pads. It did, however, have four strakes. The inner set terminated roughly 10 feet from the transom. The outer set ran full length.
The engines were secured on Mercury Racing offshore mounts and L-angles through-bolted to the stringers, as well as the standard transom assemblies.
To harness the estimated 625 horsepower from each supercharged motor, the manufacturer opted for Bravo One drives with "Stage 4" upgrades, including nose cones and low water pickups, and a 1.36:1 reduction from Half Track Marine. At the business end of each drive was a lab-finished Mercury Bravo One 15 1/4" x 32" four-blade stainless-steel propeller.
To starboard, the helm had complete Gaffrig instrumentation arranged around a tilt steering wheel, as well as mechanical drive and tab trim indicators from Mercury Racing.
Combined with those big wheels, the power package was enough to push the boat to a top speed of 90.7 mph at 5,000 rpm. And that was with one of the motors not running at its best. Our test driver did notice a little more slop in the steering wheel at the top speed than he would have liked. A fully hydraulic helm setup would eliminate that, he said.
No doubt about it, 90.7 mph is impressive. But it almost paled in comparison to the 34' Sorcerer's standing-start acceleration numbers. With the Mercury 280S K-planes down, the 7,300-pound boat took 3.3 seconds to come on plane. It took 10 seconds for the boat to reach 68 mph and 20 seconds to reach 86 mph.
The midrange acceleration numbers of the 34' Sorcerer were among the best we recorded during our 2001 Performance Trials. The boat jumped from 30 to 50 mph in 3.2 seconds, from 40 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and from 40 to 70 mph in 6.2 seconds.
Handling manners were first-rate. With a sure-footed inward lean and minimal roll to the outside, the 34' Sorcerer danced its way through slalom turns at 30, 40 and 50 mph.
One thing our lead test driver noticed was that the boat ran a bit nose-down, even when trimmed out, especially at the higher speeds. "It just can't quite ?carry' the nose as much as I'd like," he said, something that perhaps could be corrected by changing the drives from outward to inward rotation.
Workmanship
Devoid of major errors, mold work on the boat earned strong scores from our inspectors, as did its multicolor in-gelcoat graphics. A white extruded rubrail provided solid protection and contrasted nicely with the boat's color scheme.
Entirely laid by hand, the 34' featured vinylester and polyester resin, 2-ounce mat, 1708 and 2415 Knytex and Coremat. For added strength, all strakes were filled with Klegecell foam. The boat's stringer system was built from 1 1/2" marine-grade laminated plywood and completely fiberglass-encapsulated. The hull, deck and all bulkheads were bonded with fiberglass.
An electric screw jack raised the engine hatch/sunpad to a height that provided good access to the supercharged motors. (Hats off to the manufacturer for configuring the screw jack so that it could be raised manually, without self-destructing.) The engines were secured on Mercury Racing offshore mounts and L-angles through-bolted to the stringers, as well as the standard transom assemblies. Wiring was adequately supported and routed. However, the support for the throttle, shifter and indicator cables could have stood some beefing up.
Interior
The cabin of the 34' Sorcerer felt surprisingly spacious for that of an offshore performance boat. Partial credit was owed to the two deck hatches. As for artificial illumination, it was handled with tube lights hidden by valances.
Power drop-out bolsters and angled footrests were provided for the driver and co-pilot.
French-stitched marine-grade vinyl was used to upholster the long V-berth and facing lounges. In the forward-most section of the berth was an anchor locker. To handle cooking and dining functions, a microwave oven, ice chest, stowable table and sink were provided. On the entertainment side of things, there was a TV/VCR and a Kenwood CD stereo system. A Porta Potti was stowed out of sight in its own locker.
The electrically powered cabin door opened silently to give our inspectors access to the cockpit. Power drop-out bolsters and angled footrests were provided for the driver and co-pilot.
To starboard, the helm had complete Gaffrig instrumentation arranged around a tilt steering wheel, as well as mechanical drive and tab trim indicators from Mercury Racing.
Passengers who don't nab the "shotgun" seat won't exactly be hurting. The three-person bench was built bolster style, with individual wraparound cushions for each occupant. Under the port-side bottom cushion of the bench there was ample stowage space.
Overall
Classic often is a polite word for "dated." Not so for the 34' Sorcerer. This is one classic performer that is as good now, and maybe a little better, thanks to big power, as it was when it was introduced.will be gone—in a hurry.
Test Results
Hull and Propulsion Information
| Deadrise at transom | 24 degrees |
| Centerline | 34' |
| Beam | 8' |
| Hull weight | 7,300 pounds |
| Engine (2) | Mercury Racing HP500 |
| Cylinder type | V-8 |
| Cubic-inch displacement/horsepower | 502/470 |
| Lower-unit gear ratio | 1.36:1 |
| Propeller | Mercury Bravo One 15 1/4" x 32" |
Pricing
| Base retail | $124,600 |
| Price as tested | $184,933 |
Standard Equipment
Hand-laminated fiberglass, custom multicolor gelcoat, stainless bow rails and grab handles, full fiberglass cockpit liner, snap-in 40-oz. carpeting, electric drop-out bolsters, electric cabin door, Zero Effort controls, custom tilt steering wheel, Gaffrig instrumentation, electric engine hatch lift, Pop-Up cleats, stainless ski tow, courtesy lights, cabin lighting, stainless props, nav lights, V-berth with stowage, twin facing lounges, horn, triaxle trailer, cabin carpeting.
Options on Test Boat
Upgrade to HP500 engines ($20,103), Whipple intercooled radial superchargers ($13,695), Stage 4 drive upgrade ($9,120), IMCO external steering ($875), 280S K-Planes with indicators ($1,224), upgraded stereo system ($2,495), cabin shower ($1,475), TV/VCR combo ($850), lab-finished props ($850), stainless through-hull exhaust ($600), 1,750-watt inverter ($595), microwave ($495), dual batteries with switch ($430), IMCO drive showers ($350), digital depthfinder ($300), Porta Potti with cabinet ($250), cabin table ($175), compass ($156).
Acceleration
| 5 seconds | 42 mph |
| 10 seconds | 68 mph |
| 15 seconds | 82 mph |
| 20 seconds | 86 mph |
Midrange Acceleration
| 30-50 mph | 3.2 seconds |
| 40-60 mph | 3.5 seconds |
| 40-70 mph | 6.2 seconds |
Rpm vs. Mph
| 1000 | 8 mph |
| 1500 | 10 mph |
| 2000 | 17 mph |
| 2500 | 41 mph |
| 3000 | 56 mph |
| 3500 | 62 mph |
| 4000 | 77 mph |
| 4500 | 83 mph |
| 5000 | 90 mph |
Top Speed
| Speedometer | 99 mph at 5000 rpm |
| Radar | 90.7 mph at 5000 rpm |
| Nordskog Performance Products GPS | 88.7 mph at 5000 rpm |
Planing
| Time to plane | 3.3 seconds |
| Minimum planing speed | 15.5 mph |
Fuel Economy
| At 45 mph | NA |
| At 55 mph | NA |
| At WOT | NA |
| Fuel capacity | 196 gallons |
Manufacturer
Magic Powerboats
Dept. PB
1100 North Lake Havasu Ave.
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
(520) 680-7600
www.magicpowerboats.com.
