a marine vessel that planes over the water in a straight ahead mode and has a v - shaped bow configuration , two lateral rails , a water jet intake aft of the bow , and a water jet discharge through the transom above the water line . the vessel &# 39 ; s tri - point contact with the water at high speeds permits sled - like movement with minimal wet area under the hull along the center aft of the water jet intake . it moves fast through the water , is stable , moves smoothly and silently through the water , makes little wake , and makes hard turns without loss of velocity . at idle and slow speed it is low in the water , while at high speed it rides high on the water with only the bow and rear rails in contact with the water . vessel size and scale are not limiting factors . applications include , but are not limited to , military , recreational , and sporting uses .