When the Porter family, owners of the Thunderbird Products company in Decatur, Indiana, introduced the stepped-hull Formula 382 FAS3Tech in 1997, the boat became an instant hit with high-performance aficionados. It was the next generation of the 382 SR-1, which had a conventional deep-V performance design. The company had produced 62 of the 382 SR-1 models since 1995. It then sold 372 of the FAS3Tech hulls between 1997 and 2019. The boat was built through 2021, though mostly by special request in later years.
“We actually count the introduction of the 302 LS as our first foray into high-performance boats for the public in 1979,” says Scott Smith, Formula’s marketing manager. “We started building our performance lineup by the mid-1980s with the advent of the SR-1 series of boats. The 382 SR-1 shows up in our 1995 catalog, but I’ll bet we introduced it in the 1994 model year. We started putting the vaunted stepped FAS3Tech hull under them in 1996, and we built them that way up through 2019.”
The FAS3Tech hull was created by Formula designer John Adams. The S3 in the name stands for speed, stability and structural technology. Three running surfaces are separated by two steps that pull air under the hull to reduce drag. Instead of wooden stringers, the design incorporates a molded fiberglass stringer system to minimize weight while adding strength and stiffness.
Overall, the boat had the low, lean look of an offshore racer, smart graphics, and all the right accessories and equipment for command and control of a thoroughbred. One signature design feature was a slightly raised foredeck with radiused edges that created increased headroom and living space below.
“What makes the 382 FAS3Tech stand out with owners is that we built them with the same meticulous layup schedule as all of our other boats, using custom-woven fiberglass and high-performance resin to make them rock-solid,” Smith said. “In addition, there were no bare-bones FAS3Tech models, other than a limited run of actual race boats around the turn of the century. The fit, finish and amenities were second to none in the industry.”
October 2025
