Re: How well do you guys think this tunnel hull will go through the water?
A flat bottom is the most efficient, fastest planing hull available. It also has the shallowest STATIC draft. For a more efficient hull, you would have to go to a canoe or kayak, which typically aren't considered as planing craft.
The only reason to go away from a flat bottom is to increase ride comfort, and possibly increase boat control at higher speeds (>40 knots). A true flat bottom can provide a rough ride in anything other than glass-smooth water, particularly if it is a lighter boat.
A hull with a pocket tunnel will allow the boat to run in shallower water (dynamic draft), but it will not float in shallower water (static draft) than a true flat bottom hull.
A boat with a true tunnel will have a relatively deep static draft, but will be fast and shallow-drafting at speed.
Catamaran-type hulls could be considered an extreme form of tunnel hull, but are actually two separate hulls. They are known for their soft ride.
I wasn't able to see the picture of your boat, but it sounds like a type of a Hickman Sled hull form - it will have a slightly better ride and maybe draft a little less at higher speeds than your flat bottom. As another poster mentioned, you will probably experience hull slap and possibly burping (water spraying out from under the bow). I doubt you would see higher speeds with the same motor configuration, assuming all else is equal, etc.
V-hulls are the most common hull forms because they are generally comfortable and relatively safer in rougher waters. They do, however, draft more water than a flat bottom and aren't as efficient.
