Once there was the Donzi classic. Now there’s the Hornet 17. Hornet Marine, a new company based in Bristol, Connecticut, is manufacturing the 1960s era-inspired speedboat, and Yankee Boating Center has been named its Lake George-area dealer.

With a showroom in Albany, Yankee Boating Center will also be displaying the boat in the Capital District.

Hornet Marine is the first new company to introduce a boat on Lake George in decades, said Yankee Boating Center’s Jon Brodie.

“The Hornet fills a void in our line-up of boats, as well as in the Lake George market,” said Brodie. “We were very impressed with its construction, style and performance, and we’re pleased to be its Lake George dealer.”

The Model One engine is fully customizable

“We’re bringing a fun, affordable performance boat back to the Lake George and Capital District regions,” says Yankee Boat’s David Abodeely.

According to Brodie, every Hornet is customized to fit the boater’s needs and taste and can be delivered in two to three weeks.

Brodie recommends a 4.3 litre, 220 hp engine, but said it can also carry a 150 hp engine. Hull colors come in white, red, black and blue, and interior colors can be ordered to complement the hull, Brodie said.

“It’s not a boat for everyone, but it is for the people who like the style, the performance and the speed of a sport runabout,” said Brodie.

But according to Katherine Rioux, a spokeswoman for Hornet Marine, the boat’s appeal is not gender-limited.

“It’s a speedboat, but it’s not intimidating,” she said. “As a woman, I like it, and I think other women will like it too.”

According to Brodie, Hornet began exhibiting its Hornet at 2010 boat shows around the country, including the annual spring show at the Dome in Queensbury.

“The boat attracted a great deal of interest and attention, and we were intrigued,” said Brodie.

With Yankee Boating Center’s assistance, Lake George became the site of more than fifty hours of sea trial testing for the Hornet 17, said David Hartmann, President of Hornet Marine.

“I grew up boating on Lake George and it was the ideal location to perform our sea trials,” said Hartmann. “I am confident that the Hornet 17 will be well received by the boating community of the Lake George region.”