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You should consider Mercury. (disclaimer - Mercury is the only outboard I have ever owned - now have 8 of them)

The 125 Optimax only weighs 380# in 25" shaft. This should provide about 42 MPH top end. They cost about 8K

The new Mercury large cube 150 EFi 4-stroke is 20# lighter than any Japanese brand, at 455#. Supposedly, it is more powerful also. They cost about 10K

And they have one of the finest matching 9.9HP kickers you can buy.

For 27 years I have run 610# of twin Merc 2-strokes on my 1986 Outrage 18, set back 10" and with batteries in the splash well, and the boat can easily handle the weight.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...4646557636

So any 150 with a kicker should be acceptable. But if you want to stay light, and for the least amouint of money, that 3-star 125 Optimax is a bargain worth considering.

Evinrude had to drop the 130 V-4 E-tec (and similar 115HO) because of 3-star rating problems and mechanical difficulties relating to some exhaust valve which supposedly provided the extra HP over the conventional 115. Guess it didn't work ouit so well, even after the long time it took to bring to market.