Patent ID: 7674144

Claim:
A watercraft comprising: a hull; a deck disposed on the hull; an engine supported by the hull; a steering assembly disposed at least in part on the deck; a jet pump connected to the hull and being operatively connected to the engine; a venturi connected to a rearward end of the jet pump; a steering nozzle operatively connected to the steering assembly and being disposed at least in part rearwardly of the venturi; and a reverse gate pivotally mounted relative to the venturi about a generally horizontal reverse gate axis, the reverse gate being pivotable between a fully stowed position and a fully lowered position where the reverse gate redirects a jet of water expelled from the steering nozzle when the engine is in operation, the reverse gate including: a reverse gate body having an inner arcuate surface, an outer arcuate surface, a reverse gate upper edge, and a reverse gate lower edge; a first side wall connected to a first side of the reverse gate body; a second side wall connected to a second side of the reverse gate body opposite the first side of the reverse gate body; and at least one deflector connected to at least one of the outer arcuate surface, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the at least one deflector being spaced from the outer arcuate surface, the at least one deflector having a deflector leading edge and a deflector trailing edge, the deflector trailing edge being disposed upwardly and rearwardly from the deflector leading edge at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position, the at least one deflector having an arcuate surface extending from the deflector leading edge to the deflector trailing edge, and the arcuate surface of the at least one deflector generally facing the outer surface of the reverse gate body.