I'm glad my thoughts were helpful. I looked at the newer model. It looks better. In the stern, I noticed that you have a bit of deadwood, the thin part of the stem under the water, that does nothing for speed. If you're installing a rudder, consider removing the deadwood.

You should also consider the width. If you drop to 21 inches I'm sure you'll shave some resistance without losing too much stability.

The waterline in back 1/2 of the stern looks pinched. Consider removing some of that pinch. I marked the area in the attached image. Also, you need to do some fairing. I marked areas that I'd work on.

Looking better than before.