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A watercraft has a hull, a deck, an engine, a steering assembly, a jet pump, a venturi, a steering nozzle, and a reverse gate pivotable between a fully stowed position and a fully lowered position. The reverse gate includes a reverse gate body having inner and outer arcuate surfaces, and reverse gat

A watercraft has a hull, a deck, an engine, a steering assembly, a jet pump, a venturi, a steering nozzle, and a reverse gate pivotable between a fully stowed position and a fully lowered position. The reverse gate includes a reverse gate body having inner and outer arcuate surfaces, and reverse gate upper and lower edges. First and second side walls are connected to the sides of the reverse gate body. At least one deflector is connected to at least one of the outer arcuate surface, the first side wall, and the second side wall. The at least one deflector is spaced from the outer arcuate surface. A deflector trailing edge is disposed upwardly and rearwardly from a deflector leading edge at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position. Water deflecting surfaces and turning deflectors connected to a reverse gate are also disclosed.

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What is claimed is: 1. 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 t

What is claimed is: 1. 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. 2. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one deflector is two deflectors. 3. 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, and the deflector leading edge being disposed forwardly and downwardly from the reverse gate lower edge at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position. 4. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one deflector is connected to two of the outer arcuate surface, the first side wall, and the second side wall thereby forming a conduit. 5. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the reverse gate further includes a spray deflecting element disposed on the outer surface of the reverse gate body at a position upwardly of the deflector trailing edge at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position; and wherein the spray deflecting element extends laterally along the outer surface and extends away from the outer surface. 6. A watercraft comprising: a hull; a tunnel formed in the hull; a ride plate mounted to the hull for at least partially closing a bottom of the tunnel; 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, the jet pump being disposed at least in part in the tunnel; 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; 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 deflector leading edge being vertically lower than the ride plate at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position. 7. The watercraft of claim 6, wherein when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position, the deflector leading edge is less than 6 cm below the ride plate. 8. The watercraft of claim 7, wherein when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position, the deflector leading edge is between 1 and 3 cm below the ride plate. 9. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the reverse gate further includes a rib protruding from a vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body along the inner arcuate surface and extending from a reverse gate body upper portion to a reverse gate body lower portion. 10. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the reverse gate further includes: a first aperture located in the first side wall; a second aperture located in the second side wall; a first water deflecting surface connected to the first side wall adjacent to the first aperture and extending away from the first side wall, the first water deflecting surface extending at least in part along a lower edge of the first aperture at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position, and the first water deflecting surface extending upwardly from the first side wall at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position; and a second water deflecting surface connected to the second side wall adjacent to the second aperture and extending away from the second side wall, the second water deflecting surface extending at least in part along a lower edge of the second aperture at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position, and the second water deflecting surface extending upwardly from the second side wall at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position. 11. The watercraft of claim 10, wherein the reverse gate further includes: a first turning deflector connected to the inner arcuate surface of the reverse gate body, a first end of the first turning deflector being disposed on a reverse gate body upper portion and on a vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body, a second end of the first turning deflector being disposed closer to the first side wall and to the reverse gate lower edge than the first end of the first turning deflector; and a second turning deflector connected to the inner arcuate surface of the reverse gate body, a first end of the second turning deflector being disposed on the reverse gate body upper portion and on the vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body, a second end of the second turning deflector being disposed closer to the second side wall and to the reverse gate lower edge than the first end of the second turning deflector. 12. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the reverse gate further includes: a first aperture located in the first side wall; a second aperture located in the second side wall; a first turning deflector connected to the inner arcuate surface of the reverse gate body, a first end of the first turning deflector being disposed on a reverse gate body upper portion and on a vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body, a second end of the first turning deflector being disposed closer to the first side wall and to the reverse gate lower edge than the first end of the first turning deflector; and a second turning deflector connected to the inner arcuate surface of the reverse gate body, a first end of the second turning deflector being disposed on the reverse gate body upper portion and on the vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body, a second end of the second turning deflector being disposed closer to the second side wall and to the reverse gate lower edge than the first end of the second turning deflector. 13. 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 first aperture located in the first side wall; a first water deflecting surface connected to the first side wall adjacent to the first aperture and extending away from the first side wall, the first water deflecting surface extending at least in part along a lower edge of the first aperture when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position, and the first water deflecting surface extending upwardly from the first side wall at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position; a second side wall connected to a second side of the reverse gate body opposite the first side of the reverse gate body; a second aperture located in the second side wall; and a second water deflecting surface connected to the second side wall adjacent to the second aperture and extending away from the second side wall, the second water deflecting surface extending at least in part along a lower edge of the second aperture at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position, and the second water deflecting surface extending upwardly from the second side wall at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position. 14. The watercraft of claim 13, wherein the reverse gate further includes a rib protruding from a vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body along the inner arcuate surface and extending from a reverse gate body upper portion to a reverse gate body lower portion. 15. 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 first aperture located in the first side wall; a second side wall connected to a second side of the reverse gate body opposite the first side of the reverse gate body; a second aperture located in the second side wall; and a first turning deflector connected to the inner arcuate surface of the reverse gate body, a first end of the first turning deflector being disposed on a reverse gate body upper portion and on a vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body, a second end of the first turning deflector being disposed closer to the first side wall and to the reverse gate lower edge than the first end of the first turning deflector; and a second turning deflector connected to the inner arcuate surface of the reverse gate body, a first end of the second turning deflector being disposed on the reverse gate body upper portion and on the vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body, a second end of the second turning deflector being disposed closer to the second side wall and to the reverse gate lower edge than the first end of the second turning deflector. 16. The watercraft of claim 15, wherein at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position: the first end of the first turning deflector is located vertically higher than the first aperture, the second end of the first turning deflector is located vertically lower than the first aperture, the first end of the second turning deflector is located vertically higher than the second aperture, and the second end of the second turning deflector is located vertically lower than the second aperture. 17. The watercraft of claim 15, wherein the first end of the first turning deflector is connected to the first end of the second turning deflector. 18. The watercraft of claim 17, wherein the first and second turning deflectors together have a generally inverted U-shape. 19. The watercraft of claim 15, wherein the reverse gate further includes a rib protruding from the vertically extending central portion of the reverse gate body along the inner arcuate surface and extending from a reverse gate body upper portion to a reverse gate body lower portion. 20. The watercraft of claim 3, wherein the at least one deflector is two deflectors. 21. The watercraft of claim 3, wherein the at least one deflector is connected to two of the outer arcuate surface, the first side wall, and the second side wall thereby forming a conduit. 22. The watercraft of claim 3, wherein the reverse gate further includes a spray deflecting element disposed on the outer arcuate surface of the reverse gate body at a position upwardly of the deflector trailing edge at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position; and wherein the spray deflecting element extends laterally along the outer arcuate surface and extends away from the outer arcuate surface. 23. The watercraft of claim 6, wherein the at least one deflector is two deflectors. 24. The watercraft of claim 6, wherein the at least one deflector is connected to two of the outer arcuate surface, the first side wall, and the second side wall thereby forming a conduit. 25. The watercraft of claim 6, wherein the reverse gate further includes a spray deflecting element disposed on the outer arcuate surface of the reverse gate body at a position upwardly of the deflector trailing edge at least when the reverse gate is in the fully lowered position; and wherein the spray deflecting element extends laterally along the outer arcuate surface and extends away from the outer arcuate surface.