Watercraft with steer-responsive reverse gate

A watercraft comprising:

• a hull;
• a deck disposed on the hull;
• an engine compartment defined between the hull and the deck;
• an engine disposed in the engine compartment;
• a throttle body having a throttle valve operatively connected to the engine;
• a throttle operator operatively connected to the throttle valve;
• 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 rotationally mounted relative to the venturi, the steering nozzle being operatively connected to the steering assembly and being disposed at least in part rearwardly of the venturi;
• a reverse gate rotationally mounted relative to the venturi about a reverse gate axis, the reverse gate axis extending generally laterally and horizontally;
• a steering assembly position sensor associated with the steering assembly, the steering assembly position sensor sensing a position of the steering assembly;
• an operating parameter sensor associated with one of the engine, the throttle valve, and the throttle operator, the operating parameter sensor sensing an operating parameter of the one of the engine, the throttle valve, and the throttle operator;
• and
• a reverse gate actuator operatively connected to the reverse gate, the reverse gate actuator moving the reverse gate to a lowered position when the steering assembly position sensor senses that the steering assembly has been turned by at least a predetermined angle and the operating parameter sensor senses that the operating parameter is within a predetermined range.