If any people-carrying machine has the sole purpose of fun, it’s the sport boat. This year’s new offerings suggest the trend is for larger day boats, often with open bows and sometimes reaching 30 feet in length, where groups of friends or families can spend a day cruising, skiing, tubing, wake surfing, or just swimming at anchor. The popularity of wakeboarding, which appeals to snowboarders who can transfer the vibe from snowy downhill park to the wake behind a boat that can blast a musical accompaniment from its tower, continues to influence many of the new designs from top boatbuilders.
"A day on the water is like Ponce de Leon and the Fountain of Youth," says Jeff Thurston, president of Thurston’s Marina on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. "It’s invigorating, and you come out refreshed."
To partake of the waters of that fountain, all you need is one of these boats, a bathing suit, and a grin.
Pickle Fork in the River
The twin-tip, open-bow design favored by several makers of sport boats is often likened to a pickle fork, a shape that maximizes the seating space up front in the new MasterCraft X-25 ($78,960, base price). The forward lounging area, replete with cup holders, arm rests, and a boarding ladder, will coddle some members of an entourage, while the stern is fitted with wraparound seating, a walk-through transom for easy access to the swim platform, and folding rear-facing seats for observing the action. The X-25 puts out a rampy wake with plenty of curl to satisfy wakeboarders, while the deep-V hull keeps the ride smooth. This boat, though shorter than 22 feet, will seat as many as 16 people.
MasterCraft aims to build a high-performance luxury sport boat for every major inboard niche. To that end, the boatbuilder’s other new offering, the MasterCraft 300 ($300,000, base price), represents a significant departure
from the company’s full line of sporty runabouts. Measuring 33 feet 9 inches (including the swim platform), the MC 300 is built to order and designed to handle the chop on big lakes and larger bodies of water. Weighing 14,000 pounds, the boat has twin engines capable of 800 hp. Yacht-grade accoutrements include an expansive cockpit and room enough for plenty of deckhands, and a cabin galley with quartz countertops, a stand-up shower and head with a full-size entrance door, and an HD LCD TV. The bow retains the twin-tip pickle-fork shape.
A-One
The new A25, the first of Cobalt’s A series, has a hull design that’s similar to those of previous Cobalt models, but it will include enhancements that, the company says, will provide the 25-footer with the smooth ride and stability of a larger boat. Other innovations include Cobalt Touch Tech, a center-mounted helm display showing GPS information, maps, and engine data. For the sport-minded at least, the A25’s most notable feature is its 39-inch-wide, hydraulic swim platform.
The A25’s maximum engine package produces 425 hp, and the boat can accommodate as many as 15 people. Seating includes the sun pad, which has a three-position backrest.
Crossing Over
The versatile Crossover Nautique 226 ($72,790) was designed to produce a wake that would serve boarders, surfers, and tubers. But with its open bow, the boat can seat as many as 15 passengers, making this also a good choice for cruising with your gang. The automotive-influenced dashboard has a blue-backlit instrument panel and an iPod input for blasting tunes from the tower’s speakers. Snorkelers and sea riders will prefer the Coastal Edition, which is intended for saltwater use and is treated to resist corrosion. It comes with cruise control, GPS mapping, and chart-plotting capabilities—all displayed on the brand’s digital LINC platform—and a burly Crusader Watersports Series engine.
Skiers’ Skimmer
Nautique’s classic ski boats have pulled tournament water skiers ever since water sports competitions began. The 85-year-old manufacturer, Correct Craft, keeps the venerable brand fresh with the Ski Nautique 200.
The boat rides high in the water and trails a minimal wake that is ideal for competitive slalom and trick skiers, and also for weekend enthusiasts. The 20-footer comes with either a closed bow ($53,700) or an open bow ($54,900); the latter seats 10, and both feature compartments for up to six sets of skis and other gear. The 200 Team Edition is equipped with Nautique’s LINC system at the helm, which digitally displays such operations as stereo and cruise control and GPS.
Rock the Boat
Texas-based Tigé (pronounced Tye-guh) produces inboards that rock, literally. The 24Vé ($60,014) features a deeper-in-the-middle ConvexV hull that can be trimmed with the touch of a button, so as to plane forward or sit lower back in the water, depending on the moment’s whim. This streamlined, 24-foot craft has a functional layout that performs well for multiple sports and seats as many as 16 adults.The 24Vé comes with Tigé Touch control and Wet Sounds tower speakers, for orchestrating the day’s agenda.
Dry in the Water
Tigé’s RZ4 ($66,611) is equipped with the Tigé Touch control system, where all the boat’s operations—including speed, sound system, depth gauge, and more—are controlled with a fingertip on the colored 6.5-inch display panel. The wide, open bow is designed to keep passengers dry. The ConvexV hull allows the driver to adjust the trim, and thereby the wake, to accommodate the tastes of skiers, wake surfers, and anyone in between. The RZ4, at 24 feet, seats 17, while the 22-foot RZ2 ($59,757 ) seats 15.