Aquila 36 Sport | Donzi 41 GT | Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 - 02/07/21
BoatTEST Newsletter February 7, 2021
Most Popular Boats of the Week
Every week, BoatTEST publishes news items on about 25 boats and products. Readers have asked which ones are the most popular each day, so below you can find the answer.
Monday #1
Aquila 36 Sport Power Catamaran:
Foil Increases WOT MPH +6 MPH/+16%
The Aquila 36 Sport Power Catamaran is the first cruising cat that we’ve tested with a foiling system. Developed by Melvin & Morelli, the California firm that engineered the foils being used on America’s Cup boats, the foil on the Aquila is called the Hydro-Glide Foil System. It consists of a foil installed amidships that spans between the two hulls, plus two stabilizing fins at the trailing edge of each hull in the tunnel. Our tests, when compared to Aquila test numbers of an identical boat without foils, improved top speed by 6 mph or 16% – 44.1 MPH vs. 38 MPH w/o foils.
At 4500 RPM the 36 with foils went 31.7 MPH, 8.7 MPH or 37% faster than the boat w/o foils. Most remarkable was that at 5000 RPM the boat went 37.7 MPH, which was best cruise for the vessel, getting 1.1 MPG and giving her a range of 412 statute miles (358 nm). An Aquila 36 we tested some time ago with twin 350 outboards w/o foils had a best cruise at 3500 RPM, going 17.7 mph and getting 1.2 MPG for a range of 374 statute miles (325 nm) – 10% less and going 20 MPH slower.
Compared to an identical Aquila 36 powered by 2x Mercury 400s that we also tested, the higher horsepower drove the boat 2 MPH faster (46 MPH) at WOT, but at a fuel burn penalty of a whopping 26.8 GPH.
Based on BoatTEST data, the new Aquila 36 with foils begins to make a performance improvement at 4000 RPM and 22.3 MPH then takes off in terms of both speed and fuel efficiency. Conversely, below 3000 RPM the foil shapes do not overcome the additional drag presented and speeds and fuel consumption suffer, as one might expect.
This is important news for power cat buyers and it is not the first time we have seen this phenomenon. Five years ago, we tested a RIB cat with a nearly identical foil system with the same result. So, the foils definitely scale. More...
Tuesday #1
Donzi 41 GT:
Next Generation Performance Boat
The 41 GT was designed by Donzi Marine to be an evolutionary offshore performance boat. She still has a twin-stepped V-bottom and a low-slung offshore profile, but she is essentially a performance boat forward and a luxury day boat aft. This design greatly improved the boat’s utility and makes her much more relevant today. Donzi eschewed sterndrives for outboards and got rid of the typical go-fast cockpit for a more versatile plan. Her aft-facing chaise lounges in the stern can even be used when the boat is running. And she can run. We hit 81 mph. More...
Wednesday #1
Sea-Doo RXP-X 300:
Top of the Sea-Doo Food Chain
The 300 in the name of the Sea-Doo RXP-X stands for the horsepower the watercraft puts out. To put things in perspective, a Ford F150 pickup is available with 250 hp. The RXP-X is powered by a 1630cc ACE supercharged engine with an external intercooler and closed-loop cooling. The craft has intelligent braking and reverse (IBR), the Ergolock system that improves rider comfort and Sea-Doo’s T3-R bottom that provides enhanced control. More...
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Thursday #1
Grady-White Freedom 285:
350-Mile Range w/Twin Outboards
Grady-White offers the Freedom 285 with twin 250-hp or 300-hp four-stroke outboards from Yamaha. As with all Grady-White models, she rides on the manufacturer's proven SeaV²® hull. Grady says the twin 250s will push her to 51.5 mph and an optimum cruise of 30 mph and 16.4 gph. Do the math and that translates to 1.82 mpg and a range of 352.3 statute miles with 10% of the boat’s 214-gallon (810 L) fuel capacity held in reserve. Twin 300s increase the top speed to 54.6 mph and have a best cruise of 29.5 mph with a 15.4 gph fuel burn. This calculates to 1.85 mpg and a range of 356.47 statute miles. That’s a round trip from Fort Lauderdale to Key West on a single tank in a boat that serves equally well for cruising and fishing. More...
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Friday #1
Ocean Alexander 45 Divergence Coupe:
For Year-Round Entertaining/Adventure
Ocean Alexander 45 Divergence Coupe
In the 45 Divergence Coupe, Ocean Alexander merges the best attributes of the 45 Divergence center console with the enhanced versatility of an enclosed pilothouse and helm deck. She can cruise year round in any climate and we could see her as a tender to a superyacht that spends time the northern hemisphere. The enclosed helm deck has a spacious U-shaped lounge to port of the starboard-mounted helm. Below, she has a full-beam master aft with VIP quarters in the bow. In between are a salon, galley and private head with a separate shower. More...
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