Formula 380 Super Sport Crossover (2020-)

Brief Summary

The 380 Super Sport Crossover fills in Formula’s versatile line of dayboats that also have overnight accommodations. Like the others in the series, she has the bow-seating area on the same level with the helm and cockpit. Belowdecks, she has an aft sleeper, a full head, a galley and a dinette that converts to a berth.

Key Features

• FASTech bottom design
• Bow area with tables that convert to a sun pad
• Convertible backrests for the aft lounge
• Private head
• Large swim platform
• Power windlass
• Hullsides painted with Axalta Chroma Premier basecoat

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	40' 7" 12.37 m
Beam	11'6'' 3.50 m
Dry Weight	20,500 lbs. 9,299 kg
Tested Weight	22,230 lbs. 10,083 kg
Draft	41'' 1.04 m
Deadrise/Transom	21-deg.
Max Headroom	6' 5'' 1.96 m
Bridge Clearance	11' 8'' 3.56 m
Fuel Capacity	250 gal. 946 L
Water Capacity	43 gal. 162 L
Total Weight	22,230 lbs. 10,083 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	10.0 sec.
0 to 30	24.4 sec.
Ratio	1.81
Props	N/A
Load	3 persons, 3/4 fuel, no water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	97 deg., 89 humid.; wind: 5-10 mph; seas: 0

Engine Options

Tested Engine	2 x 520-hp MerCruiser B3XR JPS
Std. Power	2 x 430-hp MerCruiser 8.2L MAG HO ECT Bravo III X with JPS
Opt. Power	2 x 520-hp Mercury Racing Bravo III XR with JPS

Captain's Report by Capt. Martin Frobisher

Mission Statement

Formula designed the 380 Super Sport Crossover for maximum versatility for owners who want to entertain friends on a boat that offers performance, four social areas, a spacious swim platform for watersports, and sleeping for four belowdecks.

Distinguishing Features

• Seachest in engine compartment
• Standard joystick
• Standard air conditioning
• Painted hull

Major Features

• U-shaped cockpit seating area
• Convertible backrests for aft cockpit lounge
• Extra-large swim platform
• Cockpit galley
• Structural grid construction
• Wet head below with standard VacuFlush toilet
• Sleeps four

Performance

The Numbers. Our test boat, with optional hydraulic swim platform, measured 40’7” (12.37 m) long with an 11’6” (3.5 m) beam and we were carrying three people, 50 lbs. (23 kg) of test equipment and 187.5 gallons (710 L) of fuel. We had a test weight of 22,930 lbs. (11,465 kg). The boat rides on designer John Adams’ twin-step bottom and was powered by twin 520-hp V* 5.6L Bravo III stern drives.

Top Speed. Running in 10-mph (16.09 kph) winds and high humidity, we wound up the engines to 5050 rpm and hit a top speed of 51.5 mph (82.88 kph). Best cruise was at 4000 rpm where the boat ran 38.7 mph (62.28 kph) and burned 47.4 gph (179.4 lph). That gave us 0.8 mpg (0.35 lpk) and a range of 183 statute miles (295 km) with 10 percent of the boat’s 250-gallon (946.35-liter) fuel capacity in reserve.

At 700 rpm, the boat ran 4.6 mph (7.3 kph) and burned 3.3 gph (12.5 lph), which resulted in 1.4 mpg (0.59 kpl). At 1000 rpm, she ran 6.5 mph (10.5 kph) and burned 5.7 gph (21.6 lph), producing a mpg rating of 1.1 (0.48 kpl).

In acceleration tests, the boat planed in 10.0 seconds and ran through 20 mph (32.18 kph) in 16.2 seconds and through 30 mph (48.28 kph) in 24.4 seconds.

Handling

The 380 Super Sport Crossover has a transom deadrise of 21-degrees and two steps in her running surface, so she closely resembles Formula’s offshore performance models in that aspect. In maneuverability tests, our test boat had a significant bank angle in aggressive turns, but in more leisurely turns that most owners will make, the boat handled smoothly and cleanly. This sort of banking and cranking is the kind of thing some people like to do in smaller boats, something that can’t be done in pod driven boats which eschew tight turning.

She does lean into the wind a little, like most boats of her type, so using the trim tabs will balance the boat easily.

Boat Inspection

The Stern

The standard full-beam platform measures 3’6” (1.07 m) fore and aft and our test model had the optional hydraulic section that adds 2’ (.61 m). The platform lowers with the push of a button, providing a base for launching a variety of watersports, including just sitting in the water on a hot summer day.

With the platform down it offers a measure of safety because the props are forward of it, not below it. There are stainless steel rails on the trailing edge of each section to hang on to when in the water and outboard on each side are 7” ( 17.8 cm) pull-up cleats and cupholders.

The 380 Super Sport Crossover we tested was also equipped with a rack for standup paddle boards aft and a removable, standing-height cockpit table that adds a fun entertaining venue to the stern that few boats have. 

The only change in deck height from the stern to the bow is a 6” (15.24 cm) step up from the swim platform. To starboard is a double-wide lounge that has backrests that can be adjusted for forward- or aft facing. 

Aft seating. Just forward of the swim platform is a lounge that measures 3’7” (1.09 m) fore to aft and 4’6” (1.37 m) wide and is 2’ (0.61 m) off the deck. The backrests can be positioned for forward- and aft-facing seating. As we saw throughout the boat, there are USB plugs outboard of the lounge.

There is a total of five USB ports on the boat, one for the aft lounge, two in the main cockpit and two in the bow. The bottom cushion for the aft lounge lifts on twin gas struts to reveal a large locker. In the compartment, we saw the filler cushions for the forward cockpit lounge, but it can also be used for fenders and lines.

Utilities. Outboard to port of the passageway to the cockpit, Formula puts most of the utility connections in a single location. There’s a pullout freshwater shower behind a stainless-steel hatch, plus shorepower and cable hookups and an LED indicator that shows the engines and the connections, beneath a black hatch is the optional Kenyon electric grill. 

The Cockpit. A stainless-steel framed gate closes the passage into the cockpit from the stern. Just ahead to port is a lounge where an adult could stretch out or a couple folks could sit facing inboard. To starboard, horseshoe-shaped seating has space for at least six around a table that can be raised to multiple positions, including one that stops at seat level to form a sun pad with filler cushions and the full height position for dining.

Outboard in the gunwale are cupholders, grabrails and the aforementioned USB ports. As we saw throughout the boat, the upholstery gives the upscale feel we’ve come to expect from Formula with multiple colors and textures and tight clean stitching. Our test boat was equipped with a SureShade retractable sunshade that provided shelter for most of the cockpit. For storage, all the bottom cushions for the cockpit seats are hinged and lift easily.

The Hardtop. Overhead, the molded coupe hardtop has recessed LED lights. Manually operated shades slide aft and then push a button at the helm to open the twin sunroofs. There are manually operated side wings in the tempered glass windshield that let in fresh air.

The Cockpit Galley. Forward to port, the cockpit galley is color-coordinated to the boat’s graphics and has a Corian countertop with a glide-away cover over the sink. The boat comes standard with a 120V/12-volt drawer-style refrigerator. The galley also has a wastebasket and three storage drawers.

Just ahead to port, the pantry has a blender on the door. Forward of that is a locker with hooks for dock lines and ahead of this is a compartment that has dedicated storage for the optional cockpit TV. When it’s time to watch the game, the TV installs on a custom stainless-steel stand at the aft end of the galley. For additional cold storage, a 35-quart (33.12-liter) Yeti cooler slides out from under the helm seat on custom hardware.

The Helm. As we’ve come to expect from Formula, the 380 Super Sport Crossover’s helm is a mix of refinement and technology with twin Raymarine Axiom 12 chartplotters beneath the compass. To port is the Mercury VesselView screen and below are the accessory switches that illuminate when activated.

All the way to port is the receiver for the Rockford-Fosgate stereo. On the bottom level are the VHF radio and there’s a storage slot for an iPad and iPhone with inductive charging. To starboard, the boat comes standard with Mercury’s digital throttle and shift and Joystick Piloting plus Bennett trim tabs.

The triple helm seats have individual fold-up bolsters and there are two-position angled footrests forward on the console. For small-item storage, there’s a locking glovebox at the helm.

The Bow To port ahead of the helm is the passageway to the bow. It closes with a lower acrylic airdam and an opening section of the tempered glass windshield. The wraparound bow lounge has forward-facing backrests for three people and the backrest continues all the way around the area.

A table can be set at dining level or dropped and topped with cushions to create a large sunpad. There are cupholders, speakers and rails in the gunwales plus two USB plugs. Beneath the hinged seat bottoms there’s an insulated cooler, plus a dedicated rack for the two-piece bow table.

Forward, there’s a Lewmar electric windlass with a chain stopper, a through-stem anchor, and a quick-connect for a freshwater hose. The anchor locker hatch is finished on the underside and opens on a gas strut. There’s an 8” (20.32 cm) cleat outboard on each side. A bow shade with a stainless-steel frame is an available option. Plugs pull out of the stainless-steel bow rail and the frame stanchions for the shade fit in their place.

The Cabin

Accommodations. A slim-profile 1’7” (0.48 m) -wide door cleanly integrated into the helm console opens the cabin entryway. Three steps lead to the 380 Super Sport Crossover’s belowdecks area that has 6’6” (1.98 m) of headroom.

In the bow, the Ultraleather dinette lounge wraps around a table that can be lowered to create a berth. A hinged section of the padded bulkhead extends forward to add leg space for sleeping. A bow window lets in light and keeps the area form feeling claustrophobic.

The aft cabin has a privacy curtain and a queen-sized berth with a memory foam mattress and an upholstered headboard with storage. Our test boat had the optional 32” (81.28 cm) flatscreen TV in the aft cabin.

Head. The head includes a stand-up wet head aft with a shower, a Moen faucet and a porcelain Flush and Forget VacuFlush toilet with a 37-gallon (140.06-liter) holding tank. Immediately forward to starboard, the cabin galley has a Corian countertop, a molded sink with a Moen faucet and a slide-away cover and a microwave oven.

Across from the galley to port are a drawer-style Isotherm refrigerator with a stainless-steel door and storage below.

Engine Compartment. Pushing the appropriately labeled accessory switch at the helm raises the 380 Super Sport Crossover’s engine hatch. The passageway to the stern also raises to improve access to the compartment. The optional swim platform table stores in a rack under the passageway.

To port at the front of the engine bay is an automatic fire suppression system to starboard. A sea chest for all draining systems is centrally located and rare on a boat in this size range. Outboard to port, the batteries are beneath the passageway and the optional generator is forward of the engine compartment beneath the cockpit deck.

Construction. Formula builds the 380 Super Sport Crossover with a solid-fiberglass bottom and foam-cored hullsides. The hull is supported by a one-piece structural fiberglass grid that consists of the stringers and transverse supports. It’s manufactured outside the boat and bonded in place with Plexus adhesive. The same methacrylate-based bonding agent is used to attach the hull and deck in a shoebox-lid joint. The joint is capped by a stainless-steel rubrail.

Superior Paint Formula has long been known for its paint jobs. The 380 Super Sport Crossover’s appearance starts with an Ashland Maxuard LE gelcoat and the hullside graphics are applied in Axalta Chroma Premier base paints with an Imron polyurethane clearcoat.

Options to Consider

• Choice of hullside graphics and colors
• Twin Raymarine Axiom XL 16 chartplotters                  
• 32” HDTV with Blu-Ray in the aft cabin
• Cockpit HDTV with Blu-Ray player
• 18,000 Btu Cockpit Air conditioning                              
• 7.5kW gas generator                                                     
• Aft cockpit electric grill                                               
• Vacu-Flush head with holding tank and macerator         
• Windshield side wings
• VHF radio with antenna                                                
• Hydraulic extended swim platform                                 
• Yeti cooler                                                                    
• SUP board racks                                                       
• Bow sunshade                                                         
• ShureShade retractable cockpit awning                 

Price

Visit here for up-to-date pricing. 

Observations

While the focus with recent Formula crossover models was focused on outboards, with the 380 Super Sport Crossover, the company went back to sterndrives because customers wanted the open transom design and styling. The boat should appeal to owners who like to spend the day with friends on large freshwater lakes and rivers. For saltwater use, an owner can buy a lift and keep the boat out of the brine when it’s not in use.

As we’ve seen with other Formula crossovers, the layout that places all of the social zones on level should be a hit with owners. The boat continues the company’s tradition of mixing comfort, style, and performance in one inviting vessel.