Formula 430 Super Sport Crossover (2017-)

Brief Summary

Formula’s 430 SSC (Super Sport Crossover) combines the best elements of several different types into one remarkable vessel that already is making waves in the boating industry. She is at once an opulent day boat that is eminently practical thanks to her huge swim platform, two on-deck entertaining venues, hardtop, and surprisingly large overnight accommodations below.

Formula has held nothing back in producing this new model, which is its first outboard-powered boat in recent memory. On deck she has a large bowriding cockpit, powered hi-low tables in both the bow and main cockpit, galleys on deck and below, dinettes on deck and below, stand-up head, sleeping accommodations for four, and triple, individually adjustable helm seating. Her extended swim platform extends the transom aft upon which to hang four Mercury Racing outboards that can range from 300 to 400-hp each. A single joystick reins in all of those horses, making docking easy. She has a 21-degree deadrise bottom, Formula’s signature painted hull sides, and is loaded with virtually every amenity imaginable. See our full report on this important new boat.

Key Features

• Rockford Fosgate waterproof transom-mounted stereo control and two
  
  JL Audio blue LED lighted chrome-finished speakers
• Integrated swim platform with removeable stainless swim ladder, retractable safety ladder and pull-up cleats
• Molded composite dash in Charcoal or Mocha with Liquid Black panels, Ritchie compass,
  
  Raymarine twin eS128 GPS widescreen color chartplotters with digital depth sounder
• Bow sun shade with stainless supports
• Modular bow seating/sun pad system
• Cockpit Pullout Yeti Tundra 35 cooler
• Two powered, adjustable-height bow tables with woodgrain vinyl decking tops and filler cushions
• Galley pantry with Cuisinart blender on door
• Cabin Ultraleather lounge and powered adjustable-height, high-gloss Walnut, Bourbon Cherry, Ash or Wenge wood table w/filler cushions
• Complete galley in open-grain Walnut or high-gloss Bourbon Cherry, Ash or Wenge finish
  
  with storage and hardwood dovetailed drawers

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	43' 0'' / 13.11 m
Beam	12' 0'' 3.66 m
Dry Weight	25,200 lbs. 11,431 kg
Tested Weight	27,828 lbs. 12,623 kg
Draft	3' 5'' 1.04 m
Deadrise/Transom	21-deg.
Max Headroom	6' 6'' 1.98 m
Bridge Clearance	12' 6'' 3.81 m (max)
Fuel Capacity	500 gal. 1,892 L
Water Capacity	52 gal. 196 L
Total Weight	27,828 lbs. 12,623 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	N/A
0 to 30	12.6 sec.
Ratio	1.75:1
Props	Rev 4 14 5/8" x 19" 4-bl ss
Load	4 persons, 1/2 fuel, full water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	75 deg., 72 humid.; wind: 0-8 mph; seas: calm

Engine Options

Tested Engine	4 x 400-hp Mercury Racing Verado 400R
Std. Power	Not Available
Opt. Power	1 x 300-hp Mercury Quad Verado with Joystick Piloting 1 x 350-hp Mercury Quad Verado with Joystick Piloting 1 x 400-hp Mercury Racing Quad Verado with Joystick Piloting

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Mission Statement

The Formula 430 Super Sport Crossover is a new breed of boat that has ample lounge space in the cockpit and an open bow above decks and sleeping accommodations for four with a private standup head below. She borrows design elements from the manufacturer’s Crossover Bowrider series and incorporates the versatility of a flush-cockpit center console.

Power is provided by four Mercury Racing Verado outboards ranging from 300- to 400-hp, and the boat rides on stepped hull bottom design that enhances efficiency and can handle it when conditions get rough.

Distinguishing Features

• Graphics Applied in Polyurethane Paint. Owners have a choice of three graphics patterns applied in paint and covered in Imron Elite clearcoat.
• 430 SmartZone. The 430 SSC has 40 linear feet (12.2 m) of cockpit space on one level and a layout that creates separate private areas on board.
• Open Bow Seating. The bow seats wrap around two tables that raise electrically and come with filler cushions to enhance versatility.
• Extended Swim Platform. Part of the SmartZone design, the platform has 50 sq. ft. of space.
• Full Cabin. Belowdecks the boat has 6’6” (1.98 m) of head room and an aft stateroom, rare for a boat with an open bow.
• Twin-Stepped Bottom Design. Provides speed and efficiency not found in non-stepped designs.
• Available Automatic Outboard Flushing System. Connect a garden hose to a single port and all four engines automatically get flushed.

Features Inspection

The Cockpit. Formula’s SmartZone design features two seating areas in the 430 SSC’s cockpit. Abaft the helm seats, there’s a horseshoe-shaped lounge that wraps around a table. It can be lowered with the push of a button and filled in with cushions to create a sunpad.

All the seats are finished with Pre-Fixx coating and are sewn with Tenara element-resistant threads. They’re fabricated on StarLite XL lightweight synthetic panels and padded with DriFast foam. The boat comes standard with a woven mat in the cockpit and synthetic teak is an available option.

Al Fresca. To port, the 430 SSC has a lounge with forward and aft-facing backrests where a single passenger can stretch out and cushioning along the gunwale or a couple could sit facing in. There are cup holders and stainless steel grabrails recessed outboard in the gunwales.

Forward to port the “outdoor kitchen” has Corian countertops with a cover for the sink that slides out of the way, a fiberglass molded sink with a sliding cover, and a stainless-steel Isotherm refrigerator. In the locker beneath the sink there’s a trash can and paper towel holder. There’s storage in drawers made with StarBoard panels.

Forward in the port gunwale, a blender in a dedicated rack is in one locker, and just ahead, the cockpit TV secures with a strap in another. A removable Yeti Tundra 35 cooler that slides out on a track is in the locker in the base of the helm seats.

The Coupe Top. Designed to blend cleanly with the 430 SSC’s sporty lines, the Coupe Top has a tinted, tempered glass windshield, an opening portside walk-through to the bow and side windows that can be filled in with glass or Eisenglass. The retractable Taylor Made sunroof has four Poseidon retractable sunshades and soft panels.

There are blue LED accent lights and a flagstaff with flush mount spreader lights. A power retractable aft sunshade that extends over the aft-facing lounge is an available option.

The Stern. Thanks to the 2’-wide (.61 m) passageway to port that closes with a stainless-steel framed acrylic gate, it’s easy to head aft to the stern where the 430 SSC has a large rear-racing sunlounge to starboard. Individual backrests adjust to personalize the seating position and the storage trunk in the base has space for four fenders and the cockpit filler cushions.

The swim platform is 11’3 (3.4 m) wide and 4’7” deep (1.4 m), and it’s finished in synthetic teak. It’s a 7” (17.8 cm) step down to the platform. It comes with a removable stainless-steel swim ladder that clips in place on each side of the platform and a retractable safety ladder that pulls out of the starboard side.

Twin pull-up cleats in the aft corners are a good choice for keeping the area free of tripping hazards.

Utilities. Aft to port on the platform, a small console is home to the shorepower plug outlet and utility connections. There’s also a hot freshwater shower in a stainless-steel compartment.

A hatch on top opens a weather-resistant locker that houses all the battery switches and the optional Reverso freshwater flush for the motors. Attach a single garden hose and all four motors get flushed. Just ahead in the aft port corner of the cockpit, there’s space for the optional 240-volt electric grill.

The Bow. The passageway from the stern to the bow is unobstructed. A hatch in the windshield and a lower one can close off the bow. Wraparound seating up front provides myriad lounging positions. The forward-facing triple-wide lounge -- 6’3”-wide (1.0m) -- transitions to a full-length chaise-style seat to starboard. Two drink holders with a Corian accent fold out of the backrest.

The starboard gunwale is also padded, and, as we saw throughout the boat, virtually every gunwale cutout has USB ports. Two electrically actuated tables with filler cushions provide numerous dining and relaxing possibilities. Dual insulated coolers under the forwardmost aft facing seats in the bow keep cool drinks in reach, and a trash receptacle helps keep the area neat.

There’s a stereo remote in the bow that controls sound levels in four different zones of the boat. If the sun’s rays get too strong, a sunshade with stanchions that clip into the deck rails on each side can be erected easily.

The Helm Seats. Three-across seating at the 430 SSC’s helm lets individuals adjust their travel position for standing or sitting. Power-adjustable footrests further customize the riding position, but we’d like to see the switches for the footrests labeled. One of the cooler features on the boat -- literally -- is adjustable louvers in the helm seat backrests that can be adjusted to direct the air forward or aft for the cockpit lounge.

High-Tech. The composite dash on our test boat contained three Raymarine gS165 GPS chartplotters that have 16” (40.6 cm) screens and can be configured for engine monitoring or navigation display.

Twin 19” (48.3 cm) screens are also available. The plotters are in the vertical section of the panel, and down low, adjacent to the tilt steering wheel, are the Mercury VesselView 702 screen and the Launchport touch screen that controls every system on the boat. It has an accompanying iPad that lets owners do everything except drive the 430 SSC.

Our test boat was equipped with an optional Seakeeper 5 Gyro stabilization system and controls that synchronize the underwater lights to the stereo. Waterproof rocker switches are in Liquid Black panels with metallic accents.

Total Control. Outboard to starboard, the controls are comfortably laid out with the trim tab buttons positioned in a natural reach from the Mercury Digital Throttle and Shift levers.

The boat comes standard with the Mercury Joystick piloting system for outboards, and the controls are just ahead of the trim tab buttons.

For entertaining guests, the boat comes with a Rockford Fosgate stereo with iPod and USB ports and Bluetooth and 10 JL Audio speakers with blue LED lights and 600 watts of amplification plus two lighted 200-watt subwoofers. With all that high-tech stuff, Formula still made sure the captain has a place to toss his car keys and wallet by providing a lockable glovebox. Inside the glove box are slots for the Raymarine navigation cards.

A Place for Everything. A day on the water is more enjoyable when accessories and lockers are easy to use. The 430 SSC has 25 cup holders throughout the bow, cockpit, and stern. Storage is provided in lockers underneath hinged seat bottom cushions, and there are a total of 13 molded tubs and compartments throughout the boat. Blue-white LED lights illuminate the cockpit when needed and blue underwater lights are an available option.

The Forward Cabin. A sliding hatch to port of the helm station opens the 430 SSC’s cabin. Three solid wood steps lead belowdecks to a fully molded cabin liner that is finished with a woodgrain-finish sole and has 6’6” (1.98 m) of headroom.

Large windows actually open, and there’s a U-shaped Ultraleather lounge where friends and family can gather for dinner or a drink around a high-gloss table that lowers to create a forward berth. Legroom can be enhanced by raising the forward backrest, and there are dual USB charging ports.

The Galley. To starboard at the aft end of the dinette, the galley has an upscale look and feel with open-grain woods, Corian countertops, and brushed metallic architectural accents. There’s a Corian sink with an Elkay folding swivel faucet and glide-away cover.

The 430 SSC comes standard with an overhead microwave oven, a concealed electric stove with a cutting board cover, and a concealed trash container. A Keurig coffee maker is an available option. Hardwood dovetail drawers open and close silently and a blue LED light-equipped cabinet showcase is stocked with tempered stemware, tumblers, and bottle storage.

To port, there’s a large pullout Vitrifigo stainless-steel refrigerator that can be changed to freezer mode and additional storage including a cedar-lined hanging locker.

The Entertainer. Positioned to starboard above the galley, the 32” (81.3 cm) LED/LCD HDTV with soundbar and a Blu-ray player is in a good line of sight from the forward lounge. To port is an electronics pylon with a control for the Rockford Fosgate stereo, control for the air conditioning, light switches, and a LaunchPort inductive charging system for the iPod that comes with the boat. Digital switches control all the lights and air conditioning and LED lighting is blue.

Privacy Please. Abaft the belowdecks entry steps, a privacy curtain closes off the aft cabin that has a queen-sized Sensus memory foam mattress. The upholstered headboard has individual reading lights, dual USB charging ports and an additional LaunchPort inductive charging system, plus hideaway storage and pillow shams. There’s a large locker at the foot of the berth.

The Head. Located to starboard between the galley and the aft berth, the private head has a molded vanity with a Corian countertop and sink with a wall-mounted faucet and a high-gloss woodgrain finish lower cabinet. When a passenger wants to take a shower, a Corian seat covers the Vacuflush toilet that has a 43-gallon (162.8 L) holding tank.

Power and Performance

Formula offers the boat with four outboards from Mercury Marine rated at 300, 350, and 400-hp individually. All the engine packages come with Joystick Piloting, Mercury Active Trim, and Bennett hydraulic trim tabs. She rides on a 21-degree V-bottom with twin steps. This bottom is not adapted from any other Formula models. It was designed from the keep up for this new boat.

We tested the 430 SSC with four Mercury Racing Verado 400Rs with gear ratios of 1.75:1 turning Mercury 14 5/8” x 19” Rev 4 stainless-steel four-blade propellers. The inboard motors had 30” shafts while the outboard units had 20” shafts. The propellers rotated outboard, as in the two motors to port spun to that side and the same for starboard.

With four people, 237 gallons of fuel, and 52 gallons of fuel on board, our test boat had an estimated weight of 27,828 lbs.

Running in calm seas, we saw a top speed of 64.2 mph (103.3 kph) at 7000 rpm.

Best cruise came at 5000 rpm where the boat ran 42.6 mph (68.5 kph) and burned 58.6 gph (221.6 kpl), which translates to .7 mpg (.31 kpl) and a maximum range of 284.4 statute miles (526km) with 10 percent of the boat’s 500-gallon fuel capacity in reserve.

In acceleration tests, the 430 SSC ran to 20 mph (32 kph) in 6.6 seconds and to 30 mph (48 kph) in 12.6 seconds.

Handling. In turns, our test boat lived up to Formula’s performance heritage, making tight arcs. An aggressive full-lock turn will get the rubrail wet, but the boat completes the maneuver, and the props don’t ventilate. That’s a sign of a properly dialed-in boat.

Keep the arc a little less aggressive and the 430 SSC carves a smooth, clean turn with the appropriate amount of lean. When we ran through some bay chop, the V-bottom with 21 degrees of deadrise at the transom sliced through the waves with ease.

Construction. Formula builds the 430 SSC with a molded structural grid, and the hull and deck are fastened with a chemical bonding agent and stainless-steel hardware. There are 12 stainless steel Formula logo-cast cleats, fuel fills, two polished port lights with screens, and two oversized port lights.

On Board Systems. The 430 SSC comes standard with a 10-kw/120-volt Kohler low-CO gas generator with a sound shield and dedicated battery. There are four more starting batteries for each engine plus two auxiliary units in protective trays.

Quick access is provided to all the mechanical accessories via a hatch in the port walkway to the stern. It raises on twin gas struts. For more expansive access, the entire aft seat structure raises on a power-actuated lift. This compartment offers the same access as an engine room on a stern drive or inboard powered boat.

The Kohler generator is centrally positioned with batteries outboard to port and the water heater to starboard. On the bow, there’s a concealed windlass with 200’ (60.96 m) of chain and a polished stainless-steel anchor. An owner can also opt for a heavy-duty stainless-steel towing eye if the 430 SSC is going to be used as a tender for a superyacht.

Warranty

Transferable 5-year Formula Guard Limited Production Plan w/10-year Structural Warranty (USA Only).

Price

Visit here for up-to-date pricing.

Options to Consider

• Flagship graphic in A, B, or C full hullside color with Axalta Chroma Premier basecoat and Imron Clearcoat.
• Flagship Fusion full hullside multi-color fade affect with Axalta Chroma Premier basecoat and Imron Elite clearcoat
• Bowthruster
• Full Coupe windshield side wings
• Polished stainless steel LED docking lights
• Four blue LED underwater lights
• Four multi-color LED underwater lights w/wireless control
• Woodgrain vinyl decking throughout full cockpit
• 30,000 BTU reverse-cycle cockpit air conditioner
• Raymarine twin gS165 GPS widescreen color radar display/chartplotter with 48” (121.9 cm) open array HD radar and depthsounder
• Raymarine triple gS165 GPS widescreen color radar display/chartplotter with 48” (121.9 cm) open-array HD radar and depthsounder
• Raymarine triple gS195 GPS widescreen color radar display/chartplotter with 48” (121.9 cm) open-array HD radar and depth sounder
• Raymarine T303 thermal camera
• Sirius satellite marine weather receiver (requires Sirius service)
• Mercury Premium Theft Deterrent System
• 240V Gaggenau electric grill in aft cockpit
• Cockpit 32” (81.3 cm) LED/LCD HDTV w/Blu-ray Disc Player with Wi-Fi (located in cockpit galley)
• All-weather bow cover in color coordinated non-fading Sunbrella fabric with Seamark vinyl undercoating
• Keurig coffee maker
• Electronic security safe
• Macerator discharge
• Gray water holding system
• TracVision TV3 high-definition satellite TV system
• Automatic outboard flushing system
• Seakeeper 5 gyro stabilization system

Observations

The folks at Formula have a hit on their hands with the 430 SSC. Her bow seating, spacious cockpit beneath the coupe-style hardtop, and extra-large swim platform, she offers the best of open and enclosed boating in one vessel. Her innovative design also makes her the only boat in class that we can think of with full bow seating and a cabin with 6’6” (1.98 m) of headroom belowdecks.

Formula has experience with stepped hulls and designed the 430 SSC’s bottom to combine efficiency and a good rough-water ride. The only concern we would have is for the customer who buys her with the biggest engines available, the Verado 400Rs, but decides he wants to go faster in the future -- because they always want to. He either has to wait for Mercury Racing to introduce bigger motors or consider upgrading to the Seven Marine 557, which is a much bigger motor.

Mercury Racing lists the Verado 400R at 668 lbs. (303 kg), while the Seven Marine 557-hp model with a 20” (50.8 cm) shaft weighs 1,094 lbs. (496.2 kg). That’s a difference of 426 lbs. (193.2 kg) per motor. Multiply that times four and that’s an extra 1,704 lbs. (772.9 kg) bolted to the boat’s transom.