Four Winns Horizon 290 OB (2019-)

The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB is designed to be a luxury day-boat platform for entertaining a crowd of family and friends. It has all of the features for enjoying waterborne adventures, such as beaching on the local sandbar island, traveling to a dockside eatery or simply cruising around. Additionally, with the optional sport tower, tow-sport capabilities can be added to the day’s activities.

• Electrically adjustable helm seat

• Stable-Vee hull

• Swim Platform Lounge. The backrest of the aft bench seating electrically adjusts forward to create aft-facing lounge seating for use when the outboards are not being operated.

• Walkthrough Windshield. The windshield opens to allow passengers to move from the cockpit to the forward seating and back. There is also an air-dam below the windshield for cooler days.

• In-Console Cabin. The helm console has a cabin below with an insert to create a single day-berth with a hull-side window.

• Freshwater System. The 20-gallon (76 L) freshwater system that feeds the head, sink(s), and transom shower.

• Storage. There is storage under the seating, under the deck and a large, deep storage locker under the electrically actuated aft seating and lounge area.

• Through Stem Bow Roller Anchoring System. The anchor is deployed via a through stem bow-roller with a windlass and remote in the ground tackle locker under the foredeck.

• Sport Arch. The optional sport tower with deployable Bimini adds additional dimension.

• Construction. The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB is built to ABYC standards.

Now, when we compare this performance to other bowriders in class that we have tested with both sterndrive and outboard engines, we discover that the Horizon 290 OB has a 6” (15.2 cm) or more greater beam, and is several thousand pounds heavier than all but one other vessel.

Nevertheless, none was faster than the 57.8 mph we recorded at 5950 rpm. That says a lot about both the engines and the hull shape of the Horizon 290 OB. When it comes to fuel consumption at best cruise, she was the same or better than both sterndrive and other outboard-powered boats we have tested.

Performance is not simply a function of the boats design. The potential of a boat’s proficiency is also a product of power. The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB test boat was powered with twin Evinrude 300-hp E-TEC G2 2-stroke outboards.

Since 2-stroke engines produce twice as many power strokes as 4-stroke engines do, there is twice the power output per revolution at low and mid-range RPMs. The Evinrude E-TEC G2 300-hp engine is able to accelerate faster and give quick, low-end torque from a 558 lb. (253 kg) package. These direct-injected, 2-stroke engines give a greater power-to-weight ratio than a 4-stroke engine and there are fewer parts to maintain since there are no valves, cams, or timing chains that are required on typical 4-stroke outboards.

In addition, the E-TEC G2 technology allows for exceptionally clean rigging. With the steering integrated into the mid-section just below the powerhead. There are no hydraulic cylinders, rams or hydraulic hoses to clutter up the transom.

The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB has a length overall of 30’1” (9.17 m), and a beam of 9’5” (2.87 m). With an empty weight of 8,500 lbs. (3,856 kg), 68%, 50 lbs. (23 kg) of test equipment and two people onboard, we had an estimated weight of 10,522 (4,773 kg).

Top Speed. With dual 300-horsepower Evinrude E-TEC G2 outboards, the test boat reached a top speed of 57.8 mph (93 kph) at 5950 rpm.

Best Cruise. The best cruise came in at 3500 rpm, running at 31.3 mph (50.3 kph). At that speed, the 14.3 gph (54.1 lph) fuel burn translated into 2.2 mpg (0.9 kpl) and a range of 237 statute miles (381.4 km). This was calculated while still holding back a 10 percent reserve of the model’s 120-gallon (454 L) total fuel capacity.

At 4000 rpm, we recorded 37.8 mph (60.8 kph) and only paid a fuel penalty of 0.1 mpg (0.04 kpl) and this is probably where most people run the boat when conditions permit.

Evinrude E-TEC G2 Advanced Technology. The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB is available with the fuel economy of the Evinrude E-TEC G2. There are several reasons why they are so economical while providing exceptional thrust across the power band. The reasons mostly have to do with the E-TEC G2 technology.

Among these attributes are an efficient combustion chamber design, a state-of-the-art direct injection system, placement of the injectors near the spark plugs, low friction design, and many other elements. They all make the Evinrude G2 engines some of the most fuel-efficient outboard engines, whether compared to other 2-stroke or 4-stroke outboards on the market.

Time to Plane: 4.3 seconds

Zero to 20 mph: 5.6 seconds

Load: 2-persons, 68% fuel capacity, no water and 50 lbs. of gear

Conditions: 86-degrees, light wind (1 to 5 mph), no chop

The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB proved to have solid performance. With its sharp bow entry, 21-degree deadrise at the transom, hard chines, aggressive running strakes, along with its heavy displacement, she should be a top-performer in coastal conditions as well.

Bow

Four Winns demonstrates its commitment to making the Horizon 290 OB a luxury day boat with the through-the-stem bow roller and anchoring system and pull-up cleats that keep the foredeck clear of tripping hazards. The port and starboard navigation lights are mounted on the outboard edges.

The hatch has a gas assist strut to facilitate opening and to allow the hatch to stay open hands-free.

Ground Tackle Locker. The through-stem anchoring system is designed for a Bruce-style claw anchor. The anchor, the chain and rope, the anchor rode and windlass with remote are optional. The plastic access plate provides minimal access to the rode locker below. The snubber adds safety in case of an accidental windlass release when underway and should always be deployed when underway. We recommend all of the optional gear for a well-found boat.

Forward Seating

The forward cockpit provides flexible seating. Without inserts, it consists of a single forward-facing lounge seat on the starboard side that wraps to an aft-facing bench seat and a forward-facing bench seat on the port side. The port side seat is ideal for those who prefer not to ride with legs outstretched. However, it can convert to a lounge seat with a single upholstered insert. With a few more inserts, the whole forward seating can convert to a full-beam sun pad.

Armrests. In the deployed position, armrests not only provide comfort, they provide greater security while operating. Four Winns made the lounge armrests retractable to allow for more inboard facing bench seating.

Backrests. A clever feature is that the backrest on the lounge seat raises and lowers for adjustable comfort, the only one we have seen in class.

To convert the forward seating to a large sun pad, simply put the three high-density polyethylene inserts in place, followed by the upholstered cushions that complete the sun pad. With the inserts and filler cushions in place, the forward cockpit becomes a large sun pad, with high bolsters or backrests all around.

Windshield Walkthrough

To safely move from the forward cockpit to the helm area, the Four Winns Horizon 290 OB has a 21” (53.34 cm) wide walkthrough. For those chilly mornings, Four Winns has provided a two-section air dam with magnets to keep them open, and two interconnected latches to keep them closed.

The entrance to the starboard cabin is in the inboard side of the helm console with an egress that measures 16” (40.64 cm) wide by 36” (91.44 cm) high. There are two steps down to the cabin with an overhead that is 4’11” (1.49 m) high. An insert converts the cabin to a single berth.

The port side companion console houses the full head compartment with a porcelain flushing toilet, a freshwater sink, solid surface countertop and storage below.

The helm design is reminiscent of what is found on a small aircraft but a bit more upscale. The dash eyebrow is dark-grey vinyl that prevents light to reflect on the windshield or in the operator’s eyes. The accent stitching is a contrasting white. The single multifunction display is surrounded by carbon-fiber-like material and the base is brushed metal. If the base had a high lip it could be used to place incidentals.

Electrically Adjustable Helm Seat. The helm seat is electrically adjustable, something we usually don’t see in this size boat, and is on a fiberglass base which makes it much more solid than one on a pedestal.

The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB test boat had the optional tow-sport arch and a wet bar which is situated on the starboard side directly aft of the helm seat. On the port side is bench seating that doubles as an aft-facing lounge. The port seating warps to the aft forward-facing bench seating.

Wet Bar. Mounted on the solid-surface countertop is a stainless-steel sink, freshwater faucet, and drink holders.

Outboard Power and Storage. By powering the Four Winns Horizon 290 OB with Evinrude outboards, there is space available where the sterndrive engines would normally be. Four Winns elected to use this space to provide owners with a large storage bin. This is an ideal place for water toys, boards, and equipment of all kinds.

Storage Compartment Curtains. Snap-in curtains block off hard to reach areas that contain gear in the compartment. This arrangement is lighter than a fiberglass liner and permits unlimited access.

Polyethylene Fuel Tank. The tank is made of polyethylene, which is preferred to aluminum because it won’t corrode.

Electrically-Actuated Backrest. The backrest of the forward-facing aft bench seating can be repositioned electrically. When positioned the furthest aft, the bench seating converts to a 34” (86.4 cm) deep sun pad that can be used while underway due to the security of the backrest.

On the starboard bulwark just forward of the transom walkthrough are the battery controls (yellow arrow), stereo remote (red arrow), speaker (purple arrow), and an AC outlet from the inverter (green arrow).

Walkthrough. Moving from the cockpit to the swim platform, there are two steps up to the 16” (40.64 cm) wide transom walkthrough. The first step has a 7” (17.78 cm) riser and the second has a 7.5” (19.05 cm) riser. Down to the swim platform are two steps down, the first is a 7” (17.78 cm) step and the second is a 5” (12.7 cm) step.

The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB has a transferable warranty with 3-year coverage on most components, prorated 5-year coverage for osmatic blistering and a lifetime structural hull warranty.

A variety of color combinations are available.

• Windlass, with rope, chain and anchor ($2,267)

• Cockpit gas grill ($693)

• Bow filler cushions ($713)

• Premium sound package ($3,800)

• Stereo remote at the helm ($380)

• Dockside power ($2,200)

• Swim platform mat ($573)

• Wakeboard tower arch with Bimini ($8,467)

The Four Winns Horizon 290 OB has an MSRP price of $213,538.

We found the Four Winns Horizon 290 OB to be a fine vessel in its class, and she compares very favorably with virtually every other boat there. It is readily apparent by the design of the Horizon 290 OB that Four Winns understands how their customers use their boats and have designed it accordingly.

In addition, powering this boat with a pair of Evinrude 300-horsepower E-TEC G2 outboards gives her good performance in a low maintenance package.