New Chaparral Crossover | Four Winns’ 350 Bustle | Palm Beach 50
It is not too often that we get a chance to test a boat in rough seas, so when we get them, we like to take advantage of them. A lot of elements go into providing a good ride in snotty conditions, and probably the two most important are bottom shape and speed. As can be seen in our video test of the Palm Beach 50 Fly, she was traveling in the mid-20 knot area when we took our videos. Our test captain – Capt. Steve – reported that the boat was remarkably comfortable in the conditions encountered. See what he has to say.
The exterior styling of the Sirena Yachts 64 is a bit unusual to the American eye, but we are seeing more and more powerboats with plumb bows (which permit more usable space inside); vertical, rounded pilothouse windshield treatments (which improve visibility and save space); and high freeboard (which makes the boat more seaworthy and provides added safety when on deck). German Frers, who designed the Sirena, has been taking advantage of the plumb bow concept for some years now in custom megayacht projects, and these concepts are now filtering down to production boats.
The Four Winns Horizon 350 OB rides on the company’s patented “Stable Vee Hull,” designed to deliver greater lateral stability at rest and underway, with lower planing speeds and lower bow rise under acceleration. The arrow at left points to the “after pod” in the boat’s bustle, and the one on the right points to a step. The after pod increases buoyancy at displacement speeds, but then rises out of the water as seen here at planing speeds, eliminating the added drag of the pod surface, thanks to the step up. Yes, we know that this is not a picture of the OB version, but the hull bottom is the same.
The entry-level Robalo R160 is all about being a trailerable fishing boat that can live in the family garage. One of the smarter options that makes this possible is the fold-down windshield, as shown here. Many CCs won’t fit into a garage due to the height of the windshield, but this design solves the issue. The powder-coated aluminum frame not only acts as the swiveling feature but also forms a grab handle when upright.
The REGENCY® 254 LE3 Sport makes good use of the space underneath the two large aft-facing chaise lounges with multiple storage compartments. The starboard seat has three compartments underneath, one at the legs, one under the seat, and a third under the seatback. The port sacrifices the under-leg storage for batteries, steering pump, and battery charger with external plug access. Both seats include beverage holders, accessory-charging plug, and side-mounted speaker.
The new Chaparral 300 OSX combines sportboat functionality with a modified center console helm in an outboard-powered boat. One of the reasons, we think, that this concept will find a robust audience is that many operators like to stand when driving a boat, something that is not particularly comfortable on most sportboats. Could the OSX be starting a trend?
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