Jun 21

Jun 21 Can Big Outboards Save the Sport Boat Market?

When I was growing up there seemed to be a plethora of sport boats on the market, everything from 22’ to 38’ in all different price ranges. I would generally say the mid size sport boat category is 25’ to 29’ and in the past was usually a single big block powered boat. Some sport boats were more lake oriented and some deeper offshore oriented. Mainstream builders like Formula, Donzi, Fountain and Baja had multiple sport boats in those size ranges and there were plenty of others from the custom builders. Even companies like Sea Ray, Chaparral and Chris Craft had varying degrees of performance oriented sport boats. But the sterndrive fell out of favor, the economic collapse in 2008 wiped out many buyers and builders, and a new generation of boaters emerged. Yet, the practicality of a sit down sport boat is hard to ignore. Can the new big outboards bring the sport boat back?

Many boaters who at one time were in the sport boat market ended up getting into a center console or maybe stepped up to a sport catamaran for even more performance. But, I hear a lot of people talk about wishing to buy a sitdown boat with a windshield that can handle different conditions, and also run good numbers without breaking the bank. That seems like a tall order now, but with the proliferation of big power outboards I think we are starting to see a market emerge of discerning buyers looking for a sport boat with turnkey reliable power.

The Tuff 28 works as a twin outboard, big single outboard or a single sterndrive. Tuff has a 25, 28 and 34 in the sport boat category, all exceptionally fast and judging by their build waitlist, demand is not an issue.

At the Miami Boat Show for the last couple of years, Outerlimits has brought a SV 29, a good example of a mid size sport boat, and each time that boat was a show stopper. This year it was a twin 300R powered version, and again it was the talk of the show for many. Generally, Outerlimits are priced out of the average persons budget, but the size and style of a boat like the SV 29 is hard to ignore. First, it’s really practical, you can tow it easily, store it easily and it has a good cockpit size with a useable cuddy cabin. And, it can run in some rough water or cruise a lake all day without being a massive gas guzzler. The outboards are simple to maintain and service.

The Outerlimits SV 29 is compact, practical and really fast with twin 300R. A full windshield and useable cuddy cabin make it really practical sport boat. Definitely in the higher end of the market but other companies could take notes.

Rage Powerboats is currently building a 30’ twin outboard with a windshield that is going to be really neat, using their twin step hull that is true offshore capable hull. They also have the 29’ Kryptonite molds and can offer that hull as an outboard. Tuff Marine in Canada has a gorgeous 28’ that they’ve been perfecting over the years and is the fastest in this size range, and seems to be a really popular model for them. Velocity is another builder that makes multiple sport boats; the 230, 260, 290 and larger hulls as outboard. I see some center console boats now offering more “sport” boat design cues with better wind protection, more forward seats behind the windshield and more performance oriented. The market is there. Custom builders are often production limited, not demand limited.

Velocity has been making outboard sport boats for a long time now, the 290 seen here is a big boat for it’s size and is comfortable in almost any body of water. A little bit of old school and new school.

Some brands dropped their sport boats entirely for either luxury cruisers, like Formula, or center consoles, like Fountain. Even the Donzi brand is relaunching, and did so with a center console in an extremely crowded market. I do hear many center console buyers claim they would rather have a sport boat, but there just isn’t anything on the market. Center Consoles are good for lugging people around but I personally hate riding in them because they often have terrible seating, no wind protection and are sluggish because of the open design and heavier weight. Center consoles are fishing boats that are now dressed up as luxury performance boats. It’s similar to how bowriders took over the family cruiser market, not a great design for performance.

Concept Boats out of Miami builds a line of performance center consoles that are blending sport boat attributes to a sport center console. Forward facing rear bench, narrow beam, single or twin outboard.

Of course, execution is everything. The Tuff, Outerlimits, Rage and Velocity are all varying degrees a modern take on the sport boat. Where center consoles look to maximize space and will sacrifice performance to do so, a true sport boat is superior in performance and drivability because of it’s closed bow and narrower beam design, they are lighter, more aerodynamic and more hydrodynamic as a result. Chaudron Powerboats from Malta almost exclusively build outboard sport boats and their most popular model is the SV 27, a narrow single engine that offers small boat characteristics with big boat performance. Will we see more mainstream builders get into the sport boat category with boats designed for the modern outboard?

The Chaudron SV 27 is a really popular model and it brings big boat qualities to a small package, able to run a single the mid size sport boat is extremely capable. The Chaudron SV 33 is also a very popular model for twin engines.

If we go back in time, even the classic offshore hulls of the 80s and 90s were often used with outboards for racing and pleasure. Scarab experimented with outboards on many different hulls, Donzi did, so did Cigarette. The biggest difference now is the power and reliability that new outboards offer, outboards in the 80s and 90s were limited. The sport boat market fell off because of the sterndrive falling out of favor, not the design of the boats. Twin 300Rs on a modern sport boat can have far better performance and reliability than an old school traditional big block. On really fast boats like the Tuff or Outerlimits, you can match the performance of a 565 with twin 300R and there are lots of reasons people like the outboard option.

A Rage 30 features a 24 degree twin step hull that performs in rough water. They are building a new custom version with a windshield that will make it a very practical and capable sport boat.

Going forward, I think we will continue to see sport boats make a comeback, maybe not like the glory years, but we are seeing the luxury market skew that way, and the performance market. Wth 300, 400 and 500 HP outboards now, power is not an issue. Center console boats as a market are crowded, sport cats are out of the budget of many and not everyone wants a cat. The compactness, clean lines and practicality of the sport boat is a compelling offer.