Runabout Flair
Formula’s new-for-2009 270 Bowrider combines solid bow-rider functionality with sport-boat aesthetics.

Scott Porter and the team at Thunderbird Products, the Indiana-based parent company of Formula Boats, don’t have a crystal ball. They don’t read tea leaves or tarot cards. But they are—to put it plainly—smart. Years ago, they realized the limitations of the performance-boat market and diversified their product line. They added Super Sport and Sun Sport models, and those lines helped carry the company when performance-boat sales dipped. More recently, they began offering a series of bow riders from 24 to 31 feet.

Measuring 27 feet, the Formula 270 Bowrider—aka the 270 BR—is the most recent addition to the builder’s runabout family. And in the eyes of our Test Team members, it’s everything an open-bow runabout needs to be. It performed predictably, it’s strongly built and it was well supplied with features such as a convertible sun pad. But the most obvious quality that separated the 270 BR from the competition was styling. It takes many of its sleek, low-profile styling cues from the Sun Sport day-boat and FAS3Tech performance-boat lineups, which makes sense as every model Formula constructs is designed by John Adams, who works exclusively for the company.

WORKMANSHIP

Formula Boats remains one of the most consistent—if not the most consistent—builders of high-quality production boats. No one at the company claims Formula products are “custom,” but when it comes to production-boat quality, they are as good as it gets.

So we weren’t surprised by our test model’s vibrant paint work and smooth tooling. On the contrary, we expected it. The boat was laid up with vinylester resin, chopped fiberglass (AME 1000 in one layer and AME 5000 in another) and Fabmat. Divinycell was used for coring in the hullsides. A large plastic rubrail with a stainless-steel insert offered solid dockside protection.

All of the lighting, including that used on the teak-vinyl-surfaced swim platform with a pull-up ladder, was LED-based. An anchor locker with a telescoping ladder—for bow-in boarding and debarking—was built into the boat’s bow. The 270 BR had all the right hardware in all the right places, including a forward-swept wakeboard tower, retractable cleats etched with the Formula name, a retractable navigation light and plastic grab handles in wood-grain panels.

The engine hatch opened manually on a gas shock. Opting for performance-boat rather than runabout standards, the builder installed the 375-horsepower MerCruiser 496 Mag on L-angles through-bolted to the stringers. To make it easier to clean the bilge, the builder coated it with gray gelcoat. Wiring was gathered in neat looms and supported by aluminum cushion clamps.

“It’s a pretty straightforward installation, but it’s very neatly done,” said Bob Teague, our lead workmanship inspector.

INTERIOR

Like several builders, Formula has embraced the rear-facing-lounge-above-the-swim-platform feature. It’s a great idea. We’ve said this before but it bears repeating: That rear lounge should never be occupied when the boat is underway. Rather, it’s a great spot to sit and watch friends and family take a swim. In typical Formula fashion, the builder took the seating concept to the next level by enabling it to be folded flat. Combine that with the convertible rear cockpit lounge, and it created a considerable sun pad.

The layout in the cockpit included an L-shape lounge, twin buckets with flip-up cushions and armrests for the driver and co-pilot, and a love seat aft of the driver’s bucket to starboard. The love seat is a “price-point” feature, meaning the boat costs less with it than with the optional entertainment console. Obviously, the choice depends on the buyer’s needs and budget, but the builder was wise to offer the option.

Open areas in the well-padded gunwales provided stowage space for small items, as did the substantial glove box in the observer’s dash. Larger items could be stashed in the head compartment in the co-pilot’s console, which was outfitted with a portable head unit.

Gauges at the helm were installed in simulated brushed aluminum panels. Rocker switches activated the boat’s accessories and a Mercury Marine throttle-and-shifter unit, dressed up in a simulated wood-grain panel, was installed on the gunwale. The dash also was equipped with a receptacle for an MP3 player to augment the boat’s Kenwood CD stereo system. Yet another welcomed nicety was the wiper for the driver’s side windshield.

Like the gunwales, the lounges in the open bow were well padded. A useful feature was that both of the lounges included a removable midsection that created a pair of seats, which had flip-down armrests.

PERFORMANCE

Though the 270 BR wasn’t what anyone would call “fast,” it performed perfectly well—make that appropriately—for a family oriented runabout. The 375-hp engine was a good choice for the 27-footer.

So, too, was the boat’s twin-propeller, counter-rotating Bravo Three drive that provided perfect tracking and good control around the docks. The 2:1 gear ratio drive was outfitted with 24"-pitch Mercury Marine propellers.

That said, the 270 BR might have been slightly under propped. On the rev-limiter at 5,050 rpm, the boat topped out at 51.7 mph. A little more prop might produce a little more speed but, then again, the model was fast enough for its intended target market. It also accelerated reasonably well. It came on plane in 5.1 seconds and reached 45 mph in 15 seconds from a standing start. Running from 20 to 40 mph took 6.5 seconds.

The boat did have a tendency to get unsettled and exhibit a mild porpoise when it crossed over wakes or chop in the 30-mph range. Lowering the drive trim, and even the Bennett Marine trim tabs, was all it took to get the boat resettled.

The 270 BR earned solid scores in all of our agility drills. Though it wasn’t crisp in slalom or circle turns, it was easy to drive and carved well without washing around or catching.

OVERALL

Look closely at the 270 Bowrider and you can see its Sun Sport and even FAS3Tech lines. It’s sleek and, unlike so many runabouts, it’s not the aquatic equivalent of a minivan. Look even closer and you’ll find a production model that’s constructed with far higher quality than most, and has everything you need for a fine day on the water.

Screaming Beauty
The new 28 Daytona Speedster from Eliminator Boats is as good looking and as powerful as sport catamarans come.

There’s no doubt Eliminator Boats was swinging for the fences when it began working on its latest sport catamaran—the 28 Daytona Speedster. But the Southern California boatbuilder didn’t just hit a home run with the sexy 28-footer. After testing the debut model at the 2009 Performance Trials, we can tell you that Eliminator knocked it out of the park.

Generally, a company’s first effort will have a fault or two, it’s just the nature of the business. But the 28 Daytona Speedster didn’t reveal any weaknesses. Between the stunning gelcoat, the jaw-dropping rigging and the boat’s lights-out performance, our Test Team could not pinpoint one thing we strongly disliked about the sport catamaran.

One thing we did establish was that the new-look 28 Daytona Speedster with its wraparound windshield should be all the rage.

PERFORMANCE

Using the proven 28 Daytona bottom, it was no surprise that Eliminator’s 28 Daytona Speedster received stellar marks in all of the performance categories. From handling chop on the Colorado River to turning at high speeds, lead test driver Bob Teague praised the 28-foot catamaran.

“This thing tracks perfectly all the time,” Teague said. “It turns well, it handles well, it’s comfortable and it goes over the bumps easily. And even though it was hot and we didn’t have ideal conditions for top-speed runs, we still were able to reach dang near 134 mph.”

Top speed in the 28 Daytona Speedster was in fact 133.9 mph on radar. At that speed, the twin Ilmor Marine MV-10 7-10 engines were turning 6,100 rpm and the boat felt rock-steady. To harness the boat’s 1,400 horsepower, Eliminator turned to IMCO Marine’s top-of-the-line Xtreme Advantage SCX drives and a pair of 32"-pitch Hering five-blade propellers. The combination didn’t disappoint as the catamaran cruised at 103 mph at 4,500 rpm.

The only place the 28-footer didn’t entirely impress our Test Team was in the acceleration department, and that was because the boat was propped primarily for top-end. It didn’t take too long to reach plane—6.6 seconds—but in 20 seconds from a standing start, the 7,400-pound boat was running 65 mph, nearly half of the boat’s top speed.

In the midrange, the boat was average. It needed 7 seconds to run from 30 to 50 mph and 6.5 seconds in the 40-to-60-mph drill. At the higher end of the spectrum, the sport cat took 13.5 seconds to go from 60 to 100 mph.

WORKMANSHIP

As good as the performance of the 28 Daytona Speedster was, the workmanship effort from Eliminator was even more impressive.

The boat featured an engine hatch that our workmanship inspector drooled over. Based on the 36 Daytona Speedster, Eliminator constructed a similar engine hatch that incorporated the sides of the boat. Lifting on a pair of hydraulic actuators, the hatch provided great access to the sides of the engines.

As usual, Eliminator did a fine job rigging the Ilmor engines. All the wiring was well supported and the engines were mounted on L-angles through-bolted to the stringers. The bilge was finished in yellow gelcoat and, in a nice touch, the builder gelcoated the section between the engines to match the boat’s graphics.

Featuring an orange and yellow base with gray, blue and purple streaks, the gelcoat was expertly done. Even the boat’s vinyl rubrail was painted to match. For added protection, Eliminator installed stainless molding at the front of the catamaran where it could potentially bump into the trailer guides.

The hardware on the boat was perfect for the 28 Daytona Speedster. Hardware included Accon Pop-Up cleats in clear bezels, flush fuel fills, billet engine hatch vents and a grab handle above the billet swim step. Last but not least, the installation of the all-new wraparound windshield from Aero-Marine was flawless. But Eliminator didn’t stop there. The builder painted the base purple with white pins to match the gelcoat.

INTERIOR

Sitting in the cockpit, which included a pair of low bucket seats and a four-person rear bench, our interior inspector also emphasized the sanitary installation of the three-piece wraparound windshield. He praised the visibility and the fact that it kept most of the wind off passengers in the back.

Also new for Eliminator was the upholstery, which was primarily gray and purple, and it too was nicely done. The gunwales were well padded with gray upholstery, but Eliminator’s Tony Charamonte said the company is working on an optional fiberglass liner for the cockpit that can be painted to match.

To starboard, the driver’s spot featured an IMCO tilt helm and a full complement of Livorsi Marine gauges in silver bezels. Centered above the wheel were two Monster-size tachometers. Although installing the 140-mph Monster GPS speedometer between the driver and co-pilot was nice for everyone else in the boat, a second one in front of the driver would be a bonus.

Bluewater accessory switches and trim tab indicators were mounted on the dash panel and high-end Latham Marine throttles and shifters were on an extension from the gunwale. Eliminator could have taken the easy route and carried the cockpit’s orange fade across the dash panel, but it didn’t. The builder kept the deck’s graphics going right onto the dash.

Below the speedometer centered on the dash was a cutout for access to the cabin, make that a carpeted stowage compartment that included a pair of coolers in dedicated recesses. Other stowage consisted of a carpeted locker under the rear bench, cargo pockets in the back of the bucket seats and a billet glove box ahead of the co-pilot.

OVERALL

No doubt, the 28 Daytona Speedster looked sharp, but appearance isn’t everything. Fortunately for Eliminator Boats, the debut model, which cost $405,000, was a performer. It took full advantage of the 1,400 hp, was as solid as a sport catamaran comes and was a total blast to drive.

Who are we kidding? With looks that sexy, it wouldn’t matter if the 28-footer ever left the docks or the local sandbar.