Table drops down to form a double berth


Single-burner hob, stainless steel sink and Isotherm fridge make up the 32’s compact galley


Good legroom and countertop space in heads


It’s sportsboat fun with a wonderfully refi ned edge – a bit like skydiving in a dinner suit


placed on an angled moulding making the movement to full throttle oh so easy. The upright dash has a classic car feel about it, helped by the pair of stainless trumpet horns in front of the three-piece windscreen. The fl ip-up bolster provided a very comfortable driving perch, but this did put the windscreen frame right in my eyeline. Across the way, the navigator gets plenty to hold onto – two great


rails down by their side and one on the forward moulding. This chair swivels too, so can join the action behind when you’re swinging at anchor. There’s no shortage of drinks holders, with stainless steel pairs behind the helmsman and navigator and another great recessed tinny holder within easy reach down by the helmsman’s feet.


DESIGN DELIGHT The main cockpit seating is set up for sunbathing with angled backrests encouraging you to lie down, and further back, over the engine cover, are two more sunpads split by a teak walkway. This whole hatch lifts up electronically to reveal the two 5.7-litre V8 petrol lumps (UK buyers might prefer the twin Volvo D4-300 option), and plenty of room in front of them to carry out basic service checks. This is where the cockpit table and electronic bimini are stowed too. Access down below is through a louvred teak bi-fold door. It’s pretty tight inside, with vee-shaped seating forward around a dining


table that drops down to become a double berth. The strip of three skylights, the rearmost of which opens, keeps this space from feeling too cave-like, since there are no hull windows. The galley is basic – sink, single-burner induction job and Isotherm fridge, to accompany the one for drinks in the cockpit. Storage is suffi cient for a couple on the water for a weekend, with space in eye-level cupboards and some down below the sink. The heads is similarly snug, with a small sink but decent legroom ahead of the toilet. Even with everything that could be opened open, being down below was like having a sauna in a wetsuit so I got out pretty quickly (air-con can be specced). But it’s not what’s on the inside that counts – the Corsair 32 is a boat to spend time on, not in – and it was time for another drive.


Plenty of power from twin petrol V8s. Electronic bimini and cockpit table are stowed in front of the engines


VERDICT Creaming through the water, our test boat’s ‘cashmere metallic’ hull colouring with blue base stripe looked fantastic, but Chris- Craft offers eight colour options so there’s little danger of you ending up next to an identical Corsair 32 in the marina. There’s also a choice of fi ve interior trim packages, and a heritage trim package which adds a few trunks’ worth of extra teak to the boat. This last option, in our eyes at least, is a no-brainer – just tick the box. It adds to the price, of course, but you don’t buy a Chris- Craft to be frugal. You buy a Chris-Craft because it’s a proper boat, built to exacting standards and with detailing to die for. You buy a Chris-Craft because you have an appreciation of classic-looking craft with all the functionality of a 21st Century boat. What the hell – you buy a Chris-Craft because it will make you look and feel like the coolest guy on the water.


THE DATA


SPECIFICATIONS LENGTH 32ft 0in (9.75m) BEAM 10ft 2in (3.10m) DRAUGHT 3ft 3in (0.99m)


FUEL CAPACITY 185 gal (700 litres)


WATER CAPACITY 35 gal (132 litres)


DISPLACEMENT 5.4 tonnes (light)


TEST ENGINES Twin 300hp Volvo 5.7 GiC DP EVC- CATALYST


SLOW CRUISE 21.3 knots, 3,000rpm


FAST CRUISE 34.2 knots, 4,000rpm


TOP SPEED 44.0 knots, 5,100rpm


PRICE FROM


Approx £199,996 inc UK VAT, delivery & import duty


CONTACT Bates Wharf. Tel: +44 (0)1932 571141 Web: www.chriscraft.com


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