GROUPTEST


T


ime to come clean. We were just going to test the Axopar 28 OC but after we’d spent time on board we were so enamoured with its slick design, effortless power and brilliant hull we felt it rude not to pit it against its closest rivals, so we did just that – two weeks later. As the new kid on the block, the Axopar inspired us to look at what else was on the


market that could square up against it, and it also gave us an excuse to have a play in four cutting-edge Scandinavian sportsboats. If there is one thing the Scandis build well, it’s sportsboats. So, what do we have here in our little line-up? Well there’s the


Axopar seen in OC (open cabin) guise, but it can also be had with an aft cockpit (as opposed to the cabin on our test boat), a T-top or a full-on wheelhouse for those who want year-round protection. It comes with single or twin Mercury Verado outboards; our boat was fitted with the 250hp single option. It’s the newest boat here and has been causing quite a stir at boat shows. Next up is the all new XO 250, seen here in stealth boat black on


black with a mean-looking 300hp Mercury Verado Pro lurking out back. It’s hewn from aluminium and comes with suspension seats as standard – probably a good thing when you consider that it’s the lightest but has the equal most powerful outboard engine. The Draco 27 RS is less extreme than its XO rival but it brings to the table handsome lines, a high standard of fit and finish and a


single 300hp Yamaha that ensures it’s no slouch in itself. The Draco brand was coaxed out of the ashes by Windy last year and the 27RS is the first model with Windy’s influence well and truly embedded in its DNA. If you’re reading this test thinking you might want a high- quality, cleverly designed dayboat then you should take particular note of what Hugo as to say about it on p64. Then there is the Ranger 25 from Paragon, the boat that’s been


around the longest and is the most expensive, but with a reputation as one of the toughest, most capable pocket rockets ever built. It has inboard diesel power from a Volvo Penta D4 300hp motor, is slightly heavier than the others and has the sharpest hull. It also has the sort of sleeping accommodation you might actually use for a night or two so, it may be pricey, but you will be able to do the most with it. The plan was simple, we would muster at Lymington’s Berthon


Marina, take them out in to the Solent for a blast in the calm and then see if we could find some proper sea to test them in the rough stuff off the Needles. They may be dayboats but that doesn’t mean they won’t find themselves in the lumps and bumps. These boats have a tough job, they must be fast and fun enough to


justify the sportsboat label but also safe and practical family dayboats; as comfortable pulling a waterskier or nudging up the beach as they are blasting long distances to make a lunch stop. And 25ft sportsboats also need to look the part, which we think you’ll agree these certainly do. We’ll turn the key, you turn the page and let’s see what they can do.


SEE THE VIDEO


mby.com/sports


MAY2015 49


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