2020 Razorcraft Coldfront review

Coldfront is a name with a long and respected pedigree in Australian boating circles. Conceived and built tough by Mallacoota-based Cootacraft, the Coldfront was the go-to workhorse for commercial abalone and spearfishermen, made for the harsh environments in which they earned their crust.

But there’s been a change of guard. Last year, Melbourne-based Razorcraft – owned by Hary Bakkr, the managing director of marine services group Hi Tech Fibreglass Solutions – took over Coldfront production, along with that for other renowned Cootacraft hulls including the Gunshot and the Little Ram.

Bakkr has added his own touches to the reborn Coldfront, so we’re keen to find out what has changed under its new ownership.

The 6.1-metre Razorcraft Coldfront is the first hull released under Hi Tech Fibreglass Solutions’ ownership.

The Razorcraft Coldfront features an offshore-friendly deep 24-degree vee hull and is built from a mix of fibreglass composite and lightweight Thermo-Lite board, with no wood used in the production process.

Most of the boat’s weight is below the waterline, but because this boat is now also targeted at recreational fishing, about 100kg is added along the keel to help with stability at rest. The topdeck, meanwhile, only tips the scales at around 180-190kg.

Stringers made from 19mm-thick Thermo-Lite are glassed in with chopped strand and stitched cloth to a thickness of 45mm.

Voids in the sub-floor space are foam-filled and glassed over to create a watertight cavity.

The Razorcraft Coldfront’s floor is made from 20mm foam core glassed 6mm each side, while Thermo-Lite sheets add extra support where the seats are screwed in.

Buyers can have the Razorcraft Coldfront fitted with either a solid fibreglass wavebreaker, wavebreaker frame with window inserts, or a full glass windscreen.

Build time for hull and deck is around four to six weeks, depending on the custom options selected.

You can buy the new Razorcraft Coldfront priced from $96,900 and ready to hit the water, sitting on a Savage alloy trailer and fitted with a 250hp Yamaha narrow-bank V6 four-stroke outboard engine.

If a barebone boat ready for full customisation is more your thing, a Razorcraft Coldfront hull sitting on a trailer is priced from $65,000.

Our Razorcraft Coldfront test boat is priced from an eyebrow-raising $121,000 when fitted with the 300hp V8-powered Mercury Pro XS outboard engine and paired with a 19-inch Mercury Tempest Plus triple-blade propeller.

However, that high price tempers somewhat when you look at the high-end gear included in this price. That runs to a dual-axle Savage Pro Series alloy trailer rated to 2900kg; a Furuno 295 sounder; Simrad NSS 16 Evo GPS/sounder with Mercury’s VesselView engine data link, and SS175/SS264 through-hull transducers; a Lone Star GX2 anchor winch and stainless steel bow roller; Deck Armour 8mm non-slip flooring; Relax pedestal seats; and Lenco heavy-duty trim tabs.

Our test boat also is fitted with a wavebreaker fibreglass screen and features an all-white hull and topdeck contrasted with a black rub rail.

The Razorcraft Coldfront’s 2.31-metre beam gives the impression the boat is narrower than the average 6.0-metre boat. However, compare it with rivals such as the Edencraft 6M Offshore (2.4 metres) and the Bass Strait 600 Pro (2.3 metres) and you realise it isn’t.

The floor, which uses 8mm thick Deck Armour, provides a nice cushioning effect underfoot and decent grip.

The helm features a flush-mounted 16-inch Simrad touchscreen chartplotter/fishfinder, while a free-standing Furuno 295 sounder is angled so that the crew can also see it.

A switch panel and the wheel are ergonomically practical.

Forward, the cabin houses two full-length bunks – minus the mattresses – that would be comfortable for people up to 180cm tall to stretch out on.

An open storage cavity between the berths is large enough to hold a medium-sized cool box, and dry storage bags tucked behind the hinged cabin door,

A heavy-duty grab rail runs across the full width of the wavebreaker’s trailing edge.

From the console rearward, the Razorcraft Coldfront is almost entirely dedicated to fishing.

A deep freeboard rear to midships spanning 650mm aft to 800mm amidships provides a safe working space as you move about. The Razorcraft Coldfront’s topsides are 150mm wide, making them comfortable to sit or lean on, and can accommodate a heavy rod holder base.

A partitioned fibreglass bait board made in-house at Razorcraft is integrated into two of the six rod holders, while stainless steel snapper racks wrap around each rear quarter. All up, there are 12 rod holders, useful for when the Razorcraft Coldfront is anchored up for a snapper or whiting session.

Remove the snapper racks, and the Razorcraft Coldfront has six heavy-duty rod holders suited to mounting heavy tackle to troll for tuna or marlin.

Beneath the bait board is a live bait tank featuring a viewing window. Excess water can drain into the outboard engine well rather than splash back into the cockpit.

Our test boat did not have outrigger bases fitted, but we’re told the reinforced wavebreaker is built to take them. Alternatively, base plates could be built into a rocket launcher if that’s what owners wanted.

Razorcraft has redesigned the Coldfront’s side pockets to make them wider and more fisher-friendly.

The full-length side pockets are a good size for gaffs and spear guns. and any other hardware that needs to be stowed out of the way.

The Razorcraft Coldfront also features a dive door; these are becoming synonymous with pelagic anglers or spear-fishers turning to smaller bluewater hulls that can shoot long runs offshore at speed. A six-rod coamings rack is fitted on the port side.

A centrally mounted, insulated aft kill tank will hold 216 litres. Personally, I’d prefer its hatch to be a little wider, but it provides adequate access for most table fish.

Any water making its way into the cockpit drains to a large bilge cavity serviced by two bilge pumps.

The transom houses a dual-battery set-up elevated off the cockpit floor, with easy access to battery switches via a two-door locker.

We had planned to test the Razorcraft Coldfront outside Port Phillip heads before the ebb tide turned, but the bluefin tuna were running west of the heads in Bass Strait, and traffic at the ramp and in our test location was unusually heavy.

We put the boat through its paces in Port Phillip Bay’s light chop and shipping channel wake and ran parallel runs in the swell along the coastline once outside in hot, northerly winds.

At rest, the hull will be just as enjoyable anchored up on snapper or whiting in bays and open waterways. Even moving three adults to the starboard side left plenty of margin between the open dive door and the waterline.

The 300hp Mercury ProXS fitted to our test boat, based on a narrow-bank 4.6-litre V8, pushes this hull like a rocket; the torque curve mid-range is simply mind-blowing.

That 300hp benchmark is that maximum-rated horsepower for this hull, but I reckon the hull will still perform well stepping down to 250hp or even 225hp. Aside from lowering the cost, the Razorcraft Coldfront should get more range out of the 300-litre fuel tank.

Helping to utilise all that performance is a 24-degree deep-vee deadrise and a fine entry angle to the bow. Combined, this makes the Razorcraft Coldfront cherry ripe to drive as hard as the driver’s ability will allow – it will break you before you break it.

The hull rises easily onto the plane, and even on full lock and banking hard in turns, it performed seamlessly without any prop cavitation or discerning behaviour, running true to expectations. It did tend to drift a bit around 5000rpm and approaching wide-open throttle, but adjusting the trim tabs settled things down.

Such is the sea-keeping ability of this hull that it instils a high degree of confidence, with the 300hp making the boat incredibly insatiable to drive.

That said, the boat’s ability will probably appeal more to owners who are perhaps passionate drivers first, and fishers second. No matter, as you are bound to have a lot of fun on both fronts.

Even with an estimated 230 litres of fuel, three people safety gear and minimal other items onboard, the Razorcraft Coldfront still hit a top speed of 96km/h into a head sea with half a metre of chop and a 15-knot northeasterly blowing against the tide. Other props have pushed top speed up to 100kmh.

Performance

Maximum range from 300L fuel tank on 95% reserve: 229nm@4500rpm

The Razorcraft Coldfront is easily the best 6.0-metre boat I have driven in recent years.

Watching it as it tackled the shore break and traversed the ebb tide in Port Phillip heads made it clear that Cootacraft’s pedigree remained under Razorcraft’s ownership, giving buyers confidence that the hulls will perform out at sea.

Keen offshore anglers will appreciate its handling, allowing crew to pull lures or live bait on the tuna and marlin at the shelf, and then run home fast.

Specifications
Model: Razorcraft Coldfront
Length: 6.1m
Length on trailer: 8.0m
Beam: 2.31m
Weight: 1100kg (dry, hull only)
Deadrise: 24 degrees
Engine: 250hp (rec)/300hp (max)
Engine on test: 300hp Mercury Pro XS four-stroke
Fuel: 300L
Passengers: 4

Priced from: $65,000 for hull and Savage alloy trailer only; $96,900 for boat, 250hp Yamaha F250 outboard engine and a Savage alloy trailer

Price as tested: $121,000 including  Furuno 295 sounder & Simrad NSS 16 Evo chartplotter/fishfinder with vessel view link kit; through-hull transducers SS 175 & SS 264-50; Lone Star GX2 anchor winch and stainless steel max roller; Deck Armour 8mm non-slip flooring; Relax pedestal seats and Lenco heavy-duty trim tabs; 300hp Mercury Pro XS four-stroke outboard engine fitted with a Tempus Plus three-blade 19-inch prop; Savage Pro Series Alloy trailer rated to 2900kg

Supplied by: Razorcraft Boats