Baja Outlaw 20

Not long ago, anything over 50mph (80kmh) was considered flying by the seat of your Stubbies. Now, no one but a driver separated from his sunnies bats an eyelid at that speed. Thanks to new hull designs, improved motors, stern and outboard drives, propellers and so on, it's no longer 'hang-on and hope to high heaven' doing those kind of speeds.

The biggest builder of production sportsboats in the world, US-based Baja Boats, understands this. No content with suburban speeds, it prefers boating in the outside lane. After driving many allegedly speedy trailerboats over the last year, Baja's dashing new Outlaw 20 was a breath of fresh air - in fact, a 117kmh blast of it.

The Outlaw is the genuine article - an exciting, eye-watering sportsboat that is predictable only in the sense that its speed is kept under control. In fact, the handling was so good at 100kmh-plus that I had trouble upsetting the boat while playing silly buggers.

While great handling and performance has long been a Baja trademark, only now has the company made it more accessible to the masses. As with the Baja 34, 33 and 25 I have driven in the past, the new 20 is a seriously fast boat bred from offshore raceboat bloodlines, featuring the company's so-called True V hull.

But unlike its bigger sister, this trailerable 20fter hasn't a six-figure ticket. For $56,900 including trailer, the Outlaw 20 offers a lot of bang for your buck. It has style too - not dripping with glitz or glamour, but the key equipment for going places comfortably. Fast.

SPEED THRILLS
The Baja Outlaw 20 accelerates like the proverbial scalded cat. I got 117kmh on the speedo from the relatively modest MerCruiser 5.0 MPI V8 motor matched to an entry-level Alpha One sterndrive leg and standard issue alloy prop, which helps keep the price down.

Aside from a factory claimed 100kmh-plus, the boat exudes a feeling of unity on the water. The hull feels stiff and there is very little sound reverberation despite a voluminous storage cavity under the foredeck. The hull is foam-filled between the running surface with a fully moulded deck and floor liner.

End-grain balsa and specially developed I-beam 'glass-encapsulated plywood stringers provide stiffness but not weight. For every three layers of hand laid bi-axial woven rovings there is one application of resin, yet the hull running surfaces are thicker and lighter than most production boats.

The hull and deck are bonded and fastened with stainless steel hardware every 25cm, all the deck fittings are through-bolted and things like the racing seats are made to withstand the pressure of high-speed boating so you can drive with confidence.

The mouldings are also perfectly fair thanks to a five-axis milling machine. To the naked eye, the Outlaw 20 appears sleeker, sharper and smoother than your average factory rolled 80kmh trailerboat.

A thinking man's sportsboat, the Outlaw 20 should appeal to drivers of cars like Suburu WRXs, MR2s, hotted-up Hondas and so on.

HEAD TURNER
Hull sides and upholstery were splashed with a groovy go-fast graphics, of which there are a number of choices for most Baja models.

A low-profile foredeck and no windscreen (don't forget the wraparound shades) add to the racy styling.

The foredeck is strong enough to stand on or clamber over, but is kept free from frills to reduce windage. The bow and stern have through-bolted tow eyes, there are four stainless cleats and deck fillers, plus an oversized bung to let the day's crumbs wash through.

All grabrails are stainless steel, not plastic, and navigation lights come standard. So, too, is the ski tow eye and trick stainless steel engine vents visible under the aft sunpad.

The sunpad has a serious locking mechanism to keep it in place during high-speed runs. Uncocked, the sunpad lifts on a gas strut for access to the MerCruiser motor, battery and a dedicated anchor-holder with strap.

Engineering is serious stuff, with stainless steel hose clips, a 3406lt/hr bilgepump and 170lt fuel tank. Carpet lines the cockpit sides, but a canvas canopy is a listed option, though bimini tops don't usually handle much more than 80kmh in most cases.

ALL ABOARD
This boat needs the optional boarding platform with swim ladder, but at least the driver and copilot are well looked after in hip-hugging supportive helm seats that are fully adjustable. Even the three-person aft lounge has a feeling of security derived from a high backrest and moulded footrest.

The amount of floorspace is surprisingly good for a 20fter with such a long bow. This assists not only with seated legroom, but doing lunch between runs. Such is the speed with which you can cover territory in this boat that waterfront eateries shouldn't be too far away.

Storage space includes a big underfloor recess, an even bigger area under the bow for wakeboards and suchlike (you can almost sleep up there) and side stowage for personal items. There are six jumbo drinkholders dotted about the cockpit and a courtesy light.

DRIVER'S DASH
The Outlaw 20 has the coolest dashboard ever, with Teleflex gauges and what appeared to be stainless steel bezels. There was a speedo, tacho with hour meter and a multifunction engine gauge displaying oil pressure, temp and volts.

Switches for the horn, lights, blower and so on are the good waterproof numbers. A simple switch on the dash and a site gauge take care of engine trim, though a throttle column-mounted trim switch is an option.

A Clarion CD player comes standard. Hardcore sportsboaters might consider an upgrade and subwoofer to really make this boat rock. The separate race-style throttle and gearshift levers are way better than the dicky plastic shifts so often seen on sportsboats. The wheel is a racy number to remind you that this is a boat to go.

HANDLING
A sharp 21° deadrise, aggressive chines and strakes give lift and directional stability. A wide range of trim settings lets you match the boat to every condition under the sun. Some negative trim helped during the hole shot, while some out-trim boosted top speed. When confronted by boat wakes, the hull was easily buttoned down for a smooth crossing.

While it was a great drive on the calm stretches of Port Hacking, the possibilities for the Outlaw 20 are wide ranging. The boat feels like it can match it with much bigger rigs, cross big bays in a blow and even travel offshore on a flat day.

It's the kind of trailerboat ideally suited to a busy waterway like, say, Sydney Harbour and the Gold Coast.

Driven at 70-80kmh, guests can enjoy the smooth cruise and views. The boat is ready for waterskiing, however the addition of a tower would make it doubly good for wakeboarding.

More than an object of desire, this Baja gives you an assumed identity. There is an impressive catalogue filled with cool clothing and accessories, too. The only thing missing on the new Outlaw 20 was giftwrapping and a card saying, "To moi".

Making it into my 'Best of 2002' list of boats with only a few days to spare, the Outlaw 20 provided the most adrenaline charged ride of the year. If I sound kind of upbeat, well, that's good, because you don't need to dread life after 50 in this weapon!