Chic craft

From bow to stern, the new Chris-Craft is a real eye-catcher that oozes sheer style, performance and quality, and a quirky dash switch.

Underway, the 25-footer moves comfortably on Sydney Harbour on a slight to moderate swell and as the throttle eases up to a cruising speed of 56kmh, the boat rose smooth and gracefully onto the plane with no effort.

Pushing the throttle forward this boat really starts to make a statement as you are pushed back in the seat and taken for an exhilarating ride. Top speed was 95.4kmh as the tacho hit 4710rpm, and at no time did this vessel feel out of control. Even as it was thrown into tight turns, it still handled like a true high-performance boat.

Despite offering style and grace, the Chris-Craft Launch 25 is also ideal as a recreational (ski/wakeboard) vessel and a feature on
the stern is a hidden pop-up skipole.

Any rev-head worth his salt knows it’s not enough just to look good, it has to sound good and when you flick this switch the boat transforms right before your ears. So what does it do? It changes the direction of exhaust gases through the leg which is submerged under the water to outlets just above the waterline on either side of the boat. It delivers an intoxicating throaty sound that makes a rev-head’s hair stand up on the back of their neck.

Once I discovered this switch it did not return it to its original position for the remainder of the test.

This vessel is really what cruising in style is all about, I could not fault this vessel no matter what I threw at it. In my opinion, one of the best boats I have tested in this category.

Under idle you’ll find yourself checking if the whisper-quiet engine is actually running, however when you flick the exhaust-resonator switch the pitch from the engine is pure music to the ears and is a feature.

At 2500rpm you are travelling at 30.7kts which is the optimum cruising speed while at 4710rpm top speed of 51.5kts is achieved, impressive for this size and style of craft.  Cruising range is an impressive 458km on 321lt of fuel.

The finish of this Chris-Craft is at the top-end of the market. With stainless steel fixtures, highly-finished fibreglass and timber in-laid decks, this boat is setting the bar high among its competition.