Cyclone 2250 Bowrider

With its man-eating crocs, marine stingers, moray eels, mangroves and midges, Far North Queensland doesn't appear the ideal location for a swim. Yet in tropical Cairns, you'll find one of Australia's premier builders of boats made for water-based fun.

Trading as Cyclone, this niche company has earned itself a worldwide reputation for its race hulls, which took out the recent waterskiiing Worlds in Spain and the '98 Worlds on Sydney Harbour.

But Cyclone has now added another string to its bow - building sportsboats for social, family and offshore use. Like a breath of fresh air, its new 2250 Bowrider couples high-tech construction and track-proven performance with more creature comforts than you'll find in a flashy import.

The foundation is a hull hand-laid using vinylester resin, Klegecell foam flooring and foam-encapsulated stringers. To further reduce weight, the windscreen frame is made from carbon-fibre, leaving space to fit a long-range fuel tank, oversized icebox, twin batteries and all the trimmings.

The builder, Ross Wilson, is so confident of his product he offers buyers a refund on their airfare to Cairns when they visit the factory.

And great attention to detail is paid to your boat before it rolls out the door. Every screwhead is aligned on the same plane, the hull is shrink-wrapped in plastic and the finishes, such as teak, velour and marine upholstery, are applied perfectly. Originally a fibreglasser and surfboard shaper, Wilson has also developed a working knowledge of hydrodynamics, foam and fibreglass.

While he still shapes his own boards and rides malibus 45 miles offshore from Cairns at the reef (he says there are enough fish to keep the sharks full) Wilson remains firmly focused on building the perfect boat.

HAPPY CUSTOMERS
Such devotion shines through on Hull No. 3 of the new 2250 Bowrider, a boat dubbed Pisces III by the Sydney buyer. He had traded in his Caribbean Belmont for this luxury trailerboat that can do a bit of everything with a high degree of comfort.

The owner wanted a boat that could head offshore for a spot of fishing just as comfortably as it could carry the family and friends around the Harbour. For extra security, he had the factory make a custom clip-in hardcover for the bow seating area.

This fibreglass cover effectively turns the 2250 Bowrider into a runabout. The idea is that, should a wave somehow break over the bow, it won't end up back in the bilge. When in place, the central section folds back to allow you to reach the anchor.

Features at the bow include a long sprit with stainless fairlead, a divided anchor locker with room for reef pick and sand plough, non-skid teak strips for boarding from a beach, and a low-profile stainless rail.

The forward seating area will comfortably seat three adults or almost twice that number of kids. Under the seats, which were finished in high quality tan and coffee-coloured marine vinyl, is fully-lined storage for safety gear and ancillaries.

ACTION STATIONS
Amidships is the helm station behind a tinted windscreen set in that jet-fighter- black carbon frame. The windscreen itself is extra-thick 6mm acrylic, with only the slightest amount of distortion in the corners.

The 2250 is fitted with deeply-padded, hip-hugging helm seats and a sandy-coloured, speckled Granicoat dash. The passenger's side had a flush-mounted marine stereo and marine radio where they were easily monitored. A neat padded facia and teak handle lead to a deep glovebox.

The driver's side, with fore and aft adjustable seat, comes with a single raised brow with engine gauges that are easily monitored. The twin switchpanels either side of the sports steering wheel are waterproof, with a canopy overhead.

Storage is a high point. Aside from those holds under the bow seats is room either side of the helm (in full-length sidepockets for waterskis) and under the transom. And the central icebox with three-inch foam insulation (Ed: built for the tropics, eh), topped with teak non-skid strips on its lid, is another positive aspect.

The boat's 'fridge' will keep ice for three days in summer and swallow three slabs of the all-important amber stuff. Drink holders were built-in nearby and padded side facias, two-level teak steps from the cockpit to the coamings, a fold-down rear lounge, and storage bins in the transom add to the boat's user-friendliness.

While the portside bin was plumbed as a livebait tank, the other bin was fully lined. Meanwhile, underfloor is a massive 250lt fuel tank. Considering this boat was fitted with a Mercury Optimax outboard, the tank was even more impressive.

Other deck fittings included twin rodholders, remote oil filler, and recessed amidships cleats. The options list ranges from the teak trim, canopy and Esky to watertank and deck shower, plus Faria gauges and deluxe velour instead of marine-vinyl trim.

STRIKING A BALANCE
Floating with a nice attitude and plenty of buoyancy in the tail, there's no question of the hull carrying a bellyful of fuel, twin batteries and full livebait tank. It's a beauty.

There is a sharp 21° deadrise, three strakes a side, prominent reverse chines for stability and a running plank with a soft roll to generate lift, but not pounding. Wilson says he devotes six weeks to making the hull.

More immediately, Hull No. 3 is raring to race down Sydney's popular Parramatta River as Midnight Oil plays on the stereo. For a big dayboat, the 2250 has a lot of get up and go, especially when teamed with the225hp Mercury.

To give you some idea of the boat's uniqueness, the 2250 on trailer, with full fuel, weighs just 1800kg. That's around 50% lighter than some production boats of this length, yet it still feels solid, smooth and seaworthy.

The hull can be stood on its transom or run down to just 2800rpm and will still hold plane. Optimum cruising speed of 57kmh comes in at 3500rpm. At 5600rpm we managed 93kmh, according to the Humminbird GPS/sounder mounted on the dash.

Spinning a four-blade 23-inch stainless Trophy prop, the Optimax was smooth across the rev range and engine noise was easily drowned out by the stereo.

There was a little chine walking at top end, but Sydney dealer, Watersports Marine, was going to raise the motor a notch.

Set up as it was, the boat was a pleasure to drive. The steering was heavy enough to let you take full control of the hull at high speed. No matter how hard you threw the boat around, it refused to let go in turns.

Cyclones aren't your run-of-the-mill runarounds and, as Wilson says, volume doesn't matter; it's the quality of the product that counts. Born in Cronulla, he moved to Noosa before being drawn further north to Cairns. He makes the point that it isn't so bad for watersports up there, with the freshwater Tinaburra and Tinaroo dams, and off-the-beach boating at Dunk Island. Still, 75% of his business is skirace boats in other states.

Based on their racing success, Cyclones are now selling into America and the UK... As if to celebrate, as I learn this Peter Garrett is singing US Forces Give a Nod on the stereo on the 2250.

A boat built for pleasure, you can take the 2250 fishing, fun-running, waterskiing and wakeboarding. While it comes at a premium price, you are getting a premium product.

Packaged with everything, including one of those great EasyTow cradles, the 2250 makes performance trailerboating a joy. You can outrun most anything on the water, including the crocs.