Mustang 430 Sports Coupe

We are constantly reminded in this game about the importance of testing a boat for the purpose for which it was designed. This has its ups and downs. Tagging along for the delivery of a bluewater cruiser in tumultuous seas isn't much fun. But settling into the plush upholstery on a purpose-built entertaining platform pushes the buttons. Add lunch, good company and an uncrowded mid-week anchorage and your worries soon sink asunder.

So it was with our dinner date on the Mustang 430 Sports Coupe. This is a significant craft for the Australian-based boatbuilder, as it aims to reverse its fortunes. You may recall the Gold Coat yard went into receivership in late 2007. Prior to this, Mustang was building sportscruisers for pleasure boating that, how do I put this, didn't quite measure up in the manufacturing stakes.

Things changed for the better when Mustang acquired the moulds for the NZ-built Oliver Royale. After Standard Bank bought Mustang from the receivers, Oliver Royale's former proprietor, Chris Heaton, was brought onboard as general manager. Evidently, that's been a smart move: Heaton is a boatbuilder who takes pride in his work, isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, and it shows in the new 430 Sports Coupe, which he attributes to a team effort.

Whereas previous Mustangs were somewhat formulaic and finished in keeping with the affordable end of the production-boat spectrum, the 430 Sports Coupe has a world-class finish, better performance and greater utility. Engineering has improved to the point where I was pleasantly surprised and the whole package says quality.

A pair of Volvo Penta IPS 600s producing 435hp a side (Cummins MerCruiser Zeus are optional) and an offshore-bred hull mean the 430 Sports Coupe is rearing to go. So we let the boat have its head and galloped away in search of a place in the sun to kick back and test the boat as it was, well, intended.

I always like a boatbuilder who, no matter how big they become, makes themselves available to their customers. Upon calling the factory, Heaton is ready to share his philosophy behind the new Sports Coupe range, which will include a 500 and 560 in the future.

"We believe we're a new company and we're starting to demonstrate that. I've just come back from three weeks touring international dealerships and the 430 Sports Coupe will be right at home on the world stage," Heaton explains, sounding upbeat.

"But the fibre we are weaving through all our boats is the same: useability and functionality. This flows from the Flybridge to the new Sports Coupe range. The latter hold particular appeal for experienced boaters who have grown weary of climbing flybridge ladders. At the same time, a young family looking to do lunch aboard will love the boat," he says.

Mustang has a 30 per cent bigger workforce number well over 100 since cranking things up in November. There's huge investment in R&D at a time when others are sitting on their hands, and orders are out to three months, I'm told.

BLUEWATER FOUNDATION
The 430 Sports Coupe, which is based on the 430 Flybridge (/reviews/2009/flybridge/mustang/mustang-43-sports-flybridge-14323) we tested earlier this year, has the inherent seaworthiness to cruise the coast or get you home in a storm if needs be. You might recall the 430 Fly' impressed this writer during sea trials off the Gold Coast, so I'm comfortable with the Sports Coupe as a cruising boat, even though it's more likely a dayboat or weekender for hanging out inshore.

Construction is solid GRP with a Kevlar layer for impact resistance. There is coring in the decks and flybridge superstructure to reduce weight and a watertight collision bulkhead forward. The boat comes with a 10-year structural hull warranty. All the wiring and plumbing is colour coded and loomed, there are double hose clips on all lines below the waterline, and ball valves of course.

With the IPS system, the electronic diesel D6 engines are located back aft in the boat, beneath the cockpit floor, in what would otherwise be the lazarette in a shaft-driven craft. As a consequence, there's a great big utility space under the saloon floor. By moving the engines outdoors, noise levels are greatly reduced, too.

But with the weight of the engines back aft, the key to making the Mustang 43 hull perform lies in getting the weight distribution right. So the 1900lt of fuel is carried in wing tanks in the utility space, roughly amidships, with the not inconsiderable 670lt of water on the centreline where it won't impact on trim.

Of great benefit to serious boaters is the gain in servicing space. In fact, the utility space has room for an extra 500lt of fuel should you want it, and options such as desalinator, washer/dryer and all manner of custom storage ideas. 

With the 9kW Kohler generator mounted back aft with a sound shield, there's also less noise in the boat's living areas. I ran the genset and thought it unobtrusive. The 12V 60amp and 24V 30amp battery chargers are also located in the utility space, but a combo inverter/charger might be a smarter solution.
Engine checks? You only need extend your finger and press two rocker switches to activate the hydraulic actuator that lifts the cockpit sole. There is an emergency hatch in the boat's boot in case of power failure.

Either way, you can jump down and around all sides of the compact D6 engines, which were also fitted with an emergency engine-driven bilge manifold. The boat's AGM batteries are outboard with the fuel filters forward, and sea strainers positioned for visual inspection. Everything is neat and tidy.

Of course, Volvo Penta's electronic management panels tell you when you need to top up the coolant, oil and whether there are heating or fuel related problems. And with the water intakes and exhaust outlets built into the IPS drives, there's no soot. Advance the throttles and enjoy smoke-free diesel-powered cruising.

TICKING THE BOXES
The 430 Sports Coupe ticks a lot of boxes that constitute a great family boat. The demo boat had an optional extended hydraulic swim platform for quick dispatch of your tender or the tykes. Wide sidedecks backed by hand and bowrails lead to the foredeck lifestyle area, which counts as a separate lifestyle zone.
More than just a sunpad, the upholstered cushions are mounted in a self-draining recessed deck moulding, with drinkholders and get this, an integral remote for the twin speakers connected to the separate Alpine CD player. In fact, there are three separate sound systems on the boat, each able to connect to an iPod.

We noted a Maxwell windlass, deep chain lockers, saltwater wash, and Jabsco spotlight. Back aft, there's the requisite hot/cold cockpit shower and that nice deep submersible swim platform, but also a huge boot for storage and alongside, an aft-facing built-in barbie and sink. Underwater lights, blue strip lights and LED courtesy lights illuminate the decks and fish, and there are pop-up stainless steel cleats.

Another nice thing is the amount of freeboard in the cockpit to keep kiddies contained. But I would add a Euro-style awning for shade when lunching aboard. Judging by the fittings, the Sports Coupe comes with a rear awning of some kind.

The outdoor lunch setting is a ripper, with long lounge for five set before a teak table with drinkholders. Such is the cockpit floor space that you can easily add three more folding chairs and lunch with eight. The chairs would stow nicely in the utility space under the saloon floor.

Sydney Mustang representative, Brendan Wooldridge, had six adults and three kids aboard the day before our test as a kind of trial run. Well, that's his story. With four adults during our test, there was a surfeit of entertaining space. I also noted a handy hatch to the main battery breakers nearby.

A built-in icebox adds to the utility and there was an (optional) icemaker in the wet bar inside the saloon. A half-step prevents any chance of shipping water into the saloon, which connects with the cockpit through three-stage sliding glass doors and an electric window. And with that, the antipasto platter and refreshments were served.

SALOON VIEWS
With the tinted rear glass door and window retracted, and the frameless curved windscreen up front, the saloon enjoys a terrific flowthrough effect. Whether indoors or out, everyone is connected. And this is a true all-seasons entertainer: should the weather turn turtle you can retreat to the long L-shaped leather lounge to port, which had a female floor fitting for the pedestals and teak table if in the cockpit. Or order a second table for the saloon if you don't want to fuss about relocating it.

The aft galley is positioned where it will best serve the crowd, traced by solid counters, and with two-burner electric hob, convection microwave oven, dishwasher and counter-height fridge. The De Longhi pod cappuccino machine was extra, but the sink is a nice deep one, the drawers are the soft-close type and we love the push-button automatic pantry. The Sony Bravia is alongside and linked to a DVD player.

Besides an icemaker and dedicated glass storage, the wet bar harbours the boat's control panel. It hasn't the usual toggle switches but a CAN-bus system with touchpad control for all the boat's functions, as well as preset modes. One touch and you can have your boat in lock-up mode with just the fridge and battery charger running, for example.

An electric sunroof adds to the natural ventilation provided through the small side-opening windows that give cross-flow ventilation. The side windows are quite high in the hull sides and when seated, you tend to look fore and aft to catch the views instead.

The high-gloss cherrywood joinery was exceptional, as was the stitching on the leather lounges and the fit of the liners, including a small recessed handrail. The sense of headroom is lofty, allowing you to trounce about without fear of injury.

Twin European helm chairs upholstered in black leather denote the helm station which features twin 12in Simrad NX45 screens, Volvo Penta displays and electronic gear shift, Joystick docking device, air-con vents, QL trim tabs, and wipers with washers.

ACCOMMODATION PLANS
We tested the two-cabin version of the 430 Sports Coupe. In the three-cabin variant, you apparently lose some floor space at the foot of the island bed with innerspring mattress in the bow. As we saw it, it was a fittingly inviting cabin, with big bed, slimline portlights, escape hatch, mirror-fronted hanging locker and cabinet. A door leads to the en suite, which doubles as a communal head, via a second door.

It's great to find a nice big shower stall, porcelain sink and the latest Vacuflush loo with push-button flush instead of foot pedal. Across the companionway is a starboard-side guest's cabin with two truly generous adult-sized berths -- the lower one apparently converts into a double -- plus storage for clobber and soft bags, and separate TVs. Small opening ports and a hatch deliver fresh air when you're not running the gennie and air-con.

With a great sense of space, the boat will easily sleep a family of four, which in reality is about all you will want to sleep on a boat like this. That said, you could probably make better use of the boat's space. When you hinge up the stairs leading down to the accommodation, there's a huge storage room seemingly going to waste.

Serious cruising types might fit a washer-dryer, chest freezer and suchlike in the storeroom, but a third cabin could be even handier during holiday time. The downside is you lose the shower stall. Your call.

IPS POWER
I got talking to Heaton in the Queensland factory after this test; firstly to praise him for the best Mustang I've seen to date, secondly to tap his mind on the boat. He mentioned that he recently came across a boat owner who hasn't been outside the Gold Coast in 11 years. Many other harbour-bodies exist in Sydney and Melbourne. And quite happily, I might add.

While we don't doubt its seaworthiness, the 430 Sports Coupe holds widest appeal as a conveyance for gadding about your local waterways and doing lunch in the sun or shade with awning drawn. So without hesitation, we advanced the throttles and the boat jumped out of the gates.

A clear view was maintained with the tabs half down. Future boats will have their engines shifted forward a tad, I'm told.

Efficiency is apparent compared with the twin V8 petrol inboard sportscruisers of yore. At 2710rpm and 21kts the engines use 90lt/h in total. Pull this back to 2500rpm and 18kts and you will find a frugal 74lt/h cruise. The D6s rev to 3620rpm for a 32.5kts top speed. If you want a fast cruise then sit on 3000rpm and 25kts for about 100lt/h or 3200rpm and 28kts for about 120lt an hour.

In a heartbeat or two we had crossed the harbour, dropped anchor and served lunch. I believe the term for it is pleasure boating. And with Mustang's new 430 Sports Coupe you have an immeasurably more pleasurable and principled craft. Here's a boat built with integrity, imagination and practicality.
Without any shadow of a doubt, it's the yard's best boat yet. Hi ho silver and away.

Mustang 430 Sports Coupe

HOW MUCH
Price As Tested: Approx $971,286 w/ Volvo Penta IPS 600s, and options
Priced from: $850,371 w/ twin Volvo Penta IPS 600s

GENERAL
Material:           GRP hull w/ Kevlar reinforcing, cored decks and hardtop
Type:                Moderate to deep-vee monohull (no keel)
Length overall:  14.98m
Hull length:        13.4m
Beam:               4.61m
Draft:                1.2m
Weight:             15,000kg (dry w/ std motors)

CAPACITIES
Berths:            4/6 (depending on layout)
Fuel:               1900lt
Water:            670lt
Holding tank:  120lt

SUPPLIED BY
Mustang NSW,
Suite 3 Smiths Boat Shed, The Spit,
81 Parriwi Rd,
Mosman, NSW, 2088
Phone: (02) 8197 9797
Fax: (02) 9719 9204
Mario Rodrigues, phone 0404 034 614
Mustang Marine Website