David Lockwood•25 Oct 2013

REVIEW

Regal 3200

Name: Regal 3200
Brand: Regal

A cool new concept in day yachting for today's time-poor pleasure boater

LIKES

<< New calibre of dayboat with more amenities and seating

<< Possibly the best bathroom ever seen on a bowrider

<< Seaworthy, deep-vee hull

<< Great attention to detail, fit and finish

NOT SO MUCH

<< Twin V8 petrol engines are going to be thirsty

<< Not a lot of overhead shade or weather protection

<< We can’t find a hot-water service or that option

OVERVIEW

- A whole new level of day boating

Of the plethora of made-to-party powerboats arriving for the 2013/14 summer, the new Regal 3200 is a tempting offering. The big family-owned American boat builder knows a thing or two about designing social boating stages, with 11 models in its bowrider range alone. Yet this all-new flagship bowrider pushes the day-boat envelope, with a bigger hull propelled by greater horsepower, more seating and integrated amenities than we have come to expect in run-of-the-mill bowrider or dayboat.

Regal says its 3200 has created a whole new boating category – day yachting. Moored in front of the locals sipping lattes at Rose Bay Marina, the 3200 sure strikes you as a big boat. But its volume doesn’t come at the expense of good looks. This isn’t one of those American ‘bubble’ hulls, but an Italian-designed good-looker destined to solicit envy.

The rakish sportsboats lines are enhanced by the inclusion of the so-called PowerTower. At the press of a button, the arch folds flat to reduce air draft. Otherwise, it serves as a potential towing point when waterskiing, wakeboarding and tubing, plus a mount for the modest fore and aft canopies under which midday boaters might covet shade.

The importers Premier Marine say more and more boaters are after a good time, not necessarily a long time, aboard their boats these days. Yet despite the 3200’s obvious day-boating intent, the hull has the freeboard of a cruiser. This will be a good thing when carrying a crowd while traversing bumpy waterways at summertime.

The high bow rides over wake and serious chop without shipping a drop, while the inherent seaworthiness permits offshore flings to ocean anchorages, islands and nearby ports. Peace of mind also comes from the twin-engine installation that ensures a speedy exodus.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

- Extra eye candy and upgraded amenities

Besides the twin MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI with Bravo 3 sterndrives, the boat had some key options. To improve the amenity there was a cockpit refrigerator, Magma gas barbecue in a stow bag, and two composite relocatable tables.

To add to the eye candy, the 3200 had a pair of docking lights, Flexiteek-covered swim platform, an all-white hull with black bootstripe, plus the titanium interior upholstery choice. A bow infill cushion set turns that area into an additional sunpad, while bow walk-through doors and a bow cover let you create a quasi runabout on those winter days.

The bathroom compartment, quite possibly the best we’ve ever ventured inside on a bowrider, was upgraded with a portlight for natural light and ventilation and an electric silent-flush toilet with pump-out. It really is a dignified dayhead with plenty of room for dressing, too.

All this amounts to a boat with a $260,000 sticker price, including full covers and an inherently massive multi-family and crew-carrying capacity.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION

- Plenty of design smarts and massive seating capacity

The next thing to catch your eye is the abundance of gleaming stainless steel. A lot of American-made production craft are made for Great Lakes boating, but this one’s got clear saltwater intent. The stainless-steel fittings range from a self-stow anchor and chafe plate through optional docking lights past decent cleats and handrails to a rubbing strip and concealed swim ladder.

The windscreen frame and its stainless-steel supports add to the build quality, while blue LED courtesy lights cast the cockpit in a cool aqua glow after dark. The boat will stand out as you look across from your dinner table at that waterfront digs.

With a 14-person capacity, the 3200 is a real chariot. The moulded cockpit liner, deck design and seating are very well considered for swallowing a crowd. Yet despite packing a cricket team aboard, you won’t be treading on each other’s toes.

Thanks to abundant onboard storage and peripheral seating, the boat’s thoroughfare remains unfettered from stern to bow. We came aboard via the large swim platform, which adds considerably to the waterfront real estate, and had the optional wood-look Flexiteek that is softer to sit on that fibreglass. There also was the obligatory handheld transom shower to wash the salt off between dips. Although we can’t find hot water as a factory-listed option.

The cockpit proper is reached via the centreline walkthrough that ensures your crew aren’t crawling over upholstery, which is French stitched and well executed to add to the sense of luxury. The stitched vinyl dash and choice of titanium colouring adds to the class.

Our test boat had clip-in carpet to lift the comfort levels. With a big crowd of kids, we’d think seriously about leaving it out. The diamond-pattern non-skid decks will be easy to clean after the inevitable splodges of sunscreen, chip crumbs and spilt drinks. Having said that, the 3200 honours the American tradition of including a plethora of integrated drink holders, in this case, all stainless steel instead of the usual plastic.

The seating is a highlight, starting with dual UltraLounges flanking the centre walkthrough at the transom. The reversible lounges let your crew face forward for the run to your chosen summer bolthole, then flip the backrests to watch the world drift by and the play out back when swinging on the anchor. The backrests also fold flat to create two immense sun pads should you feel the need to work on your tan.

Optional bow infill cushions convert that area into a third sunpad/daybed. Otherwise, the twin high-backed chaise lounges are the place to kick back. The twin drop-in composite tables, relocatable to the cockpit, provide somewhere to rest your lunch and there’s a separate portable icebox for drinks.

In effect, the bow is an autonomous seating area. The other seating areas of note and twin-width helm and co-pilot seats where many boats have just single buckets. Couples can cruise arm in arm.

Of course, you need music to get a party cranking. The 3200 comes with a Fusion sound system with six 200-watt waterproof speakers and iPod dock. Everyone will get a chance to share their playlists. High-performance stereo upgrades are available and you could even swing speakers and board racks off that PowerTower.

But there’s something else coveted in a great dayboat: a bathroom/changeroom. As mentioned, we feel the big Regal has the best in its class.

Yet for all this, the cockpit refreshment centre is the hub. The solid benchtop servery will work for buffet lunches, there’s another portable icebox as standard, and we had the upgraded cockpit refrigerator, too. If not the cold chicken salad thing then fly by the fish markets for prawns. Or mount the optional Magma gas barbecue with its dedicated stanchion and get cooking with gas.

Après-lunch, when it’s time to finally stow the water toys and kit, it’s nice to have such copious amounts of storage space. The walk-in storage locker below the helm console is truly cavernous and includes dedicated space for the tables, pedestals, and so on. There’s also an infloor cockpit locker for fenders and plenty of sub-seat areas for safety gear.

Decks squared away, you turn the keys, call on the windlass for push-button anchor retrieval, swing the wheel and flash home.

HULL AND ENGINEERING

- Performance combo with deep-vee hull

With 21 degrees of deadrise and a sharp entry, the 3200 hull is a true deep-vee design that falls under the lauded OceanTrac hull family. Some effort has gone into optimising weight distribution as with all good running boats and we didn’t find the 3200 a tab-dependent boat.

Layup includes a vinylester barrier coating to ward against osmosis, composite stringers for stiffness without weight, RTM hatches for a clean finish, all backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

The 568 litres of fuel will give you a good range from the twin V8s, given they use about 95-100 litres per hour in total at 4000rpm cruise in the mid-20 knot range. You’ll easily get to you favourite anchorage and back home by the day’s end. A pressure water system with 114 litres, with 100 litre holding tank, should also sate the crowd flushing the loo and taking a quick rinse.

Engine access comes courtesy of electric rams that raise the cockpit floor, so there’s great over-block access for pre-departure checks and servicing. The boat has a battery charger for hooking to Shorepower, dual battery management system and weather-resistant electric connectors. You also get an industry-standard fire suppression system.

Of interest to some canal-based boaters, bridge clearance thanks to the electric PowerTower reduces from 2.77 metres to 1.80 metres when retracted.

ON THE WATER

- Saddle up and hi-ho Regal and away

With the twin petrol V8s, the 300hp MerCruiser 350 Mag models, the 3200 isn’t hanging around. Bravo Three sterndrives with counter-rotating propellers provide plenty of grip in tight turns but also response when docking, where the flip-up bolsters ensure good views.

Fast or slow, it’s a potent power match for the deep-vee hull as we high tail it down blustery Sydney Harbour after a long day afloat. Power-assisted steering, the digital throttles and an Italian wheel add to the driving pleasure at a helm that’s is full of intent and ergonomically laid-out. The throttles and trim tabs fall to hand (important when you have a big passenger load), and there are neat banks of switches.

It wasn’t obvious on test, but the white dash brow could be prone to reflecting in the raked windscreen (with wiper). Otherwise, our verdict is this is a sporty bowrider with plenty of grunt and expected 50mph-plus (about 43 knots) top speed.

VERDICT

- Sundays with the family will never be the same

This same sharp hull has been used for a just-launched 32 Express Cruiser variant with a king bed in the cabin. But many boaters take the view that the best bed is that at home and a dayboat makes more sense. One thing is sure, you’re going to sleep well after a long day of on-water play aboard the 3200.

For big families and those who like to socialise with other families and their school friends, the 3200 is ready to serve. It’s a fun-filled platform, nicely designed, and well finished, with excellent seating and amenities. And with summer arriving early, the boat is timely. Just add watertoys, a 12V air pump, fluffy towels and a long lunch on the anchor.

Specifications

Price as tested: $260,000 with twin MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI B3 DTS, white hull with black bootstripe, titanium interior upholstery and optional bow filler cushion set, bow walk through doors, canvas cockpit cover, canvas bow cover, cockpit cover, cockpit refrigerator, twin composite cockpit tables, docking lights, grill-gas stowable, Flexiteek on platform and entry, portlight in head compartment, electric toilet with pumpout and transom door.

Length Overall: 9.8m

Beam: 3.2m

Draft-Drive Up-High Trim: 0.5m

Draft-Drive Down: 0.9m

Deadrise: 21 degrees

Approximate Dry Weight: 4445kg

Bridge Clearance - PowerTower Up: 2.77m

Bridge Clearance - PowerTower Down: 1.8m

Boat Height - PowerTower Down To Keel: 2.6m

Boat Height - PowerTower Up To Keel: 3.4m

Fuel Capacity: 568 litres

Maximum Persons Capacity: CE 14

Water Capacity: 114 litres

Waste Capacity: 105 litres

Engines on test: Twin MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI B3 DTS

Supplied by:

Premier Marine,

Rose Bay Marina,

594 New South Head Rd,

Rose Bay, NSW, 2029.

Phone: (02) 9328 0999, email lee@premiermarine.com.au, www.premiermarine.com.au, www.chriscraft.com

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Regal 3200

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