Regal 4260 Commodore Express

There are two different breeds of big-city pleasure boater in this world. There are those with a taste for adventure and a strong stomach who seek a passage-capable boat. Then there are those who like to do little more than entertain at their weekend honey hole and maybe spend a night aboard every now and then. For the latter, boating is all about pleasure-seeking once the anchor goes down, and the sooner that anchor bites the better.

In coming months, you will find a lot of boaties with a hedonistic mindset swinging at anchor. Once spring blooms we can marvel at the boating parade from prime seats aboard; relax on gently rocking teak decks; listen to the sounds of the summer, if not our favourite CDs; devour fine food and refreshments with great company; swim, dive and take a warm deck shower; and laze about above and below decks.

For such pursuits, one covets big outdoor spaces bedecked with seats and amenities foremost, but all the better if that boat has some snappy performance and off-the-wheel sports handling to reach that anchorage before the Sunday drivers arrive.

At the postcard perfect anchorages I frequent I observe a good many big-city entertaining boats with multi-million-dollar pricetags and professional skippers cooking the barbecue. The bulk of the boats, however, are mid-range sportscruisers with petrol power and sterndrive legs.

Regal's 4260 Commodore Express, the flagship of its go-fast cruiser range, lies somewhere in between these extremes. This American entertainer is graced with big lifestyle decks, a day amenities centre that is among the best I have seen, and shaft-driven diesel engines for low maintenance. But unlike the predictable diesel passagemaker, the boat packs a punch. We're talking 35kt of quick-fix just-add-water entertainer.

The performance of the deep-vee hull with tunnels was smooth over an occasionally bumpy harbour, and I thrilled to the drive and the thought of how well the layout would work in party mode. But closer inspection also revealed some serious engineering to please the cruising buff seeking a fast escape machine for weekends away from the same-old anchorage and the summer throngs.

WITH THE WORKS
American boats generally come with the works. Regal goes further: everything comes standard, including the central-vac system, décor package, lifejackets, first-aid kit, antifouling and stainless-steel anchor. The dealer added a European-style aft sunpad, canvas, and electronics with radar for those blown-out return voyages or night passages.

An independent boatbuilder, Regal is known for a cut-above finish, European styling and a smooth motion through the water. The deep-vee hull of the 4260 Express has 20 degrees of deadrise, which is sharp for a 42-footer, and stiffening by way of a fully-encapsulated stringer system.

All the deck gear is through-bolted, the rubrail has a stainless-steel insert, and there's vinylester resin to help ward off osmosis. Skin fittings are stainless steel, fuel lines are double clipped and the engine room is gel coated with a central non-skid rubber sole. The boats are built to ISO 9001:2000 registration, as well as accepted American and European standards.

The engine room is accessed either through a day hatch or by a pushing a button that raises the entire cockpit sole. I found industry-standard Racor fuel filters, both oil dipsticks for the paired motors on the centreline, a fire-suppression system and, eventually, labelled sea strainers under a panel over the central walkway. I'm still not sure where the engines' overflow bottles for at-a-glance coolant checks were lurking.

 The 460hp straight-six Volvos, which have time-proven Aqualift exhausts, draw from a useful 1241lt fuel supply mounted outboard, but you could still crawl around the engines. The 382lt water tank was forward under the saloon floor. With an invertor you can run the icemakers, microwave and entertainment system for short periods without starting the 8kVA Kohler generator aft of the motors.

The holding tank has an 180lt capacity, which is really very generous, and with the water supply the 4260 Express should be able to cater for at least four people for a weekend without having to find a pumpout or run to sea to empty the tanks, or take on more water at the dock. The charcoal filter for the vacuflush loos means no smells and, should you need to find it, the shower sump pump is in the engine room.

The shaft seals are dripless and the dealer added an oil-change kit. Shorepower and a 60A battery charger complete the owner-friendly engineering and electrical systems. A bowthruster was supplied.

PLENTY OF FRONT
A moulded hardtop is a listed option that appeals for all-weather cruising, but the dealer opted for unadulterated express cruisers lines instead. Sunbrella canvas, clears, and a radar arch are provided for protection and the well-supported walk-through stainless-steel-framed windscreen comes with wipers and a central power-operated vent panel.

Some thought has gone into the user-friendliness of the decks. Moulded steps, walkaround decks and a deck hatch promote easy access to the foredeck, which is flat and has a high bowrail with intermediate wire, moulded toerails and non-skid for added safety.

At rest, the foredeck works as a sun lounging area. Teenagers and sunlovers will likely gravitate to the supplied chaise lounge surrounded by drinkholders, which has a tilt headrest for added comfort. The supplied stainless-steel anchor self stows, while the supplied windlass is concealed in a recessed anchoring pit that's removed from stray toes.

Among the other useful items were an anchor washdown, concealed fender lockers and sturdy stainless-steel deck rails.

GREAT ENTERTAINER
Back aft is a utility locker for the shorepower leads, mooring lines, boat hook and fenders, but the extended boarding platform is where hedonism begins. The two-tiered platform creates a bench seat where you can have lunch on your lap, watch the kiddies swim and the views arc past as the boat swings at anchor. A handheld hot/cold deck shower with massage function and transom stereo remote add to the fun.

The utility locker is part of the optional aft island sunpad big enough for two couples. The transom doors either side of the central sun lounge provide twin thoroughfares to the cockpit, which has room for an outdoor setting around the aft-most lounges.

However, the most useful entertaining space is around the U-shaped portside lounge opposite the skipper. There is a supplied table that can seat six in the shade. I'd add non-slip rubber matting to the table and assemble a buffet - let guests spread out around the boat and that's lunch.

 The Regal also has one of the very best amenities centres imaginable, which includes a combination fridge/icemaker (too often it's one or the other), Corian food-prep space with a grabrail, a sink and a terrific outdoor grill. The only downside is that the BBQ is gas and the bottle, in a vented locker nearby, will need to be refilled on occasion.

INDOOR LIVING
I'm glad that there is a lot of European competition on the market, because it means boats like this have more worldly interiors. High-gloss cherrywood and Italian designer door handles, downlighting, and champagne leather upholstery, bone headliners and sand-coloured Corian counters make for a timeless ambience. It's nice that the boat comes with carpet protectors and central vacuuming system, too.

Architecturally, the layout is open-planned even though both the mid cabin and master in the bow have solid privacy doors. The gaping saloon and abundant opening hatches and portlights, each with privacy and insect screens, add to the fresh feeling.

The starboard galley near the companionway is handy for serving formal meals indoors and informal meals back outdoors. Full marks for the extractor fan, nearby opening ports, concealed garbage bin, and the supplied cutlery and crockery in various drawers and cupboards, with room leftover for victuals for a week away. The water tank gauge was obvious and the AC/DC panels were simple.

The Corian counters had fiddle rails, a recessed circular sink and the (mock?) timber flooring will reduce wear. Amenities included a recessed two-burner stove, a bench-height 12V/240V Novakool fridge/small freezer, and a tiny microwave oven that's just not much use. The normal coffeemaker supplied with the boat in America won't be missed - a remote counter-top cappuccino machine would be a better investment.

The cherrywood dinette opposite converts into a double bed. Above are handy lockers, while a surround lounge with comfy backrests can seat four or six if you added loose chairs for dinner. The boat has a 50cm television in the saloon and a second 45cm model in the master cabin in the bow.

A sliding door turns the mid cabin into a guest suite for heading away with another couple. Guests are treated to twin adult-length single beds with inner-spring mattresses that convert to a queen-sized bed. Gold bedspread, trick reading lights, cedar-lined hanging locker and a stand-up dressing area upped the luxe factor.

I suspect the 4260 Express will mostly be used by owners to cruise between weekends of entertaining. And for this, owners aren't short-changed, with a master cabin that has a five-star hotel feel, gold curtains, trick joinery and warm lighting.

There's room to swing a week's worth of attire in a hanging locker, two drawers and surrounding lockers. The island double berth with inner-spring mattress has room on all sides to pull up the bedspread and there's even a dressing seat nearby.

You don't always get two heads on a boat like this and, while neither is big, each has a separate shower stall, Corian counters, air-con vents, extractor, a full-length mirror and storage.

TO THE ANCHORAGE
At the marina I noted the pop-up cleats for swinging fenders for a raft-up. But once aboard, the chartholder ahead of the co-pilot and full spread of Raymarine electronics at the helm suggested a more far-reaching and capable express cruiser.

It must have been obvious from the fact I wasn't prepared to relinquish the wheel that I liked the drive on the 4260 Express. The bolster seat for two has an electric adjustor, the vision is great to all quarters, and the equipment that is all quality stuff. I'm always comfortable with Volvo's EDC control.

Also at my fingertips were the stereo remote for the Kenwood sound system, a flush-mounted Raymarine C80 linked to a 24nm radar and chartplotter, Smartpilot and numerical depth gauge, VHF radio and Volvo's keyless ignition. The big switch panel was flanked by the windlass control, while the dash panels harboured Faria gauges.

Ventilation is via the windscreen vent or the convenient air-con outlet alongside, but even without a hardtop or bimini in place the wind seemed to whistle overhead.

The trim-tab assisted level acceleration let us plane at 1600rpm and 15.8kt. I clocked a low-speed cruise of 18kt at 1800rpm with a touch of trim tab. With the trim tabs free the boat held its optimum long-range cruising speed of 23.5kt at 2000rpm.

With twin 480hp Volvo motors and a displacement of little more than 10t, which is light, this was always going to be a fast boat. The Regal ate the harbour at 2200rpm and 27.8kt, letting one claim pick of the anchorages before the Sunday crowd. It was smooth-riding, dry and mighty fast at 35.2kt at 2650rpm.

 With plenty of horses, shaft drives, a great entertaining deck, and serious accommodation, plus seaworthiness and range, this is a sharp boat for all occasions.

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