David Lockwood•12 Feb 2016

REVIEW

Regulator 23 CC: Fishing Boat Review

Name: Regulator 23 CC: Fishing Boat Review
Brand: Regulator

Absolutely top-shelf centre console from the USA is one of the best we have ever tested

This pedigree centre console from the revered Regulator stable in North Carolina redefines your notion of how offshore boats perform. It’s smooth riding to the point of bewilderment, economical with a single 300hp Yamaha V6 outboard on an Armstrong bracket, and built tough as a sportfishing weapon. In this 23 footer, you can range further, faster and in fine fettle to where the big fish and much bigger boats roam.

OVERVIEW

- Built for discerning offshore boaters chasing a premium ride

Regulator Marine is one of those American success stories you read about. Founded in 1988 by Owen and Joan Maxwell, when they were aged just 30 and 28, Regulator is a privately owned boatbuilder born out of necessity. The story goes that the North Carolina couple wanted a better sportfisher to fish the Outer Banks, which might command a run of 35nm to 100nm depending on your exit point, so they built one.

Regulator soon got noticed and, nowadays, Owen is in knee deep in new-product development, while CEO Joan manages the successful Regulator company. She also chairs the board of directors of the National Marine Manufacturers Association — the first woman to hold the prestigious position — which provides a unified voice for US boatbuilders.

But Regulator isn't your run-of-the-mill production boatbuilder beholden to a board of directors. It’s a boutique brand that creates high-end craft for a relative select few and leads rather than follows. The niche yard produces nothing but full-blooded centre-console sportfishers from 23 to 41ft in single up to quad-rack installations. They are all high-performance boats paired with only Yamaha outboards and checked-off with the Japanese engine-maker’s engineers.

This augurs well for consumers and the local importer One Brokerage, which has offices in Sydney and Perth. It is the first Regulator dealer appointed in Australia. This 23 footer — set to debut at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in May — signals the American yard’s intent to cast a wider net.

Importer Glen Moltoni can’t speak highly enough of Regulator and will tell you he went trolling the US sportfisher market for more than a year to find the right brand and backing. The boats, well, they speak for themselves. Now things are buzzing locally.

Regulators attract attention and a passionate following. The old Regulator 26 racked up more than 1500 builds — it is a centre console with cult status — while the current 28 is one of the top-selling centre consoles in America today.

Local interest in Regulators is now sparking and, tellingly, defying the sobering price premium these boats command. This says a lot about today’s boat-buying market. Quality sells and boats with a defined purpose and great execution hold eternal appeal. There will always be the devotees in any sport, especially fishing.

Dedicated sportfishing folk — and extreme divers like Nick Hoad, the part owner of this test boat — have jumped aboard Regulator in Australia for the ride. Now you can add this centre-console tragic to the list of converts. For this 23-footer redefines the centre console class, with beautiful styling, outstanding fit and finish, and just the smoothest ride for your not inconsiderable bucks.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

- An absolutely top-shelf centre console priced accordingly

There is no real engine option on this 23 other than the 300hp V6 Yamaha outboard. There are loads of factory options, mind you, but at factory level this boat has the must-have integrated fishing features in place. We’d add outriggers and a rocket launcher off the hardtop, but not much else.

The base price was around $179K at the time of writing with the excellent fibreglass hardtop you see here and a factory-adjusted Load Rite trailer. These are heavy hitters on the wet and dry track — the Regulator 23 rig as tested on trailer weighs just under 3500kg without fuel.

You will have to take personal responsibility for the towing legalities of this 3412kg (dry) rig on braked trailer. It might be a better proposition on a drive-on dock. Certainly, marinas have plenty of space for smaller boats these days. Or rack and stack and forget the antifouling.

As tested on trailer, with optional GRP hardtop, SeaStar power-assist steering, twin Simrad NSS12 touchscreen MFDs, and the trailer with electric-hydraulic override brakes, the test boat had a $210k price. That’s big money, but the Regulator 23 rewards your investment.

DESIGN AND LAYOUT

- Quintessential centre console with a bit of broader application

Some hardcore saltwater-fly fishers have made the point they don’t want the inbuilt moulded seating in the bow. Sportfishers who cast poppers for GTs in the tropics and pitch baits for marlin might feel the same way.

With the infill in place, you get a full forward casting platform on this boat. The flush deck fittings and concealed anchor well (sans bowsprit) point to the cast-fishing intent. But on the raised casting platform, you are standing higher than is desirable in serious offshore fishing scenario tied to a billfish on fly.

Evidently, Regulator still wants to include broader boating applications in its charter. If the seating helps get your purchase over the line then well and good. The seating also boosts storage, of course. Each sub-seat area is insulated, with an overboard drain, venting, LED lighting, and there are gas struts on most RTM hatch lids.

The clip-out cushions were removed for the photos and test, but you can also add optional clip-in backrests, even a table if you want to go further down the family-boat route. A twin forward-facing mother-in-law seat in the front of the centre console, with fold-down armrests, and a pullout transom lounge add to the seating. The rear lounge handle protruded annoyingly, one of few gripes I had on this test.

The anchor well, meanwhile, is a nice deep recess in the bow with vertical hanging storage for the Danforth. There isn’t a bowsprit, windlass, or storage for a reef anchor. Instead, the popup cleats, flush nav light and the amidships hawsepipes, leading down to underdeck springer cleats, create a snag-free environment.

If you want to anchor this boat a lot, use a side dispatch setup, with a springer line off the bow, and a dan-buoy for retrieval. Otherwise, lower the lot over the gelcoat carefully (or fit a clip-in electric motor to hold you in position while jigging as is becoming de rigueur).

Underfloor, the massive central bow storage chamber — 330 litre capacity and looking huge with importer Glen Moltoni sanding inside — is lockable and has racks for storing six outfits when you are ashore.

The elliptical stainless-steel grab rails in the bow, inbuilt storage nooks and drink or lure holders will all come in handy, while the blue LED lighting plan will look impressive during your dawn launch and dusk weigh-in or raft-up.

The fresh- and salt-water wash-down hoses are part of the kit in the aft cockpit. The aluminium tube frame for the hardtop is beautifully welded. There’s lighting in the hardtop, but no storage like a radio box or suchlike.

The hardtop needs spreader lights and a rear rocket launcher to boost rod storage. There is a four-pot launcher in the back of the leaning post and four flush rod holders in the gunwales. A few extras and outriggers will bring this boat up to full tournament spec.

Besides the huge forward hold, other main storage areas on the boat include: inside the centre console, which is very nicely finished with a portable toilet; under the leaning post (where a tackle centre is an option); and back in the transom, where there’s an impressive 87-litre live well and 113-litre fish box.

In respect of fighting fish, the padded coamings are a boon, as is the big padded leaning post. The transom offers excellent support, too, and it’s not too low across the leading edge like some centre consoles. But the rear mounting of the centre console and the extended pod suggest the bow is the main fish-fighting area. The sheerline and freeboard in this flared hull makes the bow a safe stage.

Meantime, the centre console is purposeful. There’s storage for personal effects, a windshield, stainless wheel that could do with a crank knob (an Edson wheel is an option), and we had a nice spread of electronics in the form of twin NSS12in Simrad touchscreens, a standard Yamaha 5in engine Information Station, Polk Audio stereo remote, Lenco trim tab controller, and a bank of rocker switches.

HULL AND ENGINEERING

- Sophistication meets serious engineering

Regulators are paired and pre-rigged exclusively for Yamaha outboards. The extent of the R&D is unheard of elsewhere and Regulator has two test boats in Japan which are used for hydrodynamic testing. This way, the engine height, prop match, engineering and the construction leave nothing to chance.

You can see this good breeding in the deportment of the Regulator 23-footer. The sheerline and Carolina flare create a graceful but purposeful appearance; the mouldings are free from ripples and ‘print through’; the saltwater-proof deck fittings have machismo; while the RTM moulded hatches with gas struts, elliptical grab rails, and top upholstery reflect sophistication.

Developed in the challenging conditions of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Regulators are engineered tough. Each model shares the same proven hull design — a deep-vee with 24 degrees of deadrise at the transom — from renowned naval architect Lou Codega, who has penned patrol boats.

Regulator says its famously soft ride is a direct result of how the hull was designed, using a signature moulded-fibreglass system bonded to the hull with bi-axial glass in key areas. These are certainly stiff and heavy boats for their size. Actually, this 23-footer is the heftiest I have ever tested in its class.

Backing all this up is first-rate engineering. A rear floor hatch leads into the bilge with auto pump, just in case your self-draining decks can’t cope, the separate Shurflo fresh- and salt-water pumps, and the Yamaha 10-micron water separator for the enormous 564-litre tank, which has a separate hatch to its sender.

All the deck fittings are through-bolted and overbuilt; the hull, deck and liner are through bolted; the console and hardtop and mounted inseparably; and the Armstrong bracket is bolted to extend the running surface and maximise the performance of the 300hp V6 Yamaha, whose prop is spinning in clean water.

The electrics and wiring were also perfectly orderly, using Deutsch connectors with breakers — take a look Aussie builders — and there was a dual battery system. The 80 litres of freshwater and concealed swim ladder in the pod mean you can dive in, clamber out, and take a shower. Speargun optional.

ON THE WATER

- A proper offshore test in real fishing conditions

I was itching to put this Regulator 23 to the serious offshore test. It was a hot summer’s day off Sydney, one where fishing mates subsequently caught wahoo, yellowfin and marlin 15nm further north, with a humid southeast wind carrying rafts of blue bottles to shore and generating a typically lumpy sea.

It was a day during which a serious angler looking for game fish could really benefit from a boat like this. With that big fuel capacity, long-range fishing is certainly part of this entry-level Regulator 23’s appeal, but it’s just as much a boat to take fishing in rough weather, too.

The full belly of fuel contributed to the gentle motion underfoot. Offshore, beam-on, drifting and trolling, the Regulator 23 felt remarkably stable given the 24 degrees of deadrise. In fact, it almost felt like a mini custom game boat; the predictable motion will be appreciated for landing fish.

Having just returned from a remote eight-day trip with Nomad Sportfishing, fishing daily mainly on its twin V6 200hp Yamaha-powered Contender 25s, this Regulator 23 seemed more stable and, with all the weight, there was considerably less bobble.

Underway, the SeaStar power-assist steering with electronically-controlled hydraulic pump adds to the driving pleasure. Tabs down, you blast out of the hole in a speedy manner and trim up as you go… as per usual… before the ride suddenly becomes a unique experience.

Yes, you get that amazing feeling of a monocoque structure where nothing moves independently. But it's the smoothness of the re-entry that is extraordinary. This is achieved via the sharp forefoot, big flare, lots of deadrise, plenty of weight, the chines and strakes, and the pod drive.

The combination of all these things has the Regulator 23 running through the water and utilising its full waterline length rather than skipping on top. That is the difference with this boat right there. It’s almost like a warped-plane hull in the sense that it drives flat and through with the full hull length with sharp deadrise carving through the water.

Of course, that displaces water, which has to go somewhere! While the Carolina flare and big chines help, this is a centre console. You are going to get wet. I’d suggest two things: fitting clears around the console structure, and investing in the best wet-weather outfit money can buy.

Having said that, if you can handle the speed, you can pretty much blast ahead of the spray. This is what we did, running east at 31 knots into 1.5m of sea and swell, landing without a thud or thump, in one of the most unbelievable boat-test moments I’ve experienced in a 23-footer.

Even with the prop whirring in the air after launching off a crest, the boat landed with a perfectly forgiving “whoosh”. Punching into the swells, the hull just split the waves like the proverbial axe. You can go as hard as you can safely hang on. It was humbling.

Interestingly, the Armstrong bracket or pod doesn’t create undo pitching, like some pod drives that punch the whole rig skywards. The V6 300hp Yamaha, a beautifully smooth and proven bit of four-stroke machinery, drives this boat pretty flat.

Just a bit on in-trim keeps the bow working at speed into the headsea, while the usual out-trim lets you surf without burying the bow unduly and, on flat water, attaining top speed. The Lenco tabs compensate for wind, uneven load and so on. With the transom live-well full, the boat didn’t seem to lean over, however, it will lean into a strong wind as most deep-vee boats do.

Backing up, which more and more outboard anglers are intent on doing these days, saw the 25in-length outboard and its powerhead remain well clear of the water. The prop had as much bite as you might expect, meaning it cavitated at times. The rounded transom corners, more for looks that purpose, suggest this boat will shed water when going astern hard in rough conditions. But with that deep and safe bow, we’d be running those fish down.

Yamaha engineers substantiate the sea trial data , so we’ll defer to that. As tested, the official weight of the boat was 3465kg with fuel. The 300hp V6 Yamaha was mounted on hole #1 and spinning a Saltwater Series II-SDS 15 ½ x 17in prop.

According to the data, optimum cruise is the expected 4000rpm setting for 25-26 knots, which is just purring and perfectly comfortable. You’ll burn about 45lt/hr — or about 1.2lt/km —for a safe straight-line range of about 300nm. So 100nm runs with some trolling are perfectly do-able. Think canyons, kinks, nearby ports of call when the fish are chew there. Think long range.

We powered offshore at 5000rpm and about 31 knots SOG on the GPS. This rev setting gave 34 knots in the official trial in a flat controlled environment. Either way, it’s a fast cruise speed burning about 81lt/hr for a safe range of 215nm. In less than one hour your are well and truly over the shelf and onto places like Browns Mountain. Top speed at 5900rpm WOT, the Yamaha making its 300hp at 5500rpm, was 40.75 knots and I saw 41 knots on the flat near Manly.

VERDICT

- An unstoppable centre console for today’s hardcore angler and diver

With impressive engineering, the Regulator 23 looks and behaves like a well-bred diplomat. It’s here to win over fishing devotees prepared to pay for quality and performance, sophistication and engineering. Regulator buyers come well-researched, well-travelled and with big expectations. Already another Regulator 23 has been sold and bigger models will be on the way.

Among the most deeply-veed hulls that money can buy, Regulators like this 23 footer redefine your understanding of how boats can perform. Along with a 24-degree deep-vee hull, the boat is among the heaviest 23 footers on the market. Thus, it’s not a Florida Keys rocket machine, but a South Carolina mini battlewagon with an unstoppable attitude and huge offshore range.

The Regulator 23 is built and designed to be driven hard and I can categorically state right here that this 23 footer outperformed my expectations and humbled by considerable experience. It’s a tad wet, it's a centre console after all, but it’s an absolute weapon, with custom-boat quality and incredible fish-catching potential on our shores and well offshore. One of the best for sure.

RATINGS

Overall rating: 4.86/5.0

Mechanical/equipment: 4.9/5.0

Packaging and practicality: 4.8/5.0

On the water performance: 4.95/5.0

Value for money: 4.65/5.0

X-factor: 5.0/5.0

LIKES

>> Incredibly smooth ride when driven hard at sea

>> Huge range thanks to its 564-litre tank

>> Beautiful build quality and very cool lines

>> Inbuilt fishing features, live and kill tanks, rod storage

>> Company dedicated to building the best centre consoles around

NOT SO MUCH

>> Over-width on trailer and a big heavy boat for towing

>> The stainless-steel pull-down handle for the rear lounge protrudes

>> Displaces a lot of water and spray, so consider a clear enclosure

>> No under gunwale racks and boat needs rocket launcher and riggers

>> Some mightn’t like the lack of anchoring sprit or the inbuilt-bow seating

Specifications:

Price as tested: About $210k (on the .70 exchange rate) with 300hp V6 Yamaha, trailer, optional GRP hardtop, power-assisted steering and Simrad electronics

Priced from: About $179,000 with 300hp V6 Yamaha and trailer

LOA: 7.02m

LOA with Armstrong pod and outboard: 8.25m

Beam: 2.55m

Dry Weight with Engine: 2812kg

Draft: 0.85m

Hull Deadrise: 24 degrees

Fuel: 564 litres

Freshwater: 80 litres

Engine: single 300hp Yamaha V6 four-stroke outboard, 4.2L EFI, 1:75:1 gear ratio

Details: One Brokerage,

Sydney and Perth offices

www.onebrokerage.com.au

www.regulatormarine.com

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Regulator 23 CC: Fishing Boat Review

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