Stephens Magic 1900S

Think of the name Stephens and apply it to the performance boating arena... Like me, chances are you thought immediately of wickedly fast flat-bottomed circuit raceboats. The sort that barely support the weight of their big-block V-eight, big horsepower rear-mounted open-exhaust powerplants.

I guess that's what I was expecting to see when Trailer Boat arranged to rendezvous with Stephens' Alan Beale to sample one of the Boronia (Vic)-based builder's craft. But on arrival something quite different assaulted the eyeballs.

EASY ON THE EYES
Well, assaulted is hardly the correct word. Indeed, the Magic 1900S by Stephens is very easy on the eyes. It's a well-finished craft that photos don't quite do justice.

According to Beale, the 1900S is a collaborative effort between Stephens and Brian Neil - the original designer of the craft and owner of the Magic Skiboat name. Debuting at the Melbourne Boat Show a season or two back, the 1900S is aimed at the top end of the centremount market. It is, Beale says, unashamedly targeted at family skiers and needs to be good at everything. It's certainly a top performer in the looks department.

The boat we tested was as stock as any bespoke skiboat is likely to be. Stephens supplies the Magic and many other boats in a choice of two stages. Stage III is essentially the finished item, ready to drop in the water, and with the addition of the normal safety and social equipment ready to ski away.

Stage II is a cosmetically complete boat with most of the underwater gear fitted, but one which leaves the major mechanical and electrical fitout to the new owner/operator.

The testboat was about to go to its new owner for a Christmas of skiing and wakeboarding. Fitted with a Tawco-marinised 350 Chev with MCE soft clutch (under warranty), it was typical of the majority of Magics that go to Stephens' Victorian and Queensland customers. Apparently, NSW skiers still seem to prefer dog clutch boats, probably because of the amount of saltwater work many do.

What you see is what you get, summed up Beale - as tested on an Easytow trailer, the testboat was straight off the price list with just a set of covers and rego to bump the price over the $24,000 listed.

STRAIGHT VEE
Though the Stephens name was made way back when with flat-bottomed screamers, in reality all the boats the maker has produced since the late 1980s have been vee-bottoms.

The Magic 1900S is no exception. Unlike many skiboats, this craft is a true vee, with the pure hull form running the full length of the boat. There are no fancy deltas or planks underneath the 1900S - just a basic form with four lifting strakes and pronounced reversed chines. A 21° deadrise up forward flattens marginally to just sneak into the deep end of the moderate-vees with an 'at transom' deadrise of 19°. Given the propensity for some skiboat makers to 'fiddle' it is a surprisingly simple design.

This hull certainly has the credentials to deliver a much softer ride than we're used to on conventional skiboats. Beale confirms that the design is one borne out of the maker's racing craft.

Tested on a breathless day at the Carrum (Vic) National Watersports Centre, there was no chop for us to test out the hull, though hard accelerating turns back across our own low speed wake yielded barely a slap.

Particularly noteworthy was the boat's steering. A hybrid cable system developed by Stephens for use in its raceboats, it's ultra direct - about 250° lock to lock, I reckon - yet remains light even when hard-over. Top stuff!

CONVENTIONAL FARE
Above the waterline, it's conventional centremount and an attractive version too. A traditional, if rather short, closed bow flows into a tinted perspex screen, and from there the coamings slope gently back to the transom. Here, there's an integrated boarding platform from which a reverse sheer falls back to the waterline. The white base hull colour is complemented by four feature colours, including an understated (for skiboats) metal flake. The same colour combo is featured in the cockpit upholstery.

The cockpit itself is conventional too, but well executed. Heavy-duty marine vinyl is used for the upholstery (frontrunner and velour are optional). A well-bolstered sliding bucket seat is provided for the helmsman and there's an observer-and-a-half lounge adjacent. Generous walkways each side of the padded engine cover make access rearwards easy and there's a rear lounge to... well, lounge.

The floor, coamings and bow-mounted skilocker are all fully carpeted.

You'll have to forgive my regular dig at local boat builders, but once again, the Stephens is no SeaRay. Like almost every Australian boat I've stepped aboard there's still an odd loose end, glue overrun or mismatched moulding here and there.

However, I've also seen plenty of craft which don't go anywhere near the standard of the Magic 1900S, particularly in this price bracket. As stated above, overall it's well-executed.

FAVOURABLE PERFORMANCE
Stephens' standard engine spec for the Magic sees the 350 Chev boasting a mild cam, dual-point ignition and a 600 Holley carb. Beale says that the powerplant's good for around 240hp.

Of course, with small blocks the sky's quite literally the limit. Throw a wad of notes at the mill and you can have upwards of 400 reliable neddies if the spirit moves you.

Stephens also offers a number of MerCruiser FNR options, with the base 260hp CompSki version adding about $3000 to the price.

Turning a 12 x 15 Moritz three-bladed prop, the 1900S was eager out of the hole and stormed to an indicated 53mph (86kmh) with 4300rpm registering on the white-faced Faria tacho. A comfortable 3000rpm generates a skier-friendly 33mph (54kmh).

At lower speeds, the wake appears suitable for casual boarders, though it doesn't seem to have the lip the really good guys like to launch from. I guess a water bag could soon fix that. By the way, Stephens offers a two-piece convertible centremount pole to satisfy skiers and boarders alike.

Though we did not have our normal crash test dummy... err, test skier with us, the wake at slalom speeds looked friendly enough, even for yours truly to cope with.

In summary, the Magic 1900S delivers plenty. It's well built - Stephens uses the same base materials in the 1900S as it does in its full-house raceboats - well finished, and offers enough performance to satisfy all but the confirmed petrol-head.

Best of all, it looks great. Forget the flat-decked speed demons, this sassy Stephens could be the one for you.