Bring on the weekend! Sunsport 2050
Time is money – and your time on the water is invaluable. Sunsport knows this and that’s why you’ll find that the 2050 is built to give you the most from it – no matter what you need. Leisure Boating reviews the 2013 Sunsport 2050.
South African-built Sunsport boats aim to give you quality without compromise – and the 2050 is, in my opinion, the leader of their range since it is a fantastic all-rounder.
It’s the true family craft, offering all you could need when you’re in the vacation mood. For skiing, intermediate wakeboarding, tubing or cruising, it all comes together in a spacious 20.5 foot (6.24 metre) package.
DECK LAYOUT
Measuring 2.6 metres across her beam, she really has onboard space to spare. When you’re looking to take the entire family for a cruise it’s good to know the Sunsport is certified to carry eight passengers. This 2050 is foam-filled to 60% so while she should be able to handle the rough water pretty well, you’d only be able to certify her up to a category E (one nautical mile with the necessary gear). If you like the styling of this craft but want something more suited to the sea, do check out their offshore version.
The 2050, as you see it pictured, is more suited to rivers, dams and lagoons and aims to please the whole family since she is equipped with plenty of seating areas for catching some Vitamin D from the sun, as well as other cool amenities such as cocktail tables.
The Sunsport 2050 is built on a Cathedral hull with a pickle-fork design that hardcore wake boats seem to be opting for nowadays. This gives the bow area breathing space – and lots of it! No less than three gorgeous lasses could be up front in supreme comfort with the centre cushions in place; otherwise you could go the conventional seating route and choose to install the supplied cocktail table. A small deck is found on the bow and conceals a telescopic ladder for those that want to board from the front.
Behind the windscreen, there’s a co-pilot’s seat moulded into the craft and an aft seating area. The table can be installed at the stern too, should you wish, maximising your options and needs. At the transom you’ll find a non-slip walk-on section to the port side with built in storage for ropes, gloves and other smaller items. There’s also a stainless wrap-over ski bar and hidden telescopic ladder.
The skipper can look forward to comfortable seating which swivels arena-style, SmartCraft gauges, and a nifty Lowrance X-4 fishfinder as seen on our review. The craft is well equipped and there are an array of extras you can add to personalise her. She’s well finished off with plenty of stainless work and grab handles. A nice addition on our review 2050 was the quality Sony head unit which is piped to various speakers around the craft. While more than adequate, you could upgrade it to a more powerful system, if required.
Since this is a craft that appears to be one that you’ll really want to spend more time on the water with, I would have liked to have seen a canopy as standard – but in an effort to make the boat available, it does leave the decision up to the buyer.
Performance
The 2050 is a sizable boat. She might be big, but move she can! If you’re looking to fit the most horsepower, she can handle up to 250 HP from 150 HP. For our review at Rynfield Dam in the south of Johannesburg, the 2050 was fitted with a Mercury 225 HP OptiMax. This engine is rather sporty, and as such, has a sound to match; but in my opinion it does overpower onboard sound when the hammer is down.
When it comes to performing, the Sunsport 2050 certainly can. Our review showed an acceleration time of 3.9 seconds on to the plane as she shot to the top speed on my GPS of 77.4 km/h. Here, at 5 400 rpm, the Cathedral hull does well to keep the boat feeling safe and stable, and the trimaran hull shape is truly forgiving when going over wakes and chop. I slowed the craft down to a comfortable 40 km/h (3 100 rpm) and noted that the wake had become rather flat and pretty good for a decent ski. I wished that Boating International had by chance left a ski in the onboard centre hatch, but I wasn’t so lucky. The 2050 handles very well and I was pleasantly impressed with what she will do for the South African boating family.
The ride remained very dry for us onboard; however, should water happen to be taken on, channels around the perimeter of the craft allow water to be easily and quickly drained off the deck.
Conclusion
She’s great for skiing, tubing and relaxing. The Sunsport 2050 is a craft that seems to be built as one that’s ideal no matter what your needs are. Well designed and made to a high standard, the level of quality seen on this craft is truly exceptional for the price that she comes in. Expect to find her price tag to start from R319 500, which includes the craft, trailer and a Mercury 150 HP EFI 4-Stroke motor. For more information, contact Boating International on (011) 452 8280, or call their newly opened Cape Town branch on (021) 511 0220.
