REGAL 2300

The water’s your playground

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for big bowriders. Larger bowriders give you the comfort and functionality you’re looking for in a day boat with room for you and all your friends. And you can still have your water sports! The Regal 2300 is arguably the ideal sport boat package.

Deck layout

The cockpit includes ample “C”-shaped seating ending in an aft facing lounger to the starboard side. To the port is an adjustable bucket seat with flip-up bolster. The sun pad is large and features walk-through capability with Flexi-Teak covering the walkway.
The bow seats had armrests that can be deployed or folded away, and the pedestal table had a mount both at the bow and in the cockpit. The swim platform was large enough to completely cover the out drive, which prevents possible injury when jumping in to the water.

There’s seating for four adults up front in the generously sized bow, while the rest of your friends, including the family dog, can relax at the stern of the craft.

To keep wind in the cabin to a minimum, the walk-through section of the craft can be closed off completely by the folding out windshield and doorway.
One important sign of a well-designed boat is the use of “dead” space for storage. On the Regal 2300 the designers have thoughtfully put every nook and cranny to good use. As a result, there was enough storage to pack anything and everything onboard this boat that you might reasonably need. Storage under the passenger seats hold everything, including the removable cooler, table, filler cushions, and trash basket, with room to spare for life jackets, boat hook, first aid kit, and the kitchen sink! I also liked the gull-wing storage compartments on either side of the sunpad, with their gas-assisted struts.
The canopy provides significant shade from the sun — perfect — since you’ll want to spend a lot of time on board! And when need be, the tower can be electronically lowered to allow the craft to fit into a specific size garage.
A shower-type faucet at the stern of the craft, which is supplied with water from the fresh water tank, allows you to rinse off after you’ve returned from a swim. Also alongside is an extending boarding ladder. This shows the craft was made to be used and loved by the whole family.

Performance

So now to the nuts and bolts of the boat: what’s the Regal 2300 like in the water? In one word, fantastic.
We were testing at altitude; but none the less, the Regal still had some impressive performance figures.
The Regal 2300 has an empty weight of 1,728 kg. Add to this weight the 205-litre fuel tank filled and the 41.8-litre water tank topped off.
She handles like a dreamboat thanks to the power assisted steering. Its finger tips-type stuff on the wheel throughout the entire performance envelope, and that is both very comfortable and very deceiving. Without feedback, it’s not hard to get caught up in the easy handling and really crank the wheel hard over at high speed. Since we’re trained to handle this sort of performance test, I gave it “what for”… and she gave it right back to me.
She has a stepped hull, which is clearly visible at the chines. In Regal vernacular, it’s called a FasTrac hull. My past experience with stepped hulls shows that high speed handling can been uneven — with some craft being fine with it, while others have poor-turning performance.
At higher speeds, around 70 km/h, the Regal 2300 turns as easily as when she’s at a gentle cruising speed of around 40 km/h. Even at her top speed, she grabs the water and cranks around with a vengeance, on rails, no sliding or slipping. I put her to the test by throwing in some tight turns and through it all the Regal 2300 carved beautifully and very tight — a turn without the slightest handling problems. In fact, the cornering only stopped when it seemed as though my ear drums should’ve been on the other side of the dam due to centrifugal force.
Let me break the turn down into three parts: First, there’s the entry into the turn that is predictable and has a slight roll with it. Then, the hull seems to grab the water, hug it close, and turn without hesitation, with a slightly more emphasised lean than before. At the end of a corner, turn the steering wheel to neutral, the Regal gently rolls back to level, and away you go.

Conclusion

If you are a day boater, or like to spend your time on large enclosed bodies of water, have a lot of friends, and love entertaining as much as water sports, then a larger bow rider is probably the market you’re looking at.
She is without doubt an attractive boat, fun to be in, and a great performer.
Normally at a higher price tag, the Regal 2300 is available from Waterworld at a very fair price of R949 000.
For more information, contact Waterworld JHB on (011) 462 4390.
There’s a new kid on the block and it’s the all-new Regal 2300, but don’t let the name fool you. She’s actually 24’(7.4 m) with a loaded weight of just over 1 935 kg.
With so much to offer, it’s no wonder she’s gracing these pages.
Leisure Boating takes a closer look at the hot offering from Waterworld.