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A Cut Above

With functionality, style and performance to boot, these new 2008 watersports boats mold the waves to their will.

By Graham Garrison

Watching a professional wakeboarder or skier slice, cut or jump the waves is a thing of beauty. But the driver is just as responsible for this art form as the rider, and ultimately, the boat is their medium.

A superb watersports platform bends the water at will to churn out deep wakes or precision turns. More and more technological breakthroughs are emerging as standard features on watersports platforms, too — items such as cruise control systems, hefty ballast tanks and hulls designed to create their own water conditions. These new 2008 watersports boats not only guarantee fun on the water; they’re also a showcase for your creativity.

watersportsintro
Tigé RZ4



Centurion Falcon V Air Warrior

centurionCoolest Feature The dual rear ballast tanks and Double Up tower, which come standard on this sweet ride.
Families Will Love The legroom you get inside the cockpit (maximum seating capacity of 10), despite the boat being a shade under 21 feet.
Top Amenities Skier/rider mirror; tilt steering; driver’s seat with bolster; 12-volt outlets; locking transom storage; stainless-steel comfort-grip handrails; Air Warrior in-gelcoat graphics; convex solid glass windshield; courtesy interior lights; built-in insulated cooler.
Best Reason To Buy With a wide-body design and generous storage, the V Air Warrior fits a lot of boat into a compact package.

LOA 20'9"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 3,780 lbs.
Fuel 41 gal.
Base Price See local dealer (w/315-hp MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI)
Maximum HP 340

Centurion, 2047 Grogan Ave., Merced, CA 95341, (209) 384-0255, www.centurionboats.com


MasterCraft X-14

mastercraftCoolest Feature The KGB ballast system, which lets you fine-tune the wakes behind your boat for an optimum ride.
Families Will Love The wraparound seating configuration, including a lounge, creates an open space for conversing in the cockpit area.
Top Amenities Tower with swiveling board racks; high-end stereo; snap-in carpet; 24 cubic feet of storage, including a rear compartment; bow seat with cushioned back; rack-and-pinion steering system.
Best Reason To Buy The innovative Video Digital Gauge, which gives you readings such as speed, depth, air temperature, ballast information and more, in an easy-to-see-and-use setup.

LOA
21'4"
Beam 8'
Weight 3,300 lbs. Fuel 40 gal.
Base Price $57,700 (w/310-hp, 5.7L multiport EFI V8 RTP-1)
Maximum HP 400

MasterCraft, 100 Cherokee Cove, Vonore, TN 37885, (423) 884-2221, www.mastercraft.com


Sanger V237

sangerCoolest Feature The patented Extend-A Seat shortens the prep time from gearing up to riding the waves.
Families Will Love The storage perks, such as the rear-seat cup holder and armrest, and a hidden 55-quart cooler.
Top Amenities PerfectPass; tilt steering; driver’s side observer’s seat; one-piece tinted windshield; ACME prop; front and rear 12-volt receptacles; gauges with LED lighting; stainless-steel tower; large swim platform.
Best Reason To Buy The little touches you’ll notice from a well-constructed boat, which comes from Sanger’s commitment to having specialized rigging (hand-laminating, with only one person rigging the boat).

LOA 23'5"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 4,150 lbs.
Fuel 50 gal.
Base Price See local dealer (w/330-hp, 5.7L MerCruiser Black Scorpion)
Maximum HP 420

Sanger, 4394 Enterprise Place, Freemont, CA 94538, (510) 651-8400, www.sangerboats.com


Gekko Revo 6.7

gekkoCoolest Feature The deep-forward keel is built for some serious rough-water handling and excellent tracking.
Families Will Love The enormous rear sundeck — an island unto itself — is a great spot to stretch out or socialize.
Top Amenities Molded-in swim platform; Gekko-by-Faria gauges at the helm; stern light; Sky view driver seat; playpen bow area with seating; 40-quart carry-on cooler; molded-in 104-quart cooler; keyless ignition.
Best Reason To Buy The high freeboard and 8-foot-6-inch beam free up space on board for a maximum seating capacity of 10, plus plenty of room for storage, all at a base price less then $40,000.

LOA 22'2"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 3,200 lbs. Fuel 38 gal.
Base Price $39,995 (w/315-hp MerCruiser MPI and trailer)
Maximum HP 375

Gekko Sports, 300 Westlink Drive, Washington, MO 63090, (636) 390-9000, www.gekkosports.com


Chaparral Sunesta 244 Xtreme

chaparralCoolest Feature The aft platform lounge provides a spot to change into and out of your watersports gear.
Families Will Love The enclosed head with lockable door gives you privacy for wardrobe switches.
Top Amenities Billet wakeboard tower with four board racks; billet ski mirror; wet bar with sink; bow insulated ice chest; 25-quart carry-on cooler; forward ballast system; in-floor ski locker; trim tabs; DuraFlex pedestal seats.
Best Reason To Buy You’ll be hooked up for entertaining between watersports sessions with a Sirius satellite-ready radio/CD player, which includes a remote control, MP3 jack and holder, 450-watt amp, four premium tower speakers and a subwoofer.

LOA 24'4"
Beam 8'6"
Weight 4,700 lbs.
Fuel 60 gal.
Base Price $71,079 (w/270-hp, 5.0L Volvo Penta GXi MPI DP)
Maximum HP 320

Chaparral Boats, 300 Industrial Park Blvd., Nashville, GA 31639, (229) 686-7481, www.chaparralboats.com


Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV

malibuCoolest Feature The new Malibu Illusion XS tower is easy to use since it’s spring-loaded, and is sharp-looking with a serrated back edge.
Families Will Love The transom seat, which gives riders a great spot on board to gear up before the action starts.
Top Amenities New rider presets; flip-up bolster driver’s seat; Malibu Sound Suppression Technology; Core Shield graphics; ski tow bar/grab handle; stainless-steel cup holders; pull-up cleats; pop-up bow light; sundeck; frameless vented windshield; lockable glove box.
Best Reason To Buy The high-tech Ballast Monitoring System (BMS) and Precision Pro Speed Control deliver a solid one-two punch for professional-grade watersports performance.

LOA
23'
Beam 8'6"
Weight 3,900 lbs.
Fuel 55 gal.
Base Price $63,810 (w/340-hp Monsoon ETX/CAT)
Maximum HP 450  

Malibu Boats, One Malibu Court, Merced, CA 95341, (209) 383-7469, www.malibuboats.com


Svfara SV3

svfaraCoolest Feature The sound system, which includes an armada of speakers, a 10-inch subwoofer and tweeters.
Families Will Love The innovative ergonomic features, such as the armrest console that doubles as a step-up to the transom walkway.
Top Amenities Faria gauges; G-shaped lounge seating in cockpit; stainless-steel pull-up cleats and grab handles; docking lights; 12-volt outlets; rear trunk storage; seven cup holders; Teleflex rack-and-pinion steering; Avenir Sport Drivers seat with flip-up bolster; bow playpen seating with seatback filler cushion.
Best Reason To Buy Svfara takes watersports seriously, with a standard PerfectPass system and ballast capacity of 1,300 pounds.

LOA 23'
Beam 8'6"
Weight 3,350 lbs.
Fuel 60 gal.
Base Price $66,900 (w/330-hp MerCruiser Black Scorpion)
Maximum HP 420

Svfara, B-1, 8775 Jim Bailey Cresent, Kelowna, BC V4V 2L7, (250) 766-4911, www.svfara.com


Moomba Mobius XLV

moombaCoolest Feature The Gravity Ballast System, which will give you huge wakes from which to launch.
Families Will Love The playpen bow seating comes with a filler cushion, and the Mobius XLV has a seating capacity of 16.
Top Amenities Non-skid swim platform; built-in cooler; convertible rear-facing seat; inland navigation lighting; stainless-steel rear grab handle; triple tracking fins; tower mirror bracket; 11 stainless-steel cup holders.
Best Reason To Buy The beefy Rad-A-Cage Tower — a plus-size wakeboarding tower — which gives you a firm tow on what’s already an expert-level watersports platform.

LOA 23'
Beam 8'2"
Weight 3,600 lbs.
Fuel 40 gal.
Base Price $44,595 (w/325-hp, 5.7L Indmar V8 EFI)
Maximum HP 409

Moomba
, 1717 Henry G. Lane St., Maryville, TN 37801, (800) 320-2779, www.moomba.com


Tigé RZ4

tigeCoolest Feature The ConvexV Hull creates wakes without need of a ballast system; the TAPS2 system allows you to control the shape of the RZ4’s wake.
Families Will Love A seating capacity of 17, including wraparound seating in the cockpit, which makes the RZ4 a (large) crowd pleaser.
Top Amenities Triple hull tracking fins; Tigé Electrical Control (TEC) system; throttle-by-wire technology; 12-volt power outlets; insulated cooler; swim platform; sundeck.
Best Reason To Buy The bow design is wider than most watersports platforms because of its pickle-fork design, allowing for more room up front; plus, it includes stainless-steel cup holders.

LOA 24'
Beam 8'6"
Weight 4,485 lbs. 
Fuel 48 gal.
Base Price $63,111 (w/340-hp, 5.7L Tigé GM Vortec MPI multiport EFI)
Maximum HP 400 

Tigé Boats Inc., 1801 Hwy 36, Abilene, TX 79602, (325) 676-7777, www.tige.com


Yamaha 212X

yamahaCoolest Feature The self-filling ballast system with 55-gallon tanks is engineered to add up to 750 pounds of weight.
Families Will Love The overall multi-use design makes Yamaha’s exclusive integrated swim platform a popular place to hang on board the 212X.
Top Amenities Sony radio/CD player with built-in Sirius radio and MP3 jack; collapsible wakeboard tower; bimini top; in-floor self draining cooler; dual engine controls; walk over transom; No Wake Mode; swing-away tongue trailer.
Best Reason To Buy The twin high-output marine engines deliver plenty of muscle and add the excitement of a jet drive system to the Yamaha 212X’s watersports-tailored amenities, all for less than $39K.

LOA
21'
Beam 8'6"
Weight 3,274 lbs. Fuel 50.2 gal.
Base Price $38,999 (w/twin 160-hp, 4-stroke High Output Yamaha Marine Engines)
Maximum HP 320

Yamaha, 1270 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144, (800) 962-7926, www.yamaha-motor.com


Sea Ray 230 Select Fission

searayCoolest Feature The Fission wakeboard tower, which comes with a bimini top and anchor light.
Families Will Love The Clarion stereo package, with 4 MOMO speakers, dash and transom remotes, iPod interface, in-dash tweeters and two subwoofers.
Top Amenities Lockable ski and wakeboard storage; 12-volt outlet; ski mirror; anchor storage; extended swim platform with concealed stainless-steel reboarding ladder; rear-facing sunlounger; flip-up bucket seats; custom-three piece vented windshield.
Best Reason To Buy The SmartCraft Smart Tow digital speed control shortens the learning curve for new drivers and enhances watersports performance for both driver and rider.

LOA 23'
Beam 8'6"
Weight 4,244 lbs.  Fuel 50 gal.
Base Price $67,054 (w/300-hp MerCruiser 350 Mag Bravo Three DTS)
Maximum HP 300

Sea Ray, 2600 Sea Ray Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37914, (800) 772-6287, www.searay.com


Correct Craft Super Air Nautique 230

correctcraftCoolest Feature
The Hydro-Gate allows you to adjust wake size, giving watersports enthusiasts tailor-made rides.
Families Will Love The 6 feet of space available in the cockpit, which has a unique “arena seating” design that allows for optimum viewing of the action behind the boat.
Top Amenities Midship pull-out cleats; depth finder; Faria digital gauges with keyless ignition; boarding platform; stainless-steel custom step plates; stainless-steel grab rails; transom cooler and pop-up pylon.
Best Reason To Buy The entertainment on board won’t be limited to just the watersports action with a kicking Clarion stereo, digital stereo remote and four Polk Momo speakers.

LOA 25'4.5" (w/swim platform)
Beam 8'4"
Weight 4,300 lbs. 
Fuel 51 gal.
Base Price $68,024 (w/343-hp, 5.7L PCM Power Plus Vee)
Maximum HP 409 

Correct Craft, 14700 Aerospace Parkway, Orlando, FL 32832 (800) 346-2092, www.nautiques.com

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