Boating World

Regal 2150 LSC

The Regal 2150's superb handling, solid hull, and plenty of extra features make it an ideal sport boat.

by Dave Kelley

September 1, 2001

Normally, you wouldn't hear the words 'Cape Cod' and then picture a 21-foot sport boat, such as the Regal 2150 LSC, dancing across the waves. Cape Cod tends to be more like something out of 'The Perfect Storm,' with its gray water carved up by rip currents and whipped into a frenzy by Nor'easters that batter the coast every month or so.

That is, except during those golden months of summer, when the Atlantic warms up and calms down, when stripers and blues are running, and islands such as Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are in full swing. Then you see boats of all shapes and sizes: megayachts and bow-riders, ferries and sailboats.

It's a good day for a boat test in Vineyard Sound, outside of Falmouth, because a stiff 15-knot breeze is throwing up a one- to two-foot chop. The 2150 LSC is a pretty snappy-looking boat, with sports car features such as rearview mirrors, headlights and even taillights. But its FasTrac hull is what really sets it apart from the rest of the sport boat world.

2150 Stepped bottoms were extremely hot three years ago. It seemed like any sport boat builder that didn't have a step was at a disadvantage, at least in terms of marketing. Since then, many builders have moved away from the step and gone back to a traditional deep-V. Regal has stayed committed to the step and has incorporated its FasTrac design on sport boats in its line from 18 to 28 feet. The hull on the 21-footer is the same as it was when it first hit the water, but the 2150 has undergone some other major changes. This year, Regal added an inner fiberglass liner, a single structural grid that replaces the wooden stringer system, and cockpit carpeting. These additions make sense because the serrated-edge design of the steps cuts deep into the hull bottom, unlike a conventional deep-V hull with no radical indentations, so the liner helps dampen vibration and noise from wave action. It also gives the boat a quieter and more solid ride.

You might assume that this boat wouldn't be up to any kind of wave action. After all, a stepped hull in the traditional sense has more to do with gaining top end than a smooth ride. But this FasTrac isn't traditional ' all in all, it's a pretty radical-looking design.

2150-GRILL So how does it work in the real world? Pretty darned well. The test boat is equipped with a 190-hp, 4.3L MerCruiser with Alpha drive, the base power on this model. Regal offers 10 different motors on this boat: five Mer-Cruisers and five Volvos ' ranging from the 4.3L to the 5.7L. According to the company, the boat can reach 59 mph with either a 260-hp, 5.7L MerCruiser EFI with Alpha drive or the 280-hp, 5.7L Volvo GSi with SX drive.

The 4.3L MerCruiser proves to be plenty of power. In the chop, the 2150 goes from 0 to 25 mph in 5.9 seconds and hits a top end of 47.2 mph. According to Regal, the boat should be able to reach 51 mph with this motor. In ideal conditions, with flat water, no wind, and the best-pitched prop for top end, it probably would. But this is not an ideal day. Still, the boat handles nicely in the chop. It doesn't pound or bounce over the water when running hard but rather skips across the top. It's a solid ride with no hint of chine-walking.

Most impressive are the turns. Gunning it hard and jamming the wheel right, the FasTrac digs in and pivots sharply, rather than sliding through the turn. Ditto on the lefthand turn. This is a nice surprise, because some stepped hulls have the reputation of blowing out in tight turns. But despite this repu-tation, it proves to be inherently stable.

2150-LSC-CABIN There's also a feeling of protection inside the boat. The front windshield sweeps up and over, and the curved side windows leave you high and dry. It's a good boat for northern waters, where the wind can pick up instantly and get downright nasty. Bowriders are not really your first boat of choice on the ocean, but this sport boat is fine for near-shore use.

The helm station is particularly cool. It has a bolster helm seat for driving standing up or sitting and side armrests that lift up and down too. But the feature that really stands out is the five-position tilt steering wheel. It has palm-sized rubber handgrips along the radius of the wheel. Basically, the grips are there to make sure that a wet hand can still hold on without slipping during turns.

Another plus is the VDO cluster console, which has a digital readout of functions such as trip log, engine temperature, depth, outside water temperature, hour meter and more. This is a new addition for the 2150 and fits in well with the sporty look. Also, the remote control for the CD player is in its own compartment in front of the wheel. Putting the CD player underneath in the cabin, and out of the weather, will extend its life.

The cockpit makes for a nice family boat. Besides the feeling of security in the cockpit, it has a bucket companion seat, optional convenience center with sink and five-gallon portable water supply, removable cooler beside it, optional propane gas grill (that hangs over the port rear quarter, so fire's an extremely remote possibility), and sundeck behind the transom lounge.The 'festival' seating layout fills across the transom with an extra cushion.

The swim platform's fine and has rear brake lights that work while trailering. There are steps and grab handles on either side of the platform for getting on the boat easily. The test boat has the optional extended swim platform, which will set you back an extra $679, but is well worth the cost. Not only does it give the boat an extra three feet, but it covers the sterndrive as well. It's highly recommended if you're into watersports such as diving or skiing, or if you have kids, because it's highly unlikely that anyone will hurt themselves on the drive.

The cuddy is basic, just a V-berth over a portable head. But it has good lighting and ventilation with an overhead hatch and portlights. Two seats on either side of the cabin work for changing clothes. The cuddy is good for getting the kids out of the sun, or for a couple wanting to spend the night on a hook.

After testing the boat, the afternoon is spent running into the finger-like waterways that extend into Falmouth, and then over to Woods Hole, the home of an oceanographic institute. The channel into the 'Hole' is a complicated maze of shipping lanes and shoals, and the waters get intense at times, since this is the meeting point of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. During the summer, Woods Hole is bursting with boats, ferries, Coast Guard cutters, pleasure boats and fishing boats. But today it's quiet ' not even the Coasties in sight.

The co-pilot, Jason Throneburg from Pier 37, the Falmouth Regal dealership, knows of a great seafood restaurant on the water to crack some lobsters and meet some scientists, but it's closed down like the rest of the town. The season is still a few weeks away, and nobody appears to be planning to open up beforehand. The idea of running eight miles across the sound to Martha's Vineyard was nixed after deciding that it'd be just as quiet, if not more so, over there. Boating really is a one-season sport on the Cape. Still, the crew isn't ready to head back just yet, so spending another few hours tooling around the sound seems like a good idea.

There are two minor quibbles with the 2150: First, there's a rubber material on the steps that lead up to the foredeck, and while it works well for secure footing, it gets dirty easily. A more effective nonskid pattern might work well here. Second, the compass is outside the windshield on the foredeck. And while it's a nice way to save space on the helm station, and visibility is fine, there's a good chance someone could accidentally kick it. Otherwise, this Regal is the absolute definition of a sport boat: trick hull, solid ride, safe cockpit and cool extra features. A real Cape boat.