Duo built for more active fun

The Ski Nautique 200 is designed for a very specific market. Photo / Supplied

Surprising as it may seem to some of us, there are those who go to sea not to fish or merely to mess about but to be active. Very active. Specifically, very active on the far end of a longish piece of string.

We general boaties and diehard fishos once sweepingly referred to such creatures as "skiers" and, while their activities looked vaguely interesting and there was the possibility we might be enticed into having a go at some time in the (distant) future, that was about as far as it went.

If the kids or a mate wanted to have a go, we'd rig up a pole or some sort of bridle but no way would we consider buying a boat specially designed for the purpose (where would we put the rod holders?).

In fact, not that long ago specialist ski boats were virtually unknown on these shores. In typical Kiwi fashion, a few boatbuilders produced "sport" models which were better than average for skiing and the like but which still had rod holders in the gunwales and somewhere to store the catch.

Of course, those of us who go to boat shows will have seen the rise of the specialist ski boats and probably marvelled at the high level of appointment. Imposing stainless-steel towers with no obvious purpose other than to hold the skis and be somewhere on which to attach the equally impressive stereo speakers.

Wonderfully plush upholstery set low into the hull everywhere from the stem to the transom. Racy hull shapes and graphics that make the boats look like they are doing 50 knots before they have even left the dock.

So it should be no surprise that one of the world leaders in this sort of vessel has decided it is no longer possible to design a boat that is ideal for both skiing and its increasingly popular offshoot, wakeboarding.

The problem appears to be twofold: the wake required for each activity is markedly different (a larger, deeper wake is preferred for wakeboarding); and the demographic that enjoys these pursuits is quite different, too (in the main, the skiers have significantly more candles on their birthday cakes).

So the latest release from Nautique manufacturer Correct Craft consists of two remarkably different craft. These are the latest incarnations of their near-legendary Ski Nautique 200 and, for in those in wild pursuit of aerial wakeboard antics, the Nautique Super Air 210.

The Ski, one might expect, is a mere facelift model: after all, this is the model found in virtually every major ski park and major competition around the world.

However, like many assumptions, it would be wrong. Correct Craft has introduced major changes and not all of them are cosmetic either. For example, it has added something called Optimal Surface Control (OSC). Designed to create superior tracking, a flatter wake, and much less spray, OSC is basically the combination of a wider running surface and more precisely guided water flow over the hull.

The result is added lift, reduced wake size and troughs that are easier for skiers to edge through. With a more gradual entry, skiers who normally get kicked by the bumps will feel much more in control.

This new wake pattern is not aimed only at less competent skiers either. New Zealand's national open slalom women's champion, Stacey Gilbert, says she also finds the new Ski Nautique 200's wake much flatter and much nicer to ski on.

Another major change is at the helm station, where Correct Craft has sited the instruments to the right of the steering wheel, just forward of the throttle, instead of in their traditional spot behind the wheel.

The reason? To free up the driver's view and to keep all the controls and gauges in the one place.

Sports boat-specific controls such as those for the Zero-Off and Hydro-Gate have also been handily repositioned at the driver's right hand while the rest of the dash is dominated by Nautique's innovative LINC System, described as the most advanced digital helm display available in the watersports market.

Available in both closed- and open-bow configurations, the Nautique 200 is probably most popular in the latter. In that mode, it boasts seating for three in the bow, aft-facing passenger seating for two next to the driver and a removable aft bench seat across the stern.

And there is no shortage of power beneath the hood. The standard model comes with a 343hp engine although the test boat was fitted with a rather more powerful 409hp 6-litre V8. Although top speed is not really the issue with this type of boat, the Nautique 200 in this configuration maxed out at 38 knots.

The first difference one notices on the Super Air Nautique 210 is the way the interior has been set up for socialising and for watching those performing out the back.

The bow section features a wrap-around squab with seating for three and is also long enough to be used as a lounger. There are also convertible aft-facing loungers along both sides and, for those lucky enough to be behind the handlebars, an ultra-comfortable bucket seat designed to hold the skipper securely in place.

The Super Air's helm is a little more conventional in layout with a large tachometer and speedometer prominent. It, too, includes the LINC display and its integrated Zero Off GPS Speed Control system.

The key difference, of course, is the Super Air's ballast tanks that drive down the stern and create that all-important wake.

In this case, the tanks hold 411kg of water and this, together with the Hydro-Gate system, allows boarders to customise the size and severity of their wake. (Position the gate down and the stern lifts and softens the wake; lift it and the stern settles deeper in the water and creates a larger, steeper wake.)

Of course, one has to move that 411kg of water and that requires a fair amount of power.

In this case, that power comes from a 5.7-litre 343hp V8 delivering a top speed of just over 35 knots. If that's not enough, there are other engine options up to 409hp.

Ski Nautique 200

LOA: 6.65m

Beam: 2.41m

Draft: 0.56m

Construction: GRP

Trailerable weight: 1270kg

Engine capacity: 343hp-409hp

Priced from: $89,000

Price as described: $111,000

****

Nautique Super Air

LOA: 7.10m

Beam: 2.49m

Draft: 0.71m

Construction: GRP

Trailerable weight: 1725kg

Engine capacity: 343hp-409hp

Priced from: $105,000

Price as described: $127,990

Want to know more?
Check out the boat tests on the Ski Nautique 200 and the Nautique Super Air 200 in the February/March issue of Propeller magazine.