PHOTOS EL L EN DE WA R
BOAT TEST
CHRIS-CRAFT
CORSAIR 28
GE TAWAY
Iconic American boatbuilder Chris-Craft delivers hitherto
new levels of driving pleasure with its cool Corsair 28
getaway, says DAVID LOCKWOOD
84 t r a d e a b o a t . c o m . a u
tradeaboat.com.au
85
B OAT T E S T
…SUCH IS THE NAUTICAL STYLE, EYE CANDY AND COMELY LINES,
YOU CAN’T ESCAPE BEING NOTICED
W
e drove it like we
stole it. Throttles
for the twin fuelinjected 300hp
Volvo Penta V8
petrol engines were virtually
kissing the dash, the sporty timber
wheel was gripped tight in our
hot little hands, as wind buffeted
the shades that formed part of our
disguise. This was a fast getaway
in one of the most desirable
dayboats in downtown Sydney.
But as if that wasn’t enough,
having outrun the authorities,
we hit the rocker for the Corsa
switchable exhaust. This redirects
the V8s’ duet from underwater to
straight out the hull sides — the
nautical equivalent of a burnout
and twin-engine salute. Now you
can hear our new 2011-model
Chris-Craft Corsair 28 coming or,
rather, going!
Of course, Chris-Crafts have
always commanded attention. The
86 t r a d e a b o a t . c o m . a u
iconic American company made
varnished mahogany raceboats in
the 1920s that soon after became
the preferred playthings of the
rich and famous. Then they cast a
wider net by building these same
timber boats on an assembly line.
Chris-Craft chased the middle
class with a slogan that promised
“a piece of the good life”. In 1935,
a 15ft5in Utility could be bought
for $US406.
But the heyday was yet to come.
In the 1950s, when more-powerful
petrol engines arrived, Chris-Craft
hit new heights. John F. Kennedy,
Katharine Hepburn, Dean Martin,
Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley
are but a few of the Hollywood
greats who jumped aboard. At
one point, the boatbuilder offered
159 different models and more
than 100,000 classic Chris-Craft’s
were built in that go-fast age.
As testimony to their
outstanding quality, there are
Expect 44kts top speed from the ChrisCraft Corsair 28, top. All class, the ChrisCraft has monogrammed decking, above
left, big twin air horns, above middle,
and nice touches like brightwork tipped
wooden siderails either side of the
foredeck, above.
still some 15,000 timber ChrisCrafts kicking about today. The
Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club
(see www.chris-craft.org/index.
php) has thousands of members
and a worldwide register for
its collectible craft. Such is the
owners’ passion that the boats
have been commemorated by way
of gold jewellery and featured
in movies such as The Dirty
Dozen, On Golden Pond, and The
Sopranos.
But the pivotal moment was
when Chris-Craft turned its
hand to making fibreglass boats.
Thankfully, the production
efficiencies didn’t destroy the
tradeaboat.com.au
87
Need shade? Just activate the concealed
bimini, left, that rises from under the
electric-lift engine hatch, this photo,
sports car-style. There's 600 horses of
Volvo Penta, below, to play with. When
it's time to entertain, you'll find the
cockpit table, below right, inside the
engine bay cover.
[ HI G H S ]
› High style, tradition, sweet
lines, and sophistication
› A dignified ride over rough water
› Excellent amenities for
dayboating
› The head is huge and
upmarket
› Plush seating for at least eight
› Twin V8 Volvo Penta motors
ensure plenty of speed
› Excellent build quality with
custom deck gear and the
Heritage Package includes
traditional teak accents and floor
› Very well-finished boat and
a high-quality product that
should retain good resale value
[ L OW S ]
› Big-ticket item and
triumphantly all-American
› Will be costly to run
› Though the modest length
means not too much cleaning,
there’s a decent amount of teak
marque’s zeitgeist. The classic
lines, teak trim and brightwork
were retained. Only performance
was ramped up as petrol engines
evolved further with fuel-injection
systems giving greater horsepower
and better power-to-weight. And
maintenance was lessened.
Meantime, Chris-Craft changed
hands a number of times. In 2000,
then owners Outboard Marine
Corporation fell into bankruptcy
and Genmar bought the badge. A
year later, the American marine
multinational (itself now pared
88 t r a d e a b o a t . c o m . a u
back) unloaded Chris-Craft to
investment group Stellican,
where it remains today.
Ironically, it’s in the hands of
these UK owners that ChrisCraft has regained traction.
There are now 16 models on
offer from 20 to 36ft. CEO
and president of Chris-Craft,
Stephen Heese, who lived in
Newport, Sydney, with his
Australian wife for many years,
is ramping up the range with a
new IPS-powered 45-footer on
the drawing board.
B OAT T E S T
...LUXURIATE IN THE PLUSH BUTTERCREAM VINYL
LOUNGES, ENJOY THE RIDE AND THE WONDERFUL DRIVE
AMERICAN DREAM
Fast forward to our would-be
heist. Idling into Manly Wharf,
the latest 2011-model ChrisCraft Corsair 28 is all about
the American dream — about
freedom, prosperity and success.
And such is the nautical style,
eye candy and comely lines,
you can’t escape being noticed.
Evidently, the perforatedaluminium dash is modelled on
a 1960’s Aston Martin, the eyecatching brightwork —stainless
steel navigation lights, grabrails,
drinkholders and windscreen frame
— is all custom made, while warm
teak trim traces the comely hull
lines right back to the trademarked
tumblehome, where a new extradeep swimplatform beckons.
Also new for 2011 are a bigger
companionway and skylight in
the cabin; a nine-foot-long teak
(instead of just moulded) sunbed
base on the foredeck; a dedicated
mounting space on the dash
tradeaboat.com.au
89
Fa ct s & fi gu re s
B OAT T E S T
PER FOR MAN CE
W
heel in hand, the Chris-Craft
28 Corsair travels in fine
fettle, without needing to
call on the trim tabs. The sharp forefoot
does a fine job of splitting the waves
and wash, while the 20° of deadrise
at the transom ensures you land with
a whoosh rather than an undignified
thud. And power steering lets you drive
all day. With flip-up seat bolsters, you
can also perch up high for an over-thewindscreen view when, say, docking in
close quarters.
Top speed was about 51mph or 44kts,
according to the American boatbuilder.
Not that I was looking at the speedo. At
about three-quarter throttle, the drive is
so intoxicating that you lose all sense of
time. But not place. This is Chris-Craft,
after all. Even the directors of Mission
Impossible III saw fit to star a Corsair 25
in the action movie.
A glovebox fronts the plush navigator's
seat (top), while a V-berth cabin, this
photo, adds to overnighting options.
This broad-beamed beauty, above, cuts a cool
low profile. Nifty additions are a teak step,
far left, for going forward through the opening
windscreen, and the optional cockpit drawerfridge, left.
EYE CANDY
for a nav screen; LED lighting
and optional docking and swim
lights; and redesigned U-shaped
cockpit seating with more elbow
room. As ever, there’s wonderful
attention to detail, perhaps best
illustrated by the monogrammed
material backs (a la Louis
Vuitton) on the seat cushions,
the fold-down teak step to assist
your passage through the opening
windscreen, and the Chris-Craft
emblems in case you forget
your whereabouts.
90 t r a d e a b o a t . c o m . a u
On this upgraded Heritage model,
there’s a neat blue hull and
more teak trim than standard. It
extends from the foredeck, where
you can work on your tan having
attached the sunpad cushion,
to a second transverse sundeck
and cushion across the transom.
If you want shade above the
commodious cockpit in between,
no worries, call on the concealed
canopy that springs forward in
cabriolet fashion.
The concealed windlass and
self-stow anchor make parking
for lunch a push-button affair.
The cockpit can seat at least six
around a supplied teak table,
otherwise stowed in a recess
in the electric-lift engine bay.
Dayboating amenities include an
optional drawer fridge (fitted) and
electric barbecue with inverter
(not fitted). Otherwise, make it
king prawns and salad and keep
the champagne on ice. Needless
to say, drinkholders abound.
If not the drive then the fun factor
is epitomised by the ski-hook for
pulling the teens on tubes. An aircompressor is an option, but the ski
locker comes gratis. The oversized
swimplatform is low to the water to
make launch and retrieval a snap,
but there’s also a clever pullout
grab handle to assist and coldwater deckshower at the ready.
After which the cabin calls.
There’s room to pull on the
togs in private, a vee-berth for
two adults, and small hanging
locker for your Sunday club best.
You could, for example, dine at
Darling Harbour, Marina Mirage
or Docklands, indulge and crash
the night aboard. The 132lt
(pressurised) freshwater capacity
will stretch a weekend, while
the upmarket Tecma freshwater
toilet is the same model found on
million-dollar motoryachts.
DRIVE TIME
But for all this, the drive is the
real, er, blast. The co-pilot is
treated to a wonderful high-
backed bucket seat fronting
the aforesaid stylish elliptical
grabrail, before a glovebox with
Kenwood stereo wired to an
amp and subwoofer. A Kenwood
remote commander is also
located alongside a similarly
accommodating helm seat.
After arcing about Manly Cove,
we were racing across the Heads
and tracing the sandstone cliffs
to the south. The smell of salt air,
the rush of wind past your face,
the feeling of a well-trimmed
boat. And then the switchable
exhaust and subsequent V8 note.
It’s a heady combination and,
such is the engineering and ride,
that you could cruise to nearby
ports for a weekend at least.
According to the official figures,
cruising range at 2500rpm and
17.7kts is 213 nautical miles.
Such is the enjoyment that
several Chris-Craft owners in
Sydney — there are some 40 of
the boats there — use their boats
as commuter craft, we're told.
Dock at Darling Harbour and walk
to work. Sure beats peak-hour
traffic and the plodding Manly
Ferry, whose passengers wave
excitedly as we overtake them
in the fast lane. There are twin
190hp diesel-engine options, but
we think the V8 petrol power is
truer to form.
PRIC E AS T ES TED
The fully optioned Chris Craft Corsair 28
was selling for $249,000 w/ twin 300hp
Volvo Penta petrol inboards, safety gear
and registration
OPTION S FITTED
Upgraded twin motors, Heritage
Package (includes teak trim, decks and
swimplatform), upgraded Kenwood
stereo, Muir windlass with chain counter
and stainless steel anchor, Tecma head
and holding tank, forward and rear deck
sunpads, battery charger, teak cockpit
table, drawer fridge, selectable exhaust,
blue hull, safety package, and more
PRIC ED FRO M
Approx $199,000 w/ single 300hp Volvo
Penta 5.7L GXi motor and trailer
LAY OUT
CHRIS-CRAFT CORSAIR 28
GENE RA L
MATERIAL: GRP w/ fully-moulded
cockpit liner
TYPE: Deep-vee monohull
LENGTH OVERALL: 9m inc. swimplatform
BEAM: 3.05m
DEADRISE: 20°
DRAFT: 50.8cm
WEIGHT: Approx 3402kg (dry w/ base motor)
CAPACIT IE S
BERTHS: Vee-berth for two
FUEL: 568lt
WATER: 132lt
HOLDING TANK: 38lt
REC. MAX HP: 640
REC. MIN HP: 375
ENG INE
MAKE/MODEL: 2 x Volvo Penta 5.7L Gi EVC
TYPE: V8 multipoint injected petrol engine
RATED HP: 300 at 5000rpm (max)
DISPLACEMENT: 5lt
WEIGHT: 468kg
GEARBOXES (Make/Ratio): Aquamatic
SX sterndrive / 1.78:1
PROPS: Duoprops
S UPPLIED BY
Premier Marine,
Rose Bay Marina,
594 New South Head Road,
Rose Bay, NSW, 2029
Phone: (02) 9328 0999; 0417 253 545
Website: www.premiermarine.com.au
SAYS...
Too often in this ‘safe’ world, boating is
a drag. Not so on the Chris-Craft. The
great American runabouts — a Stars
and Stripes flag comes with the boat —
put the pleasure in boating. You can’t
help but admire the lines, luxuriate in the
plush buttercream vinyl lounges, enjoy the
ride and the wonderful drive. Engineering
and fit and finish, are hallmarks of the
brand. The designer details are just as
impressive. It’s a case of getting what
you pay for.
tradeaboat.com.au
91