Regulator 31

egulator Marine has added a 31-footer to its fleet of center consoles, bridging the gap between its 28- and 34-foot models. “We hit the sweet spot,” says company president Joan Maxwell. “This boat is a hardcore fishing machine that gives you more space without sacrificing performance, plus it has every amenity you need for a day on the water with family and friends.”

Regulator has powered the new boat with twin Yamaha F300s on an Armstrong bracket, which extends the LOA to 37 feet and allows for a transom with no engine cutout. The standard starboard-side dive door with swim ladder eliminates the need for a transom boarding door. “Without the door here, we have used the entire beam of the boat for a raised live well and a fishbox,” says Maxwell.

The leaning post has twin helm chairs and an oversized tackle center. Maxwell calls the console “cavernous,” with a stand-up head and sink. “When you’re offshore you appreciate a big head that’s easy to get into and out of,” she says.

Forward seating consists of a wraparound bow seat ( with forward- facing backrests) and a two- person forward console settee. Recessed bow rails extend from amidships to the anchor locker.

The 31 rides a deep-vee hull designed by Lou Codega, the naval architect who has designed all Regulator boats since the company was founded in 1988. “Regulators are known for their soft rides, dryness and good handling,” says Codega. “There will be no surprises with the 31 — it’ll deliver in all of these areas.”

Regulator had this boat on the drawing board four years ago, but customer demand for a 40-plusfoot center console was too strong to ignore, so the builder tabled the 31 and built the 41. After the 41 debuted in summer 2015, Codega resumed work on the 31, incorporating some of the 41’s features, such as the dive door and backrests for the bow seating. Standard equipment includes a 500-quart forward fishbox and a two-person, flip-down cockpit seat with gas-assisted shocks that make it “super-easy to deploy,” says Maxwell.

Performance data was unavailable at press time, but the 31 should easily exceed 50 mph at full throttle, says Maxwell.