CHRIS-CRAFT LAUNCH 28 GT
Chris-craft’s Launch range blends style and practicality like no other but can the 28 Launch GT compete against a new form of rival?
Is there a place for a retro sportscuddy in a world of outboard powered walkarounds? We find out
You can’t do an American special edition of the magazine and not include a Chris-craft somewhere. Founded in 1861, this yard is to America what Riva is to Italy and as synonymous with the United States as a Cadillac smothered in apple pie.
Chris-craft’s competition has shifted in recent times, however, and the walkaround T-top dayboat has arrived to challenge the cuddy cabins and bowriders that helped the Florida-based yard make its name. The question is then, in this modern world of T-tops, outboards and walkaround decks, is a boat in the style of the Launch 28 GT — with a starting price of nearly £170,000 — still relevant?
The clever thing about the Launch range, which includes models from 25ft-35ft, is that although the boats appear to be in the mould of the iconic Chris-craft launch, they are actually quite a bit more practical and, thanks to an optional hardtop and a choice of outboard engines to supplement the petrol inboards,
have the versatility to challenge the new breed of dayboat.
As it happens, the boat we have to test on a rather dank Southampton day in late October has neither of these things so, to the untrained eye, looks exactly as you would imagine a Chris-craft boat would look like. Its proportions are perfect, the finish exemplary and the wooden detailing on the topsides and around the deck exquisite. Boats of this size just aren’t built like this any more.
Drop in behind the gorgeous helm station and it all looks wonderfully retro without feeling kitsch. The half cream leather, half varnished mahogany steering wheel sets the tone, complete with its weighted central hub, which keeps the logo in the correct orientation at all times.
The helm is surrounded by beautiful detailing. Wood and leather combine in a mélange of high-end materials. There is a pleasing aesthetic sympathy in the way the designers have incorporated the chartplotter and a row of metal buttons for functions such as the lights, horn and anchor windlass.
The plastic and rather cheap feeling Volvo Penta throttle lets the side down but the view ahead over the single instrument binnacle that oozes 60s sportscar cool, and through the neatly curved windscreen over the teak-topped deck, is one to savour.
Turning the key and firing up the 5.3-litre Volvo Penta V8 petrol does nothing to shatter the retro vibe. The barrel-chested rumble of eight cylinders on the march is pure Americana and, though an outboard is an option, the inboard petrol feels a natural pairing for this boat.
One of the few downsides at the helm is the position of the bow thruster joystick, which is inverted underneath the dash. I suppose it’s hidden away to stop its black plastic fascia upsetting the monopoly of wood and leather on the upper dash but it makes using the thruster when you’re standing quite tricky.
You will find yourself sitting at the helm most of the time and the position is excellent. The lavishly upholstered seat is supportive and adjustable and there’s a perfectly placed elbow rest to starboard which allows your hand to drape comfortably atop the throttle.
The view is superb and because the boat leaps up on to the plane so quickly there is no need to crane your neck to see over the bow as the speed increases. The low seating position also means that the helmsman and passenger are well protected from the wind by that elegant windscreen.
GRIP AND RIP
Being a naturally aspirated V8, the pick up is superb with no lag between burying the throttle and the boat surging forward on a great wave of torque. There is a 380hp engine option, which will likely be good for over 40 knots, but the 350hp engine we had on test has more than enough power and topped out at 38 knots. Cruising at 22 knots, which is quiet and unruffled, the engine is sipping under two litres per mile for a range of 143nm.
The hull is beamy and not particularly sharp so it doesn’t slice through the chop with the hot-knife-through-butter ease of a Cormate or a Windy but the boat is so solidly put together that even if you take the odd tough landing there are no complaints from the structure. You can’t drive it hard up wind like you can an Axopar 28 but handle it with some consideration and work
the throttle and it copes perfectly well and remains impressively dry considering it’s a bowrider.
The bowrider layout is one with merit if executed well and this one is. The freeboard at the bow is good so those in the reclined seats will feel well protected and not too close to the water. Again, it’s the detail that stands out like the one-piece stainless steel navigation lights, pop-up cleats and seat bases that lift on articulated hinges to give quick access to fully lined storage bins with individual drains.
Only the plastic partition that pulls across to section off the bow lets the side down. It’s a pain to use, doesn’t clip home properly and rattles when on the move. The rest of the main deck is nicely executed though, and features a surprisingly spacious toilet compartment, slot-in teak table and expandable sunpad that really boosts the boat’s dayboat credentials. The only thing it’s missing is a wet bar of some kind so you can prepare food.
With a new style of competitor in town, the Launch 28 GT actually feels more relevant than ever. It stands out from the crowd because of its looks, the way it’s finished and, well, the price too. That price can at least be justified by how beautifully put together the whole thing is and as an object of desire, something you really want, it’s in a league of its own.
CONTACT Argo Yachting. +44 (0)1489 885656 www.chriscraft.com