REGAL 28 EXPRESS
BUILT: 2018 PRICE: £96,995
The 25ft to 30ft sportscruiser is the nautical equivalent of the “hot hatch” – the VW Golf GTI of the boat world. It’s a boat designed to do it all – be a practical family cruiser but with a healthy dash of style and performance. And, like the hot hatch, if it’s done right it really can tick a lot of boxes. The analogy doesn’t end there because it’s also easy to handle and a manageable size – good news if you’re new to boating.
INTERIOR The layout of this type of boat is completely ubiquitous. Manufacturers worked out decades ago what works best in this category so they all have a
U-shaped dinette forward that converts to a double berth, a galley to port, heads to starboard and a double berth running transversely beneath the front of the cockpit. Where they vary is in the details, and the 28 Express is particularly strong in this regard. Check out the dinette backrests – they are sculptured to create a perfect fit for the infill so that you don’t need separate infill cushions cluttering up the interior. Even the table has a dedicated storage slot out of the way beneath the forward seat base.
EXTERIOR Again, although the layout is conventional, it’s the details that mark out the Regal. The aft seat backrest cantilevers forward, locking into several positions to create an aft-facing backrest or dropping completely flat to extend the sunpad to full length. A useful option is the “Power Tower”, a motorised radar arch that drops at the touch of a button to reduce its air draft under when sneaking under bridges.
PERFORMANCE The standard engine is a Mercruiser 5.0 litre V8 petrol, but since the larger 5.7 litre V8 Mercruiser
350 Magnum at 300hp was an inexpensive upgrade, most boats got it, including this one. It lifts the top speed to about 33 knots.
SEAKEEPING Prop cavitation (nautical wheelspin – another link to hot hatches?) can be an issue under hard acceleration but once up on the plane the 28 Express runs fast and well.