REGAL 42 FXO
LOA 44ft (13.41m) BEAM 13ft (3.96m) ENGINES Triple 425hp Yamaha FXO TOP SPEED 42.5 knots PRICE from £900,176 (inc VAT) CONTACT www.regalboats.com
Europeans might find the idea of a 42ft flybridge powered by big petrol outboard engines a bit odd but it wasn’t putting off potential buyers at its Miami boat show launch.
Based on Regal’s twin IPS600 powered 42 Fly, the new FXO with its triple Yamaha 425hp outboards boasts a number of benefits for those willing to foot the fuel bills. The top speed rises from an already rapid 35.6 knots for the Ips-powered boat to a sportsboat-beating 42.5 knots, albeit at nearly twice the fuel burn.
Maintenance also becomes significantly simpler and cheaper. However, the big win for customers in this neck of the woods is that the outboard engines tilt all the way up out of the water, allowing owners to pull up to the beach – the first flybridge of this size to make that possible.
Liberating the engineroom of its usual load has also created space for a huge aft lazarette capable of swallowing an inflatable tender, a small outboard and any number of toys.
The smartly finished interior can be specified with either a galley-aft layout and two heads below deck, or a galley-down alternative but with just one shared heads for the two double cabins. Details such as cedarlined hanging closets and hidden LED lighting suggest another step up in quality for this premium production builder. Both upper and lower helm positions are well laid out with joystick manoeuvring for the outboards.
The high price of petrol and lack of waterside outlets may hamper sales in Europe but with this outboard variant Regal has brought the first 42-foot flybridge cruiser to the sandbar, making it an ideal boat for fast, reliable island hopping.