BENNINGTON 23LSB
The “L” designator for this new Bennington series stands for luxury, and the first impression is made by the new horizontal diamond-press treatment on the upholstery, executed on our test boat in a graphite color, with Rosa Red accents in Simtex, a vinyl material that has a slight texture that keeps it cool to the touch. Side panels in Rosa Red and Smokey Granite contrast perfectly with the optional Blackout Luxe Edition ($3,594; black finish on the rails, deck trim and skirt, Bimini frame, and boarding ladder). You might prefer a different color, but we found this look to be really handsome. In typical Bennington fashion, there is clever design behind the luxury. For example, the toe kick below the seat bases creates a few extra inches of deck space. With the lumbar pocket in the bench seats, an open space between the seatback and bottom cushion enhances comfort. It is easier to lift the bottom to reach stowage, and it provides an inwale for drink holders, fast-charge USB ports, speakers and small sundries.
This layout features curved L-seats forward, another L-seat to port, and the 6-foot-4-inch-wide Swingback aft lounge, which has a pivoting backrest plus adjustable lounge cushions that can be set in five different positions. An optional stainless-steel aft keeper rail ($880) makes it legal and safe to sit on the lounge facing aft while underway. Adjacent to the lounge, our boat had an optional remote ($420) for the upgraded Rockford-Fosgate PMX-2 audio system ($330). At the helm, an optional Simrad GO7 multifunction display ($1,644) replaced the standard analog gauge package.
The optional Sport Performance System Plus (SPS+) package ($7,663) includes three 25-inch tubes, with lifting strakes on the center tube and performance foils inboard on the outer tubes; combined with SeaStar power steering, it bumps the horsepower rating to 250. Bennington says its new strake design provides more lift, and we were impressed with this boat’s smooth ride and handling. It can carve turns like a sporty runabout.