FORMULA 290 BOWRIDER
Formula’s 290 Bowrider is a bay cruiser, lake toy, party boat, and waterfront restaurant eye-catcher. e twin Ilmor 5.3L engine and dual-prop drive package is the icing on this scrumptious Formula cake. At a high of 5,300 rpm, we clocked 55.5 mph. Best economy came at 34 mph and 1.8 mpg.
Formula’s deep-V hull planes in 5.9 seconds and hit 30 mph in 7.7. It turns sure-footed and deeply banked at any speed. With robust construction, painted hull stripes and fastidious rigging, the 290 Bowrider is built for the long haul.
Inside, the bow features a hidden anchor windlass and locker, and a deep rm-but-comfy bowrider lounger replete with USB ports and cup holders for all. Removable cushions transform it into a sunbathing suite. e cockpit features a nicely designed and surprisingly roomy portside head. Plenty of storage resides inside the helm console.
Storage aba is plentiful under the L-shaped reversible-back lounger, which provides high versatility. Position the backrest a for a great rear seat. Position it forward to create a wide and comfortable sun pad. Under this lounger is a clean and well-executed engine space. All rigging is routed and supported properly and easily accessible.
ose 5.3-liter Ilmor V-8s are directinjected with glycol-cooled exhaust, producing 365 hp each. ey use the latest-generation GM engine block. Optionally, choose twin 6.2-liter engines or a single 7.4-liter package, available wearing your choice of either the Mercury or Volvo Penta marque.
e helm resembles that of a jet aircra . e Ilmor throttle and shi control adds a custom touch with precise actuation. I found the Ilmor Marine One-Touch joystick system precise and learning-adaptive. e Ilmor drives, made in partnership with Yanmar, use a multidisc clutch pack to achieve extremely smooth shi ing. at clutch is vital to the precision, accuracy and smoothness of the One-Touch joystick system because when you engage one of the three di erent anchoring/holding modes, the drives will shi o en to keep the boat in place.