Stingray is back in the outboard business. We found the results familiar. Powered by a Yamaha 150, the 214LR we tested jumped onto plane in 3.4 seconds and peaked tenths shy of 47 mph. It also displayed Stingray’s signature handling, carving the tightest of turns without excessive banking. Credit the Z-plane hull. It forgoes conventional strakes in favor of shinglelike hull panels. They act as horizontal planing surfaces below the water, and a spray release on plane, delivering smoother water to the prop and silky response during turns.
We found the layout deck-style comfy, while still retaining a runabout’s sleek lines. There’s adult-size room in the bow cockpit, comfortable captain’s chairs at the consoles and an L-shaped aft bench in front of a two-thirds-width sun pad. The starboard third is reserved for a transom walk-through, which leads to one of two small swim platforms straddling the motor. The port head compartment adds convenience on those longer trips.
Multipurpose boaters will appreciate the self-bailing cockpit, ample in-floor toy stowage, fore and aft boarding ladders, and pressurized bow and transom showers. The space normally reserved for a sterndrive? It’s now wide-open stowage below the sun pad.
Key Features
-Offers more stowage space than comparable sterndrive model.
-Spirited Z-plane hull delivers maximum performance and handling from less horsepower.
-Large, roomy cockpit has convenient head compartment and Porta Potti.
