It’s a ridiculous question on the surface: How do you get more space from the space given to you? The most crafty boat engineers can actually do it by shaving, pinching and eliminating features most boaters don’t use. Regal’s 2300 is a case in point.
Knowing that today’s boaters will size up the cost of every usable square inch, the designers narrowed the gunwales and consoles. Ok, so there’s no head — look at Regal’s FasDeck 2220 if that’s a necessity. These little trims, plus the elimination of the typical raised sun pad, give the 2300’s cockpit the acreage found in a 25- to 26-foot bowrider.
On the surface you’d think a smaller port console would mean the storage so often used for safety gear and carry-ons would be compromised. But the console space here has become part of a continuous storage compartment running from beneath the bow seat to the foot of the stern seat. Yes, Regal actually gained storage by losing the passenger bucket seat in favor of a wraparound arrangement most often seen in wakeboard boats that seat 14 people.
Both consoles also appear to be pushed a bit forward. It’s true. Bow space is not hindered, though, because there’s an anchor locker but no boarding ladder. That allows for a slim compartment, and for the bow seats to be stretched forward. On the opposite end, the split transom lounge on the 2300 hangs lower and farther aft than a traditional sun pad, allowing more space forward of the stern seat.
A byproduct of generating all this space is a weight savings (think of what space weighs — nada). using Nida-Core honeycomb in the deck and foam composite stringers increases the boat’s strength-to-weight ratio, same as we find in custom boats. Our test boat ran 51 mph on two trials with a Volvo 5.7-liter Gi 300 hp motor. It goes against normal recommendations for a 23- to 24-foot boat, but we’d be confident with a 5.0-liter motor. It would cost 3 mph at top end but would give back yet another allimportant resource: money.
Contact: 800-877-3425, www.regalboats.com
Comparable model: Sea Ray 230 Select
