What we think: Acceleration is just insane in this 430 hp rocket. The boat was so quick in our tests it was difficult to measure on the stopwatch while it pushed us firmly back in the Utopia’s well-upholstered seats. It was so much fun, we couldn’t stop pressing the throttle forward again and again.
We ran this latest version of the Utopia 205 on Lake Shasta, a large mountain impoundment near Redding, California. Calm waters were no test for hull strength, so we trolled up some wakeboard-size rollers and cut back over them, listening and feeling for anything that sounded like it wanted to leave the building. The boat is solid and a testament to the all-fiberglass hull, bonded stringer system and deck. Sea-Doo builds both motor and hull, engineering them and crafting them together into in a sport boat that leaves only one company responsible should warranty work be required. The buck stops at Sea-Doo.
At one time the jet-boat concept was an oversized PWC, but today boaters are turning to jet boats for sport-boat comfort too. Sea-Doo’s Utopia exhibits both runabout comfort and PWC performance. Bowrider seating and a full windshield keep the look of a traditional runabout, making it a contender in the prop-driven stern-drive category.
The fiberglass molded deck is ideal in this craft, making cleanups easy at day’s end. The portside passenger bucket is not only wide enough for two, it swivels around to face sideways, joining it in a conversation circle with the aft seating. A helm bucket seat swivels around as well, completing the circle when boaters do what they ultimately do — chill out on the hook.
Who should buy it: Sea-Doo takes the responsibility for building this rig from bilge plug to bow light, and boaters who want one-stop service can rely on it for this boat.
Vital Stats * Length Overall: 19’10” * Beam: 8′ * Dry Weight: 2,590 lb. * Seating/Weight Capacity: 8/1,320 lb. * Fuel Capacity: 44 gal. * Maximum HP: 430 * MSRP (w/ Twin Rotax, 215 hp each): $39,399 * NMMA Certified: Yes
Power Picks
* Twin Rotax, 155 hp each $32,399
* Twin Rotax, 215 hp each $39,399
Also Consider…
200 Speedster
Length: 19′
Beam: 8′
Max HP: 430
Call it an enormous personal watercraft. With this much horsepower, acceleration is stellar and its look stealthy.
Test Drive * Test Engine: Twin Rotax, 215 hp each * Test Load: People (230 lb.); Fuel (30 gal.) * Top Speed: 56.3 MPH @ 8,000 RPM * Time to Plane: 2.5 sec. * Time to 30 mph: 5.0 sec. * Minimum Planing Speed: 19 MPH @ 4,500 RPM
Sea-Doo – Valcourt, Quebec; 888-272–9222; sea-doo.com
