onewhippedpuppy
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2012
- Messages
- 163
We basically live at the lake in the summers, and decided that with three growing kids and a large extended family that it was time to upgrade. My neighbors had already asked for first dibs on our 2004 Monterey 23' bowrider when we decided to sell, so after knocking that out in February my casual boat search got very serious. I flew to Austin, TX to look at a Formula (crap), Richmond, VA to look at a Cobalt (crap), we drove to Lake of the Ozarks to look at a lot of crap at dealerships, looked at and called on dozens of boats nationwide, and then last week my wife found a nice one-owner 2009 Regal 2700 with only 115 hours on a random boat website. I received very few pictures from the not very internet savvy seller, but he sounded like a great guy and the price was worth taking a chance. Drove back to Lake of the Ozarks and ended up buying this little gem on Friday night. No trailer, but I found a 2012 trailer designed exactly for the Regal 2700 in matching colors being sold about one mile from our hotel, so I bought it on Saturday morning. It was meant to be. Love love love this thing, can't wait for summer!
For the real boat geeks who like detail, it's a 2009 Regal 2700 ES with the Volvo 5.7 GXi 320 HP and the Duoprop drive. I had read a lot about the Fastrac hull efficiency and how Regal can make do with a smaller HP motor than comparably sized boats, and I might be a believer after this. The 320 HP Volvo moves the 5,800 lb (dry) 2700 with ease. Honestly it pops onto plane quicker than the Formula 260BR and Chaparral 276 SSX that I tested, both of which had a 496 MAG. I didn't try the top end but it was cruising along at an indicated 45 MPH with my wife and I at a little over 1/2 throttle, which is more than enough for my use. The trailer is a Heritage with surge disc brakes on both axles, it honestly was far easier to tow than I expected. My 2013 F150 Ecoboost with max tow package had no issues whatsoever, even on the hilly 65-70 MPH highways around the lake. I do plan to add an electronic brake controller so I don't have to worry about slippery boat ramps.
For the real boat geeks who like detail, it's a 2009 Regal 2700 ES with the Volvo 5.7 GXi 320 HP and the Duoprop drive. I had read a lot about the Fastrac hull efficiency and how Regal can make do with a smaller HP motor than comparably sized boats, and I might be a believer after this. The 320 HP Volvo moves the 5,800 lb (dry) 2700 with ease. Honestly it pops onto plane quicker than the Formula 260BR and Chaparral 276 SSX that I tested, both of which had a 496 MAG. I didn't try the top end but it was cruising along at an indicated 45 MPH with my wife and I at a little over 1/2 throttle, which is more than enough for my use. The trailer is a Heritage with surge disc brakes on both axles, it honestly was far easier to tow than I expected. My 2013 F150 Ecoboost with max tow package had no issues whatsoever, even on the hilly 65-70 MPH highways around the lake. I do plan to add an electronic brake controller so I don't have to worry about slippery boat ramps.
