Boats.com writer Charles Plueddeman gives us a tour of the new luxury 27-Foot Boat series Yamaha released at the 2019 Miami Boat Show.
[Excerpted from Boats.com, March 25, 2019]
- Yamaha’s first foray into the luxury 27-foot runabout category—the 2019 Yamaha 275SD—is powered by twin 250-horsepower supercharged Yamaha marine engines.
- Available DRiVE technology enhances low-speed maneuverability with paddle controls on the steering wheel, while patent-pending swim-up seating attaches to the stern and sits just below the waterline.
"The new Yamaha 275 Series sportboats offer wide-beam space and innovative features that make these boats instant contenders in this larger day-boat category. "
"We had our intro to the series aboard the top-of-the-line 275SD ($129,999) which features a tower with hardtop, and expanded galley and Yamaha DRiVE low-speed control system, all exclusive to this model. The 275SE ($114,999) has the same tower but with a canvas top. The base 275E ($99,999) does not have the tower. All models are powered by a pair of 250-horsepower, 1.8-liter Yamaha SVHO supercharged engines driving Yamaha jet drives."
"A design goal of these boats was to have a flat sole from the swim platform forward, with no step-over to move aft from the cockpit, and the wide beam makes that possible because the low-profile engines can be located far enough outboard for there to be a walkway between them, with a separate hatch for each engine. The result is a boat that’s a great social space."
"The Yamaha DRiVE system is an innovation made possible by the jet-drive system—reminder that DRiVE is only available on the 275SD model—and is an adaptation of the RiDE control Yamaha introduced for its WaveRunner personal watercraft several years ago. DRiVE is activated by a button on the 12.3-inch Connext touchscreen display and controlled by a pair of paddles located behind the steering wheel grip, similar to the paddle shifters seen on some automobiles. In DRiVE mode, the left paddle throttles the engines in reverse and the right paddle throttles the engines in forward. When both are released thrust reverts to neutral."
"Yamaha has wisely patented another clever idea in its “swim-up” seating feature for all 275 Series models. Each round seat, about the size of a bar stool top, is mounted to an aluminum arms that slips into a receiver located below the swim platform and positions the seat a few inches below the water level. You can face aft and lean back against the platform or face forward and the platform becomes a table. Or a bar."
The platform surface is padded and has backrests, and the top of each motorbox is padded and fitted with a pivoting backrest that can be positioned to face aft or to be the backrest for a seat facing the cockpit. The aft sections of the cushions lift up to reach wet storage, ideal for small fenders and lines, and access to the jet-pump clean-out ports. In the cockpit there’s bench seating port and starboard, with a pair of captain’s chairs at the consoles. There’s a galley console behind the helm seat with a sink, a deep counter top, a drawer and a space below for a cooler. The port console opens to reveal a very roomy compartment that can be used as a head or for stowage. The bow area can probably seat four adults, and there are fold-down armrests for two lounging passengers facing forward. All 275 models come with bow filler cushions and a dinette table that can be set up in the bow or the stern. There’s an anchor locker in the bow but no provision for a bow boarding ladder. Throughout the boat Yamaha has used luscious vinyl, stainless steel and billet aluminum, soft floor covering and careful detailing to give these 275 models the tone of real luxury. The hardtop with skylight panels is a feature we’d expect to see on high-end center console models.
The Yamaha 275 Series takes the advantages of jet propulsion—minimal draft, no propeller, easy of maintenance—to a new market segment, and a new price level. The boat’s lux tone and quality, its clever features and the interesting styling justify the price point.