A 19-foot boat with 250hp might seem excessive but there are some very distinct benefits to be had. Simon Everett reports.

I make no secret of the fact that I have always liked Campions. They produce a clean lined boat with friendly features that make sports boating easy and fun. But the new Campion Chase 600 is one of the line of high-performance boats, aimed at the sports boater who wants that extra bit of speed and style over the standard craft. Naturally then, the Chase models are built to take outboards of much higher power than boats of the same size from the rest of the range.

So what do we have here? Well as the new entry to the Chase range the 600 might be just 19-feet in length but it’s rated to take 300hp, giving it a genuine chance of going beyond 60mph on the water. Our venue for this entertainment is to be Hanna Boats and the lovely unrestricted expanses of the River Bann. There are already quite a few Campions in use on these waters, both for waterskiing on the river and for coastal cruising along the Antrim coast, so the moment we get out, we begin attracting attention from like-minded types and, given the extra spice of this model, deservedly so. 

The Chase 600 oozes style with fancy graphics, a sporty dash, plush upholstery and upmarket halogen docking lights as standard. But it doesn’t end in superficial concerns like that. On the contrary, she matches her looks with the kind of performance that has tears streaming from your eyes.

Performance

The Chase 600 is actually a very refined package so, without a seastate to remind you of your pace, you don’t realise just how fast you are going. The test boat is brand new and fitted with a Yamaha F250B, the new fly-by-wire version, and the prop choice is purely an educated guess, given that this is her first time on the water. I would say though that the 19-incher is just about right unless you’re looking for that magical 60mph mark. As it is, with the two of us on board, we manage to squeeze out around 59mph at 5800rpm, and with a few more hours on the engine I feel certain we could have achieved more. Alternatively, by having the prop tweaked back just half an inch to 18.5-inches, another 100rpm could have been gained and the mile-a-minute target reached that way. Even so, 59mph from 250hp on a luxury-appointed boat is very respectable indeed. In fact, with the F300 sitting on the stern this boat should easily achieve 66mph or 67mph - quick enough for all but sensory-deadened powerboat racers.

In tune with the boat’s general refinement, she is whisper quiet when running and the wind deflection underway is absolutely superb. You can wear your favourite hat and be confident it will stay on your head. I have lost count of how many hats I have lost overboard from various boats and some of them were good friends too . . .

At slow speed there is a bit of water noise as it laps along the side of the hull, but as soon as planing speed is reached and the main body of the hull lifts clear of the water, the ride is virtually silent, allowing you to chat civilly in the deep-set cockpit. This good behaviour is partly down to the folding door that acts as a baffle between the consoles, forming a solid bulkhead and forcing the wind to take a different route. For me it’s a vital bow rider asset.

Facilities

The seating arrangement is fairly standard, but the quality is very good. The bow seats are properly shaped and provide leaning back rests to use the seats as forward facing sun loungers. Otherwise you can use the infil and turn the entire bow area into a sunbed. The usual under-seat lockers open lengthways, rather than being hinged from the side, giving greater access to the locker itself. The bow lockers also provide plenty of dry stowage and the bow is given a rope locker but no proper anchoring facility. There are, however, huge speakers and side pockets for those small items that get lost overboard, like sunglasses and, in my case, hats.

There are pop-up cleats on either side of the bow which could be used effectively in sheltered water. On the stem there is a combination port and starboard running light and set into the flare of the bow are halogen docking lights, which are very cool and will make life much easier when making your way home from a day on the water. Fitments like this are usually reserved for the very top end boats, so Campion has done good things in raising the bar with the new Chase.

The aft bench seating has been given some useful skiboat features, such as a removable centre cushion to provide a walk-through to the stern. This way, you don’t have to step on the upholstery in wet feet. Elsewhere, the seat back padding runs right around the cockpit coaming, creating double side seats. The U-shaped settee will seat seven adults around the double leaf table supported on twin legs which mount on a bayonet fitting. Under the port side settee is an Igloo coolbox in a dedicated mounting. The seat lifts to allow access inside the coolbox for those important barman moments.

It’s not just in the seating that the Chase 600 throws a nod to watersports. There is also a full-length, lined ski locker on the centreline, two gull-wing lockers astern of the aft settee and additional stowage space in each quarter.  The ski locker has a longitudinally hinging lid supported on gas struts at one end but the struts seem to struggle a bit with the pressure of the lid. I can’t help thinking it might be better hinged from the side so there is less to support. A spring support would then be sufficient. It is a minor point but worth mentioning to the dealer if this boat is of interest to you.

At the helm

A sporting boat demands a sporting dash and the Chase doesn’t disappoint. I really is sheer class, with a simple configuration of two main dials in front of the wheel for the speedo and the all important tachometer. The remainder of the dials are offset on a separate panel with the rocker switches underneath.

But the heart of this driving experience consists in the new  Yamaha fly-by-wire throttle and gear shift. Combined with the hydraulic steering, it makes it feel as though you are driving a magic carpet. The response is instantaneous, with none of the associated weight you might expect of the controls. This is a boat you can drive with your fingertips.

The handling is secure and surefooted, high-speed turns within the confines of the river being executed with great efficiency. From talking to other owners, who ski on this river, this seems to be one of the key reasons for Campions being so popular in the region.

In most other respects, driving the boat is sublime. She is responsive without being twitchy, and when you pull out of a turn she lifts and straightens very quickly, the hull running surface making full use of the dynamic influence of flowing water. Of course, on such a quick boat, hitting anything in the water at speed is a concern, so the Chase is laid up with Kevlar in the matrix and vinylester resin, giving better impact resistance.

It’s another example of the fact that this boat is a cut above. At £40,000 for a 19-footer it’s not as affordable as your average Campion. But this is not your average Campion . . .

PERFORMANCE

RPM            SPEED (mph)                        Fuel flow(litres/hr)

500                          3                           -

1000                        5                           -

2000                        10                        12.5

3000                        26                        20.1

4000                        37                        35.2

5000                        47                        68.5

5200                        50                        74.2

5800                        59                        87.8

ACCELERATION

0 – 20 mph            4.8 secs

0 – 30 mph            6.3 secs

20 – 40mph            5.1 secs

SPECIFICATIONS

LOA            6.55m

Beam            2.48m

Weight            1066 kg

Deadrise            19 degrees

Fuel capacity            177 litres

Max power            300hp

Engine            Yamaha F250B

Max people             ten

Price            £40,000

Contact

Hanna Boats,

Coleraine,

Northern Ireland

www.hannaboats.com

Tel: 02827 662212