There is a new sports boat brand clamouring for your attention. Alex Smith gets a British exclusive with the first UK test of the Bryant 233 . . .

Bryant is not yet well known in the UK. It showcased its first two boats back in September 2009 at the Southampton Boat Show, when Clipper Marine took along the 210 and the 233 - and right from the start, the new importers were out to prove that these latest examples were not just another batch of American bow riders. These were something a little bit special . . .

Clipper Marine therefore showed off its first two Bryant boats alongside a couple of cutaway sections from the factory - one from the transom and one from the hull. They were passing these artefacts around with considerable pride, explaining how the absence of wood in the construction process meant that the boat would never rot, and telling us how the heavyweight lay-up would promise a better ride and more robust long-term residuals.

As I catch up with these boats again, this time on the water at the company’s headquarters at Hamble Point Marina, it doesn’t take long to re-acquaint myself with the features that helped them impress at the show - because not only is the Bryant 233 well built but it also looks about as well equipped as any bow rider on the market . . .

Up in the bow space, you get a very neatly arranged anchor brace, a bow ladder and a cool box, all in the peak of the V. As you move back, you see sunken cleats on both sides, plus properly gel-coated graphics (rather than stickers) and hinges on the compartment lids that look strong enough to swing the engine room door of a WWII battleship. At the helm, the unusual level of quality continues with rather lovely VDO dials, authentic sprung seats with built in bolsters and carpeted recesses everywhere you look. And when you delve beneath the surface, it’s the same story with smooth edges, properly routed cables and thoughtfully compartmentalised storage spaces.

The standard package also includes a huge, rubberised swim platform, docking lights, a compass and a depth sounder but one of the best features of the boat is actually hidden from view. The fuel tank, a 159-litre, under-deck affair, is located beneath the bow in a deliberate attempt to improve the balance and handling for leisure users. The fuel filler is therefore located outboard, exactly where it belongs, and the aft space is freed up to provide some of the most generous storage space you will ever see on a boat of this size and type. It’s a very useful touch.

As for the stuff you don’t get, well the bow filler cushion, the pedestal table and the snap in carpet are all options, as are any of the canvas accessories except the basic bimini top. But as I step toward the helm from the broad walk-through passage on the starboard side of the bench seat, I can’t help reflecting on how impressive it all is

Where does it fit into the range?

As a small boat specialist with a relatively compact and concentrated range, things feel refreshingly simple at Bryant. The line-up consists of seven boats, ranging from the 196 (at 19 foot six) to the 268 (at 26 foot eight). All of these are bow riders with the exception of just one, the 233 CC, which, as the name suggests, is a cuddy cabin. This little sports cruiser is the joint third smallest in the range and is sister to the bow rider version of the 233 that we have on test today. All craft in the Bryant range are stern driven and can be supplied with either Volvo Penta or MerCruiser engines.

Underway

As you put the throttle down for the first time, there is some substantial bow lift, as the Bryant eases up over the hump - but within five or six seconds, the attitude settles back down and that bow, coaxed into good behaviour by a full fuel tank, drops back toward the surface. Trim makes an enormous difference here. If you let the nose drop too low and plough through the water, you can wipe off 500rpm and five knots in no more than a second or two. Trim her back out however and, instead of chugging up a hill in fifth gear, you find yourself flying, unrestrained and trouble-free, down the other side.

On the test day, we have very little in the way of a seastate to test out her rough-water handling but even so the signs are good. What you need when things get rough is an ability to alter the attitude rapidly and accurately, allied to sufficient responsiveness at the wheel and throttle to move the boat from a troublesome water shape to a flatter one. A quick play with the Bryant, even in soft water, suggests that she is capable of offering these qualities with very little fuss.

The most unerring thing about a gentle cruise in this boat, however, is not the scale of the driving entertainment but the sheer ease of the experience. The ride is soft and dry, the cockpit is deep and secure, the ergonomics are well sorted and the dynamics of the drive are very user friendly. Between 3000 and 3500 rpm (at around 28 knots) the experience is also conspicuously quiet. There is no great bellow from the engine, no noise to trap and reverberate in the cockpit, and no vibration to upset your delicate buttocks. Instead, you get an easy fingertip transit and a conversation with the co-pilot that has no need of going beyond regular chatting volumes. In fairness, you would expect Bryant to provide a partition beneath the central part of the screen, to prevent wind invading the cockpit but, that omission aside, it feels like a very grown up and gentlemanly means of transport.

Only when you really push her hard at the top end, with the hull well out of the water and the throttle nailed to the stop, do you get a suggestion of misbehaviour. The chines begin to ping her from side to side, wiggling her back end and letting you know that you need to lever in a little more stabilising hull to establish some extra grip. Drop the trim a notch or ease down a couple of revs on the throttle and the job is done. Composure is restored, only a little pace is lost and you’re still creaming along at around 40 knots in relative comfort and serenity.

The relaxed helming is aided in no small way by the substantial weight of the craft, by the useful forward mass of the fuel tank and by the fact that the shape of the bow is usefully elevated. It provides not just confidence for the man at the helm but also security for those up front.

Added value?

The generosity of the standard package makes the Bryant feel rather free-thinking and original. A cool box, a dedicated anchor brace, a bow ladder, sunken cleats, quality dials, substantial engine baffling, high-quality sprung seats and gel-coated graphics are just the beginning of the story. Add in the carpeted compartments, the under-deck bow tank and the impressive quality of build and you begin to see why the Bryant is aiming at a position in the market far beyond America’s most famous entry-level brands.

Verdict

The fact that this is a 1600 kg boat with a Merc 5.0 Mpi means that the 233 is more about sensible family boating than raucous thrills but that’s not a problem. This remains a well-equipped and soundly constructed bow rider for those with a little more ambition. This boat, and the range to which it belongs, will prove a very welcome addition to the UK boating scene . . .

Why you would

Impressive features list

Heavyweight build

Novice-friendly drive

Generous storage

Quiet underway

Why you wouldn’t

No under-screen partition

Performance

RPM            Speed (knots)

1000            4.6

1500            6.6

2000            9.4

2500 (plane)            18.7

3000            24.8

3500            29.7

4000            34.6

4500            38.8

4900 (WOT)            42.0

Time to plane: 5.2 seconds

Specs

LOA            7.08 m

Beam            2.59 m

Weight            1601 kg

Max Power            220 - 320 hp

Fuel capacity            159 litres

Deadrise            19 degrees

Engine            MerCruiser 5.0                         Mpi (260 hp)

Price from            £42,871

Price as tested            £45,062

Contacts

Clipper Marine,

Hamble Point Marina,

Southampton SO31 4NB

Tel: 02380 605060

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