In a world already attuned to the benefits of the small jet boat, there is an exciting new option for the British boater. Alex Smith tests the X-Jet 140 . . .

The moment you look at the Sapphire Marine website, you realise that the X-Jet is attempting to be something different in the world of boats. An automotive style ‘START’ button on this boat takes you through to a homepage, glittering with seductive spec shots of a waspish little jet boat - and all to a musical accompaniment that falls somewhere between Mission Impossible and the Matrix.

It is plain that we are supposed to find the little X-Jet 140 alluring and, in fairness, it has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to achieve that. For a start, it’s a 14-foot jet boat from a British boat builder down in Poole. That in itself is enough to rouse the interest. Add in the fact that it is powered exclusively by the rather rare and exotic Weber MPE 750 engine, plus the fact that it is currently the only X-Jet boat for sale, and its resounding novelty value begins to leach through into a profound conviction that you need a closer look.

The On Board Detail
The lines of the X-Jet 140 are very attractive. Despite the fact that the ‘aft’ three-man seat section is positioned a fair way forward, the bow of the boat looks pleasantly elongated in the same way as the bonnet of a 60s sports car. It also dips very slightly, counterbalancing the descent of the rubbing strake toward the integrated swim platform at the stern. True, the graphics on the test boat look a little old hat, rather like those of a 90s ene rgy drink, but if you were to replace them with a solid colour band around the hull, the natural elegance of the boat’s lines would become far more evident.

Throughout the boat, the quality feels very good indeed, with evidence of some enthusiastic attention to detail. You get moulded recesses for the cleats, some very pretty raked engine vents, high quality seating all round and lovely carbon effect dials on the dash. The aft mouldings are also very good, particularly for skiers who need a dedicated space to prepare their gear. But it would be useful if there was somewhere handy to stow things like skis and boards because, without a tow tower, the absence of under-deck storage means your gear has to be housed in the cockpit (and on a 14-foot boat with a large engine bay, that’s not ideal).

Talking of the engine bay, it seems that the extraordinarily compact dimensions of the engine have not yet been used to their full advantage. The engine bay is certainly far larger than the powerplant requires and while that’s great for easy access when carrying out a service, I can’t help thinking that much more could be made of the rest of the space.

Elsewhere, you get a large wet locker beneath the forward cushion, space beneath the yellow lid on the top of the helm console and a proper dry locker under the three aft seats. Despite a couple of minor reservations then, the fact that this is the first X-Jet fills me with confidence for the calibre of future production boats. Only the price might prove a bit of a stumbling block. At the moment, the boat costs £18,677 but add a trailer (not part of the standard package) and you lift the overall cost beyond the £20,000 mark. Is she really worth that kind of money? It’s time to get her on the water and find out . . .

On the water
As we nip up onto the plane with the rev-happy Weber engine buzzing away behind us, the first thing I notice is that the noise underway is a bit intrusive. I point this out to Andrew Adeney, MD at Sapphire Marine, but he is already aware of the issue. It’s not so much about the engine itself as a lack of sound proofing in the big empty engine bay, which seems to amplify the sound rather like an undamped speaker cabinet. The plan is to fully soundproof the space to take advantage of the fact that the Weber is actually a very refined and quiet-running motor.

The second thing I notice is the fact that protection for the occupants is relatively minimal - but to my mind that is exactly how it ought to be. After all, the point of a small jet boat is the thrill of the drive and, without the wind smacking you square in the face, your appreciation for that visceral pleasure is fundamentally impaired.

At 14 feet in length with a seven-foot beam, the 140 is a very broad boat and yet she remains quite sensitive to weight distribution. The fact that the helm is offset to starboard also tends to mean that one-up helming sees a noticeable list. Even so, her performance provides a great many of the traits we have come to expect from vigorous little jet boats. Throttle response at most speeds is pleasantly acute and the heel into a fast turn is engagingly radical.
You also get the famous jet boat capacity to rotate 180 degrees at pace in about a boat length. But here, once you find yourself facing the way you have come, with the throttle nailed, the leap back onto the plane is not as sharp as we have seen on some jet craft. Instead, there is a slight lapse as the engine howls and the froth churns before you hook up, and forward thrust is once again achieved.

The verdict
Does the X-Jet do enough to justify its premium price? In strictly objective market terms, perhaps not. Comparisons with the SeaDoo Speedster 150 are unavoidable, particularly given the similarities in their internal layouts - and a head to head analysis seems to do the X-Jet no favours. The fact of the matter is that you could have a longer, wider, more comprehensively specified jet boat, with a trailer and a broader options list from a better established brand, for £1,000 less. In this respect, the Sea-Doo Speedster 150 is inevitably the more sensible purchase.

But since when did anyone base the purchase of a small recreational jet boat on common sense? This is not about a breakdown of the costs or an analysis of the practicalities. More than any other area of marine leisure, this is about your subjective response to a boat. If you want a more automotive style craft, a top class Weber powerplant and the kudos of knowing you own a sports boat from a small scale British builder, the X-Jet is the only option open to you. More to the point, if you want a more personal boat buying experience from a local builder you can meet and engage with, rather than a mass-produced chunk of GRP from some distant American-funded large scale production line, again, only the X-Jet will do.

Yes, on the face of it the price looks steep but this is a well built craft with a pearl of an engine from a small scale builder with just one boat on his fledgling portfolio. For a great many of us, that will be ample reason to eschew the path of routine commercialism and head down to Poole for a test drive.

The benefits of jet
Instead of using a propeller to ‘screw’ its way through the sea, a jet-driven craft sucks water in through a grate on the underside of the hull and ‘blows’ it out through a tube at the stern. As a result, a jet boat has no working parts protruding beneath the hull, which makes it ideal for shallow water running. The X-Jet itself has a draft of just 12 inches and, because there is no exposed prop, it is a very safe form of propulsion for recreations like skiing, where people are routinely in the water. Manoeuvrability is another useful benefit of jet propulsion, as is the fact that (because no gearbox is required to go from ahead to astern) the engine tends to enjoy an easier life. The only real flaw of a jet boat is the fact that ‘blowing’ water against water is less efficient than using a well matched prop.

What about that engine?
The MPE (Multi-Purpose Engine) 750 is a two-cylinder, four-stroke, high-revving turbocharged petrol unit. Built by Weber, an independent German producer, the MPE 750 puts out 143hp and yet is extremely compact, enabling it to be used in cars, ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles, as well as in marine applications. In fact it is already used in top-end HSR Benelli personal watercraft, as well as the much vaunted range of Williams superyacht jet tenders. As a basis for a bespoke jet boat, therefore, it is a very desirable starting point.


Vital stats
Why you would

• Exclusivity
• Build quality
• Attention to detail

Why you wouldn’t

• Noise
• Price
• Weight sensitivity

Performance

• RPM    Speed (knots)
• 2000    3.5
• 3000    4.9
• 4000    5.9
• 5000 (plane)    10.5
• 6000    21.1
• 7000    33.5
• 7600 (top end)    41.9

Specifications

• LOA:    4.3m
• Beam:    2.1m
• Weight:    550kg
• Payload:    280kg
• Engine:    Weber 750 MPE 143hp four-stroke engine
• Price as tested:    £18,677

Notable standard features

• Pop-up nav light
• Splash-proof CD tuner with twin speakers
• Integral deck drains
• Aft ladder
• Boarding handles
• Integral aft bathing platform

Recommended options

• Road Trailer        £1,350
• Boat Cover        £545
• VHF Radio        POA
• Anchor and line    £58

Contact
Sapphire Marine
01747 873122
www.sapphire-marine.co.uk