WaterSki Magazine

Serious slalom skiers will love this wakeboard boat. That sentence may sound contradictory, but it’s true with the X-7. MasterCraft has taken its world-class, record-setting ProStar 197 ski boat and basically disguised it with a tower, ballast and hot graphics. The result is a multisport boat that’s perfect for dawn-patrol sets during the week, then riding sessions with the kids all weekend long.

This is a pro-level hull for slalom skiers, so the wakes at those speeds are especially soft even at very short line lengths. When we slowed down to 21 mph and filled up the standard rear ballast bag, firm, nicely shaped wakes allowed advanced recreational-level moves.

The MasterCraft X-7 is among the best-handling boats out there in calm conditions. It’s extremely nimble at sub-20 feet in length with a 91-inch beam. MasterCraft-quality construction means it’ll track and turn like a dream for years.

MasterCraft has maxed out the interior space as much as possible in the six-passenger X-7, stretching the observer’s bench all the way to the cushy driver’s bucket seat and incorporating a flip-down backrest for the bow walk-through.

Base price: $47,290

Length: 19 ft. 8 in.

Beam: 91 in.

Seating capacity: 6

Fuel capacity: 28 gal.

Test prop: OJ 12.5 x 12 4-blade

Test engine: Indmar MCX 5.7L, 350 hp

Top speed: 43.2 mph 4,870 rpm

Accel. to 30 mph: 4.8 sec. 114.4 feet

Accel. to 36 mph: 6.3 sec. 185.3 feet

Noise Levels (db): Neutral 64 D 64 R, 36 mph 92 D 99 R