WaterSki Magazine

The Ski Nautique 206 not only is equipped to let you enjoy a hard-core ski set, it’s also designed to help you share your passion with your family. Just like its sibling, the 196, it’s decked out with all the essentials for an early morning run through the course with your favorite slalom buddy. But where the 196 leaves off, the Ski Nautique 206 begins.

Correct Craft opened up the bow and added about a foot of length to this three-event specialist to make it just a bit more suitable for families. With the additional space for seating and storage, the Ski Nautique 206 is a boat the whole family can appreciate.

The Ski Nautique 206 is designed to incorporate all the performance of the athletic 196 with just a little added comfort. On the performance front, we’ve found that Correct Craft definitely lived up to the challenge. The wakes behind the 206 are almost perfectly small and crossable, and only a slight step down from its closed-bow sibling’s. This boat utilizes the proven TSC2 hull design, which has impressed us in the past with its world-class shortline performance. Our testers noticed an ever-so-slight bump at 22, but were happy with the almost nonexistent spray factor. We found that the wakes look a little frothy compared to those of the super-clean newly retooled 196, but overall skiing behind the Ski Nautique 206 should please even advanced skiers.

With a predecessor like the 196, the Ski Nautique 206 has a pretty hefty reputation to live up to. Thankfully its own strong reputation more than met our expectations. This boat’s handling is world-class all the way. It turns on a dime and tracks the course as steadily as ever. We were impressed by the solid ride and the way this nimble direct-drive held its own through the chop. Whether you’re an experienced slalom course skier or a family of novice skiers, you’ll definitely appreciate the impeccable handling while you’re driving the 206.

The idea behind the Ski Nautique 206 is that it maintains the high performance of the 196 but steps up the comfort level. For starters, the open bow and just about a foot more length provide enough room for a few more passengers. There’s also a bit more storage, so you can stash some other gear besides your skis and ropes. All in all, the 206 is definitely more suited for families than its smaller counterpart. But that doesn’t mean Correct Craft is forsaking any of the hard-core water-skiing style. The lines and graphics are as classic and stylish as ever, and stainless-steel appointments throughout the interior play up the luxury factor even more.

Base price: $46,994

Length: 20 ft. 7.5 in.

Beam: 91 in.

Seating capacity: 9

Fuel capacity: 29 gal.

Test Prop: Acme 12.5 x 15.5 4-blade

Test Engine: PCM Excalibur 5.7L, 330 hp

Top Speed: 46.7 mph 4,990 rpm

Accel. To 30 mph: 4.0 sec. 98.5 ft.

Accel. To 36 mph: 5.4 sec. 63.8 ft.

Noise Levels (db): Neutral 60 D 62 R, 36 mph 91 D 94 R