WaterSki Magazine

WATERSKI Magazine
2006-12-14 15:00:00 | 2954 views | 0 Comments

BOAT REVIEW

A MasterCraft is on the wish list of a lot of riders. They dream about the day they can finally get one of these premium boats. The X-1 makes that wait a lot shorter. It’s one of the lowest-priced models in MasterCraft’s line, yet, complete with tower and ballast, it’s not a basic boat. And the fact that its hull is that of the original X-Star, which ruled the wakeboarding world for years, means this is a dream boat at a dream price of under $43K. Of course, it still has the top-notch construction that makes every MasterCraft hold up for years and years, just like this first X-Star design.

Hull: What was once the hull of choice for the X Games, the MasterCraft Pro Tour and other high-profile events is now an excellent boat for beginning to intermediate riders. That “wall of water” we raved about when we first saw the original V-drive X-Star for the 1999 model year seems by current standards like an unimposing, fun wake. That said, a lot about the X-1 is timeless. The handling is among the best there is for a V-drive, with straight-line tracking, quick turning and a hole shot that takes the 310-horsepower engine only 4.7 seconds to get up to 30 mph.

Ballast: Two 225-pound rear tanks and a 300-pound center tank come standard–and actually go a long way in sinking the back of this 90-inch-wide boat.

Tower: The boat is classic, but the tower design is modern. The ZeroFlex now has heavy industrial billet legs and great swivel racks, and it folds down easily.

Seating: MasterCraft has found a way to give this compact boat a passenger capacity of 11. Credit the L-shaped bench in the lounge for most of that. The hammered-metal vinyl texture gives it a sweet feel and look.

THE WAKE
This shape is still great–a smooth ramp and mellow peak. The wakes are consistent, thick and clean, with defined lips. Going wake to wake is very doable, even for less experienced riders.

SPECS
PEOPLE: 11
DRY WEIGHT: 3,000 LB.
BALLAST: 750 LB.
¥ 2 REAR TANKS: 225 LB. EACH
¥ 1 CENTER TANK: 300 LB.
TOWER: ZeroFlex
RACKS: Swivel*
STEREO: Clarion deck, 4 speakers*
CUP HOLDERS: 8
COOLER: 12 QT.
COLORS: 21 EXTERIOR IN 5 COLORWAYS; 2 BASE INTERIOR WITH 11 ACCENTS
FUEL: 33 GAL.
TRAILER: SINGLE AXLE
BASE MSRP: $42,995
*optional

ENGINE: Indmar RTP-1 5.7L, 310 hp
Optional: Indmar MCX 5.7L, 350 hp
REC. PROP: OJ 14.25 x 14.5 four-blade
CRUISE: MasterCraft Cruise; PerfectPass (optional)