RedAllison
Well-Known Member
YEP it was BAD BAD BAD and is everything you would expect from Darris. He had three there, two single consoles and one dual console. This is what Darris showed me about them:
An "economy" package will be offered on the 21 BasSport Pro's with a 175 OptiMax that he has running 78GPS (this boat was one featured at his tent at the expo) and it has less "touches" like normal fishing chairs instead of the fiberglass bucket seats we are accustomed too in the cockpit. (That speed was with the standard TorqueMaster gearcase and obviously the lower rev limit of the standard Opti) The dual console was only finished cosmetically and didn't have finished guts or a glovebox in the passenger console so it was locked up and just for looking at. The weight he quoted was 1300-1350ish and at most the dual console would be 20-25#s more than the single console.
The front deck layout is similar too the 21 BasSport but obviously is longer by a couple of feet. The outermost storage boxes like found on the BasSport are now full rod lockers on the BasSport Pro. The centerbox is long enough for a 9 or 10' pushpole as it is open too the bow, but the box has been modified to hold two trolling motor batteries in the lower rearmost section with a neat slideover cover that protects equipment from the batteries. The design was arrived at as a result of moving the seats too the back most position like the backseat of the other 21s would have. (That countersunk, fitted, battery area is large enough to take two 31 series batteries btw!) Darris said he thought mid 80 speeds would be realized with a 200XS (his 21 SUB demo was there as well and he has it running 89GPS with a 200XS and modified Trophy prop and worked SportMaster!). He said orders are being taken for the single console within the next couple of weeks and the duals would follow sometime around the middle too end of July.
He changed up the topside rod trays and tubes like found on the other 21s. The new Sport features them on the passenger side but gone is the one on the drivers side as we know it and it has been replaced with one that faces forward and has a single tube large enough to hold 2-3 rods for the front fisherman. The driverside rodlocker features 3 different rod holding systems, the top most is a quick system that allows one to get the rods off the deck yet still be quickly accessed. The consoles and seat width area is larger than the other 21s because the boat is wider back there so there was more room available. The windshield of the new Sport Pro is larger and has more protection than the BasSport. The consoles are fixed so the fusepanel was moved too the rear compartment behind the driver. I believe I also heard all 21s now feature a larger, 36 gallon fuel tank. Darris told me he has been averaging in the mid 7s per gallon (by the very accurate Smartcraft gauge) on the 21 single console with the 175 Opti. How awesome is that? A 175 powered, nearly 80mph 1300# 21+ ftr that gets nearly 3 times what similar sized and performing rigs would get with their 250s and 300s!!!
He isn't happy about the idea of 3.0 motors on the new boat because of the way it sits down and take off with the large motor while the occupants being so far back and the batteries now having to be located up front. But their performance will remain to be seen. I KNOW that like most other 21s, they will be equipped with 250XSs and maybe a few 300Xs by most owners.
Pics to follow,
RA
An "economy" package will be offered on the 21 BasSport Pro's with a 175 OptiMax that he has running 78GPS (this boat was one featured at his tent at the expo) and it has less "touches" like normal fishing chairs instead of the fiberglass bucket seats we are accustomed too in the cockpit. (That speed was with the standard TorqueMaster gearcase and obviously the lower rev limit of the standard Opti) The dual console was only finished cosmetically and didn't have finished guts or a glovebox in the passenger console so it was locked up and just for looking at. The weight he quoted was 1300-1350ish and at most the dual console would be 20-25#s more than the single console.
The front deck layout is similar too the 21 BasSport but obviously is longer by a couple of feet. The outermost storage boxes like found on the BasSport are now full rod lockers on the BasSport Pro. The centerbox is long enough for a 9 or 10' pushpole as it is open too the bow, but the box has been modified to hold two trolling motor batteries in the lower rearmost section with a neat slideover cover that protects equipment from the batteries. The design was arrived at as a result of moving the seats too the back most position like the backseat of the other 21s would have. (That countersunk, fitted, battery area is large enough to take two 31 series batteries btw!) Darris said he thought mid 80 speeds would be realized with a 200XS (his 21 SUB demo was there as well and he has it running 89GPS with a 200XS and modified Trophy prop and worked SportMaster!). He said orders are being taken for the single console within the next couple of weeks and the duals would follow sometime around the middle too end of July.
He changed up the topside rod trays and tubes like found on the other 21s. The new Sport features them on the passenger side but gone is the one on the drivers side as we know it and it has been replaced with one that faces forward and has a single tube large enough to hold 2-3 rods for the front fisherman. The driverside rodlocker features 3 different rod holding systems, the top most is a quick system that allows one to get the rods off the deck yet still be quickly accessed. The consoles and seat width area is larger than the other 21s because the boat is wider back there so there was more room available. The windshield of the new Sport Pro is larger and has more protection than the BasSport. The consoles are fixed so the fusepanel was moved too the rear compartment behind the driver. I believe I also heard all 21s now feature a larger, 36 gallon fuel tank. Darris told me he has been averaging in the mid 7s per gallon (by the very accurate Smartcraft gauge) on the 21 single console with the 175 Opti. How awesome is that? A 175 powered, nearly 80mph 1300# 21+ ftr that gets nearly 3 times what similar sized and performing rigs would get with their 250s and 300s!!!
He isn't happy about the idea of 3.0 motors on the new boat because of the way it sits down and take off with the large motor while the occupants being so far back and the batteries now having to be located up front. But their performance will remain to be seen. I KNOW that like most other 21s, they will be equipped with 250XSs and maybe a few 300Xs by most owners.
Pics to follow,
RA
