Question:
What Exactly is a Sport Cruiser?

Answer: There’s Nothing Exact About It!

When speaking of boats, the term “cruiser” is about as well defined as a shoreline with considerable tidal swings. Chapman’s defines it as, “…a type of boat with at least minimal accommodations and facilities for overnight trips” while the Cornell Maritime Press Encyclopedia of Nautical Knowledge offers, “…a motor yacht fitted with living accommodations.” So we can suppose that a more specific definition is to be determined by your own personal budget since some folks are happy in a small V-berth with an ice chest, one burner stove and a Porta-Potty, while others insist on a king berth with 1200 thread-count sheets, full-sized fridge, and an oversized Jacuzzi tub spritzed with exotic bath salts. But for the sake of discussion here, let’s call a cruiser a boat with more than minimal accommodations, but something short of all out dockside decadence.
Each year, what were once thought of as “luxury options” become more and more compact and affordable, thus taking more and more of the “roughing it” aspect out of boating. Once a rare thing on the equipment list, microwaves, water makers, generators, air conditioning (in the cabin or even in cockpit spaces now) and ice makers have become almost standard… not to mention flat screen TVs for entertaining and modern navigation systems that make staying in the channel child’s play. Throw in a bow thruster and “it ain’t your father’s cruiser anymore.”
In recent years we’ve seen the word “sport” preceding “cruiser” more and more, suggesting that an evolution of sorts has occurred when it comes to defining this upgraded class of vessel. Additionally, the size range for this vessel classification is also shallowly defined, but a review of various manufacturers’ product lines and categorizations would suggest that the new crop of sport cruisers generally ranges in sizes from 30-55 feet.

In this range of boats, the possibilities are seemingly endless as to hull form and performance, styling, above deck amenities, below deck comforts, power options, and water toy accommodations. With the advent of the new pod propulsion systems freeing up more below deck space, even a heretofore “smaller” cruiser offers more and more room now.
But pod propulsion systems offer more than just room. Their efficiency delivers a considerable leap in speed at both cruising and top end levels, while also vastly improving fuel economy. When it comes to close quarters maneuverability, you can’t beat a joystick control (although joysticks are not exclusive to pod systems), especially when interfaced with the GPS and a magic box that takes over the station keeping control.
Following the automotive trend of the past decade or so, sport cruisers can be compared to the modern SUV. Though not a Winnebago, there needs to be ample room for storing a variety of equipment and toys. It must make a good turn of speed for getting a good distance from a homeport since most people don’t have weeks and weeks to make the trip—maybe just an extended weekend at best. The boat must also be relatively seaworthy, not something you’d be afraid to run out an inlet on during anything but “Chamber of Commerce Day” weather and sea conditions. And it must have creature comforts for more than just a cruising couple since the younger kids may not be out of the nest yet, the collegians still don’t mind hanging out with Mom and Dad if it means a nice trip to a fun destination via water, and you’ve finally discovered another cruising couple that you actually don’t mind having aboard for more than just an afternoon cruise.
To paraphrase Mark Kellum, Marketing Manager for Regal Boats, this type of craft can be and do so many things. “With the touch of a button or two to open windows and slide back enclosures, you can go from sun and wind in your face to being fully enclosed… the trend is definitely moving away from canvas; people just don’t like it.”
Asked about pod systems he chimed in: “We like them! And we’ve installed more Volvo IPS systems than any other builder, so we know them pretty well by now. Pods have had a tremendous effect in moving people into larger boats. Pods make handling a 50-plus-footer easy enough for a crew of two. We’ve even seen a major gender role reversal… with a pod/joystick system, when docking, the woman now takes the helm while the guy handles deck duty.”
Russ Davis, Director of Marketing and Sales, KCS International, Inc., parent company of Cruisers, Inc. shared his thoughts; “We consider a sport cruiser to be only those boats that literally get the wind in your face and you need canvas to go up for protection. Sport cruisers are express-style boats. Size-wise, we feel boats from the 26-27-foot to the mid-50-foot range contain this class of boat. We build up to a 56-footer and you still get the wind in your face. We call enclosed models like our new Cantius line sports coupes, not cruisers.
“In terms of trends, our research has shown that the majority of people prefer a galley up configuration in their sport cruiser, and believe it or not, 80 percent of our boats being sold now have a pod propulsion system.” Russell Forkert, President of Yacht World, Inc., the Florida and Great Lakes dealer for Cranchi Yachts, shared, “‘Sport cruiser’ is a very broad classification that includes a lot of things. The boats can range up to 60 feet or so in length, but there are three primary features: people want a full-beam master cabin; cab forward design; and an up and aft galley.
“I can also tell you that pod propulsion systems have changed everything in this class of boat. All of our serious customers—in fact it’s almost become a prerequisite—want a boat outfitted with pods. One other trend, people are getting tired of canvas. They want to close the door, turn the key and go.”
Ryan Jacobs, also of Yacht World, wrote, “Some of the new features in the 56 ST that make it stand out are the convertible soft tops made by Webasto (BMW, Rolls Royce convertibles) that are very rugged and insulated, but retract to give 80-90 percent open air versus maximum 50 percent on a hard top. Another feature is the huge cockpit space with unique seating, pop up TV and blue safety glass bar to starboard—it is the best sport cruiser of this size I have seen for entertaining. The center helm is very comfortable and well designed (sports car-like) for driving. It feels like you are in a car.”
Lauren “Jake” Fabre, V.P for Powerboat Sales, America Jenneau related, “The words ‘sport’ and ‘express’ have some cultural differences. While speed is more important in Europe, the American market is looking for a dayboat with both comfort and performance. Either way, a cruiser has to provide liveability. Even at 30 feet, you have to have cabins separated by bulkheads, not curtains. And the American market wants bigger cockpits and outdoor cooking.”
So there you have a (albeit, not 100 percent) consensus as to just what a modern sport cruiser is and what one can do to enhance and improve your time spent out on the water.