| Regal 2520 FasDeck |
| By: Go Boating Test Team | 7/1/2008 10:23 AM |
| Last updated: 7/1/2008 10:23 AM |
When Regal designed the 2520 FasDeck for 2008, the goal was style, performance and function in a family package. It appears they hit the mark. The 2520 boasts Euro-inspired design, MerCruiser and Volvo sterndrive-power offerings and Regal’s award-winning FasTrac hull that features an enclosed head, optional transom and bow showers, and a Flexiteek swim platform.
There’s also enough storage and seating for the entire family and a few friends. The 2520 offers U-shaped bow seating, L-shaped cockpit seating and a reversible companion seat with storage lockers beneath each, and a transom locker for wakeboards and skis. Add sport graphics, a pop-up ski pylon and an optional wakeboard tower with board rack and there’s not much a family can’t do on this boat.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Regal 2520 FasDeck’s Euro-styling is unusual in the deckboat world, and it surrounds a family-friendly layout. Look for cushioned bench seats in the bow; one cushion lifts out, revealing a nonskid step for the bow-entry ladder. The under-seat storage has space for the removable dining table.
In the carpeted cockpit, the helm features a bolstered bucket seat, and the companion comes with a reversible backrest. Regal uses backlit, fog-resistant Faria gauges in the dashboard that include a speedometer, a tachometer, an hourmeter, a digital depth sounder as well as fuel, voltage, water temperature, oil pressure and trim gauges. Side-mounted controls match the custom non-slip steering wheel. The head/changing room is located in the port console, and it can be fitted with an optional VacuFlush marine toilet.
The L-shaped aft seating is ample and leaves room for the hinged transom door that accesses the swim platform. On the way, you pass the sunpad, which features a reversible backrest. Other standard features include pop-up cleats, a gelcoated and insulated engine compartment and through-bolted deck hardware.
The 2520 FasDeck sounds good, too, thanks to its standard Kenwood four-speaker stereo that’s operated by remotes in the steering wheel, at the bow and at the transom. The system can be upgraded to a more powerful, 6-amp model with six speakers and a six-CD changer. An iPod dock and satellite radio are also available. In fact, the options list is loaded with comforts and amenities that include canvas side and aft curtains for the standard Bimini top, a through-hull exhaust, a rail-mounted barbecue grill and a teak cockpit table for elegant dining.
PERFORMANCE
The 2520 runs on a deep-V fiberglass hull with a vinylester barrier coat on the bottom and a bow scuff plate forward. It is offered with seven sterndrives from MerCruiser and Volvo up to 375 hp. Our test boat came with a Volvo 5.7GXi, a 320 hp engine with DuoProp drive. The ride was smooth and dry during our test on Georgia’s Lake Lanier, even when running all out. Turns were tight and docking a snap, which we attribute to the DuoProp drive. The 2520 FasDeck got out of the gate in a hurry, planing in 4.3 seconds and hitting 30 mph in 7.6 seconds.
We found the optimum cruising speed at 3000 rpm, where we were running 23.9 mph and getting 2.7 mpg. That gave us a comfortable range of about 145 miles. At that speed, the noise level was an acceptable 82 dBa. We reached a top speed of 46.8 mph at 5150 rpm.
This article first appeared in the July 2008 issue of GO Boating Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
