Boat revieW: raYglass legend 2800

Boat Re v i ew : R ay g l a s s L e g e n d 2 8 0 0
successor
You’ve seen the Westpac TV ads featuring Rayglass Boats founder
Tony Hembrow and may have played Lotto in hopes of winning a Rayglass Legend 2500.
T
he company undoubtedly has a high profile, but instead of
quietly settling for the status quo it has brazenly unveiled
successors to two of New Zealand’s most popular trailer boats.
Last year it was the 2500, replacing the Legend 730. This year
the Legend 2800 takes up the mantle of the Legend 850.
For many years after its 1997 debut the Legend 850 had the
top-end large fibreglass trailerboat market pretty much to itself.
It has been a phenomenally successful model for the Aucklandbased manufacturer, but in keeping with Rayglass Boats’ policy
of ongoing development, the Rayglass team decided on a new
model along the lines of the recently introduced Legend 2300
and 2500.
The result is the Legend 2800, a new hull and deck package
borrowing design cues from the Legend 2500 introduced a little
over a year ago. It’s also the product of hundreds of Legend 850
owners surveyed about what they would like to see in a new
large trailerboat from Rayglass.
Rayglass sales manager Adam Wickes says it wasn’t easy to
replace a boat as successful as the Legend 850.
“The 850 was a very good boat and our biggest challenge was
to incorporate the changes our customers wanted to see as well
as the build efficiencies we needed to make without compromising the qualities our customers loved in the 850.”
Chief amongst these qualities was a huge cockpit – the biggest
in its class – which made the boat popular with serious anglers
Mercury Marine general manager Dean Harris, left, and Rayglass Boats sales manager Adam Wickes accompanied Boating
New Zealand on the trial of the new Rayglass 2800.
and divers keen on exploring well offshore.
“With the 2800, we wanted to ensure we still offered the large
cockpit, but we also aimed to increase the amount of accommodation down below,” Wickes says.
To achieve this, Rayglass moved the helm station back 300mm
compared with the 850, effectively adding 300mm to the forward
cabin. This should have taken 300mm out of the cockpit, but
Rayglass redesigned the transom layout to claw back most of the
lost cockpit space.
We can report that the 2800’s cockpit is huge and uncluttered.
The boat is available in hardtop or cruiser top configurations – in
its hardtop guise, the short hardtop overhang makes the cockpit
seem even more expansive and Rayglass has achieved its usual
clean but practical transom layout with everything tucked up
out of harm’s way, which minimally affects cockpit space.
Combined with easy-clean surfaces, a high-pressure washdown, transom sink/shower, livebait tank, high padded coamings, full-length shelves, plenty of toe room and a smart looking
removable bait station, the 2800’s cockpit is fishing heaven.
The Legend 2800 is designed to be quicker and less expensive
to build. Rayglass shares many components and mouldings
Story BY John Eichelsheim z photos By Mike Hunter
26
Boating New Zealand October 2007
October 2007 Boating New Zealand
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Boating New Zealand October 2007
This Rayglass 2800 is the first boat in New
Zealand to have fitted the first of Mercury’s
new four-cylinder 200hp Verados. Mercury
New Zealand general manager Dean Harris
joined the Boating New Zealand review, also
experiencing the new Verados for the first
time.
The L4 200hp Verado has been developed
from the in-line four-cylinder Verado 175hp,
until recently the largest in Mercury’s fourcylinder, supercharged four-stroke range. The
new engines share the same 1.7L block as
the 135-175hp Verados, but are engineered
to produce 200hp. “They are the lightest
four-stroke in their horsepower class,” Harris
says.
Mercury Marine developed the L4 200hp
Verado to counter criticism that the L6 (sixcylinder in-line) 200hp Verados were too
heavy for some transoms.
Harris says the new, lightweight L4 200hp
offers the power and performance of a supercharged four-stroke without the weight penalty of the L6 engines. “The new engines
open up a whole lot of new transoms for us,
across several models in its Legend and Protector ranges – and the 2800 is no exception. Familiar features include the seats, seat
bases, helm layout, the huge rotationally
moulded pull-out bins under the cockpit
floor – two in the 2800 – and most noticeably, the hardtop. The 2800’s hardtop and
cruiser top variations share lids with the
Legend 2500 and Protector series.
The boat’s accommodation is generous.
A separate head, now with a moulded liner
and a drain to make cleaning easier, will be
appreciated. Rayglass has retained its focus
on practicalities: the interior is easy to clean
and the companionway can be washed out,
draining aft to the sump in the transom.
especially for twin installations like this one,”
he says.
Rayglass’ Adam Wickes says the company
built the 2800 with the weight of large, modern four-strokes in mind.
“We incorporated a bit more buoyancy aft,
compared with the 850, made space inside
the boat for bigger fuel tanks and changed
the entry slightly, fining it down, along with
a few other changes to the hull to better
accommodate the weight of a couple of
large four-strokes.”
The galley is a good size for a trailer boat
with a large, 65L Vitrifrigo fridge, two-burner gas stove and moulded sink. Stowage for
pots, pans, utensils and stores is generous.
Fibreglass in-fill panels between the
V-berths lead double lives, also serving to
close off the companionway and, with the
addition of a bolt-on stainless steel post,
converting to a cockpit table if required.
With the panels in place the cabin can be
locked up to protect valuables – something
customers said they wanted.
Sharing components improves manufacturing efficiency and lends familiarity to
every Rayglass boat. The 2800 couldn’t be
anything other than a Rayglass and you
t
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could be forgiven for mistaking it for a 2500
at first.
However, it doesn’t take long behind the
wheel to realise it’s a totally different and
much bigger boat. Capable as the 2500 certainly is, the 2800 is in another league.
For this article, we drove a new Legend
2800 hardtop with a pair of Mercury L4
200hp Verado engines bolted to the transom. They’re the first of Mercury’s new
four-cylinder 200hp Verados to reach New
Zealand and the Rayglass 2800 is the first
New Zealand boat to mount them.
Rayglass customers are increasingly opting for twin installations. As Wickes puts it:
“especially the sort of buyers interested in
the 2500 or 2800 who often travel far from
shore, on both coasts, and want the security of twin engines.” Therefore, Rayglass
ensured its new models could accept whatever power customers chose to bolt on the
transom. A 400L underfloor fuel tank and
80L water tank cater to long-range cruising
and overnighting.
Weight is not an issue with the new L4
200hp Verados. They’re considerably lighter
than any of their competitors’ four-stroke
200hp engines, all of which are six-cylinder
designs.
The new engines complement the 2800
nicely. The boat feels exceptionally well
balanced and performance is breathtaking. Acceleration from the supercharged
engines demands a firm grip on one of many
well-positioned handholds inside the cockpit and maximum revs are reached within
a few short seconds. Flat-out, we achieved
just on 50mph in lumpy conditions with
tight engines – not bad for an 8.7m (28ft),
The 2800 capably handled challenging
sea conditions at full speed; the hardtop
interior has been lengthened by 300mm.
2.7-tonne boat. When the engines are able
to rev out to their maximum 6400rpm
rather than the 6000rpm we achieved, the
boat should be even quicker.
That we were able to undertake several runs, up swell and down, at wide open
throttle in perhaps a metre of southerly
chop is a testament to the 2800’s handling.
It feels rock solid and oh-so capable – much
more capable than its driver.
Fortunately, Wickes – one of the best
powerboat drivers I know – was there to
coach us on getting the best from the boat.
It wasn’t hard – simply trim the boat correctly, point it where you want it to go and
let the hull do its thing.
The big Rayglass is happiest with a bit
of speed on, skipping across the tops of the
waves. The hull’s fine entry and 23-degree
vee made light of the biggest lumps we
could find. Sharp, high speed turns produced no nasty surprises and the Mercs
refused to break out their propellers even
when I forgot to adjust the trim after a
high-speed run.
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affords effortless throttle and trim adjustment; trim tabs are also fitted as standard
for further attitude control, depending on
sea conditions. Combined with Mercury
power steering, and Smartcraft gauges,
DTS gives exceptional, fingertip control.
Built-in synchronisation matches engine
revolutions as soon as the engines are within a couple of hundred rpm of each other
– and when they’re in sync, they make a
lovely sound.
The L4s are not as turbine-like as the
L6 Verados, which are uncannily smooth.
Four-cylinders are less smooth than six-cylinder engines, especially straight sixes like
the L6 Verados. Not that they’re noisy or
lumpy – Mercury has done an excellent
job of balancing the engines for smoothness and they’re as quiet as any 200hp I’ve
experienced – they’re just less silky than L6
Verados.
On our return journey we cruised comfortably at 4000rpm and 30mph, according
to the Raymarine C120 display, despite a
biting southerly wind and the sort of short
chop that sorts out most trailer boats fairly
smartly. The helm position is comfortable
and the seats offer good support, as well as
masses of storage in their moulded bases.
Given the big boat’s rough water ability, it
should cover a lot of ground quickly in conditions that would slow down most other
trailerboats – something, Wickes says, Rayglass customers value highly.
FROM LEFT: The well presented helm;
the cabin can be locked up; the roomy,
lined head has a drain for easy cleaning.
At trolling speed, the boat’s also comfortable, as it is lying beam-on to the sea as
would be the case drift-fishing. At a typical
trolling speed such as 9mph, the Smartcraft gauges informed us our Verados were
each burning just seven litres per hour, so
there’s plenty of trolling time on a 400-litre
tank. Rayglass will fit different propellers if
customers wish to do a lot of trolling, further reducing fuel consumption at trolling
speeds.
The Legend 2800’s construction is traditional Rayglass. The hull is hand-laid GRP
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Boating New Zealand October 2007
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SPECIFICATIONS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: An ideal platform for trolling; a touch of class in the
transom; under-floor storage abounds.
and four longitudinal girders can take plenty of horsepower. There’s a full, moulded
deck liner, and the boat is injected with urethane foam so it will float level if swamped.
Compared to the 850, the floor height has
been raised to compensate for increased
weight and to provide a self-draining cockpit.
Although the trial boat had 400hp
strapped to the transom, Wickes says it goes
well with a single 250-300hp engine, or a
pair of 150hp outboards. It’s also available in
diesel and petrol sterndrive configurations.
Although it’s a big rig to tow, the 2800 is
fully trailerable and legal on the road. Supplied on a Hoskings dual-axle trailer with
electric over hydraulic brakes, the whole
rig as reviewed weighs in at approximately
3150kg on the road, with fuel, water and
gear aboard. Diesel or L6 Verado-equipped
boats weigh more. Obviously, a substantial
tow vehicle is required.
The Rayglass Legend 2800 is a worthy
successor to the Legend 850 whose size
14 boots it has to fill. Rayglass seems to
have achieved its goal of building on the
strengths of the old boat, creating a new
model that improves on the old and setting
a new standard for large, high-performance
zzz
trailerboats.
1007219
32
Boating New Zealand October 2007
BOAT
model Rayglass Legend 2800
designer Rayglass Boats Design Team
builder Rayglass Boats
construction handlaid GRP
loa 8.7m
boa 2.45m
deadrise variable; at transom 23°
horsepower range 260-600hp
engine options outboard, twin
outboard, sterndrive
max speed 50mph
fuel capacity 400L
water capacity 80L
length on trailer 10.2m
height on trailer 3m
incl rocker launcher 3.3m
trailerable weight 3200kg approx
price as tested $210,000
packages from $165,995
ENGINE
make Mercury
type supercharged four-stroke
outboard x 2
horsepower 2 x 200hp
shaft length 25in
cylinders four-cylinder inline
weight 239kg each
max rpm 5800-6400rpm
propellers 19in
price $61,522 pair
TRAILER
manufacturer Hoskings
brakes
electric over hydraulic
on both axles
suspension leaf spring
rollers multi-roller
features fully galvanised, LED lights,
galvanised springs, stainless steel calipers
boat package supplied by
Rayglass Boats, Mt Wellington, Auckland