2013 Regal 24 RX Fasdeck

Description

This is one of the best boats that I have owned. That's saying a lot considering I have owed 4 Formula boats. This boat is awesome for water sports, lounging and handles great in tough waters. The cockpit space is very well thought out. This is my first Regal and have been very impressed with the quality of hardware and material. We enjoyed the boat but found limited time to use it with our kids being so busy with sports. Below is information about the boat.
Distinguishing Features

There are several distinguishing features that separate this 24 FasDeck from the crowd:•

Innovative Aft Sun Pad.

The aft sun pad can accommodate up to six different positions in order to enjoy reclining, lounging and cruising either facing forward or aft.•

Gas Assist Struts on All Storage Hatches.

This makes for easy opening and no need to hold the hatch open while loading up the compartment.•

Massive Head Compartment.

Not only is the head area huge but it's finished to perfection. Probably one of the nicest heads I've seen in class.•

Fusion Marine Stereo.

Rather than follow much of the industry and just drop in an automotive stereo into the boat, Regal went with a Fusion stereo built specifically for the marine industry.•

Higher Freeboard.

One of the weak points of many deckboats has been their low freeboard which can make them wet in choppy, windy conditions. Regal solves that problem with a high freeboard that has been carefully camouflaged with graphics and color to look lower than it really is.

The RX version also includes the hull side sport graphics.Performance and Handling

Long experience testing Regal boats has shown that their patented FasTrac hulls handle well, and this 24 FasDeck RX is no exception. Her stepped hull offers quick acceleration with a nominal 16-degree bow rise which causes no loss of visibility to the horizon. Regardless of how aggressive I got in the turns, the 24 FasDeck hung on as if she were on rails with no sign of annoying chine walk at the top of the roll. When operating at flat-out speed I did notice just a little bit of chine walk.With an empty weight of 4,580 lbs. (2,077 kg), three quarters fuel, two people and test gear we had a test weight of 5,142 lbs. (2332.4 kg). a 300-hp Volvo Penta 5.7 Gi we reached a top speed at 5000 rpm of 48 mph. At that speed we were burning just over 24 gph for range of 75 miles. Best cruise was found at 3000 rpm and 24.3 mph. At that speed I measured a fuel burn of 8.55 gph for a range of 107 miles.We reached planing speed in 2.8 seconds, 20 mph came and went in 4.9 seconds, and we continued accelerating through 30 mph in 7.4 seconds.

That is a very big pond, indeed, that the Regal 24 FasDeck is playing in. That is why she has a freeboard slightly higher than in many other deckboats which were designed for small mid-western lakes.Features Inspection

Let's start our look at this innovative boat as we step aboard from the swim platform. The walkthrough entryway is over to the starboard side so the helm allows the captain a clear view of the swim ladder. In the center of the transom is a mount for the optional pedestal table ($538), significantly adding to the functionality of this aft space. A Flexiteek swim platform deck is standard on the RX version and offered as an option ($1,000) on the non-RX. Tucked neatly into the transom are trailering brake lights. By plugging a patch cable in from the tow vehicle to the bow of the 24 FasDeck, these brake lights will be activated at the same time as the trailer brake lights, adding to trailering safety. This is a terrific feature and Regal is the only builder I know of who does this.

The RX version includes the Flexiteek deck on the swim platform. Notice the red trailer brake lights just under the sun pad storage.The Ultra Lounge

This is a very cool feature that adds a lot of versatility to the 24 FasDeck. It can pretty much be thought of as a sun pad on steroids. Either lie flat, recline in chaise lounge position, sit facing forward, aft, blend in with the wraparound seating and pretty much simply adapt it to the heart's content. What I think is the most notable feature is that the sun lounge can now be used even while the boat is underway as it has that forward facing functionality. Naturally there's storage underneath.

In the "normal" position, there is a sun pad and regular cockpit seating.The seat to the port side of the ultra lounge also conceals deep storage. This can hold wakeboards, fenders, and tow toys.Here is the ultra lounge set-up for forward facing reclining. In this position, one can lounge even when the 24 FasDeck is underway.Cockpit

The wraparound arena seating is really what makes this cockpit so functional. It allows a large number of people to enjoy the boat while still maintaining an intimate conversational atmosphere. There's dedicated storage for a trash receptacle and a 25 quart (23.7 L) cooler. Our test boat was fitted with the optional refreshment center ($923) just abaft the helm, which is plumbed to the 11 gallon (42 L) water tank, along with the optional transom shower ($508). Regal accommodates three standard interior color packages, all featuring the soft touch vinyl, diamond stitched side panels, and french stitched seams. I would give serious consideration to the optional cockpit carpet ($423).

Under the port side seat is storage for a carry-on cooler and a dedicated space for a trash receptacle. Notice the pedestal table base.The aft facing lounger is great for observing the end of the towline, or watching the wake shrinking in the distance, but I found facing the operator to be a bit awkward due to the width of the seat.The refreshment center is not only a convenient place to wash up for lunch, but with the sink covered it is a handy place for fixing sandwiches.Engine Compartment

The aft seat lifts with the aid of two gas assist struts for effortless access to the engine compartment. I found the installation to be more than adequate for extended maintenance and certainly daily engine checks are a nonevent. I’m happy to see that an automatic fire suppression system was installed, as it is on nearly all Regal boats, as standard. All wiring harnesses use weather resistant Deutsch connectors.

Helm

Regal does a nice job with their hand–stitched dash. We've seen time and again where a company will wrap a sun shroud in vinyl and call it hand stitched, but in this instance it truly is a soft feeling dash shroud. The panel is aluminum which provides a nice contrast to the vinyl and fiberglass console. In my operations, the one gauge that gets the lion's share of my attention is always the depth gauge, and on the 24 FasDeck it's supplied as standard equipment.

Notice the carbon fiber finish of the panel and the comfortable leather wrapped wheel. The Fusion stereo is purpose-built for the marine environment.Stereo.

It's hard not to appreciate the Fusion Marine stereo. How often have we all seen an automotive-type Sony stereo plopped into a panel on a boat? While I always see the boats fresh from the factory, the longevity of these installations always comes into question. In this instance, the stereo is waterproof with an internal iPod docking station that keeps the handheld device dry as well as fully charged. The unit is also connected to six marine-grade speakers as part of the standard package. As if that weren't enough Regal also offers a high-performance stereo package on the non-RX version ($977) that includes an amplifier, subwoofer, transom remote, and two additional speakers. With both the regular and RX models, a Sirius satellite tuner is also available ($246).

RegalVue and Watersports

The coolest option on this helm is undoubtedly Regal's proprietary RegalVue display. It's a touch display screen that provides a wealth of information at a glance and it's highly customizable to suit one's own needs. When coupled with Volvo Penta installations, one can also have a programmable cruise control and any number of operational profiles can be dialed in and named according to the person at the end of the towline. It's a very cool system and we've seen variations of this on other brands, but Regal takes it one better by adding a diagnostic page that will allow the boater to diagnose fault codes and receive directions on fixes. While one won't be seeing labor-intense instruction such as "replace timing chain" one will see "inspect water strainer" as well as other more user-friendly guidelines. In my opinion, the display is not only very cool, but very intuitive and user-friendly and most will need no instruction on its use.

High-tech Stuff.

The RegalVue is offered as an option in three different versions. A Volvo version for $1,885, a Merc version for $2,500, and a Volvo-only cruise control version for $2,915. If the boater plans on using the 24 FasDeck as just a playing-around family fun dayboat, then I would categorize the RegalVue in the "nice to have" category. But if one is into watersports, and plan on doing a lot of towing then I would relegate it into the "must have" category. As an economic compromise, Regal also offers the Perfect Pass cruise control for $1,731.And certainly if one falls into that latter watersports category, they'll want to give serious consideration to the PowerTower ($4,900). It's a very cool, and very strong, wakeboard tower that retracts at the push of a button so that the 24 FasDeck will still fit into a garage or boathouse. The tower also has available options such as swivel board racks ($1,154), and tower speakers to replace the transom speakers ($1,377). Of course all of this is standard on the RX version.

At the top of the PowerTower is a combination tow point and all-around navigation light.A Head of its Time

While this head may not be exciting enough to make someone want to drink a six-pack of soda before getting onboard, it is by far the nicest that I've seen in any boat in class. Regal really went all-out with cherry cabinets, a Corian counter, sink, and raised edges to the counter. There's a surprising amount of storage in the cabinetry, so beyond a couple of rolls of TP, I suppose a library of magazines could be added, if it's desired. A chemical head is standard and pump out fittings are offered for $177. The entire head compartment is lockable so go ahead and toss in tote bags full of incidentals while making the way to the dockside restaurant.

Beautiful cherry veneer cabinetry and a convenient sink for washing up highlight the upscale head in this deckboat.Bow

As we make our way to the bow, the walkthrough windshield is held open by a magnetic catch, which means that it can be opened and closed on the fly and with one hand. For all that Regal offers as standard features, I was surprised to see that lower walkthrough doors were not on the standard list, but they are offered as an option ($362) and I would highly recommend them to anyone who might find themselves operating on chilly mornings. While the windshield frames are certainly beefy in their own right, these are also supported by heavy duty stainless steel supports that easily held my weight.

Regal made the windshield frame nice and thick because they know the boater is going to be hanging onto it, especially when getting in and out of the helm seat. Our test boat had the optional cockpit carpet ($423).The bow area is not only roomy but quite comfortable with flip-up armrests and generous padding under the seats. Bow filler cushions are optional ($346).

The bow area itself is nothing short of massive, as one would expect in any deckboat. To the starboard side the generous storage begins under the helm console and continues all the way to the forward end of the starboard seat with no bulkheads interrupting the space. Thanks to this storage area, the boater not only can fill the sole storage with boards but this compartment as well. To the port side, the storage is only under the seat as the head occupies the console space. Both seat cushions are hinged from the back and open with the aid of gas struts.

The layout of the 24 FasDeck RX.

When sitting in the lounge position both the port and starboard seats have flip-up armrests, and while this is a wonderful feature for both comfort and security, I would rather see the flip-down armrests that are offered on some of the other Regal models as they can be deployed and retracted with one hand.The seat position fully forward has a backrest and I find this to be an equally comfortable position for an observer watching the end of the towline as it puts them in direct line of sight with the operator. The seat cushion removes to reveal a nonskid step that will then take one to the nonskid foredeck. A hatch on the foredeck covers the self draining anchor locker, and abow reboarding ladder is standard.

Pricing and Options

The Regal 24 FasDeck RX has a base price of $79,957 when equipped with the catalyzed 300-hp Volvo Penta V8-300 with Duoprop outdrive. There are six other engine options. Aside from some of the options mentioned previously, I would consider docking lights ($231).Since my boating usually has me anchored out into the wee hours of the night I would definitely opt for the underwater LED light bars ($654).

Observations

The 24 FasDeck models are clearly boats built by boaters for boaters. Not only does everything onboard just fit ergonomically but she's equally comfortable to operate. Obviously Regal's designers took a look at everything on the market before designing this deckboat. Clearly, their aim was to do the competition one better in each critical area. It is for that reason that if one is in the market for a deckboat they should see the Regal 24 FasDeck.