The Corsiva Coaster 720 GT is great for low and high speed day boating, but with the potential for over-night stops too
The Corsiva Coaster 720 GT has three surprises in store. One is its cost. Although it can be bought (ex delivery) without any engine for £28,995 inc VAT, more realistically it starts at £32,695 with the smallest 25hp outboard motor.
That puts it head-to-head with the acknowledged masters of small boat value for money, the French.
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The 720 also exhibited impressive composure at both ends of the speed spectrum. Pottering along the Itchen river on our way out into a choppy Southampton Water, it needed almost no attention on the wheel whatsoever, a boon for those who intend to use it on the inland waterways.
Outboard options stretch from 25hp to 200hp
Only in quartering seas did it need correction on the wheel, and how often do you find those on the river?
Yet the 720 GT also remained unflappable when it was hurtling along at up to 33 knots, courtesy of the 150hp Mercury outboard fitted to our test boat.
And not just in a straight line, in extremely tight turns too. However, if that composure tempts you into fitting the largest 200hp option in pursuit of the theoretical 38 knots on offer, I’d highly recommend fitting some good fast-acting trim-tabs.
Quite how it manages to provide such an easygoing ride in bumpy conditions with such obviously flat aft hull sections is a mystery, but it’s certainly a welcome puzzle.
Inside out
The third surprise was finding full standing headroom under the soft fabric sunroof. This feature is the key to the workings of the low-profile 720.
Snug cockpit is very well protected yet can be opened to the elements
If the weather is good enough, the roof can be rolled forward and the major part of the interior becomes almost as much a part of the outside as the aft cockpit.
That makes its workings very different to the archetypal French alternative (for example, the Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5) which has distinct inside and outside spaces.
Sleeping space in the bow
There’s no right or wrong arrangement, but the 720GT is certainly going to appeal to those who do a lot of day boating, and perhaps plan to spend fewer nights onboard than their French boat owning friends.
Pros
- On the water for £33,000 – a bargain!
- Composed at low and high speed
- Standing headroom under the sliding roof
- Lots of useful and varied storage
- Surprisingly good rough weather ride
Cons
- Tinted windows + gloomy weather = hazard
- Heads lacks privacy of French rivals
Price as reviewed:
£42,995.00 inc UK VAT
Verdict
The Corsiva Coaster 720 GT matches its French rivals' terrific value, but with a Scandinavian take on slow and fast day boating. Modest overnight accommodation means weekend cruising is on the cards too.
Details
Length: 22ft 4in (6.80m)
Beam: 8ft 3in (2.50m)
Fuel capacity: 44 imp gal (200 litres)
Water capacity: 17 imp gal (77 litres)
Draught: 1ft 0in (0.31m) ex engine
RCD Category: C (for 7 people)
Displacement: 1.8 tonnes (ex engine)
Test engine: Single 150hp Mercury outboard
Top speed: 33 knots
Cruising speed: 20/28 knots
