Boating

Tests

W

HEN YOU THINK OF “COUPE,” WHAT

comes to mind? Does an enclosed helm with a

plush salon and accommodations belowdecks?

Sure, but what about speed and sportiness? Not often, but

when a boat like the Cobalt A40 Coupe comes along, you

can think that too. Many coupes we’ve tested in this size

range hover just shy of the 40 mph range, with handling and

acceleration you’d describe as safe and predictable rather

than aggressive. With the A40 Coupe, you get a taste of

performance in your coupe.

Testing on a small freshwater lake with limited areas

to run full speed, we worried we’d run out of room before

compiling our performance numbers. Turns out, we

shouldn’t have. While spooling up the Volvo Penta D4 diesel

sterndrives to climb onto plane took six seconds, we sprinted

to 30 mph in 14 seconds en route to a top speed of 47.5 mph.

While those aren’t blistering numbers by Cobalt’s own sporty

bowrider standards,

they are remarkable

for a 10-ton boat

with a 12-foot beam

and a 9-foot-3-inch-

tall profile.

Plus, the inherent

maneuverability

and directional

thrust provided by

sterndrives enabled

us to execute nimble

hard-over turns at

speed, so we didn’t

have to come off

plane to record the numbers going the other way. Cobalt

credits these performance attributes to its hull design with

an extended running surface and reverse chines, as well as a

running pad aft that improves lift. With the automatic trim

tabs, the boat always kept a good attitude so our view from

the helm was never appreciably obscured.

We knew all this about the boat already from when

we tested the original A40, which features an open helm

protected by a windshield that is separated from the hardtop

above. In the coupe version, the boat remains open between

the helm area and the cockpit, but is more protected by a

windshield that is fully integrated with the hardtop forward

yet vented on either side. The top also extends farther aft.

Some builders take a different approach to the coupe,

such as the slightly smaller Carver C37 ($446,830 with twin

Cobalt

A40 Coupe

( #2941 )

NOTEWORTHY

In a nod to

seaworthiness,

the dinette table

in the salon has a

fiddled rail so food

or belongings won’t

slide off underway.

The space belowdecks has great flow, from the galley to the dinette to the

midship cabin, but the best seat aboard the A40 Coupe is still at the helm. PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) FOREST JOHNSON, COURTESY COBALT BOATS (3)

52 BOATINGMAG.COM APRIL 2016