10 Leisure Boating December 2017
on various accessories, it’s evident that this
23 was built with the skipper’s comfort in
mind. The steering wheel and throttle seem
to be at the right locations for your hands to
rest on, making this craft a pleasure to drive.
Performance
Now, what sets the 23 WS apart from any
other boat in South Africa at present is that
it uses Volvo’s forward-facing gearbox –
which is said to host a long list of benefits.
They say that the design enhances a boat’s
ride characteristics, whether you’re just
cruising or doing almost any watersport.
What is truly evident is that is provides a
more comfortable ride; since the props are
situated under the boat, it means less noise
and exhaust fumes. A Duo-prop setup,
which sees two propellers on the same
shaft but spinning in different direction,
negates torque roll, smooths out the ride,
gives better bite and results in a more
economical fuel-efficiency in comparison
to traditional gearboxes.
This all sounds good in theory, but what
are the results? Running back to back with
Sensation’s traditional rear-facing 23 SXi –
which is the same boat – it improvements
were pretty notable. Hopping onto the
plane, the Duo-prop sinks its blades into
the water to really get you going, which
is superb for popping a rider up out of
the water. In comparison to the normal
23, the WS also has an increase in top
speed by 5 km/h to reach 80 @ 5 000 rpm
when measured on the GPS. When you’re
stretching this motor’s legs at full throttle,
the steering is almost too light, as even
little movements show that the motor and
hull combination are super responsive.
In tight corners, you’ll want to make sure
you’re holding on as the directional thrustpoints the nose in the exact direction
without any cavitation.
It was a calm weekday on the Vaal river,
so I had to make some waves of my own
in order to see the feedback it would give
the hull. With its sharp V and deadrise, the
Sensation cut through the wakes with little
effect or reverberation.Conclusion
The Sensation 23 WS comes fully kitted for
wake surfing. With its three built in tanks
for pumping up the ballast, a premium
quality Monster Tower, an impeccable
finish with custom hull graphics, this boat
certainly looks the part of an imported
wake craft. And since it’s locally built, it’s a
feather in the cap for this local boat builder.
Pricing starts at R845 000. For more
information, contact Sensation Boats and
Living on (016) 366 1630 or 083 545 8514.