Boating — December 2018

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VIDEO

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound

rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level

1000 4.61 5.30 1.00 4.61 5.30 158 181 0 74

1500 5.82 6.70 1.90 3.06 3.53 105 121 2 75

2000 7.04 8.10 3.60 1.96 2.25 67 77 4 79

2500 9.65 11.10 5.80 1.66 1.91 57 65 7 82

3000 21.81 25.10 6.60 3.30 3.80 113 130 4 87

3500 24.42 28.10 7.60 3.21 3.70 110 126 3 89

4000 28.94 33.30 10.70 2.70 3.11 92 106 2 89

4500 31.54 36.30 15.40 2.05 2.36 70 81 2 91

5000 34.67 39.90 20.10 1.72 1.99 59 68 2 92

5200 35.71 41.10 22.00 1.62 1.87 56 64 2 98

MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

High Points

XCommand Center at the helm

features intuitive touchscreen

technology.

XIntegrated Surf Platform package

includes the Power Wedge, Surf

Gate and Surf Band for a complete

ride experience.

XSki pylon mounts amidships to

keep the pivot point in the center of

the boat for water skiing.

Specs

· LOA: 20'0" · BEAM: 8'2" · DRY

WEIGHT: 3,500 lb. · SEATING/

WEIGHT CAPACITY: 11/1,551 lb.

· FUEL CAPACITY: 38 gal.

How We Tested

ENGINE: Indmar Monsoon 410 6.2L

PROP: 15" x 14^1 / 4 " 4-blade Acme Nibral

GEAR RATIO: 1.76:1

FUEL LOAD: 32 gal.

CREW WEIGHT: 400 lb.

Price

Unavailable (at press time)

MALIBU

Wakesetter 20 VTX

speeds lets the driver set the

boat for a slalom run.

With no ballast, we got

the 20 VTX to hop onto

plane in 3.5 seconds. When

we hammered the throttle,

we achieved a top speed of

41.1 mph, a faster speed than

you’ll typically fi nd on boats

designed for tow sports. Of

course, it performs best at

surfi ng and towing speeds.

Since the boat is truly multi-

sport, which one you want to

do depends on you.

The Malibu Wakesetter 20 VTX is the

quintessential crossover boat, capable

of handling any sport you want to try on

the water. Thanks to its Diamond hull, it’s

versatile enough to handle water skiing,

wakeboarding and surfi ng. The Diamond

hull is a smaller-footprint design similar

to the one Malibu uses for its pure tour-

nament-level inboard ski boats but with a

V-drive that makes it capable of producing

a great wake as well. It’s a boat that’s de-

signed to do it all, without compromising

quality in any discipline.

We put our test team on the case,

armed with surfb oards. After surfi ng be-

hind it, we had to remind ourselves that

this 20-footer was a multisport crossover

boat. The wave was so nice, it was easy to

believe this boat was made solely for surf-

ing. For such a small boat, the 20 VTX

throws a powerful wave. There was a ton

of push, even as we went really far back.

Many 20-foot boats don’t produce a wake-

surfi ng wave with long pockets, but the 20

VTX is diff erent. And we were impressed

by the steepness of this wave, which was

actually on par with the waves produced

from Malibu’s bigger models. Thanks to

the Integrated Surf Platform technolo-

gies, the waves on this boat can easily be

adjusted to accommodate riders of all ages

and skill levels. And with Malibu’s Surf

Band, you can control the wave right from

your board, making it more steep or mel-

low, faster or slower, and even transferring

sides, all at the touch of a button.

Ready to wakeboard? Set the ballast

and the boat still rocks in the 18-to-20 mph

range. Drain the ballast tanks and deploy

the ski pylon, which mounts amidships to

keep the pivot point in the center of the boat,

and you’re ready to carve. The same GPS

technology that holds surf and wakeboard

PHOTO: COURTESY MALIBU BOATS

MALIBU BOATS

Loudon, Tennessee; 865-458-4578; malibuboats.com

To watch our

video review

of the 20 VTX,

scan this tag or

visit boating

mag.com/

bbg18/

malibu20vtx.

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