Boating — December 2018

(Brent) #1
SEE THE
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.

C


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