Boating USA — February 2018

®

A touch ahead

http://www.optimus-360.com

;\YUá

on the spot

Reverse

Slide left

or right

Forward

Come take a demo ride

at the Miami Boat Show

Slips 309, 311, 313, 315

From the leaders in

steeringtechnology

....a joystick

docking control

system that simply

feels incredible!

WE SAY Starcraft’s Star Step 221 proves
a deck boat can kick up tasty waves. Volvo
Penta’s Forward Drive positions the prop
forward of the gear case, keeping surf-
ers safer. A combination of nearly 900
pounds of plumbed internal ballast and
Wake Worx surf tabs build and shape a
thigh-high wave with plenty of forward
push. Loaded up with more crew weight,
we watched the wave grow bigger and
cleaner, and with a much longer pocket.
Zero Off speed control locks in the speed,
and a watersports tower provides an
elevated tow point when wakeboarding.
The Star Step hull takes its name
from the vented chines that Starcraft
notes help the surf wave break but also
introduce bubbles below the hull, reduc-
ing friction and improving performance.
Time to plane clocked in at 4.3 seconds.
The boat peaked at 44.8 mph and

STARCRAFT

Star Step 221

E I/O Surf

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION

rpm knots mph gph naut. mpg stat. mpg range range n. mi. s. mi. angle levelsound

1000 4.17 4.80 1.20 3.48 4.00 138 158 0 62

1500 5.74 6.60 2.00 2.87 3.30 114 131 2 65

2000 7.21 8.30 3.30 2.19 2.52 87 100 5 70

2500 10.51 12.10 5.20 2.02 2.33 80 92 5 75

3000 18.60 21.40 4.80 3.87 4.46 153 177 3 77

3500 23.38 26.90 6.20 3.77 4.34 149 172 2 83

4000 27.98 32.20 8.10 3.45 3.98 137 157 1 84

4500 32.76 37.70 11.20 2.93 3.37 116 133 1 88

5000 35.71 41.10 14.80 2.41 2.78 96 110 1 89

5400 38.93 44.80 17.20 2.26 2.60 90 103 1 88

MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

·LOA: 21'10" ·BEAM: 8'6" ·DRAFT: 3'1" ·DISPLACEMENT:

2,940 lb. ·FUEL CAPACITY: 44 gal.

HOW WE TESTED

ENGINE: VOLVO PENTA V6-240-CE/FWD DRIVE/PROPS:

VOLVO PENTA FORWARD DRIVE/K4 PROPSET GEAR RATIO:

1.95:1 FUEL LOAD: 44 GAL. CREW WEIGHT: 320 LB.

displayed quick and agile handling.

This boat also parties. The

12-person-capacity seating wraps

around the cockpit perimeter. There’s

stowage beneath nearly all seating and a

36-quart removable cooler. The enter-

tainment center adds a sink with faucet,

and cup holders throughout are lit for

both style and visibility. Tired out after a

day of chasing waves? Relax on the 3-by-

4-foot sun pad. —Jeff Hemmel

WHO’D WANT ONE

Boaters seeking affordable

wakesurfing and the socia-

bility of a deck boat.

ANOTHER CHOICE

Chaparral’s 21 H2O Surf

(starting at $44,995

with identical power),

like Starcraft, delivers

TESTS///#3055

wakesurfing fun for a low nationally

advertised price. Chaparral licenses

the Malibu Surf Gate to produce its

surf wave.

BOTTOM LINE $64,199 (with test

power); starcraftmarine.com

PHOTO: BILL DOSTER