Motor Boat & Yachting — November 2017

A top speed of 40 knots is more than enough

to embarrass sportsboats twice its size

If it seems indulgent to dedicate

a whole page to the new Williams

Sportjet, bear in mind that more MBY

readers are likely to buy one of these

than any other boat. The previous

generation of Turbojets was the

default tender of choice for almost

every craft over 40ft and the garages

of most new models are designed to

fit one or other model in the Williams

range. So why fiddle with the recipe?

The answer lies in feedback from

existing owners who found the layout

and passenger capacity of the

Turbojet range restrictive. With

a single central helm seat mounted

astride the engine, there was only

room for two adult passengers seated

in front of the centre console with

a third perched in the bow, bumping

knees with the other two. The new

Sportjet range ditches this in favour

of a more sociable two-person helm

seat. Two further seats in front and

two more behind mean that up to six

adults can be ferried to the shore.

Having successfully found a means

of squeezing a quart into a pint pot,

Williams set about refining every other

aspect of the Sportjet’s performance.

The main mechanical difference is a

new 900cc naturally aspirated Rotax

engine. This develops marginally less

top-end power than the turbocharged

Weber engine (90hp at 8,000rpm

rather than 100hp at 7,600rpm) but a

flatter, more progressive torque curve

for smoother, faster acceleration. The

angle of the water jet has also been

reduced by 2º,

bringing it closer

to the horizontal

for increased

forward thrust

and a softer ride in

AT A GLANCE

Length 11ft 4in (3.45m)

Beam 5ft 8in (1.75m)

Engine 90hp BRP Rotax waterjet

Top speed on test 40 knots

Price from £30,840 inc VAT

Price as tested £32,478 inc VAT

Williams Sportjet 345

choppy conditions. Deeper spray rails

generate extra bow lift and maintain

a dry ride, even when fully loaded.

Other refinements include

stainless-steel grabrails down both

sides, an optional boarding pole

and a chunky ski pole. There is even

a watersports mode on the engine

that allows you to preset acceleration

and speed for a perfectly consistent

tow. A slight increase in tank capacity

from 42 to 48 litres is also welcome.

So far so good, but how does it

drive? The answer is simple – much

like the Turbojet but marginally better

in every respect. It doesn’t skip out

of the water quite as readily, making

for a smoother, less jerky driving

experience in any kind of chop. It still

goes like stink and corners ferociously,

and you can still force it into a spin for

a laugh if you want to rearrange your

internal organs. You’ll need to hook

your toes under the helm foot rail

though because the flat seat doesn’t

grip your hips as securely as the

Turbojet’s single bucket seat. We

recorded a top speed of 40 knots

riding solo in the 345 and 37 knots

in the 395 – more than enough to

embarrass

sportsboats

twice its size.

The two

backward-facing

rear seats may

look precarious

but with the

backrest folded

forward into a

helm bolster, the

ski pole erected

and the bathing

platform flipped up to provide an

angled footrest-cum-backwash

deflector, they’re surprisingly

comfortable and secure. In short,

the best has just got better.

Contact See website for dealers.

Web: http://www.williamsjettenders.com

The tilting platform

acts as a foot brace

and backwash defl ector

Naturally aspirated

900cc engine

Options include

a custom-made

chartplotter mount

The ski pole

doubles as

a grab handle

STARS OF SOUTHAMPTON

Digital dash has

modes for skiing

and docking

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