amed Fat Freddy – not a woman’s
name, says Shelly with feeling – she
is a Regal 28 Express supplied by
New Zealand agent Tony McCombe
from Integrity Marine in Nelson.
She’s the culmination of a thorough
search, during which the Thomsons considered several
other US-made models, including boats from Four
Winns, Bayliner and Sea Ray.
“Our last boat was a Four Winns and we liked it a
lot, but we were after something bigger, and of the
boat’s we looked at, the Regal offered the best mix of
size, features and price.
“We’re stoked with it,” says James.
Fat Freddy lives in Kinloch’s pretty and sheltered
marina close to Lake Taupo’s Western Bays, renowned
for great trout fishing and spectacular scenery. The
Regal 28 Express is legally trailerable on American
roads, and in New Zealand too with the right vehicle,
trailer and equipment. But this boat will live out its
life in Lake Taupo, at least for as long as it’s in the
Thomsons’ care, so there is no road trailer.
Compact Express Cruisers like the Regal 28 Express
are popular in the USA and other markets, but still
somewhat rare in New Zealand. They tend to be tall
vessels, to maximise space below decks, which in some
cases results in rather chunky styling.
The Regal 28 Express, while tall, has escaped this
fate, managing to look sporty, stylish and modern, but
still offers an amazing amount of desirable space below
decks. There is a lot of boat crammed into the Regal’s
28-foot (8.78m) length. The beam is just under 2.6m.
One of the other attractions for the Thomsons was
the Regal’s single engine, a 6.2-litre Mercruiser 300hp
V8 petrol with Bravo 3 stern leg. Bigger boats, including
some of the other options they looked at, are supplied
with twin engines and as far as James is concerned, two
engines add complexity, impact on the boat’s purchase
price and make servicing more expensive. The Regal has
a bowthruster, so berthing is “a breeze” he says.| subscribe | magstore.nz/boatingnewzealand Boating New Zealand 69
Taupo couple James and Shelly
Thomson wanted a boat that
would allow them to enjoy Lake
Taupo throughout the year,
suitable for a range of on-water
activities. It had to work as a day
boat, but also as a weekend retreat
as they like to overnight.
They found a Regal solution.N