On test. Marlin 24 SR: uncompromised style

Enthusiasts of the “American way of boating”, rejoice! Today, with the Marlin Boat Marlin 24 SR, you can have an American-style boat to enjoy sea and water sports but 100% made in Italy. With an overall length of 7.55 meters, this RIB combines Italian design with some distinctive elements commonly found in fast boats Star-Spangled yachtsmen love using with great passion. The Marlin 24 Sr is indeed a bow rider- RIB equipped with a large fore cockpit, orange-coloured cushions, music diffusers and a beautiful steel tower to enjoy water skiing, wakeboarding, donut and banana boat rides, paraflying and many other water sports.

Marlin 24 SR – Description

Colours of various elements can be totally customized. Cushions, for example, are available in different variants, ranging from standard grey – that perfectly matches neoprene-hypalon 1300g/m² tubes – to brilliant orange.

At first glance, maximum beam length is immediately striking: 2.98 meters. It’s a very considerable size if compared with overall length and it becomes even more characterizing if we consider that boat shapes have been widened from the forward part to create a comfortable living area in the bow. However, seen from the dock or in navigation, exterior lines are streamlined and sporty. The credit for such a result goes to the double engineering and aesthetical choice adopted by the Marlin Boat Design Department. While the reversed sheer designed by tubes is made even more dynamic by a clean inflection change at amidships, a long bathing platform and a large sun pad complete the aft section. Of special note, always in the lower part of the boat, is a certain return to the roots. The base of floats, in fact, always remains on the sea level, both while sailing and at the dock. This particular conditions improves stability by reducing both rolling and pitching.

Another distinctive element is the particular steel tower that,  unlike analogous American structures, is now lightweight, with a shape that makes it more similar to the frame of an invisible enveloping awning. Of course, this accessory can also function as a support for the awning that shelters the steering console and its settees. In addition, it can be easily removed when the boat is not in use.

The layout of the Marlin 24 SR is the typical one of a bow rider, therefore characterized by a comfortable cockpit in the forward section. In this case, accommodation is for 6 people. Every guests can lean against tubes or enjoy upholstered backrests, installed where the white fiberglass structures is more majestic, that is on the hawse/locker or next to the steering console. On the foremost backrest, attention is captured by two of the five diffusers of the hi-fi 1600W system which this model is equipped with.

An additional panel or a cushion installed over the space dedicated to the central flooring can transform this area into a single sun pad for three adults. This environment is accessible from a specific passage that, in its turn, divides the steering console into two different areas and is completed by an opening windshield in the middle. In the model we tested in Verbella, the pivoting element was absent but neither comfort nor appearance were compromised.

In the central cockpit – even if the separation between the two areas is a more virtual than a physical one, especially if the windshield is open – is the steering console. The only two grey-coloured fiberglass elements of the boat are here. The first element hosts two cup holders, both characterized by the same blue led light we can see in loudspeakers, a handrail and a small glove compartment in the vertical panel. In the lower part, on the contrary, is a 36-liter drawer marine refrigerator.

On the starboard side, we can see the steering wheel and the main control panel equipped with two displays: a Raymarine chartplotter and a Mercury VesselView 502 (for engine and system management), both full touch. Equipment also includes: Mercury ActiveTrim, a system that provides with automatic trim adjustment in order to guarantee the best balance in navigation; hi-fi system controls and two additional speakers.

Furthermore, the steering console includes highly comfortable pilot and co-pilot seats and a large subwoofer.

A large amount of lockers and compartments offers a lot of storage space everywhere, including a fore anchor locker, a larger compartment underneath the fore flooring and two small lockers in the steering console.

In the stern, the inboard-outboard engine box becomes a real piece of furniture equipped with a lounger, whose backrest can be retracted to enlarge the main sun pad covering the whole upper surface. Engine air sockets are positioned in the two dodgers that protect this area while providing the boat with a squisite sporty appearance.

On the starboard side, an uncluttered passage leads to the bathing platform, equipped with a built-in boarding ladder and covered with grey-and-back ReFlex like the rest of flooring. This material represents a good alternative to both natural and synthetic teak since it is softer, more heat reflected and requires fewer efforts in terms of maintenance and installation. Shower, autoclave and relative water tank are included.

Although well-hidden by floats and exterior lines, the hull hasn’t been neglected by the Marlin Boat Projects and Patents Office. Deep and with a 24-degree V-shape, it features lateral supports and a step positioned at amidships that makes hull geometry lighter and more hydrodynamic. Handling, racing performance and fuel efficiency are higly guaranteed.

The model we tested was fitted with a Mercury Mercruiser 4.5 L Bravo III 250hp petrol engine.

Sea Trial

The sea trial was carried out in the placid waters of Lake Maggiore. More specifically, we sailed off from Marina di Verbella, on the Lombard shore of the Ticino river that, in this point, becomes tributary of the large body of water. Both wind and waves were totally absent; consequently, what we could test was just the genuine performance of this RIB under ideal weather conditions. As required by law, we sailed the river at very low speed but this was enough for us to test the precise and user-friendly management of the Mercury Smart Craft electronic throttle.

We also chose to activate the Active Trim in order to test this interesting tool. Anyway, if you want to opt for a manual engine position monitoring, you can turn the device off and use the right-thumb-operated key positioned on the throttle.

The pilot’s seat is comfortable and all controls are at your fingertips.

Once we entered the lake, at full throttle, the Marlin 24 SR proved to be more vigorous than we expected. Visibility was never compromised in the bow also thanks to Bravo Three software equipped with dual counter-rotating propellers.

As already said, acceleration is one among the main strengths of this inflatable boat specifically designed to enjoy wakeboarding and many other water sports.

After a series of fast tight turns, we finally appreciated the genuine nature of the hull: even in the event of sudden accelerations, the boat was always responsive, with a low turning radius and extraordinary handling.

After having deactivated the ActiveTrim system, we finally took our manual measurements. With three passengers on board, fuel tank at 30% ( 50 over the total 150 liters available) and no water, we quickly got the boat on a plane. At 2,000 rpm and 9 knots, wake detached from the transom. At higher speed, we touched cruising speeds. At 3,000 rpm and 20 knots, we registered the best fuel consumption/distance ratio: in short, with just 1.2 liters of fuel, the boat covered 1 nautical mile. Even at 40 knots – the maximum speed – and 5,100 rpm, 1.8 liters of fuel were enough to cover a mile.

Conclusions

The Marlin 24 SR is a boat with a strong identity. Designed for sports enthusiasts, she is also perfect for those who love traveling with friends: she can indeed accommodate up to 12 guests in total comfort and safety. Appearance is impressive but graceful. Moreover, the high customization level enables her to meet the most different tastes and needs.

In addition to the variant installed on board the model we tested, the shipyard also offers two other engine options: a petrol 6.5 L 300 hp engine and a diesel 3.0 260 hp one.

Price: from € 69,300.00

Performance

Marlin 24 SR – Technical Specifications