Categories: BOAT SHOWSFort Lauderdale International Boat ShowMOTOR BOATSNewsPremieres

Sea Ray SLX 400 Outboard : “The Entertainer”

sea ray slx 400

Sea Ray has joined the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with three interesting novelties: the Sundacer 320 Outboard, the SLX 400 Outboard and the 520 Fly. The SLX 400 Outboard has particularly drawn the visitors’s attention. ” We are enthusiastic to start 2018 with a series of novelties that enjoy their world première here, in Florida”, Sea Ray President Scott Ward said.

The SLX 400 Outboard is the outboard-powered version of the already successful SLX 400 that enhances the sporty, dynamic character of her predecessor without giving up power and performance.

Dubbed ” The Entertainer”, this model features some particular elements that set it apart from the rest of boats. First of all, the starboard bulwark is characterized by a fold-down cockpit patio that enabled this 12-meter boat to win the prestigious 2017 NMMA Innovation Award nella NMMA. Other strengths are represented by the modular cockpit and the aft entertainment area.

The convertible fore sun pad can function as a sofa facing the bow or a comfortable settee overlooking the sea thanks to retractable backrest that can be rotated by 90 degrees. There’s also a hidden compartment, accessible from the stern, big enough to stow full-length stand-up paddleboards. Open-air spaces are completed by a wet bar equipped with refrigerator, sink and two electric grills. An electrically-operated sunshade shelters the area and disappears in the roll bar when not in use.

Boasting a genuine American style, the SLX 400 is a bow rider. The fore cockpit is accessible from a passage located on the left of the steering console that leads to a living area furnished with three sofas and a round wood-topped table. This area can seat 8 adult comfortably. Of course, this space can be converted into a single large sun pad or protected by a shading “sail”. The complex layout f the SLX 400 includes a multitude of settees embellished by upholstered elements which can be used by 22 passengers simultaneously.

Below deck, design efforts are noteworthy and volumes seem to be apparently incompatible with a bow rider. In the stern, there is a real cabin with a double bed and a bathroom while, in the bow, a dinette with a central table can be transformed into an additional double berth.

Power comes from three Mercury Verado 350hp engines, featuring Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO), the system developed by Mercury Marine to improve manoeuvrability without having to use a bow thruster. The dashboard is equipped with two Raymarine Axiom Pro 12-inch displays that provide fingertip control of both boat and navigation.