Roaring across the water with a hot 350 horses in the stern is quite something. This is what happened with a Sensation SXI 230, which is powered by an eight-cylinder MerCruiser petrol engine with a displacement of 6.2 liters. SKIPPER Bootshandel drove the 7.25 m long GRP speedster on the marked water ski course on the Aller river.
Sensation sounds modern, innovative and very self-confident. When an up-and-coming motorboat brand is given this name, you can expect a lot from the manufacturer in many respects. The following practical test, which takes us to the province of Lower Saxony and the Aller river, will show whether this is the case. We have an appointment with Christopher del Castillo (34) and Francesco Esser del Castillo (24) in an idyllic rural setting. The young men are brothers and, as owners of the company EK Marine Service, have been the official exclusive importers of the Sensation boats for 14 months, which – get this – come from South African production. Our friendly and ambitious test boat suppliers came into contact with the shipyard based in Randvaal near Johannesburg and its founder and CEO, Andre van Helsdingen, more by chance in 2022. After a few phone calls, Mr. del Castillo hopped on a plane to get a personal impression of the sleek plastic boats on the other side of the world. The positive result of the on-site visit was the rapid dispatch of the first two Sensation models, which were initially displayed at the boat shows in Berlin and Düsseldorf. In the meantime, further public appearances followed at the Friedrichshafen Interboot and the Werder Boot & Fun Inwater. Last summer, the SKIPPER-Boatshandel editorial team tested the Sensation entry-level model, the SX170, which demonstrated extreme agility with a Mercury F115 EFI Command Thrust at the transom and was therefore a lot of fun to drive. Now it’s the turn of one of the bigger sisters, and we’re excited to see how this boat fares. Before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that Sensation Boats currently has eight sports boat models in its range in lengths from 17 to 26 feet. Five are designed to be fitted with outboards, while three will be launched with powerful inboards and Z-drives. The first Sensation cabin boat is expected to be unveiled next January, just in time for boot Düsseldorf 2025. The 7.25 x 2.47 Sensation SXI 230 has been around for a while now. The outboard version with the letter combination “SX” made its debut in 2011, followed by the counterpart with the additional “I” in the course of the 2017 season, i.e. the counterpart with a built-in engine, of which 300 units have been produced to date. On the engine side, there is a choice of three tried-and-tested MerCruiser petrol engines, namely the six-cylinder 4.5 L MPI 250 and the two 6.2-liter V8 engines with 300 and 350 horsepower respectively. Even though the V6 with a powerful 183.8 kW (250 hp) at the propeller is certainly more than enough and promises a top speed of around 40 knots, the pure power of an eight-wheeler is a special thrill. People with gasoline in their blood will get their money’s worth with the lightning-fast acceleration alone. Once we have made sure that there are no duck families or swans on the Aller water ski route, which is marked with shore signs, the speed measurements begin. With a crew of two and a minimum of 600 rpm, the speed is 3.7 knots, followed immediately by 7.7 nautical miles per hour at 2,000 rpm. And lo and behold: from 2,200 rpm, the unloaded 230cc, which displaces just over a ton, really takes off, literally catapulting itself into gliding speed in the next instant. At a constant 4,000 rpm, accompanied by a muffled and fierce V8 sound, the bowrider, which is approved for seven people according to CE certification C, reaches 33 knots, which feels pretty powerful on the narrow waters in the middle of the green forest and meadow landscape. We record a full load speed of 5,300 rpm, at which the engines and wind noise mix to form a hurricane. At a final speed of 47.5 knots, a sound level of 93 dB(A) is displayed. Let’s take another look at the acceleration, which is a bit like stepping on the gas in a Porsche: it takes just six seconds from 0 to top speed – the equivalent of 88 km/h. The boat’s enormous maneuverability and gliding ability are great, but a larger trim range would be desirable. If the Sensation SXI 230 were to lift its strikingly designed nose a little further out of the water
If we could have done this, moving the tear-off aft would have resulted in an even higher top speed. After the practical testing, let’s take a look at the deck and cockpit design of the wedge-shaped racer. The integrated bathing platform is a very good 80 cm deep and is connected to the inside of the boat via a central hatch. The entire floor has been fitted with an elastic EVA covering, which, like the permanent self-draining system, the hydraulic steering, which for our taste reacts almost nervously, and the international navigation lighting, is part of the standard equipment of the 23-foot sensation, which in principle can be upgraded. The generous amount of space also deserves praise with regard to the ample stowage capacity, the perfect accessibility of the engine room and the overall very appealing product quality. The constant reflections in the light green tinted real glass windshield and the objectively far too small fuel tank volume of a measly 116 liters did bother us. We summarize and attest to the high fun factor of the SXI 230, which can be trailered without a special permit.
This is primarily due to the powerful eight-cylinder engine, which gives the completely open fun boat excellent performance. Without the (outboard) engine, the SX base boat costs a razor-sharp 29,998 euros. The ready-to-use SXI sensation, as tested by us, changes hands for a price of 75,498 euros.
TECHNICAL DATA
Length overall: 7.25 m – Width: 2.47 m – Draft (prow raised): 0.45 m – Weight: from 1,046 kg – CE category: C – Max. Number of persons: 7 – Fuel tank: 116 l – Construction material: GRP – Engine: Mercruiser inboard engine, V6 or V8 petrol engine with sterndrive, power 183.8, 220.6 or 257.4 kW (250, 300 or 350 hp)
Base price: € 29,998 for SX-230 base model without engine, price with base engine Mercruiser 4.5 L MPI Cat DTS, power 191 kW (260 hp): € 61,996, price with test engine from: € 68,996, price of the ready-to-use test boat incl. engine and extensive optional equipment: € 75,498
ENGINE IN THE TEST BOAT
Mercruiser 6.2 liter MPI 350, water-cooled, built-in petrol engine with electronic fuel injection and Bravo One drive, power: 257.4 kW (350 hp), number of cylinders: V8, displacement: 6.2 l, weight: 391 kg, max. speed range 5,000-5,400 min-1
STANDARD EQUIPMENT (EXCERPT)
Self-draining cockpit including deck covering (either EVA or button-in carpet), cushion set, hydraulic steering, international navigation lighting, electric horn, main battery switch, on-board battery, stern gangway with water ski eyelet and swim ladder
AVAILABLE EXTRAS (EXCERPTS)
Stereo system (€ 398), hull color according to RAL palette (€ 898), deck color according to RAL (€ 1,398), bow tarpaulin (€ 598), cockpit tarpaulin (€ 898), complete tarpaulin for trailer transport (€ 498), cockpit table € 395, wakeboard tower (€ 2,498), wakeboard rack (€ 498), Garmin plotter GPSMAP 723xsv including depth sounder (€ 1,698)
SOUND AND TRAVEL MEASUREMENT
- (idling) 600 min-1 55 dB(A) 0 kn
- 600 min-1 58 dB(A) 3.7 kn
- 1000 min-1 63 dB(A) 4.9 kn
- 1500 min-1 69 dB(A) 6.5 kn
- 2000 min-1 74 dB(A) 7.7 kn
- 2500 min-1 76 dB(A) 17.3 kn
- 3000 min-1 80 dB(A) 23.1 kn
- 3500 min-1 83 dB(A) 27.9 kn
- 4000 min-1 85 dB(A) 33.0 kn
- 4500 min-1 88 dB(A) 37.8 kn
- 5000 min-1 91 dB(A) 43.0 kn
- (full load) 5300 min-1 93 dB(A) 47.5 kn
Area: Aller near Winsen, Crew: 2 persons,
Measurement: GPS, water: 14° C, air: 18° C, wind: 1-2 Bft,
Tank: Petrol 58 l (50 %)
Advantages:
- Careful GRP processing with polished edges
- Plenty of space for the crew and ample storage options
- Large rear walkway with EVA coating and access to the cockpit
- Can be trailered with a powerful towing vehicle without a special permit
- Machine room easily accessible for service purposes
- Very good ride quality with lightning acceleration
Disadvantages
- Low capacity of the fuel tank
- Unfortunately, reflections appear in the windshield
- Very direct response, almost “nervous” steering
INFORMATION AND SHIPYARD
EK Marine Service OHG (Sensation exclusive importer and supplier of the test boat), Mardorfer Str. 41, 31535 Neustadt am Rübenberge, Tel. 05036-8554943, www.ek-marineservice.de Sensation Boats, Plot 20, Rooikat Street, Highbury, Randvaal, Gauteng, South Africa, www.sensationboats.com
You can read the full report with pictures here -> 03_2024_SKIPPER_Sensation SXI 230
