Economy class
– with extras
Bayliner’s versatile, family-friendly Flight
bowrider comes with new watersports
features and bold graphics.
By Graham Lloyd
W
ith consumer demand in recent years
being at best subdued following various
nancial challenges around the world, Bayliner has
focussed on smaller and more affordable craft,
with this 175 Flight being a perfect example.
Even in the good ol’ days, when buoyant
markets had Bayliner and other boat builders
producing a wide range of boats well up into the
luxury cruiser category, Bayliner was very good
at also making simple and safe family boats. Many
a time I’ve turned up to review an ‘entry level’
Bayliner expecting it to be rather mundane, only
to be pleasantly surprised at how well the boat
performed.
While there are plenty of specialist boats
around for serious watersports enthusiasts,
many families just want to be able to ‘have a go’
without dedicating the whole boat, and their
whole budget, to the sporting side. For such
boaties, Bayliner has introduced the Flight series,
which ranges from this 5.33m 175 (17.5ft) up to
23-footers in its Deck Boat line-up.
For the Flight designation, Bayliner has
tted its bowrider design with suitable power, a
wakeboarding tower and special graphics, and
packaged it ready-to-go with a trailer, safety gear
(according to individual state/territory law) and
registration … a very attractive proposition with
its $38,990 value-for-money price tag.
Club Marine took a closer look at the 175 on
the gloriously scenic Berowra Waters, part of the
mighty Hawkesbury River waterway on Sydney’s
northern outskirts.
Dominating the boat is the twin-framed
forward-curved tower, held in place by secure
mounts on the outer-tops of the hull sides. The
mounting system allows for the tower to be easily
hinged down for reduced storage height.
Perhaps emphasising that the Flight is not for
hard-core wakeboarders, the 175 is powered by a
Off the Trailer
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