Review: Razerline 7.2 Olympian

WESTERN WARRIORS

Living on the east coast of Australia you are naturally accustomed to supporting or being aware of the locally manufactured boat brands. And then you get Perth in Western Australia, literally another continent on its own being 4361km from Brisbane and a five-hour flight from east to west, and with a two-hour time difference. Testing boats over there, well it’s a big trip and as good as international, just without the need for a passport and visa.

A recent transcontinental adventure took us to the manufacturers of Razerline boats in Perth. Having been in the industry for the past 30 years and producing more than 2000 quality recreational and commercial aluminium plate boats over the years, most certainly proves that they know their stuff when it comes to building customised plate boats. Featuring an extensive and stylish range, from runabouts to centre consoles, hardtops, walkarounds, cuddy cabs and more – certainly caters for all.

Built from 5083 marine grade aluminium alloy, all Razerline hulls have full-size frames, four stringers per 5mm keel sheet, and 4mm side-sheets and self-draining decks. The longitudinal and transverse frames provide a strong and proven below-deck structure, as well as a quieter ride; and there’s no compromise when it comes to build quality on these boats.

Up for a test on Razerline’s home turf ‘n’ surf were the popular Olympian 7.6 and 7.2 Hard Tops; this range was aptly named in 2000 when Australia hosted the Olympics and the owner of the company’s daughter carried the torch. Geared up for big offshore runs and serious offshore fishing, the 7.6 was fitted with the goliath Yamaha F350 V8 and the 7.2 with the Yamaha F300, it was going to be an extensive day of testing out at Rottnest Island (with a bit of fishing of course), and would no doubt prove to be the ultimate test for the two-stunning looking hardtops.

OLYMPIAN 7.2 HARD TOP

At a glance, this is a nice-looking boat with sharp hardtop lines, tinted wide windscreens, beefy bow and midships sheer line. I’ve never been a fan of red, but on this boat there’s no question about the livery standing out and being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Currently owned by a Razerline customer, the 7.2 test boat was customised to suit his requirements with a combination of creature comforts included into the layout, all the while maintaining decent fishability and space for cray fishing gear.

Considering the family, the decent-size cab is spacious, plush-lined throughout, had lighting and a Porta Potti. At the helm within the confines of the hardtop I liked the dash layout, where a wide-angled flush-mount panel contained large electronics and gauges, as well as plenty of space below for electronic switch panels.

On the captain’s side, the pedestal seat base has plenty of room for fishing tackle, as well as another dedicated tackle tray hatch behind at the gunwale, while the passenger’s seat base had an inbuilt 12V fridge and enclosed plumbed sink.

The cockpit opens out to a spacious fishing platform and I liked the additional pull-out shade awning as well as the gunwale height being maintained through to the transom, particularly as it has a self-draining wet deck which normally reduces gunwale heights due to stability. Storage is plentiful throughout and there’s easy access to all plumbing – basically everything has its spot, it’s neat, spacious and works exceptionally well.

On the fishing side the 7.2 boasts exceptional stability offshore and having high gunwales to lean into makes quite a difference to comfort levels when fishing. Ample rodholders in the gunwales and hardtop take care of rod storage and, if anything, I would have opted for a decent sized kill tank flush-mounted into the deck. Nonetheless there is plenty of room for additional iceboxes as storage.

HAMMER DOWN

Heading out from Hillarys Boat Harbour just north of Perth, the run to Rottnest Island is around 16nm (30km) and with a bit of wind and swell it can be a mongrel of a ride on any boat. Lucky for us there was only a bit of swell and a moderate chop to contend with, although an abundance of semi-submerged bommies around Perth and Rottnest will chew up skegs and props if you take eye off the ball.

Sporting a Yamaha F300 V6 on the transom, the 7.2’s performance on the water was second to none. The F300 in my opinion is the ideal horsepower on this boat, it purrs through the rev range to wide open, as well as pumps out a punchy holeshot.

Low down, a 6.5-knot troll speed chews a mild 8lt/h and the ideal cruise speed of 24.5kts around 3500rpm sips 32.7lt/h, which is not bad at all considering it’s a V6. Wide open the 7.2 whacks a healthy 40.8kts at 5700rpm and like any motor of that size at WOT chews round 100lt/h.

Does the ride match the motor performance? Sure does, and interestingly this is a hull that seems to perform better in moderate conditions when you give it stick and a touch of extra trim, which was also surprising considering it only has an 18-degree deadrise. Drive it hard if you like, or drop back to 20 to 25kts for better comfort and economy.

THE WRAP

Overall she is a really comfortable and easy boat to drive. The customised Olympian 7.2 had a good open and spacious layout to suit, and what I really liked was the decent finish throughout, as well as the solid and quality build with no flex, rattles or in the hull when giving it a good thrashing in the rough.

HIGHS

• Spacious, practical layout
• Solid build
• Good performance and motor match
• Hardtop’s rear pull-out shade awning

LOWS

• No big kill tank, but it was customised to suit the owner
• Could do with a recessed handrail of sorts below the pull-out shade awning

SEA TRIALS AND PERFORMANCE DATA

1500rpm reaches a speed of 46.4kt with fuel burn of 8.1L/hr for a range of 398nm

3500rpm reaches a cruising speed of 24.5kt with fuel burn of 32.7L/hr  for a range of 378nm

5700rpm (WOT) reaches a maximum speed of 40.8kt with fuel burn of 101.8L/hr for a range of 202nm

*Data provided by the author. Two on board, calculated leaving 10% in reserve.

SPECIFICATIONS Razerline Olympian 7.2

Priced From $129,520 (includes Yamaha F250 and galvanised trailer)

OPTIONS FITTED 

Motor upgrade to 300hp, Raymarine electronics, custom Razerline drive-on aluminium trailer, fridge, polished aluminium rails, Gebo window, windscreen wiper, outriggers, water bladder and shower, and aft deck pull-out shade awning

Price as tested $149,000

GENERAL

MATERIAL           Aluminium alloy

LENGTH                8m (LOA)

BEAM                    2.5mm

WEIGHT               1100kg (hull)

DEADRISE            18°

CAPACITIES

PEOPLE 7

BERTHS 2            

REC. HP 250       

REC. MAX HP 350            

FUEL 560L

WATER 200L

ENGINE

MAKE/MODEL Yamaha 300hp V6 four-stroke

TYPE 24-valve DOHC petrol V6

DISPLACEMENT 4169cc

GEAR RATIO 1.75.1

PROP 17in stainless steel

WEIGHT 253kg  

MANUFACTURED BY

RAZERLINE BOAT BUILDERS

90 Distinction Road,

Wangara, WA, 6065

PHONE +61 428 168 423