7.3M Sportsfisher / Sportscruiser
The BOBKATTM 7.3M SPORTSFISHER & SPORTSCRUISER are designed to provide the serious fisherman and pleasure boater with an exceptionally cost-effective, low-maintenance craft.
After a long wait the latest Bobkat has been launched to much aclaim in South Africa. It is the Bobkat 731 and the boat has turned out to be a absolute beauty. She is certainly what we were hoping for, and more. Bob van Niekerk is extremely satisfied with her and the end result. She is arguably the best looking craft to come out of the Bobkat stable. After a stint of 4 hrs on the sea, she did not have one drop of water on the windscreen. Even though the sea was fairly flat and without much wind, it would have been acceptable for a bit of water to have come onto the boat as you are creating spray at speed.
She will now make her public debut at the National Boat Show in Johannesbury at the end of August. The boat is manufacured using the Resin Infusion Method and has an extremely high quality of finish all round to European Standards.
For the photo shoot we powered her with twin Suzuki 140hp 4 stroke outboards. No foils have as yet been fitted to her, which will increase speed and give improved fuel economy.
We got 73 km/h out of her on the first trials with brand new engines. She banks to the inside as predicted by Bob van Niekerk, corners without any cavitation and is very responsive when you trim the motors, not at all trim sensitive, which makes the optimal set-up of any boat difficult.
We tried on numerous high speed runs to get her airborne and slam when she came down, without success. If your eyes were closed you would never have known that she had even left the water.
Although the BOBKATTM design is known to offer a soft ride, this latest boat has the softest ride we have yet experienced in any boat.
