www.motorboating.com MARCH 2006 MOTORBOATING 61

SMOOTH RUNNER: Regal’s OceanTrachull gives the 2565 a flat attitude anddelivers a dry ride in bumpy seas.

MAGI

ACTRegal packs a

surprisi

ng amount of

living space into a tra

ilerable cruiser,

the 2565 Window Express.

Story byJohn C

lemans

Photographs byRobert Hollan

d

REGAL 2565 PRICE (w/test power): $70,695LOA (w/platform): 27'6"BEAM: 8'6"FUEL: 72 gals.TEST POWER: (1) 280-hp VolvoPenta 5.7 Gi w/Duoprop drive.PERFORMANCERPM MPH KNOTS DB-A1000 5.6 4.9 701500 7.6 6.6 682000 9.2 8.0 842500 14.2 12.3 833000 21.0 18.3 803500 23.3 20.3 814000 31.2 27.1 834500 37.4 35.2 855000 42.1 36.6 895200 43.5 37.8 89Speeds measured by GPS inTampa Bay off St. Petersburg, Fla.,w/two people aboard, half fueland no water in 15-knot winds andtwo-foot chop. Sound levels mea-sured at the helm in dB-A.

Regal Marine Industrieswww.regalboats.com

■■■SPECIFICATIONS

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I remember my firstcircus, especially oneact that left medumbfounded: Adozen tall clownsemerged from a tinycar that looked as if itcould scarcely holdtwo of them. Regal could replicate this confounding feat by having two dozenpeople ascend the cabin steps and debark from the compa-ny’s new 2565 Window Express, which replaces the 2465.Never has a 25-footer provided such comfortable accom-modations for so many as does this breakthrough pocketcruiser. What’s visible from the outside—even thoughthere are windows—belies what’s available inside.

I remember testing the Regal Commodore 277XL, thenthe Regal flagship, in 1982. That was my first taste of howmuch living space could be squeezed into a boat of that size.Regal designers, under the leadership of owner Paul Kuckand his sons Duane and Tim, pioneered techniques of ex-panding cubic feet in magical ways that had reviewers refer-ring to the 27-footer as a “floating condo.”

There’s no shortage of pocket cruisers on the markettoday, but Regal still leads the way in cabin innovation.Right at the 2565’s cabin entrance, for instance, is a slidingdoor—a feature you don’t expect on a 25, because the trackblocks the mid-cabin entrance. Regal solves this problem bypositioning the track above and aft of the step well. Suchtricks are easy if you’ve beenperforming them for overthree decades.

Other big-boat featuresinclude a flat, molded non-skid foredeck with tall,strong rails, a RaymarineRC435 chartplotter, acockpit fridge and ahot/cold transom shower.And, of course, there arewindows. Like Regal’s3360, the 3060 and thenew 2860, the 2565 hasforward windows with an“eyebrow” overhang plus“cat’s eye” side windows.The result is a lighter,brighter cabin area with anenhanced feeling of spa-

ciousness. You canlook out the window while working at the galley; and theforward windows over the convertible, LeatherCrest V-berth/dinette function as large skylights. It’s an ideawhose time is long past due.

The helm seat is high enough for good driving visibilitywithout resorting to the flip-up bolster seat. The OceanTrachull is fairly straight-sided, and, like any boat with an 8'6"beam, the 2565 rolls at idle in a trough, but it goes smooth-ly through a two-foot chop up-sea at 30 mph and down-seaat 40 mph. And it’s extremely dry—even back at the fold-down transom bench. Tampa Bay was a mogul field on ourtest day, but I could hold 4000 rpm comfortably, while3500 was ideal. The Volvo 5.7 Gi’s exhaust becomes mo-

mentarily throaty at 2000 rpm, butthen quiets down. The control was abit too sensitive, but an adjustmentwould fix that.

The bolt-on platform steals nocockpit space. Both the ladder andrope lockers have fiberglass hatch-es, and one of the transom grabrailsneatly doubles as a fender holder.The acrylic transom door lifts andlocks open or closed when lowered,but it could be beefed up for addedsecurity. The handsomely sound-proofed engine hatch, which pro-vides table storage, hinges to port,so you can still walk from the cabinto the platform with it open.

In the engine compartment,strainers and seacocks are on thestarboard side and the water heaterand waste tank are to port of theengine. The fuel tank is centeredunder the mid-cabin, so runningattitude remains constant no mat-ter the load. The water tank is be-neath the galley sole, but everyplumbing fitting is accessible. Bat-tery switches are right in the cock-pit for quick start-up.

“A place for everything and every-thing in its place” is a Regal mottothat pretty well covers the clever stor-age arrangements on the 2565, bothinside and out. The cockpit loungecan house fishing rods, water skis or even a wakeboard. Thecockpit table converts to a six-foot-long sunlounge, and thehelm seat swivels to face the social scene.

State-of-the-art modular construction techniques notonly assure a strong, tight, consistent boat, but also max-imize the 2565’s living space. A one-piece liner extendsfrom the mirrored an-chor locker bulkheadto the cabin thresh-old; even the galley ismolded in. Rods thatstore beneath the V-lounge, as does thetable, provide sup-ports for the berthfiller. The table leg isoffset so that fourpeople can sit uprightat the table aft of thelow section beneaththe foredeck. Thequeen mid-cabin has acedar-lined locker,reading lights and aportlight. The empha-sis on livability is espe-

cially evident in the head: 6'2" height, bigmirrors and a VacuFlush option. Other op-tions include flat-screen TVs, custom gel

coat and a cherry interior package.The 2565 is a scaled-down version of Regal’s larger

Window Express boats, offering comfort and luxury inevery square inch. There are fewer square inches than inthe larger models, but the effect is the same—exceptionalroominess for the size. It’s magic.Z

62 MOTORBOATING MARCH 2006 www.motorboating.com

■■■ Helm bench con-verts to a sleeper loungeon this aft-cabin modelwith foredeck sunpad,Flexiteek platform and optional radararch. Priced at $66,010with 280-hp Volvo.

■■■A translucent hatch, rather than windows,lets in light on Sea Ray'spopular 260 (28' LOA).Two floor plans (mid-cabin and full dinette)are offered. $85,534with 300-hp Merc.

■■■Only slightlyshorter (26'8"), Crown-line’s smallest cruiserhas a big trunk, seatingfor nine and sleeps fourcomfortably. Base pricewith identical power(5.7 Volvo) is $76,258.

CHAP

ARRA

L 24

SEA

RAY

26

CROW

NLIN

E 26

0

PEER GROUP

www.motorboating.com MARCH 2006 MOTORBOATING 63

1 Large platform has a hidden ladder and a grabrail that serves as a conve-nient fender holder. 2 Above the galley’s Corian counter, sink, fridge and stoveare the electric distribution panels and stereo. 3 Forward V-lounge featuresstorage under the seats with removable carpet liners. 4 The queen-sized mid-cabin has an optional innerspring mattress and locker for optional AC.

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SAFETY FIRST: Molded stepsprovide safe access to well-guarded bow for anchoring.

LET THERE BE LIGHT: Topand side windows make thecabin bright and cheerful.

THE LAYOUT: REGAL 2565

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