Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions

Standard and Optional Equipment

Marine Electronics
GPS/Chart
VHF Radio
Systems
CD Stereo
Exterior Features
Carpet: Cockpit
Outlet: 12-Volt Acc
Swim Ladder
Swim Platform
Tower: Watersports
Canvas
Bimini Top
Cockpit Cover

= Standard = Optional

To begin with, you immediately notice that the Regal 2100 RX is not just made for fun, it’s built for fun… from the bottom up. She has a stepped hull, in Regal-ese they call it FasTrac, which forces air under the hull and thereby reduces friction between the hull and the surface of the water. The test boat was red with black trim, which totally added to her sex appeal.



Big shoes to fill but true wake jockeys will have no trouble.

Regal makes three versions of the 2100. The basic boat is the 2100 bowrider, with bowrider looks and frills. There’s the 2100 RS version with a smoked low profile windshield, specific color schemes and graphics. Finally there’s the version I tested, the 2100 RX – this is the high adrenaline version for the wakeboard rock-a-billies.

The 2100 RX comes with awesome looking sport graphics, which look like the tatts the muscle guys have around their biceps.



The focus of this boat is in the cockpit and stern, the business end of the 2100 RX.

Room to Breathe…

For a 21’ boat, she has a very comfortable feel, and indeed the feel of a much bigger boat. She boasts 6” of extra cockpit space over boats in this class. That comes from limited gunwale space, which is useless anyway in this type of boat, and extending the cockpit fully to the boat sides, which is useful.

Additionally, Regal moved the dual consoles a few inches forward. This meant squeezing the bow seats a bit. I couldn’t lie down and stretch out completely, but that was not what this boat was made for. I sat upright and my feet just about touched the forward end of the V. It was comfortable. The end result is a cockpit that is roomy and spacious for everyone and their equipment. I think that was a good use of space and more and more I see builders departing from the traditional bow arrangement we’ve all seen for 20 years.



200 watts for these four pods, plus six speakers and a subwoofer in the cockpit.

Sound and Fury... Lake-side residents will love you.

If you’re looking to blow the residents off “Golden Pond” then the 200 watts of sound the stereo boasts should do it. Regal also decided to upgrade their stock stereo with a Fusion system. This has the added feature of a drop down face to reveal an iPod dock.

The Regal 2100 RX has a stereo performance package which includes six (yes six) cockpit speakers, four tower speakers, 2 amps, and a subwoofer, a Z-style wakeboard tower with swivel board racks, a wide view mirror, Perfect Pass for controlling your tow speed, and arena seating.

If this boat doesn’t scream FUN to you, then you need to reevaluate your definition of what fun is. Driving it was a pure blast, and if I didn’t have to get on camera, I’d have thrown on a swimsuit and strapped on a wakeboard right then and there. But… since the fussy editorial staff at BoatTEST has a policy of their test captains not looking wet and tousled, I made do with putting her through her paces from behind the wheel. The sacrifices we make…

More Decibels

Freedom on the water means nothing when you’re a slave to regular broadcast programming… you know what I’m saying! If you need to pump even more testosterone, then a flip of the switch on the dash diverts the underwater exhaust, which sounds rough and tough, to a thru hull exhaust, which gives you straight pipes that sound so cool it’s illegal in some states.



Volvo Penta’s Perfect Pass system makes boat handling easier when towing.

Perfect Pass

This is a Volvo Penta-only feature, so if you need to man up, then order your 2100 RX with the Volvo package. Arena seating gives you seats that curve around the stern and end at the passenger side with an aft facing lounge. It is a perfect set-up for comfortably observing the skier or wakeboarder, both of whom will make regular appearances on this boat.



Note stereo remote control in the port quarter so you can change tunes in the water, and turn up the sound.

This boat was also equipped with Perfect Pass. This is a feature that lets you dial in the desired tow speed and fuggedaboutit. As you accelerate, and the boat gets about 5 MPH before the target speed, Perfect Pass kicks in with a beep and holds your speed where you want it. Now you can focus on driving and looking out for traffic while the speed is taken care of. And the good news… it gets its speed data via GPS, NOT a paddlewheel mounted on the transom! So it’s much more accurate, even adding throttle in the turns to keep your speed up when it would normally bleed off. Very cool, and very comfortable for the person at the end of the towline.

Extra Goodies

For 2010, Regal Marine celebrates their 40th anniversary by adding an anniversary package to this boat. It includes an air compressor for inflating the tubes, a bow filler cushion, bow walk-thru doors, teak cockpit table, Neutra-salt system for the Volvo engines, the switchable thru hull exhaust, and underwater lighting.

Engine Packages...

There are four choices when ordering, two Mercs and two Volvos. The two lower tiers consist of a Merc 5.0L MPI 260-hp Alpha drive and a Volvo 5.0 GXi 270-hp with SX drive. Realizing that no one wants to walk when they can run, Regal also offers either a Merc 350 Magnum MPI 300 HP with Bravo 1 drive, or a Volvo 5.7Gi 300HP also with SX drive. Our test boat had the Volvo 5.7 Gi. (Insert “Tim The Tool Man Taylor” grunts here).



Note Regal famous FasTrac step in the hull just under the tattoo graphics.

Performance…

Here’s where the 2100 RX really shines. She handles rock solid and very easy. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it does describe her accurately. Solid, in that she handles like she’s on rails. Sometimes, with a stepped hull boat, some boats have been known to get a bit squirrely in turns. Since the step is designed to produce less friction between the hull and the water surface, you’ll typically have less grab in a turn. Not so with this boat!

FasTrac in Turns

In a hard turn at high speed (approaching 50 mph), there’s a three part feel. First she enters the turn smartly, that’s predictable, then there’s a bit of a slide for just a second, that’s predictable, then there’s the “grab and crank around like she’s on rails” action. It results in throwing anything not bolted down, including the passengers, over to the outside of the turn. It wasn’t more than you could handle, but you just need to be prepared for it and hang on. The boat stays pretty much level and does not lean out or in to any appreciable degree, and that is what I mean by being on rails. I like this feel very much and felt secure with it.

The alternative, and clearly safer practice, would be to decelerate slightly before entering the turn. Then everything is much more manageable, and that’s how the real world boats anyway, or should. Clearly this boat is a sleek performer and leaves nothing behind in her performance envelope.



The interior of the cockpit is wider and longer by a few inches each way because of Regal’s creative design. Humma, humma, dude.

Power Assist is Powerful

The “very easy” part of my description is from her steering. The 2100 RX has power assist steering, so it’s fingertips on the wheel throughout the whole range of performance. That lends itself to a lot of banking and yanking of the boat so a bit of restraint is in order since whatever you do is so easy to get done. In other words, it’s going to be easy to throw the kids off the tube with this gentle steering.

For wakeboarding, dropping the speed below 24 mph settles the step into the water and produces a larger wake for jumping. Use the Perfect Pass to hold it where you want it.



Gull-wing access hatches with gas-assist struts makes stowage easy.

By the Numbers…

The Regal 2100 RX was tested on a god-awful hot and humid South Florida June day. Temps were approaching 90 with 85% humidity. Winds were calm as were the seas. The boat had half of her 42 gallon capacity in the tank, and two people, giving her a test weight of 3,652 lbs.

She has a draft of 2’ 11”, a LOA of 21’ even, and a beam of 8’6”. Our test boat was powered with the 300-hp Volvo Penta 5.7 Gi with single prop SX drive. The 2100 RX has a capacity of 10 persons.

Her top speed was 52.3 MPH reached at 4950 RPMs. You’ll have to add lots of up trim, almost ¾ of the gauge, to reach that speed. She burns just over 21 GPH at that speed so you’ll only be able to do it for 93 miles, but why would you do that?

This isn’t a touring boat, it’s a ski/wakeboard boat. Pull the speed back to about 2700 RPMs and you’ll get to the tow zone at 19 to 24 MPH. You’ll reach planing speed in 3.7 seconds, 30 MPH in 7.4 seconds, and maximum fun shortly after that.



Sunbrella canvas comes standard as do many other features on the Regal 2100 RX.

So What Didn’t I Like...

Not much, that’s for sure. The under sole ski and wakeboard storage had a hatch that was just a bit too small to make getting equipment in and out easy. Regal needs to make it a tad larger. The wastebasket storage is behind the starboard bow seat back, and that storage area is so cavernous, that the wastebasket is out of reach. The electrical system uses fuses instead of circuit breakers. I’d rather see circuit breakers as it’s one less set of spares I have to carry around, but to be clear, both systems are NMMA approved, so no points get taken off for that.

Conclusion…

There wasn’t much time spent onboard the Regal 2100 RX when I didn’t have a smile plastered across my face. It was just such a fun boat to drive that I didn’t want it to end. Sadly, I didn’t get to experience it from the other end of the towline, but that will come another day, I’m sure. This is destined to be a hot seller for Regal, and with good reason. She’s a very attractive boat at a very attractive base price of $40,562. Check it out for yourself and see if you don’t agree.