The Sleek 278 Performance — A New Departure from the Outlaw
By Capt. Vince Daniello
The Outlaw, Baja’s notorious line of performance boats, has a distinct look. The Outlaw’s menacing appearance starts on the bow, where white powder-coated handrails and white hatches blend into the white deck, never detracting from the boat’s distinctive profile and bold graphics. Rather than a windscreen, Outlaws have a wedge molded into the fiberglass deck to divert wind and spray, and back at the stern, the square transom and contrasting powder-coated aluminum stern platform finish off the bold, stark look.
Born of Outlaw, But Law Abiding
Once you know that steely look, you’ll forever recognize an Outlaw at a glance. But therein lies the problem. Many boaters appreciate the Outlaw’s performance—deep-V hulls and plenty of horsepower are also Outlaw characteristics—but they want a boat with a bit more mainstream appearance. For these customers, Baja designed their Performance series. The 278 Performance we tested is noticeably similar to Baja’s 26 Outlaw, but without that distinctively hard Outlaw appearance.
Performance Enhancements
Perhaps the three most noticeable features of the 278 Performance are also the three biggest departures from the Outlaw. A stainless steel low-profile bow rail in the center of the bow and two black Plexiglas hatches on either side are meant to accent the boat’s look, not blend. A Plexiglas windscreen also offers a decidedly different look than the Outlaw’s trademark wedge, and the cantilevered transom includes a molded-in swim deck. Our test boat also included an optional bolt-on extended swim platform. The two platforms combined not only change the look of the boat, but are also a bit nicer for swimming than the Outlaw’s aluminum stern platform.
Of course this Performance series keeps many of the Outlaw’s traits too. Our 278 Performance had bold graphics both molded into the gelcoat of the hull and also stitched into the upholstery. Seating is about the same as the Outlaw too. The racing-style helm and companion seats feature drop-out bottoms so they work well as wrap-around leaning posts when the combination of seas and speed make it more comfortable to stand. A bench seat provides seating back in the stern, with a sun pad aft of that.
Below Deck
The 278 Performance cabin is very similar to the Outlaw as well, with a porta-pottie concealed beneath the V-berth. Port and starboard bench seats with plenty of legroom between provide a comfortable retreat from the elements when necessary, and the seat backrests remove and become fillers, turning this seating area into another sleeping berth. Both in the cabin and throughout the boat, Baja includes plenty of storage—large lockers for bulky items and also small nooks and crannies perfect for the little things we always need on the water—sunscreen, sunglasses, cell phone, and MP3 player.
Bad Boy Performance
The one feature Baja’s designers wouldn’t change is the Outlaw’s infamous performance. This 278 is built on a very similar deep-V hull as the Outlaw, and also offers engine choices up to 600 horsepower. Our test boat’s “mere” 425 horsepower MerCruiser 496 Mag High Output engine reached 63.0 miles-per-hour. I can only imagine what the boat would do with nearly 50 percent more horsepower. We were on plane in 4.5 seconds and through 30 miles-per-hour in 8.4 seconds, with the Bravo I stern drive turning a Mercury Mirage 23-inch 3-blade stainless steel prop. Our best economy was at 35.5 miles-per-hour where we burned 12 gallons-per-hour and traveled 2.97 miles-per-gallon of gas. That gives the 278 a 270-mile range from the boat’s 101-gallon fuel tank, allowing for a safety reserve.
Handling Characteristics
Of course performance numbers only tell part of the story. It is hard to convey just how the boat feels on the water. In particular, it responds quickly and very predictably to the throttle. One reason for this is that Baja specifically avoids stepped hulls, which would undoubtedly make their boats faster. But hull steps also cause some problems.
The theory behind a stepped hull is simple. The bottom of the boat makes an abrupt vertical jump all the way from the port side to the starboard. (Literally a “step” in the hull.) As the boat reaches planing speed this step draws air in from above the waterline and forms a pocket of air along the bottom of the hull just aft of the step. This decreases the resistance of the boat traveling through the water and thereby increases top-end speed.
For maximizing performance, there is no doubt steps work. The problem with many stepped hulls is found at mid-range speeds, where we tend to run most of the time. As the boat slows down just a bit, the step draws in less air, increases resistance, and slows the boat down even more. Bump the throttle up just a touch, making the boat speed up a bit, and the step draws more air, decreases resistance, and makes the boat go faster than intended. Steps, therefore, often create a never-ending cycle of throttle adjustments to try to achieve a desired speed. They’re also more sensitive to drive and tab adjustments in my experience.
With this in mind, Baja avoids stepped hulls, resulting in a boat that is easier to operate—just push the throttle and go. Trim is important on any performance boat, but with Baja, trim is as important, as it relates to feel in the steering wheel, and is not as critical for performance.
Deep-V Better in Square Waves
Baja makes another sacrifice in their hull design that limits top-end performance by using a true deep-V hull. The flatter a boat’s bottom, the faster it will go for a given amount of horsepower. Knowing this, many manufacturers flatten out the bottom, particularly near the stern; the result is a boat that is faster in smooth water.
Deadrise is the angle of the bottom of the boat in relationship to the waterline when looking at the transom of the boat. Baja’s 24-degree deadrise at the transom is about as deep as V-hulls get, and it really pays off when the seas kick up, with a deeper V providing a smoother ride. The trade off is that the deeper V takes more horsepower to run (which Baja provides), and burns a bit more fuel to achieve a given speed.
OK, Baja’s hull is a no-nonsense deep-V with plenty of horsepower to take advantage of the hull form, even in less-than-ideal conditions.
Former Outlaw is Respectable Now
So what is the real difference between the Outlaw and the Performance series? In short, I’d say Baja’s Performance series is for the boater that is an outlaw at heart, but doesn’t want to be seen as the black sheep of the marina.
