Captain’s Report by Dan Armitage



Stingray’s sole cuddy in the company’s 23-model line-up, the 225 SX measures 22 feet, 11 inches and is in its second year of production.

The Mission

Stingray design and engineering team focused all of its expertise into one package to produce the 225 SX. The concept was to build a 21' boat that could handle lots of power, go fast, look sexy blasting across the lake, be easy to handle, and not cost the farm. While Stingray builds other cuddy models, the 225 SX would have an emphasis on performance.



With 20 degrees of deadrise the hull of the 225 SX makes for a smooth ride when skipping across waves. We think 20-degrees is a good compromise between speed and riding comfort.

Distinguishing Features

You might think that all cuddys are pretty much the same, and you would be right -- until you drill down. That's when you will find the differences.

It starts with the boss. Stingray’s founder and president, Al Fink, is a bit of a speed enthusiast. In fact, his love for fast cars inspired the design for this new 225 SX. When word comes from on high that the boat will be fast, guess what happens? In this day of corporate mergers, professional managers, and accountants calling the shots, it is easy to forget why some people go boating -- for thrills on the water! Stingray's Al Fink hasn't forgotten.

Stingray’s patented "zp" or "Z-plane" design. According to Stingray, its proven design eliminates additional surface area by incorporating horizontal planing surfaces to the hull rather than adding traditional strakes. The company says the Z-shaped planes act as horizontal faces when submerged and the outside edge of the Z-plane allow a spray release at the surface and in other ways reduces drag.



Drawings from Stingray website.

Built for speed. When we compare the Stingray 225 SX to other boats its size in class we see that it is much lighter, and few inches narrower, and lower to the water. Its topside is sleek and not encumbered by things such as sea rails and lifelines. Taken together all of these design elements add up to a vessel that can be pushed through the water faster than most boats in class.

Performance and Price

Anyone familiar with Stingray knows that WOT speed is a major theme of the company, no matter which model it is promoting. In that culture, the 225 SX stands out as getting an extra boost. We have not tested the boat, so we can not verify its speed and fuel consumption. However, the company says that when powered by a MerCruiser 5.7 L MPI (Catalyst) 300-hp engine with a Bravo I drive the boat will approach the mid-60 mph range.

The 225 SX has an MSRP of $45,108 with the 5.7 L engine mentioned above.



We like the understated-yet-classy, two-tone color and steel-trimmed design found in the 225’s cockpit.

Comfort Features

Bolstered, adjustable bucket seats and ample legroom greet the operator and any companion along for the ride in the Stingray 225 SX. The dash offers backlit gauges and control switches with circuit breakers, and a magnetic compass set in a panel accented by faux burl and stainless steel.

The bi-fold door to the cuddy cabin is lockable and supports a convertible two-step panel that gives a welcome leg-up to access the forward deck through the center section of the low-profile windshield.



The 225’s forward deck is all for show and to minimize drag at speed. It looks cool, but don't go there when it is slippery.



The bow hides a cuddy cabin with 32 inches of head clearance surrounded with netted storage pockets above and vinyl-covered cushions below.



Remove the cuddy cabin’s center pad section and you have a low-profile privy with self-contained Porta-Potti.



An ergonomically padded bench seat split by a skid-free icebox hatch for accessing the sunning pad and swim platform anchor the aft-end of the 225’s compact cockpit. The aft-hinged sunpad panel lifts to reveal the engine, making it accessible from the cockpit.



The large, integrated swim deck includes a notched transom, adopted from the offshore racing boats that allows the drive to be mounted higher to reduce drag and increase performance. Remote controls for the standard 180 watt stereo and tilt and trim for the outdrive are standard.



The layout of the 225 SX is traditional for a sportboat in its class.