Room to Spare --- And Then Some

By Capt. Vince Daniello

Test Captain

At 28 feet 3 inches long and 9 feet 6 inches wide, MasterCraft claims the X-80 is the largest inboard water sports boat in the world. While the boat’s dimensions certainly add room, it’s the SuperFly bow design which creates the extra space.

On the Test Track

Our twin engine test boat made a bit of a wake to start with, but add 500 pounds of lake water in the stern and six or eight (or even ten or twelve) of your closest friends, and the X-80 pushes walls of water. The boat is available with a 450-horsepower single engine, which should offer a bit less wake for occasional slalom skiing, as well as more storage, but with two 375-horsepower Crusader engines and a 13.7 x 14 four-blade Nibral prop, our test boat jumped up on plane in 3.7 seconds, ran through 30 mph in just 5.7 seconds, and topped out at 51.7 mph, all on a nasty day with 25 mph winds and a stiff chop. We found she cruised best at 2500 rpm running 24.8 mph, which gave us a burn rate of 12.9 gph and a range of 190 miles.

SuperFly Design

What I appreciated most about the X-80, more than its muscle, was the smooth, dry ride she delivered. At the end of our test run we were heading into a two-to-three-foot chop at a comfortable 30 mph and it didn’t even face her. The SuperFly bow deflected the spray downward, which was a very good thing considering it was in the low 50’s that morning. The boat was also quite fuel efficient for its size, getting near 2 mpg when running 25 mph. On most V-hulls, the chines are prominent at the stern and become smaller and finally blend into the hull near the bow. In contrast, MasterCraft’s SuperFly or “pickle fork” bow is formed by extending the chines rather than fading them into the hull, and then exaggerating those extensions into a square bow. So instead of a triangular V-shaped bow seating area, the X-80 has a U-shaped settee with room for at least three to stretch out on the seats, even more with the filler cushion installed.

Room to Spare

The added room in the bow is only part of the X-80’s story. The wide passenger seat next to the helm faces forward, but converts to an aft-facing lounger to watch the action behind the boat. Across the stern, the giant U-shaped seating area has four cozy corners to snuggle into, each with padded backrests, and there is also a large sun pad atop the engine compartment. With all this, MasterCraft still found space for a wet bar aft of the helm and an enclosed head on the port side of the boat just behind the windshield.

Something else I noticed while I was aboard, which is hard to tell from photos or video, is the boat’s actual space, which not only provides a wide walkway, but also plenty of elbow room. There is plenty of storage on board too. The lockers under the aft seats are quite deep, and there is more space under the bow. With or without the Porta-Potti installed, the head makes a great storage locker, perfect for keeping extra clothes or towels dry and hanging wetsuits while not in use.

Extra Features

The boat includes two coolers, one all the way forward under the bow seat, and a second aft. Next to the wet bar sink there’s a circular insert that could be used for drinks or as a trash bin.

On most wakeboard boats the main ballast tank occupies the bilge ski locker, traditionally located below the deck next to the helm, but the X-80 hull is so large there’s ample room for all of the ballast aft, leaving the ski locker right where expected.

If you thought inboard powered boats were just too small to meet your family’s boating requirements, think again, and check out MasterCraft’s X-80.

• Top speed for the MasterCraft X-80 (2006-) is 51.7 mph (83.2 kph), burning 49.0 gallons per hour (gph) or 185.46 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the MasterCraft X-80 (2006-) is 24.8 mph (39.9 kph), and the boat gets 1.92 miles per gallon (mpg) or 0.82 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 190 miles (305.78 kilometers).


• Tested power is 2 x 375-hp Crusader 6.0 HO MPI.