There is no other way to put it when reporting on the Formula 240 BR: Her performance, quality, and styling add up to a first class sportboat.

If you like to ride in the front of the airplane, or better yet, have your own, then you will feel right at home in the Formula 240. The new model 240 with optional towing tower at 5,000-lbs. (2,272-kgs.) is a world-class WakeMaker but she can do a lot more. With engines options ranging from 260-hp to 430-hp she'll create thrills and chills of all sorts. Just dial-in speed your requirement -- and buy the appropriate engine -- and the 240 should not disappoint.



The Formula 240 BR comfortably seats 8 adults.

Performance -- Formula's "Formula" for Success

We have tested the 240 BR with a 320-hp Volvo Penta 5.7 L OSXi and found that she will go fast enough for most people. Top speed at 5000 rpm was 46.2 mph. That is fast for a 5,000-lb bowrider of any size.

If you want more speed, then by all means step up to the plate and ask Formula for the MerCruiser 430-hp 8.2 L engine. She costs $17,000 more with the big Merc, but for that up-charge you should have not only the most beautiful sportboat on the lake, but also the fastest.



Looking forward you can see the door to the head in the port console and the wide pass-through to the bow.



Looking aft, note that the two forward seats swivel to face aft. The wet bar is at the left abaft the helm seat.

For those folks who like to cruise at a more reasonable pace, we found with the 5.7 L Volvo Penta gas engine we got an impressive 2.76 mpg going 22.8 mph at 3000 rpm. That gave us a range of 149 statute miles. That also happens to be the speed that many wake dudes like to take their jumps, so that will give them 6.5 hours of uninterrupted action, with a 10% fuel reserve.

Time to plane with the 5.7 L was a remarkable 3.9 seconds. Remarkable, because, as already noted, the 240 is a 5,000-lb. boat, which along with her 20-degree deadrise gives her a good ride. Obviously, Formula has found a winning combination of horsepower, weight, and bottom shape. Click on the "Test Results" tab at the top of this report for all of the test data.

We wonder what her WOT will be with the big engine.

The Quality Component

While the 240 BR is the smallest boat in Formula's line, there has been no cutback in the quality of the materials used. In fact, for the most part they are the same as used in the largest and most expensive Formula boats.

Let's take the 240's all-weather upholstery for an example. It is made with a high-grade and thick vinyl with a PreFixx coating and DriFast foam cushioning. Below the surface in the substructure the builder uses StarLite XL synthetic marine panels which will not rot or soak up moisture and will last as long as the boat. Its fabrics are easy to clean up and will stand up well to UV.



The Formula 240 is a "big" 24' so note the ergonomically-correct seat for this skipper as far as the steering wheel and throttle are concerned.

Another small example of Formula quality is its cleats that are all imprinted with the Formula name, custom forged for the 240 and not something off the shelf. Formula installs six 316L stainless steel cleats where some builders will save by only having two cleats at the stern and two at the bow. Formula knows it takes six to properly tie a boat up at the dock.

The 240's windshield is tempered, tinted curved glass with well braced center walkthrough. Typically when testing the Formula sportboats, BoatTEST captains do several dead lifts on the open windshield to test the braces. They report no flexing or creaking.



These two models look a bit stiff to us, but don't let that bother you. Note the details: The back cushions go all the way to the gunwale, there is room in the foot well for the pedestal and at least four feet. The table is optional and we'd go for it.

The Sub Structure Is Substantial

Formula boats are built to be abused and keep on ticking. Hull laminates are thick and vinylester barrier coats are employed to prevent blistering. One-piece stringers are laminated in with chemical bonding which will not come loose. The decks are put on with the same chemical bond, plus there are rivets at close intervals. All deck hardware are backed with plates to spread the load.

The 240 has a complete liner in all of the cockpit. Interior components all have liners and fiberglass hatches are resign infused on both sides for a smooth finish. Formula uses a Perma Panel structural hull matrix and foam filled hull cavities adding flotation and sound deadening. Even the interior of the engine room has been sprayed with gel coat to provide a smooth clean surface.



In the cockpit is another entertainment venue, one that can comfortably seat six adults. We like the table here as well, and it stows out of the way.

Systems Installation Is Critical

Most boats look good at first glance, and many run well the first year or so. But the biggest bugaboo in recreational marine boat construction is the reliability of the ship's systems after a few years of exposure to the harsh marine environment. It is here, in the systems, that gremlins fester and grow, until one day they literally turn out the lights, keep the engine from starting, or otherwise play havoc.

Formula's founders have been in boat-building business for over 50 years. They have gone through the learning curve, and the company is famous in the industry for its "best practices" for system installations. Take a look at the wire runs and the plumbing behind the bulkheads and you will see that these hidden details are done with care. It is this kind of TLC in the construction process that keeps the gremlins at bay.



The back of the settee in the cockpit folds down making a sun pad over the engine. There is also a filler cushion for the bow to turn that area into an even bigger sun pad playpen.

The Imron Finish -- Highest Quality in the Industry

If you have ever walked by a Formula boat at a boat show and thought to yourself that it looked like the shiniest boat present, it was not your eyes playing tricks. Formula uses a high-quality gel coat, but then it paints over it. The company uses Imron paints, a polyurethane DuPont product, that is technically difficult to apply, but creates the foundation for what is probably the best, highest gloss finish in the industry.

But Imron paint, as good as it is, is not enough to create the gloss that you see on Formula topsides. That is thanks to hundreds of man-hours of buffing, compounding and polishing with electric buffers, and by hand. All of this ensures that the luster will last and require a minimum of maintenance to keep looking good.



There is a place for an ice chest abaft the companion seat under a seat. We'd prefer to see this cooler on track so that it cold slide out from under the seat.

Design Continuity

The 240 BR has been designed by the same man responsible for all of the other Formula models, John Adams. John has been designing boats for Formula since before we can remember and he only designs boats for Formula. In fact, we think that most boaters' eyes have become accustomed to John's soft flowing, unostentatious lines, and many of us subconsciously think that that is how a beautiful sportboat should look. Some people even consider him the American boating equivalent to Pininfarina's automobile design team.

The 240 BR Sport has the same striking lines and is designed to take advantage of the same performance-oriented hull characteristics as her big sisters.

Recommendation

Formula offers the five-year Formula Guard Protection Plan, which covers most of the components in the boat with a service contract that takes over when other warranties run out. This is a standard feature of all Formula boats including the 240, and is considered by BoatTEST.com to be one of the best offered in the industry. There is also a 10-year structural warranty.



A Formula 240 blasting across the gin-clear waters of the Bahamas. This picture is not Photoshopped.

MSRP pricing for the 240 starts at $90,200 for the boat powered by a 260-hp MerCruiser 5.0 L MPI EC Bravo III system and runs to $112,200 for the largest engine on the options list, a MerCruiser 430-hp 8.2 L MAG H.O. EC Bravo III X system. In between are seven other engines made by both Volvo Penta and Mercury. We would probably go for the 320-hp 5.7 L engine tested which has a price of $95,490. While the boat is very well equipped, there are a number of options you will want to have which will push the MSRP slightly over 100k.

If you want -- and can afford -- the sportboat equivalent of an Aston Martin or Bentley Continental GT automobile, then the Formula 240 BR is the boat for you.

• Top speed for the Formula 240 Bowrider (2012-) is 46.2 mph (74.4 kph), burning 24.4 gallons per hour (gph) or 92.35 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Formula 240 Bowrider (2012-) is 22.8 mph (36.7 kph), and the boat gets 2.76 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.17 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 149 miles (239.79 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 320-hp Volvo Penta 5.7 OSXi gas sterndrive.