While vacationing in an upscale waterfront resort area, have you ever thought to yourself,  "Wow, I wonder how much my home would be worth if it were located here?" Well, the same holds true for people with cruisers; a wide-body weekender with comfortable family accommodations on a small lake in Central Indiana is still of value, although your horizons are somewhat limited to the same scenery. But now, picture your cruiser in the Florida Keys, Chesapeake Bay or the Lake of the Ozarks, and its worth has increased exponentially.

Regal's newest trailerable ticket to paradise is the 27-foot-6-inch LOA (counting swim platform) 2565 Window Express, which packs an impressive list of standard features and usable space into its 8-foot-6-inch beam. Many weekenders make you  choose between having a large cabin or more topside area, but Regal somehow manages to give you both. Boarding via the large, uncluttered swim platform, which has a side-mounted dive ladder concealed by a hatch, you notice the big-boat features, like the fender storage rack, stainless-steel grab rail, and standard hot and cold transom shower. Entering through the starboard side cockpit door, the first thing that stands out is the wet bar with a classy Corian countertop and four stainless-steel wire cupholders on top. Also noticeable is loads of storage space, as well as a carry-on, 25-quart Igloo Marine cooler and an optional drawer-style cockpit refrigerator.

The wide-open floor plan of the rear section of the cockpit strikes you as a bit unusual until you realize there's a flip-up stern seat, complete with an extra-tall backrest. Although Regal probably didn't intend it that way, it looks a little like the stern of an express fishing boat. As a result, those who find themselves in fishy waters like the Keys could take advantage of this accommodation to wet a line, but sitting so high up off the water, you would probably need an extra-long net or have to move the swim platform to land a fish.The portside lounge seat has a versatile backrest that you can flip toward the bow to allow a couple of guests to face you while relaxing at the stern bench. With the cockpit table in place between the two seats, you have a great spot for dining, playing games or coffee klatsching. The seatback can flip toward the rear and create a forward-facing, stretch-out lounger on one side, and a "feet-on-the-deck" seat on the other half. It's a good feature, but it would have been nice if the seatback locked into position to allow passengers to stand behind it and take advantage of the "shotgun" grab rail when in rough water.

Regal doesn't waste a bit of space for storage, the Regal 2565 being no exception; it has a small compartment behind the flip-up seat back of the rearward-facing chaise lounge, and there's also a large, dry storage locker underneath the lounge seat bottom that has a hydraulic ram to hold it up. When you're finished with the cockpit snack table, which has two pedestals for stability, it stows neatly underneath the top of the engine hatch, which lifts from the side to reveal a 280-hp, 5.7L Volvo Gi in an extra-roomy compartment.

Regal never puts form before function, and the helm station reflects this with an attractive yet practical setup. Stainless-steel bezeled, fog-free Faria gauges are visible above the optional mahogany Dino sport wheel, featuring a stereo control to allow you to quickly change your kids' hip hop over to Lynard Skynard's "Freebird." Even the standard, non-slip wheel has the same stereo control and five-position tilt features. The captain's helm bucket adjusts fore and aft and is solidly mounted on tracks affixed to the cockpit liner. The flip-up bolster is firm and wide enough to provide the driver with an ergonomically designed (albeit tall) perch, with the added comfort of a foot rest. There's room for an optional flush-mounted, 6.5-inch RayMarine 435 GPS plotter on the left, or you can navigate retro-style with the standard Plastimo compass located on top of the non-glare dash. The accessory rocker switches are conveniently located to the right just beneath and feature breaker reset buttons just below.

Turning the key fires up the Volvo Penta V8, and with the exhaust burbling deeply at a fast idle, the Regal 2565 heads for the waters of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg. With the twin-propeller Volvo Penta Duoprop outdrive, the Regal 2565 launches well and gets on plane in 5.5 seconds, and accelerates to 30 mph in about nine. Similar to Regal's larger yachts, the Regal 2565 features the OceanTrac hull design that, in this case, has an 18-degree deadrise at the stern that remains constant as you go forward until you get to the boat's entry, whereby the angle of attack grows sharper for better sliceability in these conditions. This configuration feels perfect; the moderate-V hull gives you good lateral stability, improved out-of-the-hole performance, better fuel economy and a top speed of 43.1 mph. For a cruiser, the Regal 2565 Window Express corners well and is quite responsive, although if you get carried away and really crank the wheel, you can catch an edge and really dig in.

Should you have to go forward on a day like today for anchor duty - and you don't opt for the available electric windlass - you'll be pleasantly surprised; the wide steps leading to the walkthrough windshield are easy to negotiate and lead to a flat, two-level, non-skid forward deck, which has a stainless-steel rail for additional safety. There's a polished stainless-steel anchor skid plate that has a nice custom look, and an adjacent locker for storing the anchor line.

As soon as you enter the cabin via the sliding door, you immediately see why it's called the Regal 2565 Window Express. There are large portals to the outside world everywhere: cat-eye portholes on either side; twin, rectangular windows up front; not to mention the oversized, overhead hatch and four smaller opening portholes. The cabin is full of innovative design, such as the gooseneck salon table pedestal with additional foot space. LeatherCrest salon upholstery is super-soft and cleverly converts to a berth by removing the backrest cushions and laying them atop the cross-member poles. This is one compact cruiser where the parents will probably commandeer the easy-to-enter amidships berth from the kids - especially if it's equipped with the optional innerspring mattress that also comes with designer shams and pillows. The standard, no-options-needed galley features Corian surfaces, refrigerator, microwave, electric burner, polished stainless-steel sink, trash receptacle and loads of storage. A stand-up head has plenty of elbowroom and has a hot shower, full-length mirror, sink, vanity and standard marine head with a holding tank.

The base price with a Volvo Penta 5.7 Gi duo prop outdrive is $73,747, which puts it toward the upper end, but it's a premium boat that's loaded with standard features and comes with a lifetime limited hull warranty, sliding it high on the value scale. Optioning out this boat with a windlass, electronics, air conditioner, 13-inch flat screen with DVD and assorted niceties will put you over the $80K mark. The Regal 2565 is not available with a generator, so if that's a deal breaker, you might consider the slightly longer, still trailerable Regal Commodore 2665, which has a different layout and doesn't have the window setup like the Regal 2565.

So the next time you see a great vacation spot or scenic waterway, remember, that could be your view - whether from the inside or the outside.

The Verdict

For families wanting a good-looking, trailerable cruiser that's loaded with features, handles well and gives you great visibility, the Regal 2565 Window Express is an ideal boat. The cabin is full of innovative elements, and the large windows provide a great view of the outside world. The 72-gallon fuel tank doesn't give you a lot of range for cruising, and 20 gallons of water will go quickly if you have kids on board.

Regal 2565 Window Express

LOA 27'6" (w/swim platform)
Beam 8'6"
Weight 5,960 lbs.
Fuel 72 gal.
Top Speed 43.1 mph
(w/280-hp, 5.7L Volvo Penta Gi)
Time To Plane 5.5 seconds
0-30 mph 9.2 seconds
Decibels @ Idle 59 dB-A
Decibels @ 30 mph 81 dB-A
Decibels @ WOT 92 dB-A
Base Price $72,114
(w/270-hp, 5.0L Volvo Penta GXi) 
Price As Tested $77,287
(w/280-hp, 5.7L Volvo Penta Gi)
Hull Warranty Lifetime Limited
NMMA Certified? Yes


Regal Marine Industries Inc.
2300 Jetport Drive
Orlando, FL 32809
(800) US-Regal
www.regalboats.com