VOYAGER EXTREME 25 SL

"Extreme”can be interpreted many different ways, but when applied to Voyager’s new Extreme 25 SL, the word must stand for extremely comfortable – starting with the new Luxor upholstery that’s as soft as anything you’ve ever felt. Up front there is a large lounge on the starboard side with a smaller seat to port. The unusual layout has the port and bow boarding gates in very close proximity to each other, but this is to make room for the amidships pop-up changing room where you would usually see the gate. A very classy feature is the granite food prep counter just in front of the driver’s console. This 60- pound black slab sits above the optional cockpit refrigerator and next to a hand-pumped spigot and sink.

The best feature on this boat is the pair of all-new stern lounges that sit inside the rear fence and allow passengers to recline in comfort while the boat is moving. Watching the ski show has never been so luxuriant. As you look throughout the cockpit, there are cupholders built into the armrests for beverage security. Our test boat is rigged for skiing and there’s a very stout and tall ski tow that’s a new design for this year. We don’t care how many skis you have, they will all fit in the cavernous centerline compartment that measures 7 feet long.

Powering the Voyager Extreme 25 is Mercury’s 250 Pro XS OptiMax, which is a direct-injected two-stroke. This very feisty engine pushed us to plane in 3.4 seconds with just a little slippage, which could probably be remedied with a different prop choice or mounting height. We nonetheless hooked up well enough to take us to 30 mph in just 7.1 seconds and on to a top speed of nearly 44 miles per hour. The Voyager has standard hydraulic steering, but it’s a little stiff for all this power. Power steering is definitely the way to go. U-shaped triple logs with the optional High Performance Package’s lifting strakes gave us a great ride and impressive cornering.