Boat Test: 2024 Checkmate Pulsare 2400 BRX

Overview

By adding a bow lounge to its closed-deck Pulsare 2400, Checkmate offers great performance, plus more seating, in the Pulsare 2400 BRX. 

Engine

During testing, noted throttleman and ­Checkmate general manager Billy Moore  wheeled the BRX to a 67.1 mph top speed. The BRX went zero to 30 mph in a respectable 6.3 seconds. Need more speed? Checkmate rigged a few BRXs with a Mercury Racing 500R that reportedly hit 90-plus mph.

The 22-degree deadrise hull with a narrow, V-shaped running pad and multiple lifting strakes makes driving the BRX exciting without creating that nervous ­V-­bottom feel present in many performance boats. While there are faster hulls, the BRX pulls ­water toys and gives a ­good-size group a thrill ride.

Checkmate also builds it rugged. “We’d rather sacrifice a few miles per hour in exchange for taking a pounding year after year, with no stress cracking and no warranty claims,” Moore says.

Toward that end, each BRX utilizes hand-laid cloth with composite core, stringer grid, transom and liner. Beefy 1 ½-inch-thick ­Coosa transom knees take wave pounding, with the outboard hanging on a T-H Marine jack plate a foot off the transom. The dazzling white gelcoat features swooping red and black graphic accents applied in PPG paint, wet-sanded, and overlaid with clearcoat. There are no paint lines to feel.

Interior and Accessories

The bow’s twin extra-long lounges can fit four, though it’s intended for two, stretched out and lounging. In the aft cockpit, formfitting buckets envelop the pilot and co-­pilot. A wide and deep aft bench accommodates more people. SeaDek flooring, custom-cut with red contrasting Checkmate logos in the black ­matting, makes for a clean look that’s easy on the feet.

The dash features single custom Livorsi throttle and shift sticks, along with Lenco tabs. The stereo is a six-speaker system with subwoofer and amplifier, with two control heads. Rigging under the dash, under the splashwell, and at the transom was executed with a clean, race-boat touch.

Want to enjoy speed, performance and handling with a crowd? Check out Checkmate’s Pulsare 2400 BRX.

Read Next: Checkmate Pulsare 2400 CD

How We Tested

• Engine: Mercury Racing 300R
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/Mercury Racing Bravo 1 FS 15.25″ x 24″ 4-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 45 gal. Crew Weight: 550 lb.

High Points

• Long, plush bow lounges with diamond-stitched upholstery in a boat with racy performance and handling. 
• Its cavernous compartments will swallow all but the largest water toys and safety gear.
• The dark, smoked windscreens are made in the Checkmate plant. They look and work great.

Low Points 

• While the windshields are beautiful, they do cause glare on the dash when the sun’s at the right angle. Fine-tuning might help minimize that. 
• Unfinished compartment edges found aboard hull No. 1, which Checkmate assured us have been addressed. 

Toughest Competitor

Currently, there isn’t a high-performance bowrider that competes head-to-head with the Checkmate, speed- and performance-wise. However,  Stingray’s 3,360-pound 230SX ($106,614 with a 300 hp Yamaha) comes close, clocking speeds of over 60 mph with its optional 300 hp Yamaha outboard. 

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation