Formula’s 290 Bowrider is a bay cruiser, lake toy, party boat, and waterfront restaurant eye-catcher. The twin Ilmor 5.3L engine and dual-prop drive package is the icing on this scrumptious Formula cake. At a high of 5,300 rpm, we clocked 55.5 mph. Best economy came at 34 mph and 1.8 mpg.
Formula’s deep-V hull planes in 5.9 seconds and hit 30 mph in 7.7. It turns sure-footed and deeply banked at any speed. With robust construction, painted hull stripes and fastidious rigging, the 290 Bowrider is built for the long haul.
Inside, the bow features a hidden anchor windlass and locker, and a deep firm-but-comfy bowrider lounger replete with USB ports and cup holders for all. Removable cushions transform it into a sunbathing suite. The cockpit features a nicely designed and surprisingly roomy portside head. Plenty of storage resides inside the helm console.
Storage abaft is plentiful under the L-shaped reversible-back lounger, which provides high versatility. Position the backrest aft for a great rear seat. Position it forward to create a wide and comfortable sun pad. Under this lounger is a clean and well-executed engine space. All rigging is routed and supported properly and easily accessible.
Those 5.3-liter Ilmor V-8s are direct-injected with glycol-cooled exhaust, producing 365 hp each. They use the latest-generation GM engine block. Optionally, choose twin 6.2-liter engines or a single 7.4-liter package, available wearing your choice of either the Mercury or Volvo Penta marque.
The helm resembles that of a jet aircraft. The Ilmor throttle and shift control adds a custom touch with precise actuation. I found the Ilmor Marine One-Touch joystick system precise and learning-adaptive. The Ilmor drives, made in partnership with Yanmar, use a multidisc clutch pack to achieve extremely smooth shifting. That clutch is vital to the precision, accuracy and smoothness of the One-Touch joystick system because when you engage one of the three different anchoring/holding modes, the drives will shift often to keep the boat in place.
High Points
- Twin Ilmor 5.3L dual-prop powerplants with joystick.
- Modular seating makes the bow lounge convertible and versatile.
- Aft lounge seat/sun lounge features a multiposition backrest and storage underneath.
How We Tested
- Engine: Twin Ilmor 5.3-liter GDI-S OPS 365
- Drive/Prop: Ilmor dual-prop drive; Mercury Bravo III stainless steel (forward: 4-blade 15.25″ x 26″; aft: 3-blade C/R 13.75″ x 26″)
- Gear Ratio: 2.18:1 Fuel Load: 70 gal. Crew Weight: 650 lb.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $475,660 |
| LOA: | 31’9″ (with extended platform) |
| Beam: | 9’0″ |
| Draft: | 3’4″ |
| Dry Weight: | 8,950 lb. |
| Seat/Weight Capacity: | NA |
| Fuel Capacity: | 112 gal. |
Formula Boats – Decatur, Indiana; formulaboats.com
