2015 BOAT BUYERS GUIDE PONTOON BILL DOSTER u Rear-facing recliners raise the bar for luxury. u Revolutionary Planing Technology-shaped tubes include actual keel and chines. uSwim platform has two jump seats. u The PR25 package on our tester boasts a center tube with performance strakes, 60-gallon tank, and a 25-inch transom for XL engines. u This pontoon performed a top speed of nearly 45 mph. // Specs u LOA: 26'10" u Beam: 8'6" u Dry Weight: 2,575 lb. u Seating/Weight Capacity: 14/2,650 lb. u Fuel Capacity: 30 gal. // How We Tested ENGINE: Yamaha F300 PROP: 15½" x 16” 3-blade stainless steel GEAR RATIO: 1.75:1 FUEL LOAD: 15 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 330 lb. // Price $65,695 (with test power and PR 25 package) Sylvan’s S5 Extreme may scream party above, but it’s all performance below. That’s where you’ll find the company’s unique Revolutionary Planing Technology (RPT). It includes large, 27-inch tubes that eschew conventional roundness but rather resemble BOATING Certified Test Results mini V-hulls, with welded keel Though the S5 Extreme may and chines. In theory, an RPT look cutting-edge in appearance, should displace less water and thus it doesn’t ignore the pontoon boat produce more speed, even with less basics within the fence confines. horsepower. Our test boat, outfitted Here, a pair of matching 4-feetwith an additional center RPT tube 8-inch-long bow lounges cradle and powered by a Yamaha F300 multiple passengers in comfort. outboard, planed immediately, Opposite the 4-inch raised helm sits reached 30 mph in 6.4 seconds and a matching captain’s chair. Move all peaked at 44.7 mph. It also displayed the way aft and you’ll find a choice To see our full the type of snappy handling that will of rear-facing recliners built into video review of the S5 Extreme, scan bring a smile to the face of almost stylish fiberglass modules. Each this tag or visit any performance-minded captain. features a sculpted armrest in the boatingmag .com/bbg15/ That level of performance inwale, a trio of lighted cup holders sylvans5. matched our test boat’s appearance. and wraparound padding should Thanks to its optional Extreme package, the you choose to pack in some friends couchS5 was dressed almost completely in black, style rather than stretch out solo. Want more? from the fencing and anodized rails all the Check out the dual jump seats, located on the way down to the unique matte-black-painted oversize swim platform. pontoons. A bold, contrasting highlight was found in the sweeping fence accent stripe, available in either an electric blue or lime green. That accent color is carried to the interior as well, showing up as accent piping on the two-tone gray upholstery. Our test boat took the look one step further with a stylish, forward-swept wake tower that included an integrated Bimini top, light bar and speakers. EFFICIENCY stat. n. mi. mpg range MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED u Contact SYLVAN New Paris, Indiana; 866-766-9698; sylvanmarine.com OPERATION sound angle level BOAT BUYERS GUIDE