NEW Sportsman Open 232 Centre Console

The brief for the 232 was the ultimate family fishing boat in the 23-foot class, with fit, finish and features the category does not normally see. At 7.11 metres on a 2.59-metre beam with 20 degrees of transom deadrise and 439 litres of fuel, it is a boat that will sit on a trailer behind a family vehicle and still run offshore on a good day.

The fishing package is complete rather than token: a 95-litre aquarium livewell on the transom with starboard viewing glass, two insulated bow fish boxes that double as coolers, six under-gunwale rod racks, five rocket launchers and kingfish rod holders on the hardtop, and a bow anchor locker with a moulded catch.

Comfort is where the fit and finish argument gets made. Sileather marine silicone upholstery in Coastal Beige, Smoky Gray or Icecap White, a premium dual-chair leaning post with flip-up bolsters, a console front seat hiding an insulated cooler, a teak anti-fatigue helm pad, and an enclosed head that takes either a porta potti or a porcelain toilet with pump-out. The hardtop frame is extruded from a single piece of aluminium, which frees up the deck space that welded legs would otherwise take.

Underneath it all is the same construction story as the flagship: no-wood all-fibreglass with vinyl ester resin, AlloChrome4200+ fasteners, a self-bailing cockpit draining through a collector box rather than the bilge, NMMA certification and a 10-year limited hull warranty. SportLink delivers Garmin, JL Audio and NMEA 2000 from the factory, and VACS trims out up to 70 per cent of underway pitch and roll.

KEY SPECIFICATIONS
- Length overall: 7.11 m (23' 4")
- Beam: 2.59 m (8' 6")
- Draft, engines up: 0.41 m
- Deadrise at transom: 20 degrees
- Fuel capacity: 439 L, approx. 401 L usable
- Fresh water: 57 L
- Approx. Dry weight: 1,792 kg
- Maximum horsepower: 300 hp
- Person capacity: 10
- Bridge clearance with hardtop: 2.84 m

NOTABLE FEATURES
- SportTech no-wood, all-fibreglass hull with vinyl ester resin
- 20-degree transom deadrise
- VACS: up to 70% underway pitch and roll elimination
- SeaStar tilt helm, 40-degree range, five positions, stainless wheel
- Premium dual-chair leaning post with flip-up bolsters
- 95 L transom aquarium livewell with starboard viewing glass
- Two insulated bow fish boxes doubling as coolers
- In-deck bow storage box, bow anchor locker with moulded catch
- Six under-gunwale rod racks
- Five hardtop rocket launchers, kingfish side rod holders
- Console front seat with hidden insulated cooler
- Enclosed head: porta potti or porcelain toilet with pump-out
- Tempered glass windscreen with manual vent
- Dedicated trolling motor battery storage
- Single-piece extruded aluminium D-tube hardtop frame
- Fibreglass hardtop with integrated LED and spreader lights
- Moulded-in navigation lights at front corners
- SportLink: Garmin displays, JL Audio, NMEA 2000
- Two 10W waterproof wireless chargers, USB and 12V at helm
- Teak anti-fatigue helm pad
- Sileather upholstery: Coastal Beige, Smoky Gray, Icecap White
- Sandbar stern anchor compartment, pre-equipped
- Freshwater and raw water washdown
- Rear total access hatch for safety gear
- AlloChrome4200+ stainless fasteners
- Self-bailing cockpit with collector box drainage
- 10-year limited hull warranty