Completely redesigned for 2018, the evolutionary XStar ski and wake boat is also packed with innovative features.
Those include a new wake-specific hull design that can be equipped with 4,100 lbs (1,860 kg) of ballast—they claim the most in the industry—plus a new mid-ship ballast tank. They enhance the wake—they also claim the most in the industry—and improve wake surfing performance. Additionally, MasterCraft offers the “Gen 2 Surf System” as an option, which creates three zones of sculpted, customizable surf.
The first XStar debuted over 20 years ago, but this is a different animal. “It’s the highest performing, most technologically advanced wake-specific boat in the industry,” marketing director Jason Boertje told NauticExpo e-Magazine.
The 23 ft-long (7.1 m), nearly 8 ft wide (2.21 m) XStar is powered by General Motors engines marinized for MasterCraft by Ilmor Marine. It comes standard with a 5.3-liter V8, but options include a 6.2-liter and 7.4-liter V8. Perhaps the most desirable option, however, is the Gen 2 system. Including a wake-shaping device beneath the transom, it’s a comprehensive, software-controlled system that works with the hull shape and ballast tanks to create waves that are “cleaner, larger, longer, and have more push at all lengths,” Boertje noted.
“Gen 2 is the only surf system to win a National Marine Manufacturers Association innovation award,” he concluded. “This is next-level surfing for every skill level.”
