2017 Regal 42 Grande Coupe

Seventeen feet four inches of beam. On a 42-foot boat. That figure is the first thing to understand about this 2017 Regal 42 Sport Coupe, stock #4842, and it explains why the interior volume is closer to a 50-footer than a 42.

Regal called it the only yacht in its class with a full-beam retractable hardtop, a windshield walk-through, opening side windows, and sliding glass doors. The effect is that at the push of a button the boat converts between an open-air entertaining deck and a cosy, climate-controlled salon with panoramic views. On the Lake of the Ozarks, where a hot July afternoon and a cool October evening ask opposite things of a boat, that transformation is what keeps you using it for eight months rather than four.

The systems list is the reason a boat like this works for real cruising. A 32,000 BTU air conditioning system with reverse-cycle heat, a 7.6 kW Westerbeke diesel generator at 240 volts, 50-amp dockside power, a pressurised fresh water system with a water heater, an automatic fire suppression system, a central vacuum, two automatic bilge pumps, an integrated self-bailing drainage system, and weather-resistant Deutsch connectors throughout the wiring. That last detail is the sort of thing that separates a boat still working properly at ten years from one giving intermittent electrical faults.

Twin engines making 1,000 horsepower move 26,050 lbs comfortably, and at 196 hours this boat has barely been broken in. There are 258 gallons aboard, with trim tabs for ride control.

Why this is the right boat: a 42-foot sport coupe with a full-beam retractable hardtop, a generator, proper air conditioning, and under 200 hours, at this price, is an enormous amount of yacht. If you want to entertain a large group in any weather and sleep aboard comfortably, this is the most house-like boat we have, and Regal built it to a standard that has held up.

She is at Kelly's Port in Osage Beach. We are Regal's oldest dealer in the country, ranked number one in the world for customer satisfaction by the factory, and a family-owned full-service marina since 1977. We have slips for a boat this size, wet and dry storage, and factory-trained service on site with a same-day guarantee. Call 573.348.3888 to arrange a walkthrough of stock #4842.