Perfect Storm

One thing about sport class boats, they've always delivered on the promise of fun. The Sea-Doo HX. The Yamaha WaveBlaster. Even the old Kawasaki X-2, the real progenitor of the class. You'll find very few enthusiasts who don't think all three are a barrel of fun to ride.

The problem with sport class boats, however, is that the promise is often limited. Yes, they're loads of fun to ride — as long as you ride solo and don't fall off. Yes, they offer unmatched turning ability and performance — as long as you master the right technique. Yes, there is the promise of fun, but there is a limit to the fun that comes from lack of stability, difficulty in reboarding, and limited passenger and cargo space.

For many, those limitations outweigh the benefits.

But the Polaris Hurricane may change that. It offers all the fun of a Sport Craft — lean-in style handling, breathtaking turning ability and terrific acceleration and pull — but without the usual sacrifices. The Hurricane is relatively stable, easy to reboard and able to carry two adults in a pinch. There's also on-board stowage in front and a healthy 8.6-gallon fuel tank for those interested in touring.

Like other Sport Runabouts, the Hurricane features a double concave hull design that allows for inside-lean handling. The concaves, which are positioned underneath the handlebars on either side of the keel, create suction that keeps the hull stuck to the water when leaned over.

In that respect, the Hurricane is no different than the Yamaha WaveBlaster or the Sea-Doo HX, the two other sport class models currently on the market. The low seat and angled footwells tend to move you into a kneeling position when riding aggressively. And make no mistake, the ride is very aggressive. In terms of sheer turning ability, it's probably the best in the class, though it takes some riding talent and experience to get the most out of the craft.

The ride is also very wet. In fact, it may be too wet for some. Be sure to wear goggles if you do take one out for a test drive.

Where the Hurricane differs most from the Blaster and the HX is in the width of the hull, which provides much better stability. At 40.8 inches, it is two inches wider than the Blaster and nearly three inches wider than the HX. Those couple of inches may not seem like much, but they offer a great deal more stability at idle speed and when reboarding.

In the pre-production models Polaris introduced to the press, the slow-speed stability didn't translate when the craft was up to speed. The bow had a tendency to hunt around, looking to turn. Polaris, however, has added aluminum trim tabs at the back edge of the hull on production models and extended the ride plate a couple of inches to settle the ride down. (The changes are why the craft was late coming out this year.)

We'd also like to see Polaris add its Quick Trim as at least an option to help set the angle of the boat for different sized riders.

If the ride has settled down, the Hurricane will be a nice alternative for the enthusiast looking for an aggressive, lean-in hull. It is also worth a look from enthusiasts normally attracted to performance runabouts. It certainly has the power to compete with those craft. Power is supplied by a new, 90 horsepower, 700 cc oil-injected twin that features dual carbs, Ocean Pro velocity stacks, reed valve induction and digital CDI. Power is transferred to the water through the Polaris

Polaris has also added a number of nice features to the Hurricane that are missing on other sport models, namely a roomy stowage area in the bow, a multi-function gauge package and an electric bilge pump. Other standard features include dual mirrors and rear grab handle.

Specifications