They said they'd bring us a 60-mph boat that would cost less than $25,000. Our upstream test run was 59.9 mph and our downstream test run was 60.1. Base price read $24,999 without the snazzy swim platform but with a trailer. On elements of speed and price, Baja made good on their word. But will the boat meet your requirements, as well?

We had to work the throttles and trim to get the speed. While busting some chop to ventilate the hull, David Howard, the white-knuckle PR guy from Baja, had to try and get a grip on the passenger cup holder to supplement his hydraulic grip on the port side grab handle. OK, so they needed another grab handle, big deal. We thought everything else was there to make this an awesome value and a quality ride.

Captain and passenger bucket seats hugged us into the cockpit. Behind the wheel, Morse dual controls gave crisp control of forward and reverse with a separate lever for throttle -- we'd ask no less from a go-fast boat. The trim switch on the dash, just three or four inches away from the throttle, was easy to adjust to squeeze out that last mph. Trim on the throttle is nice, but we agreed to go for a price tag below 25 bills so nix it and enjoy that extra weekend at the lake with the cash. The dash was racy looking, with anodized bezels and performance gauges. We felt the speed before we turned the key.

The cockpit was wide enough for a crew of five. Stow the gear under the aft bench seat or in the bow compartment. A diamond-pattern nonskid hull gleamed in white, and the yellow and blue upholstery and hull accents added at least 15 mph to the impression you'll make aboard the 20 Outlaw. Need to get to the bow to raft up with fellow boaters? Nonskid accents on the deck make footing secure while you're out of the cockpit.

You could ski with the Baja 20 Outlaw, though its 4.5-second time to plane might cause some muscle soreness. You could improve that with a quick switch to a shorter-pitch prop and switch back when hair-flaming speed is more apropos. There's plenty of room to stow skis.

The 20 Outlaw hull is all fiberglass composite, except for the end-grain balsa core essential to building a solid performance hull. Our test proved it provides a quick, stable ride in rough chop. The 21-degree V-bottom took waves beautifully and, for a boat built for speed, this one was surprisingly nimble in aggressive turns as long as you tucked the sterndrive down.

In the May 2002 issue, we included the Baja 20 Outlaw in our list of today's boats that will be tomorrow's classics (click here to link to that article). After testing it, our opinion still stands.

NICE TOUCHES

• The optional swim platform is crucial for watersports but adds $667 to the base price.
• You'll be rafting up at your lake's performance point, so the aft anchor hanger is way cool.
• The bilge is gelcoated and clean with plenty of room for storing a tool box or additional gear.

• End-grain balsa core hull with hand-laid biaxial laminates will remain rigid and true and look great in the 2025 classic regatta.

SPECS

Length Overall: 20' 3''

Beam: 7' 11''

Weight With Engine: 2,900 lb.

Fuel Capacity: 47 gal.

MSRP: $24,999 (less optional swim platform)

PERFORMANCE

Test Engine: MerCruiser 5.0L

Test Prop: Aluminum 17'' Pitch

Test Load: Fuel (15 gal.); People (350 lb.)

Top Speed: 60 mph @ 4,900 rpm

Time to Plane: 3.5 sec.

Time to 30 MPH: 7.5 sec.

Noise @ Idle: 64 db

Noise @ 30 mph: 82 db

POWER CURVE

RPM:MPH

Idle: 3.5

1,000: 4.6

1,500: 5.8

2,000: 8.2

2,500: 23.2

3,000: 33.9

3,500: 41.3

4,000: 48.1

4,500: 52.8

5,000: 57.1

5,300: 60.0

CONTACT:

Baja Boats; 877-321-BAJA; Bucyrus, Ohio; bajamarine.com