BWA Sport 28 GTO Review

Another great sporty boat reviewed by topRik team – lightning fast BWA Sport 28 GTO for those that need more speed than others at an affordable price. Apart from detailed descriptions of all the features, after our own testing at the sea, we provide our impressions of driving it for the full picture, and also fitting videos and photos along with information on the boat’s performance characteristics.

What do you imagine when you think of a speedy semi-rigid boat? Surely, it has to be just a raft with powerful engines, made to get from point A to point B without any amenities and even a place to lie down properly. Well, not in this case.

The boats from BWA (Breventani William Adriano) Nautica have this unmistakable Italian charm to them – whatever makes tailored suits, luxury cars and wine so special in Italy, is now present in semi-rigid vessels. Fast, elegant and minimalistic, BWA Sport 28 GTO somehow is able to fit on board comfortable homelike sofas, huge sunbathing area at the bow and has no problems with spaces for the whole family or a large company.

BWA Nautica is on the market for 35 years and during this time climbed to the top of the RIB segment with their reliable hulls and best possible equipment provided. First models were made mostly for professionals, such as coast guards or divers, but as it often happens with efficient professional products, they attracted a wider audience over the years. Based at Dresdano, near Milan, the manufacturer makes boats from 2.5 meters to 14 meters in length, aimed at different niches.

 

Features of BWA Sport 28 GTO

 

Maximum Speed and Fuel Consumption

Max speed	Up to 43 knots
Cruising speed	Up to 25 knots
Fuel consumption	30 l/h when planing at a speed of 20 knots

 

Review of BWA Sport 28 GTO by topRik Team

 

General impression

Compared to many large monohulls presented on our website, this boat is refreshingly simple and straight to the point, which is reflected in more democratic price. Even though it has a single deck, the transom islands surround the engines in a very familiar way, just like on much more expensive Aquila catamarans.

It is very easy to climb on board from the berth and is just as easy to dive into the water or maintain the engines. This is one of definite advantages of simplicity – no need to climb into the engine room or have tons of tools around for all kinds of equipment on board. The boat we managed to try looked just like that – with a pair of optional 175 HP Suzuki engines, and we would recommend them too, even though the standard version comes with one 150 HP engine. Suzuki engines actually require even less maintenance than most engines due to oil bath lubrification technology and an automatic tensioner.

Large chambers 65 cm in diameter create the promise of fun time without too much commitment – there’s something about inflatable sides that puts you back in childhood times, when you first experience a ride on a family boat or a rented one during a vacation.

Here’s a good photo, demonstrating the entire deck:

As you can see, the transom islands are huge and the portside one has a convenient folding swimming ladder. The hull is made of fiberglass and the side – of semi-rigid hypalon. BWA, as usual, provides seven independent chambers: one in the center and three on each side for increased safety of the passengers.

By the way, here you see a version without the soft sunshade. If the summer sun is too much for you, it’s going to cost you some more to hide from it. Also, additional optional covers are available: for the boat itself, for the console and for the pilot seat.

Here’s the profile of the BWA Sport 28 GTO – look how tiny the seats look. This model looks like somebody took a regular RIB and magically increased its size so it can hold 20 people on board at once. But now you will see something unusual (unless you are already familiar with BWA range).

You get this futuristic door if you decide to pay a little extra for the nautical WC. Other than such a helpful feature, you have optional automatic bilge pump - regular bilge pump is included. Other important included features are: refrigerator Inox 42, shower system with autoclave, hydraulic steering system GF HD Tilt (can be replaced by Seastar hydraulic steering for one or two motors).

Here’s how the BWA Sport 28 GTO looks once you climb on boat and look over the C-shaped sofa at the stern. The combination of beige and white is a classic way to make any interior cozier and more welcoming. You can notice the handles around the perimeter – you can grab onto them to attach fenders or if you want to hold to something before you jump off the bow. Also, if upper body strength allows, you climb out of the water using them.

Honestly, we didn’t even expect to find any handrails in here, and were wrong. You can see a part of it on the left and another one on the pilot’s seat. From this view the cleats and the transom are also visible. And sure, you can’t throw a dancing party in here, but if you are stocked up on snacks, drinks and good vibes, your family might experience the most wholesome moments of their life in here.

On photo above you can see an optional structure – this is the stainless-steel base of the t-top. The deck is also available in synthetic teak to recreate the most popular marine flooring design. In the floor you can see a recess for a small coffee table that can be installed in here.

This boat is actually not the best option for fishing, but you can never stop a group of fishing lovers from using any vessel for this purpose – rigid flooring allows you to set up all your equipment without much worries. Just be careful with the hooks near the inflated sides.

Among included options you have also the stove for cooking (quite unusual in this price range), stereo system, wakeboard kit, roll bar, set of hoisting hooks, key locked storage kit.

And here is the most sacred place for the owner – the control panel. The wheel reminds you of a sports car, but the seat is much less sporty, it is more a mini-sofa and your special other will fit in comfortably in here next to you. And if you feel like standing while driving, this seat easily transforms into a backrest. Under the seat you will find the fridge, sink and some space for cooking.

On the panel you have all the features available on board much more expensive vessels: the convenient throttle level, chartplotter, various indicators and a high-quality compass included by default.

The readings will provide all the necessary information on the engine and the performance of the boat overall.

This console is surrounded with different short rails and comes with windshield out of the box. Electric panel and navigation lights are included also, but electric horn is optional. As for that vertical door, behind it you have a toilet with a small sink:

Let’s move on to the bow. Even though it doesn’t have much unusual feature, the main advantage here is the sheer amount of space that the sunbathing area provides:

At the end of the bow, we have more cleats and the anchor chain. The seats can be opened even with mattresses attached and reveal a rather large storage space for baggage or marine equipment. That circle in the floor is for the table leg – yes, you can also install a table in here, just like at the cockpit.

And here is a good use of that small seat (it has even more railing right under):

Overall, the interior of the boat is all about minimalism, but with surprising comfort still – just the list of available options (accessible through our price calculator on sales page) makes you understand that this is not a strict military-style boat, meant for hardened sailors only: it provides enough cushy seats for your loved ones too.

 

Test at the Sea

Usually, we don’t like to take sporty boats like this on a sunny day – the sun might be too much sometimes. But after we found out that we can try the one protected by the t-top, we quickly took the opportunity.

Driving at the Kotor Bay, one the most iconic spots in Montenegro, we enjoyed the views at tremendous speed of 43 knots max. It switches to planing at 11 knots already. It consumes around 30 liters per hour at 20 knots and at 25 knots it rises to 44 liters per hour. At 30 knots you reach 4500 RPM, so it only gets higher from there – louder too. 39 knots will mean 6300 RPM and is not very fuel-efficient, to say the least.

The boat, thanks to its lightness, is easy to maneuver, but also very sensitive to touch – you should be careful when making sharp turns and give a warning to your passengers when doing so. Drive-by-wire helps during turns, by the way, completed eliminating human error factor from the equation – pure precision without any mechanics involved.

One of the best feelings ever on this boat is to stand there at the wheel when the keel is almost fully above the water: it seems like the BWA Sport 28 GTO is about to take off the surface any second now, just like a seaplane.

Thanks to its incredible length, it doesn’t have the usual RIB problems – jumping up and down rapidly or being swayed by waves due to lightness. Once you want it to go in one direction, you will experience slow takeoffs and returns to normal even at highest speed. It is pretty much like driving a high-class car with good suspension, opposite to unstable cheaper RIBs.

At this photo you can see how deep the keel goes – thanks to this fiberglass structure the boat goes as steady as the vessels five times more expensive and develops the speeds that most RIBs with flat bottoms can’t even dream about.

Sure, as you turn the boat, it rocks little bit more than a full rigid monohull or, of course, a catamaran and some people might not like that. That’s something you can definitely get used to though, as it adds more character to the vessel – but still, it’s not a good idea to put bunch of drinks on the coffee tables when the skipper makes any turns.

The engines’ loudness depends on the option you are getting. If you want more power, make sure to settle with more noise. You don’t need a key in order to start the engines and their design allows you to stand right near them at the stern and still stay dry even during turns – somehow the splashes are almost non-existent.

During the test (we had 5 people on board) we never had a problem of bumping into each other, since the both areas around the console are wide enough. That fridge under the pilot’s seat was used quite often too – we sometimes like to combine work with recreation at topRik.

Since even one engine option has two propellers that are counter-rotating, the maneuvering is simple – the boat just goes where you want it to go and the reverse motion is perfectly fine. The movement is also much more consistent. And, of course, more blades means faster acceleration and speed, as well as fast deceleration when needed.

We promised to return the BWA Sport 28 GTO to the owner in much better state than we borrowed it. As a favor, the owner provided the vessel for testing only after we agreed to send our people to clean it for free. So right before the test we figured out on our own, how simple it is to maintain this boat in proper shape. To clean off the inflatable chambers from the algae and dirt, we used regular clean water with a soft sponge – hypalon is a reliable material that can be rubbed quite harshly as long as you don’t use metal sponges. And as for fiberglass underwater parts, regular soap and water were enough to remove the stains, since the vessel was relatively new and the gelcoat wasn’t too damaged. And considering the low area of fiberglass hull that touches the water, you’ll never have to do much cleaning overall (as you probably know, it’s the waterline stains that are usually most difficult to get rid of.

Our team also stated the stability of the boat during anchorage – thanks to it weighing only 1600 kg, it stays in one place like a floating berth. We finished our test by going at a straight line at max speed all the way back to our berth and called it a day. Overall, we were very impressed by the boat’s capabilities and will look forward to testing more boats from BWA in the future.

 

Advantages of BWA Sport 28 GTO

Right off the bat we can say that the main advantage is in the name – “Sport”. It is, indeed, a very sporty vessel, as you feel like you are flying above the water surface effortlessly thanks to a low overall weight that only RIBs can provide. The maneuverability and control from the helm are surprising for such a featherweight for sure.

Refrigeration, shower, sink, toilet, two coffee tables, full-size sunbathing area – are we really talking about an RIB here? The list of the advantages is just the equipment that you get on board this agile boat – it speaks for itself. We are not sure how BWA had an audacity to put all this on board the RIB, but they delivered.

And let’s not forget the smart handrails and handles that you can find all over the boat. The designers tried their best to prove that inflatable chambers should not be the sign of low safety or be associated with a life raft. Here you have enough storage space for medkits and gear as well.

As for problems, we encountered a quite common issue for many boats in this market – if the skipper is standing, then the wind really gets into your face at the console, so we would like to see an optional large windshield in next version. But, in our opinion, it’s not a bad design at all when that’s the only negative you can find.

 

Video Reviews of BWA Sport 28 GTO

It’s best if just take a look at how this boat behaves at the sea. Only then you can at least remotely feel what we felt.

Great demonstration of both stability and lightness of BWA Sport 28 GTO during movement:

Another footage of this speedy vessel cutting through water surface:

Of course, it is better to check out the interiors too from different angles before purchase:

More interiors showcased:

The optimal design of this vessel captured both from the inside and in motion:

 

Conclusion

This boat is pretty much perfect for family vacations, if your family is nothing short of adventurous: not all wives and kids are into the idea of leaving their house to travel inside a smaller “house” at the sea. Many actually like more restrained conditions – that’s why hiking and camping are a thing. If you treat it as an exciting harsh weekend adventure with just enough comfort to lure your loved ones on board, then the price tag is worth it.

We think that BWA Sport 28 GTO might lose some points in your eyes if you just look at it at some boat show and compare it to other models having only interiors in mind. More lavish amenities and designs with two decks might distract you from the “Sport” in the name of the boat. This is the problem with performance-oriented vessels – the only way to truly experience them is to drive them. If you have any opportunity at all, make sure to take it on a test drive to understand what we mean, or at least check out the videos that demonstrate the speed of this boat in action.

It is all about conquering the sea with the least number of tools provided to you, with a hull that is as lightweight as possible and the power at the stern fully unleashed because of that. Add to that excellent steering and stability and you will understand who this boat is for:

• fans (or even fanatics) of speed at the sea – when the road is too limiting, but you want go full throttle on high-performance vehicle;
• those who prefer simplicity – you don’t need any extra amenities, just the most necessary things;
• frugal spenders – maybe you could spend more on a boat, but you will have buyer’s remorse if you spend too much on something you are not going to use that often;
• family guys – one thing is to rent a boat and another is to lead your loved ones on your own vessel;
• professionals, who don’t mind some extra comfort on board during working hours.

Now that we figured that out, let’s move on to a pretty important question.

 

Where to Buy BWA Sport 28 GTO at a Bargain Price

Since you are already here, why not check out our prices? Our sales page provides the best offer on the market, with the price calculator created specifically for this model, so you can pick and choose various additional options, mentioned above, and estimate their price on the fly.

You can also ask us any question about the boat or any questions regarding other purchases on our website – our team is always ready to help. Don’t be afraid to bother us, we believe that starting the communication any way at all is the best way to arrive at win-win situations.

How do you win here at all, you might ask? Well, during the purchasing process we will:

• take care of all your demands when it comes to configuration of the boat, ordering your own versions of BWA Sport 28 GTO just for you;
• draw up all necessary documentation, allowing you to avoid boring hassle;
• haul the vessel to agreed location;
• try and negotiate the best price on the market for you, as we have direct contact with the manufacturers and dealers (the prices come directly from them);

Also, let’s not forget that we have hundreds and hundreds of various equipment that you might need to buy after you already received your boat at your berth. Fenders, covers, furniture, maintenance kits, marine radios, safety equipment – we will consult you for free regarding such purchases also.

Feel free to send us an e-mail at [email protected], use the phone number above or send an application through Contacts section. Take care!