World Cat has been on a steady march updating their line to the CC-X models, and the latest to get the update is the all-new 260. The number-one stand-out feature of the boat is, of course, the fact that it rides atop two hulls rather than one. Say what you will about the cat-versus-monohull debate, one thing is for sure: when it comes to the smoothness of the ride in a nasty chop, a spoon-like hull just can’t match the knife-like twin-hull entries. And since World Cat uses a planing compression tunnel (air gets compressed in the tunnel as it narrows moving aft; they call it “VectorFlo”) for all their boats, the hull also creates its own shock absorber of sorts when impacting waves. But — if we’ve said it once we’ve said it a hundred times — we don’t expect nor want anyone out there to take our word for it. You need to go on a sea trial and feel how the boat behaves for yourself to get a full understanding of how it runs, and do your best to schedule it when the wind’s blowing. Our sea trial on the 260CC-X came on a day that was unfortunately calm, and (argh!) we didn’t get to enjoy the boat’s best attribute. That said, if you find smoothness of the ride the most critical aspect of a boat, you’d be missing out big-time if you didn’t go for a cat ride when the wind was pumping. And you'll still learn a lot, by checking out our video boat review of the World Cat 260CC-X:
The hull is, of course, just one aspect of a boat. Topsides, the 260CC-X is a fishing machine through and through. Six flush-mount rodholders come standard (four aft and two forward), the leaning post sports four rocket launchers, and the T-top has four more. The console has vertical racks for four per side. A 12-inch Garmin GPSMAP comes stock and a second can be added as an option. Another option of interest is the trolling motor pre-wiring, which you’ll need if you want to enjoy the benefits of a bow-mounted trolling motor. Considering the angling effectiveness of Spot-Locking in place and creeping stealthily through the shallows we’re calling this one a no-brainer, while also noting that this boat drafts a mere 14 inches — far less than most 26-foot monohulls. Other notables for fishing include fresh and raw water washdowns, spreader lights, a slide-out cooler under the leaning post, and flush U-shaped bow seating that can be stripped of the cushions and used as a forward casting deck.
Speaking of the forward casting deck: World Cat adds a unique touch here, with a forward seat that folds back to double its size and expose a nonskid fiberglass surface. That means you have fewer cushions to deal with stowing, and there’s no insert to worry about mounting in place.
In the stern this boat takes an entirely new approach to the layout, and it provides a fishability boost we’d expect to see copied by other boats in the future. Rather than have one of those wide transoms that forces you forward in the cockpit, which can make it tough to get far enough aft to land a fish (much less work one around the outboards), the 260CC-X has a centered casting deck with a wide 50-inch fold-up bench seat. It’s flush with the swim platform running all the way back between the outboards, which makes it possible to move aft easily. And it folds all the way down to become an aft casting deck. Meanwhile, the corners of the cockpit gunwales are widened out to house a 30-gallon livewell on the starboard side and a 30-gallon insulated cooler/fishbox to port. There are larger fishboxes in the deck on either side of the console, and integrated into the bow seating.
Those who enjoy taking out the kids when the bite is slow will enjoy the fact that there’s a ski-tow bit on the top, a head inside the console, and a freshwater shower in the cockpit. The 260CC-X also has a standard Fusion Apollo 670 stereo system with six JL Audio speakers, a USB port at the helm, and you can add an optional aft cockpit shade.
We ran the boat with a pair of Yamaha F200 outboards, which is the max power package for the model. At a mellow 3500-rpm cruise we ran along in the mid-20s, at 4500 rpm we made speeds in the mid-30s, and at wide-open we hit 48.7 mph. That was fairly heavily loaded, too, with full fuel and three people aboard. Run this boat light, and you’ll beat the 50-mph mark. (The dealer mentioned hitting 52.)
Will the 260CC-X be the ideal boat for you and your family? That’s your call. But we can say one thing for sure: if you decide to take one for a sea trial and there’s a stiff chop on the Bay, you’re likely to step off this boat with an entirely new cattitude.
World Cat 260CC-X Specifications
- LOA – 25’6”
- Beam – 9’0”
- Displacement – 6750 lbs.
- Draft (hull) – 1’2”
- Transom Deadrise – NA
- Fuel Capacity – 180 gal.
- Max. Power – 400 hp
- Chesapeake Bay Area Dealer – Bosun’s Marine, Grasonville, MD, (443) 347-6314