California is famous for one thing - silicone! Err... Silicon Valley that is, the region on the south-eastern margins of San Francisco's famous bay that plays host to the myriad companies that work tirelessly to bring mankind the very best that artificial intelligence can offer... You know, things like voice-activated microwaves and that popular computer-generated dreamgirl, Lara Croft.

Despite the fact that the entire length of the state of California is lapped by the Pacific Ocean and that it has some excellent inland waterways, the state isn't famous for its boats, or at least its boat builders.

Though from the outside looking in, California is bikini-clad and on permanent vacation, much of the USA's boat industry is located far from the west coast and its picture postcard weather.

So it came as quite a surprise when I found a trailerboat manufacturer at the sharp end of the performance marketplace based in California. It came as an even bigger surprise to learn that its high-performance products were being manufactured under licence Down Under in yet another boating hotspot - Wagga Wagga!

MORE THAN A SKIBOAT
But that's just what Eliminator Boats has been doing since mid-'98 with the blessing and backing of its US associate and namesake.

The first boat produced Down Under in a range that could eventually include a number of craft including the US maker's flagship, the 11m 380 Eagle, is the rather confusingly named 215 Skier.

I say confusing because while you can certainly ski behind this big-block powered beauty, to label it just a skiboat is to sell it short. Even in the light of our quick test on the waters of Sydney Harbour, the moniker sells it well short.

A beamy and seaworthy craft, the open-bow 215 offers all the benefits of a bowrider with the looks and performance of a true sportsboat. Far from being a conventional midmount or even sterndrive-equipped skiboat, this is a bay and harbour blaster extraordinaire.

Indeed, there's plenty that sets this craft apart from the rest.

For a start, its low yet rakish bow and raised cockpit coamings give the boat a purposeful offshore racer-style profile that certainly appeals to me.

Take a peek from above, however, and you'll see that there's seating for seven within the cockpit as well as a big-boat-style padded sunpad over the engine box.

Look forward to the open bow section and there is the padded comfort and numerous cupholders of a conventional bowrider. This is extra room that's often wasted in most skiboats - if you're not a tournament skier shouldn't you take advantage of this extra lounging room?

In good old USA style, the helm position is on the left. Eliminator Boats USA has a 30-year history with a strong, successful background in circuit and long distance racing and there's a bank of instruments in front of the left-hooker that would do a raceboat proud. Quality white-faced dials set in racey anodised aluminium bezels set the tone of the helm station and other aspects of the boat.

You're gripped securely in a marine-grade vinyl upholstered helm seat. The white upholstery with contrasting blue piping is repeated across the way for the co-driver and around the cockpit and bowrider section.

WINNING COMBINATION
Pop-up deck post-style cleats and other deck hardware - again in anodised blue aluminium - are trick US-sourced items. Already Eliminator Oz is trying to source local suppliers but not at the expense of the finished product. It's this sort of talk from local Eliminator director, Peter Lloyd, that suggests the local effort is a serious one.

"We can benefit from our close relationship to Eliminator in the States but build the boats here for Australian dollars," he explains.

"It's important to note that we are building the boats exactly as they are constructed in the USA," Eliminator's boatbuilder Steve Barnard told Trailer Boat magazine. That means to full US Coastguard standards with all the necessary flotation, bilge pumps and engine blowers, he explained.

The testboat has already suffered a hard few months at the hands of the boat show circuit and its new 'on the land' owners. But there's every indication that the 215 Skier, produced in Wagga Wagga with a high degree of local content, has the potential to match the US-built stuff in the glossy US market brochures. Indeed, underneath the wear and tear was a well-finished craft which appears to have dotted most of the the i's and crossed the t's.

PLENTY OF GRUNT
It works too, thanks to a pedigree that has been honed over 30 years of racing in the United States.

A relatively new hull design, the 215 features a modified moderate-vee hull with a nominal 18¡ deadrise at the transom.

As is often the case with performance craft, the chines are quite pronounced and work well to direct spray down away from the boat. This is just as well as the low profile of the craft means that there's only limited protection from the elements at the helm - it's a windy ride, especially at full noise. A good pair of sunnies is a must, or you'll arrive at your favourite waterfront cafe or ski hidey-hole with tears in your eyes.

While not a true vee hull - there's a moderately-sized cutaway delta at the rear (so yes, jet installations are an option!) - the 215 is a soft riding craft as Trailer Boat Sydney adman Tony Poole can attest after jumping a wake or two on Sydney's Middle Harbour. It's a dirty rotten job but somebody had to do it...

Powered by a 385hp MerCruiser 454 MAG EFI driving through a Bravo I leg and spinning a 23-inch three-bladed Vengeance prop, the 215 stormed to an indicated top speed of 64mph (104kmh).

Open bow boats tend to be slower than their more aerodynamic counterparts, but the testboat was certainly plenty fast in anybody's language.

Not as strong out of the hole as the cubic inches would suggest, the Eliminator boys are waiting on a bunch of props from the USA to finetune the installation. My guess is that they can afford to spin the big engine a little harder up top and gain some valuable extra oomph out of turns and from standstill without losing out on overall performance. Time will tell.

Eliminator offers engine options right down to MerCruiser's base 250hp 5.7L but it would almost be a crime to put this style of boat in the water without a big block under the engine hatch. (Which will impress the hell out of your friends - it's electric!)

As delivered, the testboat's performance was prodigious, the fluff-free injected MerCruiser big-block V-eight at its lusty best.

Behaviour at speed was also impeccable, suggesting that the hull would be happy with even more horsepower. No wonder the Eliminator boys are quite happy to recommend MerCruiser's top-of-the-range 415hp 502 MAG MPI.

MULTI-PURPOSE SPEEDSTER
The 215 is not without fault. I found that the standard issue MerCruiser throttle/gear shift unit was fitted too high for optimum comfort at the helm. Perhaps with this style of craft, a foot throttle would also be well received. The finish was not what I'd expect from a craft of this calibre - not so much in plain sight, but under the engine hatch for example.

By the same token these are issues that are (and will be) easily addressed.

I have no doubt that most skiers would be more than happy with this craft. However, I believe this boat will appeal more to the performance boatie who does a bit of skiing, a bit of profiling and a lot of go-fast harbour and bay cruising.

Spacious, with a generous beam and plenty of out-of-the-way storage, the 215 is an appealing performance craft. In addition to the Skier, there's a Wake version in the offing with a 10ft pole that could be just the thing for keen boarders.

There's even talk of a higher-performance stepped-hull closed-deck model in the wings for those who feel the need for even more speed.

In the meantime, given that Eliminator Boats Australia will happily work with its clients to customise their 215, at around $65,000 as tested (including EasyTow trailer), you'd be hard-pressed to find a more versatile harbour, river or big lake blaster.

Who knows, perhaps the Wagga boys can even enlist the help of Silicon Valley to find some way of sticking a three-dimensional Lara Croft in the right hand seat...