Formula.
The very name conjures images of Grand Prix cars slashing the streets of Monaco, and that’s exactly what Don Aronow had in mind when he founded Formula Boats in 1962, mostly as a tax dodge because he wanted a boat to win the legendary Miami-Nassau offshore race. Aronow went on to launch—and sell—several performance-boat companies: Magnum, Cigarette and Donzi among others. Formula went through several owners before settling with two generations of the Indiana-based Porter family, who have burnished the Formula name with imagination, performance, solid construction and fishability.
Which brings us to the 457 CCF, which stands for Center Console Fish. There’s also a Sport version, which has amenities like wine chillers rather than hardcore fishing gear.
Formula has long been legendary for its deep-V hull, and the 457 has the latest iteration: the FAS3Tech two-step hull. It may seem odd not to first talk about the fishing niceties, but the reality of fishing is that if you can’t get out there (and stay out there), you won’t catch fish.
Twin steps give the 457 CCF 5 to 7 mph over similar deep-Vs, but with carefully positioned strakes and wide chines for roll stability at trolling speeds. The short version: We topped out at over 57 mph, and offshore, the 457 was sidewalk-stable in all sea conditions.
The Porters and designer John Adams have continually improved every Formula, and if you want to see an example of the meticulous planning, check out the boarding doors on both sides of the cockpit. Fold the coaming top back and drink holders are revealed, plus a socket for a Gemlux boarding handle to make it easy for Aunt Edna to get aboard. A step folds out (like an old barber chair) and the door opens inward so docks won’t bite it. A swim ladder (stored nearby) drops into keyhole plates and, the final touch, another handle folds out so swimmers have a good grip. A boarding door is a small thing, but it’s the perfect illustration of Formula’s detailed thinking.
Power for the 457 is triple Mercury Verado 600 hp engines, which maximize the twin stern platforms because the powerheads don’t turn—only the lower units. At 16 tons and 45 feet long, the 457 isn’t the fastest from hammer-down (zero to 30 mph in 15 seconds), but like a Lamborghini, it builds steadily. Want to run to the canyons? You’ve got a 277-nautical-mile range at 43-plus mph on the 700-gallon fuel tank.
Forward, the 457 thinks it’s a bowrider, with D-shaped seating around a table that rises electrically from the sole, plus a lounge for two with fold-down armrests. The Lewmar horizontal anchor windlass is tucked under a hatch, with a through-stem roller and a washdown to get rid of muck from the chain after weighing anchor.
The cockpit is pure fishin’. The bait station behind the helm is like a Transformer: drawers hiding tackle boxes, a sink and cutting board, a sliding mezzanine seat and, ta-da, air-conditioning ducts to cool you. Just forward are two rows of seats that are bolstered to hold guests firmly but gently in place. The front row seats slide electrically fore and aft. The fiberglass hardtop covers everything, including the bait station, and an electric sunshade hidden in the top slides out to cover the cockpit.
The centerline skipper gets three 22-inch Garmin monitors (including an aft camera), a joystick for maneuvering and, again, air-conditioning ducts for all seats. I lost count of the cellphone charging stations at somewhere past 20.
Another nifty feature: The patented Wind-Armor system is a full-height panel that folds out from each side of the console to direct air and spray away from crew. Think the window vents on a ’57 Chevy.
The 457 CCF is available with the an optional helm on the hardtop, giving the skipper (and three or four crew) a view from bow to stern.
The cabin, inside the low-profile console, surprises with 6 feet, 7 inches of headroom, a V-berth, and an enclosed head large enough for a full-size stall shower with a glass door. There’s a mini galley for your morning coffee too.
Read Next: Formula 387 Center Console Fish
But anglers are going to beeline for the cockpit, with twin 58-gallon livewells in the transom (both designed to hold four dive tanks each), and so many rod holders (15 on the bridge, eight on the transom and more on deck) that a porcupine would be jealous. Fish boxes cover the sole, with optional freezer plates in the two largest, and an optional ice maker that punches out 20 pounds an hour. And none of the boxes drain into the bilge (ick).
One final touch epitomizes the Formula attention to detail on the 457 CCF: All the teak trim on the dash, around the seating, and around the foredeck sun pad is solid teak—no veneers, but solid teak with a syrupy gloss. Well done, Formula!
Specifications
| Length: | 45’7″ |
| Beam: | 13’9″ |
| Draft: | 4’6″ (motors down) |
| Weight: | 37,600 lb. (with triple Merc 600s) |
| Fuel: | 700 gal. |
| Max HP: | 1,800 |
| MSRP: | $2,069,360 (as tested) |
Formula Boats – Decatur, Indiana; formulaboats.com
