Powered by two Honda V6 BF250 outboards, the BMA X299 combines comfort, performance and fuel efficiency. The top speed is over 40 knots. It is nine metres long, but there is room for four people below deck
by Niccolò Volpati – photo by Andrea Muscatello
Simplicity and normality are two concepts that philosophers and artists have often debated. I am neither a philosopher nor an artist, so I humbly restrict myself to two quotations that came to mind when we tried out the X299, the BMA flagship. The first is Bertolt Brecht’s claim that simplicity is the most challenging thing to achieve; the second comes from Lucio Dalla, who sang, “It is being normal that is exceptional”. The X299 is an expression of that thought. This is simply a boat for cruising with family or friends in a landscape full of strange, original and eccentric things. Habitability and safety are the key features. But simplicity does not mean sacrificing aesthetics. The design has its importance, and the X299, thanks to Carlos Vidal, who oversaw the project in collaboration with Ribitaly’s technical department, has a line that I would describe as both sporty and graceful without sacrificing functionality.
HONDA BF250
This is a tried and tested engine. A V6 that made its debut in the automotive world and succeeded in the challenge of joining together two elements that are often in conflict: performance and fuel consumption. The BF250 developed significant torque, and I got on a plane in just 2.5 seconds. The other crucial feature of Honda engines is the ECOmo system. It’s a lean burn fuel method that reduces the stoichiometric ratio. When you travel at a constant speed, the amount of air circulating increases and the amount of fuel decreases, which is how you get a more efficient combustion that uses less fuel. The Honda instruments have a green surround that shows when you are operating in that mode and allows you to limit fuel usage. I found myself going at thirty knots on the BMA X299, using around ninety litres per hour in total, and when we were doing 25, that figure fell to seventy litres.
The deck has a traditional setup and uses the available area as well as possible. The bow is a single large sun pad, even though the anchor doesn’t have a bow roller. There is a cushion that works as a seat back in front of the helm station, so you get a comfortable reclining area reaching right to the bow itself. The cockpit houses a straight galley/bar unit, an L-shaped sofa, and a sizeable high-low table, which completes the stern sun pad when lowered. On the transom, there are two outboard engines and stern platforms that provide easy access to the sea. Finally, amidships, the console has a dashboard large enough to accommodate plotters and instruments. The workstation is completed by two seats for the pilot and co-pilot. However, the most successful space optimisation was done on the deck below.
The volumes are those of a boat for cruising. Four people can spend all the time they want without doing anything.
The X299 is 9.10 metres long overall, with interiors that can house four people comfortably. The configuration has a dinette set forward, becoming a sizeable double room with excellent headroom. The bathroom is also spacious, while the other two berths are located aft, below the cockpit. The convertible dinette area is raised for extra volume, and you have to climb up two steps along the side decks to the bow, which is impossible in the stern. Despite that, it has an appreciable amount of headroom. Ribitaly has a long tradition of making hulls that work, as shown with their BWA and Fly dinghies, and the BMA boats don’t disappoint either. Confirmation also comes with the X299.
The partnership between Honda and Ribitaly, which also involves the ribs of the Flyer range and BWA, is based on a co-marketing agreement. It covers reciprocal support in terms of visibility and communication, as well as pre-rigging work. This allows the BMA sales network to receive boats ready to have engines fitted, ensuring the end client gets a technically efficient, accurate, and functional product.
The versatility of the possible layouts means you can choose between a lot of room for a living area or two sun pads, one forward and one aft. The cockpit houses a straight galley/bar unit, an L-shaped sofa, and a sizeable high-low table, which completes the stern sun pad when lowered.
The sea outside Genoa’s wall was hard work: half-metre waves and a stiff wind coming in from the north. I headed south to test the boat’s performance, and as I moved away from the coast, the sea got worse, and the wind strengthened. But the hull turned out to have a soft feel. It was never complicated to get through the waves, even when turning back and taking them on the bow. The V-bow did its job excellently. It fends off the waves and means you can go through the water without slamming. The feeling of control I got when turning and doing some manoeuvres was also very good. The windscreen isn’t very high, which is both a pro and a con. The advantage is perfect visibility; the disadvantage is that when there is stiff wind, and you are travelling through rougher seas, you must pay attention to ensure spray doesn’t reach the deck. I was less convinced by the steering, which was a bit too hard for my taste.
On the transom, there were two 250-horsepower Hondas, which (delivering excellent acceleration and a lot of thrust) kept fuel consumption down. Thanks to the ECOmo lean burn system, you can reduce fuel usage at mid-range revs. With the 500 horsepower available, I got to 41.5 knots, but people looking for a calmer cruise can happily make do with a pair of 200-hp outboards, which is the rating recommended by the yard. Thrill addicts can go up to a pair of 300s, the most you can fit.
The hull’s most positive features are its stability and safety underway, which we tested on a sea that was hard work and decidedly annoying.
Engine data
The pair of Honda BF250s delivers excellent performance, and I reached 41.5 knots. The yard recommends using a 2×200 hp set-up, while the maximum is a couple of 300-horsepower outboards.
HONDA MOTOR EUROPE LTD. ITALIA
Via della Cecchignola, 13
I-00143 Roma (RM)
www.honda.com
Flyer, Ribitaly Srl
Via Solferino, 7
I-20121 Milano (MI)
www.bmaboats.com
PROJECT
Carlos Vidal Design • Sasha Vlad (naval architecture) • Shipyard technical department
HULL
LOA 9.10m • Length 7.98m • Maximum beam 2.90m • Light mass displacement 3,200 kg • Fuel tank volume 560 l • Water tank volume 165 l
MAIN PROPULSION
2x Honda BF250 • 4 stroke • Outlet mechanical power 183.9 kW (250 hp) • Bore&Stroke 89mm x 96mm • Swept volume 3,583 cc • Maximal rotational speed 5300-6300/min • Dry weight 290 kg
PRICE
The starting price poweredwith 2x 250 hp (183.9 kW) Hondas is 191,900 € Excl. VAT*
*The price refers to February 2025
(BMA X299 and Honda BF 250 – Take it easy – Barchemagazine.com – Excerpted from Barche, February 2025)
