World Cat’s Redesigned 295DC Dual Console
My test of the World Cat 295 Dual Console this past November in the waters off Key Largo, Florida, allowed me the rare chance to directly compare this updated hull with that of its predecessor, the 290DC, which I’d tested a year prior.
With the new 295DC, World Cat elevated the space between the two sponsons by deepening the hull toward the bow to eliminate the occasional “thump” when trolling into a head sea — a common quirk among cats when water strikes the bottom between the sponsons at low speeds.
World Cat also reduced the dry weight by 800 pounds, and refined the running surface to allow it to plane more quickly and with greater lift. At the same time, the 295 retained World Cat’s exclusive VectorFlo design, which draws aerated water aft to minimize blowback spray and soften the ride.
PERFORMANCE
Sure enough, the new model accelerates more quickly, vaulting to plane in 3.3 seconds, and reaching 30 mph in 6.4 seconds — about 2 seconds faster to plane and 1 second quicker to 30 than the 290DC with the same horsepower.
The 295 also achieved a higher top speed – 47.7 mph versus 46.5 mph for its predecessor — and offered slightly better fuel economy with an optimal 1.89 mpg at 3,500 rpm and nearly 30 mph, compared with the 290’s 1.83 mpg at 3,500 rpm and 24.5 mph.
I trolled directly into the face of 3-foot seas, but could not get the 295DC to thump. High-speed runs also proved comfortable, no matter where I sat or how I attacked the seas. The boat lifted well, and I never felt the bow dig, even when running down-sea.
In cornering at speed, the 295DC remained fairly flat, with no tendency to lean into or away from the turn. The standard Sea Star Solutions power-assist steering means captains can save their arm muscles for fighting fish rather than running the boat.
FISHING
World Cat has masterfully integrated angling features into this dual-console layout. For example, the port console houses not only a roomy head compartment with a standard VacuFlush toilet and vanity with a sink and freshwater faucet, but it also provides lockable storage for six fishing rods (up to 7 feet) through a hatch in the forward interior bulkhead.
In the aft cockpit, you’ll find a 30-gallon livewell abaft the port bench seat and a 185-quart insulated cooler/fish box abaft the helm seat. You can snap cushions atop both to create aft-facing seating for crew. Transom bench seats fold away when it’s time to fish.
World Cat integrated ample tackle storage into the inwales on both sides of the cockpit, with additional tackle drawers accessed from the forward wall of the port seat base.
The aft swim platform between the twin outboards allows anglers to fight a hot fish around the stern. Similarly, a step up to the forward deck offers access to work a fish around the bow. Also in the bow is a 225-quart fish box.
At the helm panel, you’ll find space to mount a single marine electronics display as large as 12 inches or two displays up to 8 inches. The wide console seats feature flip-up bolsters and armrests.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
World Cat backs up the 295DC’s new hull with a fiberglass construction system that includes both bi- and tridirectional knitted fiberglass cloth laminated into highly polished molds by hand. At the hull bottoms layers overlap, and a thick layer of 36-ounce woven roving is laminated from chine to chine.
World Cat fabricates structural bulkheads and stringers from high-density, fiberglass-reinforced composite materials. A grid pattern of structural members provides for long-term durability. Foam flotation in strategic cavities improves flotation and thermal insulation and reduces hull noise.
Topside, World Cat employs the finest marine stainless-steel hinges, latches, fasteners, gunwale rod holders and cleats. I found no less than eight pull-up cleats aboard the 295DC, including four in the bow (two for dock lines and two for belaying the anchor line), two amidships and two in the stern.
For an angler, the main downside of a dual-console is the inability to move along the rail while fishing. Yet World Cat’s 295DC more than compensates for this with wide-open fishing spaces and easy access around the stern and bow, plus a redesigned hull that offers one of the smoothest rides you’ll find in any 29-footer, whether trolling or running.
PERFORMANCE
Top Speed 47.7 mph @ 5,800 rpm
0-30 mph 6.4 sec.
Best mpg 1.89 @ 29.7 mph (3,500 rpm)
Max Range 945 miles
HULL
LOA 29 ft. 1 in.
Beam 9 ft. 6 in.
Draft 15 in. (engines up)
Deadrise N/A (cat)
Weight 8,300 lb. (w/o power)
Fuel Capacity 250 gal.
Max Power 500 hp
MSRP $197,711*
*(base boat with twin Yamaha F250s)
World Cat
Tarboro, North Carolina
425-508-1355
NOTABLE STANDARD FEATURES
• Lewmar Pro-Fish windlass
• Hardtop with twin electronics boxes
• Power-assist hydraulic steering
POPULAR OPTIONS
• Sony four-speaker stereo with remote: $1,187
• Custom hull color: $2,848
• Windshield-wiper/spray system: $1,061
Check out our video tour of the World Cat 295DC at sportfishingmag.com/world-cat-295-DC.
