As you Look alongside Buddy Davis Boatworks' new 58 Flybridge Sportfish, pay close attention to its chines, the largest ever on a Buddy Davis. Turned down at three degrees, these bug chines grab the spray, throw it back into the ocean, and keep the ride dry and comfortable. Another factor in that ride is a hull with no flat surfaces aft. It's all conves or concave, tapering back to a 151/2-degree deadrise at the transom. How did Buddy Davis develop such a hull form? The company produced three limited-production 58s and followed up with a full-blown hydrostatic study.

That homework paid off. When I tested the 58 Flybridge Sportfish, the wind blew at 15 knots, and the seas were tight and choppy inshore, with rollers beyond the reef. Even so, the bridge and cockpit remained bone dry, and the ride was smooth. Of course, with a boat this size, you'd except this. What you wouldn't except from a 58-footer is speed 43.1 mph. Compare that to the 40 mph top end of a Hatteras 60 powered by a pair of twin 1,310-bhp Caterpillars ($1.7 million). Also, the 58 Flybridge Sportfish has four staterooms; the Hatteras 60 has three.

Why is the 58 Flybridge Sportfish so fast? It's 6,500 pounds lighter than the Hatteras 60. The 58 uses a sea chest, which eliminates through-hull fittings, reducing drag. Also, its weight is kept down with foam-covered hullsides, veneer-over-foam doors, and honeycomb vacuum-bagged decks and bulkheads.

I love sporty performance and techy construction, but hey on this type of boat, it all comes down to fishing. The 58 Flybridge Sportfish's 45-gallon circular livewell is lighted and insulated; the fishbox in the sole is macerated; the bait freezer comes equipped with a removable bait tray; and the fresh and raw water washdowns have quick disconnect fittings. True to Carolina style, the transom holds a second fishbox, commonly called the killbox.

What's not to like? The compass at the helm is too small, and the bridgedeck overhang needs a gutter.

Surrounded by cherry and leather, the salon is opulent. And since Buddy Davis works on a semi-custom basis, you can choose whether you want the maple "Duette" or the teak "lambrequin" boards. What's a Duette or a lambrequin? Heck if I know, but they're on the standard feature list. I can tell you one thing for sure pull a 100-pound bluefin into the cockpit of a new 58 Flybridge Sportfish, and the fish's last thought would be, Wow, what a nice boat.

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