Courtesy World Cat
Overview
After running the new World Cat 400CC-X, I came away humming an old Dinah Washington Grammy-winning song, but I changed it to “What a Difference a Deck Makes.”
Why? Because World Cat has taken its solid, fast and well-proven 40-foot dual-console catamaran and redecked it as a center-console. I’d tested the 400DC-X and found it a terrific family-fun boat, with acres of room, plenty of seating, an enclosed head and buckets of speed.
Now as the 400CC-X, this center-console version is a serious war wagon that should delight anglers and terrify fish. This is no slapdash, throw-on-a-new-deck model, but a seriously designed fishing machine. The collective minds at World Cat burned the midnight oil to figure out what fishermen want and how to provide it all.
Courtesy World Cat
Interior and Accessories
Step aboard through the inward-opening tuna door (also perfect for docks and divers) and you’re in a 200-square-foot cockpit, with padded coamings and nearly 30 inches of walk-around space past the console and T-top to chase fish. In the cockpit sole are a pair of 80-gallon insulated fish boxes (with overboard Grouper Gulper pumps) that can be optioned as bait tanks; another pair of 154-gallon fish boxes (5-by-2 feet) are forward. By the way, all deck hatches have deep gutters, rubber seals and strong latches to keep out rain or washdown water.
Courtesy World Cat
A foredeck gets used for so many reasons. The 400CC-X has one that is 117-by-51 inches, with pop-up cleats that disappear so you won’t trip. Under that casting platform is a Lewmar anchor windlass and ample stowage for chain and rode. Our tester boasted the optional Cat Track sliding seats forward, which can combine into a centerline coffin box, creating a sun pad, or separate into a U-lounge. Storage inside is plentiful.
The 400CC-X offers great rod stowage. I lost count at over 30, but there are four vertical holders on each side of the console, three rod racks on each side of the cockpit aft, six lockable racks forward, an additional six locking racks under each gunwale, plus six rocket launchers on the T-top—five behind the helm and 11 scattered around the bow. Ready for battle, the 400CC-X can bristle like a porcupine with rods everywhere.
To support all the rods, the 400CC-X has tidy plastic tackle boxes built into each side of the console for ready access. I don’t think it’s ever been proven that great sounds raise fish, but the World Cat has JL Audio speakers everywhere as well—10 total in the top, sides and forward.
Courtesy World Cat
The helm is a wow moment, with three high-back seats with armrests, and the skipper’s middle seat adjusts electrically behind the brushed aluminum Edson wheel with Brody knob. The three-sided tempered-glass windshield provides wind and spray protection, while an electric opening vent at the top of the windscreen allows a breeze on hot days.
Our test boat sported two 22-inch Garmin touchscreens—a trio of 17-inch displays is also offered—that showed everything, from systems (lighting, pumps, etc.) to the engine readouts. The 400CC-X comes with a key-fob control, so you can turn on the lights and systems while walking on the dock. Some thoughtful touches at the helm include a padded recess atop the dash to securely hold phones and glasses, plus a glove box with a drain.
The T-top has beautifully welded and white-anodized supports, and the perfectly finished fiberglass top includes a built-in electronics box and deck lighting.
The hinged door in the front of the console opens to reveal the private head, with a full fiberglass liner, 57 inches of headroom, a vanity with a freshwater sink and Corian counter, an electric-flushing marine toilet, and an opening portlight. The console panel also has more forward-facing seating with fold-down armrests.
Read Next: World Cat 400DC-X
Courtesy World Cat
Engines
With quad Yamaha F300s, our test boat hit 58.6 mph at 5,900 rpm. Based on a 10 percent safety margin for the 604-gallon tank, the 400CC-X has long legs. At a comfy cruising speed of 27.5 mph, it offers a range of 611 miles—a lot farther than I want to go without stopping, but it does put offshore canyons within easy reach. The outboards hang on Armstrong brackets with concealed plumbing, which leaves ample room to walk across the platform in front of them.
If you’re shopping, another awesome fishing cat to consider is the Invincible 40, also available with quads for $824,900.
I don’t know which was more fun: grabbing a handful of Yamaha throttles and nailing them (zero to 20 mph in 4.8 seconds), or twiddling the Yamaha Helm Master EX joystick and watching four outboards move in different directions to slide effortlessly into a tight slip against wind and current.
There’s no question about it: The World Cat 400CC-X checks all the boxes for dedicated anglers.
Courtesy World Cat
High Points
- Fold-down deck platform at the helm adds stand-up height, and two foot-brace options fit anglers of all sizes.
- Recessed grab rails around the cockpit make leaning into the padded coaming comfortable.
- Pool-style rails for the swim ladder aft make it easy for returning swimmers or divers with gear.
Low Points
- Single wiper seems stingy and doesn’t clear the entire windshield. We’d prefer to see a pair of windshield wipers.
- Compass is low, small and distant atop the dash.
How We Tested
- Engines: Quad Yamaha F300s
- Drive/Prop: Outboard/Saltwater Series II 15″ x 20″ 3-blade stainless steel
- Gear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 250 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 800 lb.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | Unavailable (at press time) |
| LOA: | 39’8″ |
| Beam: | 12’8″ |
| Draft: | 1’9″ |
| Displacement (approx.): | 14,500 lb. |
| Transom Deadrise: | NA |
| Bridge Clearance: | 10’10” (with radar) |
| Max Cabin Headroom: | 4’9″ |
| Fuel Capacity: | 604 gal. |
| Max Horsepower: | 1,200 |
| Available Power: | Twin or quad Yamaha outboards to 1,200 hp total |
Speed, Efficiency, Operation
Boating Magazine
World Cat – Tarboro, North Carolina; 866-485-8899; worldcat.com
