Formula 40' 400 Super Sport

REPOWERED IN 2022!

In 2022 it was repowered with 496HO engines. Digital instruments added as well and only around 280hrs are on the engines. List of major improvements :

2016 

2 new bravo 3 drives 

2022

New 496 engines

New transom thru hull assemblies

New digital engine instruments

New Garmin 9 series screen

New Garmin radar

New cockpit seating

New Bimini enclosure

New extended swim platform 

2024

New cabin refrigerator/freezer

The 2000 Formula 400 Super Sport (400 SS) is a very interesting boat because it sits right between a high-performance sport boat and a genuine overnight cruiser. Formula built it around its FAS³TECH stepped-hull concept, but gave it a surprisingly upscale cabin and a big entertaining cockpit.

The 2000 400 SS is roughly 40 feet on the hull, about 41½ feet overall depending on how the platform/measurement is taken, with an 11-foot beam. Published figures put dry weight around 15,500 lb, with a 250-gallon fuel capacity, 50 gallons of fresh water, and 50 gallons of holding capacity. The hull has approximately 22° of deadrise, which is a major reason these boats have a relatively soft ride for their size and speed.

Formula's own material describes the 400 Super Sport as part of its Sun Sport lineup, and the 2000 brochure specifically lists the 400 SS among the 2000 models.

Formula's two-step, 22-degree hull was designed specifically to combine speed with a fairly civilized cruising ride.

A healthy twin-496 400 SS is generally a 50+ mph boat, and period listings specifically describe 50 mph-plus performance.

What the cabin is like

This is where the 400 SS is substantially different from something like a pure performance Formula FAS³TECH.

You get a real cruiser interior with things such as:

A forward sleeping area

Aft/mid-cabin sleeping accommodation

Curved UltraLeather seating

Galley

Refrigerator/freezer

Microwave

Electric stove

Private head

Shower

Air conditioning

Central vacuum

Plenty of storage

The layout was intended to work for both entertaining during the day and weekend cruising. Contemporary descriptions emphasize the combination of luxury accommodations and performance.

The cockpit is particularly good. It has a large wraparound lounge, wet bar, cockpit refrigerator, dual-height tables and substantial seating. That's one reason these boats are still attractive today—they're not simply fast; they're very usable.

Generator and cruising equipment

New air conditioner in 2018Kohler generator rebuilt in 2015, 7.3-kW Kohler generator, full canvas/enclosure, windlass, upgraded electronics and other cruising equipment. Formula's period equipment lists show the emphasis on making this a legitimate cruising boat rather than just a big runabout.

The FAS³TECH hull is the star of the show. Formula was very good at making these boats feel substantial at speed. The 400 SS is heavy enough to feel planted, but the stepped bottom gives it considerably more performance than you would expect from a 15,000-plus-pound cruiser.

You also get Formula's generally high-end construction approach. The company used a bonded and thru-bolted deck-to-hull joint, substantial reinforcement and a relatively sophisticated engine-room installation. Its period literature specifically describes its structural reinforcement and construction practices.

And aesthetically, the 2000-era 400 SS has aged pretty well. It has that classic late-1990s/early-2000s Formula look without looking especially dated.

A well-maintained 2000 Formula 400 Super Sport is a very desirable older performance cruiser. It gives you a combination that is hard to duplicate: a legitimate cabin cruiser with a big cockpit, twin V-8s, excellent handling and roughly 50-mph performance.