When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Regal 2700 ES Bowrider 2012 and the Regal 2860 Express Cruiser 2010 are deep vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?

On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Regal 2700 ES Bowrider 2012 at 28,5 ft versus Regal 2860 Express Cruiser 2010 at 29,4 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Regal 2700 ES Bowrider 2012 tips the scales at 605 lbs — 596 lbs more than the Regal 2860 Express Cruiser 2010 at 9 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.

The Regal 2700 ES Bowrider 2012 is rated for up to 16 people. Passenger data for the Regal 2860 Express Cruiser 2010 wasn't available.