Sea Ray Boats introduced their newest Sundancer, the 510, at the 2012 Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show. Just across the dock sat Sea Ray’s new 370 Venture (you can read our review on Boats.com) and the 350 Sundancer. But the 510 proved a true stand-out, drawing the attention of the crowd—there was a line to get onboard from the moment we arrived. And it’s no wonder; this all-new design is unlike any we’ve seen from Sea Ray in the past, with an emphasis on natural lighting to create a feeling of spaciousness. Did they succeed? Step aboard with us, and find out for yourself.

Even down below, the Sea Ray 510 Sundancer lets the sun shine.

The 510’s main cabin is surrounded by 360 degrees of windows and glass sliding doors and capped off by a sunroof that hums its way open at the press of a button. No corner or niche is devoid of sunlight, and that cave-like feeling you get in so many yachts of this size is a non-issue. In fact, this remains true even when you walk down the stairs to the galley. There is no overhead separating this area from the main salon and helm-deck, so sunlight can stream down here, too. It’s almost like having a cathedral ceiling, and whether you’re sitting on the starboard side settee or shuffling between the stove top and the full-sized upright refrigerator, the lower cabin enjoys upper level lighting.

The 510's little sister, the 350 Sundancer, also has excellent light and spaciousness below.

The master stateroom is aft of the galley/lower salon and stretches across the full beam of the boat. It also has ports to provide more of that natural light. Ditto for the forward guest stateroom, which has multiple ports on either side plus some overhead. And while that forward stateroom might not be quite as spacious as the other areas of the boat, it has a full queen berth plus hanging lockers. There’s also a third stateroom option, with twin berths that can convert into a single king.

At the 510's debut in Fort Lauderdale, there was a non-stop line to get onboard.

And if you really want to be outside instead of just feeling like you are, there’s a massive extended swim platform, plus a cockpit with gobs of seating. Hiding from direct sun is also possible, thanks to a sunshade that retracts into the overhead when not in use.

The 510 can be rigged with either V-drive diesel inboards or Zeus pod drives with joystick controls. No matter what power option you choose, if natural lighting and spaciousness are what you desire in a sporty cruiser, this new Sea Ray delivers.

For more information, visit Sea Ray.

Lenny Rudow is Senior Editor for Boats Group, including boats.com and YachtWorld. With over two decades of experience in marine journalism, he has contributed to publications including Boating Magazine, Marlin Magazine, Boating World, Saltwater Sportsman, Texas Fish & Game, and many others. Lenny is a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and he has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.