Ballistic 7.8 PRICE £72,995 TOP SPEED 51.3 knots 0-40 KNOTS 8.8 seconds


W


ith all of the glamorous machinery that had turned up for our test you might think that the


relatively humble Ballistic would get lost in the crowd. Not a chance of it – not with its pair of 175hp Evinrude E-Tecs barking away on the transom. I lost count of the number of times I was at the helm of another RIB when the Ballistic came charging past with its outboards shouting for water as it skipped from crest to crest. It brought a smile to my face every time. The Ballistic was the only


RIB fi tted with Evinrude’s cracking 2-stroke motors and they certainly offer a different fl avour to the smooth, electronically controlled outboards we experienced elsewhere. The cable throttles need a good hard shove to engage gear and the workout continues for your left arm as you feed in the revs. The engines snarl and fi re the boat forward with an aggressive shove before you add a touch of trim to the motors and adjust the revs so that they fall in sync – no electronic rev matching here! The steering was unusually heavy on our


challenge to keep the boat in check but once tamed you get a real thrill from chucking this tough hull into hard turns and it was a load of fun leaping over the gentle chop in the Solent. With its deep vee and reverse-scallop


spray rail the ride is not only planted but also extremely dry, you can physically see the knurled rails forcing water away from the tubes as you romp along. The deck layout is classic RIB with four


past with its outboards


It charges


skips from crest to crest


shouting for water as it


jockey seats aft of the upright console, a transom bench and storage locker behind and a V-shaped seating and storage in the bow with a slot for the table that stows in the console. The boat is a mix between


the serious commercial persuasion of something like the Redbay and the out-and- out leisure character of the Ribeye or Cobra. That mix works well giving you confi dence to get through any rough stuff but also some


test boat, because the dealer was experimenting with a new single-ram set-up, but this and all new twin-engined rigs will be fi tted with two steering rams as standard in future. The yard can also offer power- assisted steering as an option. With the heavy steering and stiff throttles it was quite a


creature comforts and places to stow the family kit for a day out on the water. The build is tough but devoid of excessive frills and feels as if it could take the odd knock from scraping up against the quayside or brushing the hull on the sand to deposit the family on the beach. There’s a lovely honesty to this RIB, it feels


like a dependable boat that will plug on through anything and go places. Yet with those entertaining and punchy E-Tecs it also has the juice and tenacity to take it to the big boys. Jack Haines


THE DATA SPECIFICATIONS


LENGTH 25ft 6in (7.8m) BEAM 7ft 5in (2.3m)


DRAUGHT 1ft 8in (0.55m)


WEIGHT 2,300kg


FUEL CAPACITY 400 litres


ENGINES Twin Evinrude E-Tec 175hp


TOP SPEED ON TEST 51.3 knots 0-30 KNOTS 4.0 sec 0-40 KNOTS 8.8 sec


PRICE FROM £54,995 inc VAT (twin Evinrude E-Tec 175hp)


PRICE AS TESTED £72,995 inc VAT


CONTACT JBT Marine. Tel: +44 (0)870 9089336 Web: www.ballisticribs.com


Honest and punchy: the ride is planted and extremely dry


Classic RIB layout – this is a boat that will plug on in the rough


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