THE GREATEST RIB TEST EVER Redbay Stormforce 7.4m PRICE £62,000 TOP SPEED 48.7 knots 0-40 KNOTS 9.0 seconds
T
he 7.4m Redbay was one of the smallest RIBs in the fl eet we had on this Isle of Wight romp but this is a machine that punches well above its weight. Built
to cope with the big seas around the yard’s factory in Antrim, Northern Ireland, taking it to the Solent was like dropping it in a swimming pool. Redbay is trying to mould its range into
a more leisure-friendly option and our test boat was one of the fi rst units to get the treatment. It is still unmistakably a commercial RIB at heart with chunky 560mm tubes, Treadmaster rubber deck inserts and a Samson post on the bow doing little to soften its appearance but you start to appreciate these attributes when the sea does kick up. The soft upholstery, comfortable aft bench and numerous dry storage areas hint at a more leisurely persuasion but the high bow and tall stance make the Stormforce’s workboat roots abundantly clear. I was as the helm of the Redbay for the
if you value your spine) it handled the seas we encountered with aplomb and kept up admirably with the larger, more powerful craft on test. Not that the 7.4m is a slouch, quite the opposite. It’s mated perfectly to a single Suzuki DF300 300hp 4-stoke, which has seemingly endless reserves of grunt and fi res the boat to a top speed just shy of 50 knots. It’s a fantastic motor this Suzuki; quiet, awesomely powerful at the lower end and smooth in its delivery. My only gripe is that the Suzuki’s super
the keys to this tough beast
of a storm I’d be grabbing
about to head into the teeth
If I were
roughest part of our lap around the Isle of Wight as we rounded the eastern tip. It is a beamy boat, wider than both the Ballistic and the Piranha 8m despite being shorter than both of them. It doesn’t exactly slice through the waves, more tries to batter them into submission, but with rock-solid build and excellent Scotseats shock-mitigating seats (£2,850 a pop but worth every penny
light fl y-by-wire throttle is so delicate that you can miss neutral all together and go straight into reverse when you throttle back. That light action is lovely when you’re nudging around the marina but not so handy when you’re trying to adjust the revs whilst bashing through waves and because it’s mounted to the left of the wheel, the trim switch lines up with your little fi nger rather than your thumb.
Despite not being a dedicated sports RIB
the Stormforce is good fun to throw into a turn. With such a high freeboard and those massive tubes it feels totally safe to haul the weighty steering to one side and feel the boat heave into the corner knowing that there’s so much rubber between you and the sea. The Stormforce may be a bit of a hammer
in a world of precision drills but it is a seriously impressive sea boat. If I were about to head out into the teeth of a storm on a RIB of this size then I’d be grabbing the keys to this tough beast. Jack Haines
Powerful smooth delivery plus neat details, numerous dry storage areas and good seating
THE DATA SPECIFICATIONS
LENGTH 24ft 9in (7.6m) BEAM 9ft 1in (2.7m)
DRAUGHT 2ft 6in (0.8m)
WEIGHT 1,000kg
FUEL CAPACITY 315 litres
ENGINES Single Suzuki DF300 300hp
TOP SPEED ON TEST 48.7 knots 0-30 KNOTS 2.3 sec 0-40KNOTS 9.0 sec
PRICE FROM £48,650 inc VAT (single Suzuki DF300)
PRICE AS TESTED £62,000 inc VAT
CONTACT MRL Marine. Tel: +44 (0)2380 335333 Web:
www.redbayboats.com
AUGUST2013 47
Chunky tubes and rubber deck inserts give a stylish utilitarian look
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