THE GREATEST RIB TEST EVER Technohull seaDNA 999 PRICE £206,000 TOP SPEED 60 knots 0-40 KNOTS 6.7 seconds
S
hy and retiring types it’s time to look away now because there is no hiding once you’re on board the fl agship of the Technohull range. It’s an attention-grabbing RIB in black, never mind when
it’s got a Ferrari-red hull with contrasting dark grey imitation teak, black, grey and red upholstery and red chequered fl ag detailing on the silver helm console. No less subtle is the
performance from the pair of Yamaha 300hp V6 outboards. We topped 60 knots fl at out and managed to accelerate between 30 and 40 knots in three seconds dead. Be under no illusions, this RIB absolutely has the trousers to back up its rather large mouth. The ride is extremely civilised, maybe not
We raced from 30-40 knots in three seconds
fl at and at low speeds the level of grip was astonishing
quite up there with the Scorpion or the Hydromax, but soft enough to iron out the worst of the chop even when cruising at 40 knots. The twin-stepped Adam Younger hull is far more than just a straight-line mile- muncher though and the seaDNA turned out be one of the best cornering boats of the group. At low to mid-range speeds the amount of grip from the hull is nothing short of astonishing. At very high speed (above 55 knots) the boat had a tendency to wander off to one side or the other when running in a straight line but this was most probably due to the specifi c set up on our boat rather than an inherent trait of the hull. What’s most interesting is the fact that it has so many practical touches beneath the
shouty exterior. It has a proper sea toilet in the console, which thanks to the fact that the toilet itself has been dropped down as far as possible into the deck, has close to full standing headroom. The raised deck forward conceals a small sleeping area, admittedly you’d have to be either very tired or very drunk to use it but it’s nice to have the option to overnight and the cabin serves as an excellent dry storage area for days out. This really isn’t a boat that
sacrifi ces function for form. It has ropes running down both tubes and grabrails lining the perimeter of the forward deck. A pair of sturdy stainless cleats adorn the aft buttresses and the helm position is one of the most comfortable and sheltered on test.
If this is all sounding a little too sensible,
don’t worry, Technohull UK is now building a version with bright orange paint and a pair of Mercury’s 350hp Verados, which it claims will be good for 71 knots… and it still has a toilet! Jack Haines
Under the shouty exterior are numerous practical touches
THE DATA SPECIFICATIONS
LENGTH 33ft 8in (10.3m) BEAM 9ft 2in (2.8m)
WEIGHT 2,720kg
FUEL CAPACITY 490 litres
ENGINES Twin Yamaha F300 300hp
TOP SPEED ON TEST 60 knots 0-30 KNOTS 3.7 sec 0-40 KNOTS 6.7 sec
PRICE FROM £174,000 inc VAT (Twin Yamaha F300 300hp)
PRICE AS TESTED £206,000 inc VAT
CONTACT Technohull RIBs UK. Tel: +44 (0)1202 618000 Web:
www.technohull.com
An absolute hoot: fast and
in your face yet also the best cornering RIB of the group
AUGUST2013 49
Small
sleeping area adds versatility and storage options
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