Sports Boat and RIB July 2010 Preview

The UK’s hardest hitting powerboat magazine

Sensation Jet RIB

TBOARD U O A H A A YAM TH THE UK WI QUEST ENGINE

WILLIAMS UNLEASHES ITS NEW ENTRY-LEVEL PLAYTHING

UK’S GREATEST

DIVE SITES BRITAIN’S SUB-SURFACE SECRETS UNCOVERED

TESTED • SEA RAY 305 HT

• BENETEAU ANTARES 680 • WILLIAMS 385S

PUBLISHING

EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE

£3.95

JULY 2010

WIN

JULY 2010

THE PERFECT MEDITERRANEAN CHARTER BOAT HOLIDAY

BACK TO BUTTONS

AN OLD SCHOOL CLASSIC FROM THE MASTERS OF TOUCHSCREEN

• TOP TEN MUST-HAVE ACCESSORIES •

46 IS THIS THE BEST FAMILY BOATING DESTINATION IN THE MED?

6 I SB&RIB

CONTENTS JULY 2010

REGULARS WORD FROM THE WATER..........................

10

20,000-mile PW epic is unveiled

NEW BOATS.................................................

16

A fresh pair of Pursuit fishers hits the UK

CLASSICS UPDATE.......................................

18

Buy a classic boat and have fun for free

20

WORD FROM THE CIRCUIT.........................

The UK’s boat race calendar gathers pace

22

BEST ACCESSORIES....................................

Marine wellies and magical hull protectors

29

WORD FROM THE WEB..............................

You pick the UK’s best marine companies

92

RYA KEEPS IT GREEN...................................

Killing the world just a bit more gently

96

DIARY DATES...............................................

Two months of events to keep you smiling

HAVE YOUR SAY.........................................

98

Fill in our survey and win a free SB&RIB hat

68

HARD TOP MUSCLE FOR IFFY BRITISH SUMMERS

FEATURES JERSEY BOAT SHOW.....................................

32

Continental Britain opens its arms

RIB EXTRAVAGANZA.....................................

36

Hot hardware from the RIBEX festival

UK DIVE DESTINATIONS...............................

40

The nation’s best-kept sub-surface secrets

CYPRUS CALLING..........................................

46

The perfect family boating destination?

SB&RIB I 7

SportsBoat I NEWS AND RIB

JOBE DESIGN

WINNER

A few months ago Jobe started a wakeboard design contest, offering watersports fans the genuine chance to design a Jobe wakeboard. The winning design would be included in the Jobe product range and the winner would receive one of the new wakeboards to celebrate his success.

The contest was a big hit, with entries coming in from all over the world but the winner of the contest has now been chosen. Ben Sterzenbach from Germany with his offering entitled ‘Jobe Illustrious’ has been voted best design by the Jobe team. A Jobe spokesman explained the thinking behind the decision: “Ben’s design really suits our company philosophy: Fusion of Fun. His design is very innovative and unique in the wakeboard scene. His refreshing view has led to a great design which we will include in our product range with great pride. Ben has a great eye for detail which is clear to see and we are more than happy to work together with him on this.” The new Jobe Illustrious (pictured below) will be available from 2011 . . .

KEEPING IT BIG

Apparently, watersports addicts can now customise the settings of their MasterCraft Boat Instrument Gauge (BIG) online. The new web application, known as MasterCraft Custom Rider Control, means that all you have to do is set up your USB Thumb Drive, enter your unique rider metrics into the control panel, and then submit and import the new rider to your MasterCraft.

The MasterCraft BIG features a simple to use six-inch display that allows you to see the important stuff (fuel, speed, temperature and cruise settings) at a glance. But it also allows The ‘Jobe Illustrious’ will be you to set up and store individual rider’s included in the 2011 Jobe preferences for ballast and surf tabs, view Jstar catalogue and will be footage from the tower camera or even available at most Jobe / Jstar watch a DVD from the optional Clarion dealers. Later this season Jobe CMV1 entertainment system. will announce more details Practicality aside, in terms of style the set-up is everything you would expect. It regarding this wakeboard, so comes loaded with a dash that’s packed with keep an eye on thier website: ‘look-at-me’ details. Fashioned out of billet www.jobesports.com aluminum, the intricate bezel boldly frames stealthy double-black, red-lit gauges. Factor in the aircraft-style toggle switches and the new tri-spoke steering wheel and the new helm station is about as sexy as it gets.

www.mastercraft.com

RYA’S ONLINE TEST GOES LIVE You can now take your CEVNI test online, anywhere, anytime, through the RYA’s new e-learning website: RYA Interactive (www.ryainteractive.org). The CEVNI test is the code governing navigation on the European inland waterways, covering rules and signs that skippers of leisure craft are expected to know. The test is required of anyone in need of an ICC (International Certificate of Competence), endorsed for inland waters.

The online exam is an alternative to the paper-based version that has been in operation since the 90s. There is a practice test on the site so you can make sure you’re up to speed before proceeding and, if you need a little training or revision, RYA training centres and books are still there to help. When you’re ready to take the exam, simply contact one of the registered RYA centres and they can guide you through the process.

www.rya.org.uk

SB&RIB I 11

NEWS I ACCESSORIES 3.

4.

3 Light years ahead

5 Retro print posters

The Mobi Power-Pack is a portable 12-volt unit that also acts as a powerful LED torch. The rechargeable pack can come to your aid as a power supply while travelling or when power is required in remote locations. With plenty of 12-volt boating appliances now on the market, the Power-Pack can be used to power entertainment devices, portable inflators or handheld electronics. In addition, it also serves as a high intensity torch, with nine ‘cool blue’ LEDs. The Power-Pack uses a 12-volt, 4000mAh battery and, although it only claims to be capable of 45 hours continuous illumination, our test unit ran for a full 62 hours before becoming too dim to be useable. At 1.8kg, it is not excessively heavy either and the price seems extremely reasonable. It’s a very useful asset.

Price: £39.99 (including delivery to UK mainland) www.mobiwasher.co.uk

If you want to spice up the retro feel on board your boat, or else remind yourself of the sea while you’re sitting in your living room, how about a retro print (or six) from Caroline McGrath? Designed to evoke memories of sandy toes and breezy British summer days spent paddling, crabbing, building sandcastles and eating fish and chips, this stylish (if slightly twee) collection of wall art could be just the ticket. Measuring 50 x70cm, they are hand screen printed on 175gsm coloured card and are designed and built in the UK. Price: £30 01869 340479 www.carolinemcgrath.co.uk

4 Antifouling the easy way Hullguard is an ultrasonic device designed to provide an eco-friendly, cost-effective antifouling system. It basically uses sound to eliminate unicellular algae in the immediate area of the boat, reducing the build up of nuisance barnacles and mussels, removing the need to lift your boat out of the water to scrape at your hull or apply expensive paints. The Hullguard Antifouling unit is easy to install. Multiple units can be installed on bigger boats, with no maintenance needed and very low running costs. For boats without a regular power source, an optional solar panel can also be used, reducing running costs to zero.

Price: POA www.hullguard.co.uk

6.

6 Nature’s fresh breath Boats have a tendency to smell a bit after a while, particularly if you have a lot of soft furnishings. Well in a happy development, a company called ‘Natural and Clean’ has produced a range of fabric cleaners that ranges from wipes (designed to clean up spills) to deoderisers (designed not to mask but to eradicate smells). In line with our green sensibilities, it is all made from natural plant formulations and contains no harmful chemicals. We have tested the entire range, and while the wipes seem to struggle with substantial spillages, the deoderiser (pictured) does a fine job of retaining general freshness. It’s a worthwhile product for a periodic upholstery spruce.

Price: £3.36 (300ml) www.naturalandclean.com

5.

SB&RIB I 23

LIFESTYLE I FORUM

FORUM FOCUS WWW.SPORTSBOAT.CO.UK

Why don’t you join in the discussions?

WWW.SPORTSBOAT.CO.UK/FORUM

AMERICAN DREAM . . . betty boop This is a long shot, but does anyone know or have any experience of boating or hiring a boat on the great lakes? My eldest is due in New Jersey all summer and I’m hatching a plan to take the others on the US equivalent of Hoseasons in one of the lakes for a few days but we’re coming up short on Google searches - other than charters.

dpb101 Your findings don’t suprise me, as the Great Lakes are pretty much treated as the Ocean. A quick Google search shows that wave heights of over 20 feet in storms are not uncommon. I spent a summer afternoon on a beach on Lake Michigan and the only difference from the sea was the fresh water. There were some good size rollers to play in and the undertow almost swept me off my feet! We hired a bowrider on Lake Havasu a few years ago and on Lake Powell and Lake Mead. There were flotillas of Hoseason type boats for hire but there the conditions would be more like what you would expect on the larger lakes in this country. Good plan and good luck with it.

INFORMATION OVERLOAD Argonaut I have just done the final written paper on my Day Skipper course.

There were loads of questions on things that don’t have a huge amount of relevance to type of boating I do but I have picked up a lot over the 12 week-course. Aside from a whole load of nautical terms I’ll never use again, I learned tons about chartwork and quite enjoyed that part of it. Learning which lights a vessel greater than 50 metres in length must display when constrained by her draught, however, was not quite as enthralling. I will know if I passed this paper later in week. If so, then ‘Splice the mainbrace’ or ‘Roger the cabin boy’? Depends on your predilection I suppose.

WORD FROM THE WEB (WITH JANE RICKARD, WEB EDITOR)

Welcome to my first column as Sports Boat and RIB’s Web Editor where, every month, I’ll be sharing with you all the new things going on at www.sportsboat.co.uk. From the very latest competitions to funny videos and the ongoing blog of the magazine’s editor, Sports Boat and RIB’s website is definitely the place to be.

One of the best reasons to visit www.sportsboat.co.uk is the extremely busy and popular forum where you’ll find thousands of posts covering every topic imaginable from anchors and bow ladders to miracles (you’ll have to see for yourself).

If you’re anything like me, you’ll always be taking pictures and videos of your boat. In fact with today’s technology you can probably do both on your mobile phone, so don’t keep them all to yourself. Share them with the rest of the magazine’s online readers in our dedciated web page. Simply email them to me (webeditor@cslpublishing.com) and I’ll out them online for you. If you make me laugh you will even win a prize so get the camera out and get filming . . .

There’s also a SB&RIB Survey online right now. You tell us what you want to see in the magazine and in return, not only will we listen to your suggestions but we’ll even throw in a free Sports Boat and RIB cap too.

As always, you can follow us on Twitter by clicking on the logo in the top right corner of every page on the site. Join today and you’ll be able to catch up with the latest news, plus follow what the Sports Boat team have been up to and share your Tweets with us too.

The website is designed to give readers of this magazine exactly what they enjoy so head over today and become a part of it. We look forward to welcoming you on board . . .

Jane

JOIN THE FORUM FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A PAIR OF YAMAHA RIDING GLASSES

WORTH £15

With reflective UV-400 protection, comfortable wraparound design, buoyant frames and secure, adjustable head strap, they are available in either silver or blue.

SB&RIB I 29

RIBE

REVIEW

Mike Pullen makes the annual pilgrimage to Cowes for a look at the UK’s only dedicated RIB exhibition.

Y

Bear Grylls uses his own ten-metre Ribquest for high-octane adventures in and around the UK

36 I SB&RIB

ou can always tell that summer has arrived when RIBEX opens its doors. Now in its 11th year, the specialist on-water RIB exhibition has always continued to develop fresh ways to entertain visitors and the first illustration of that came in the form of a RIB race between the show organiser, Hugo Montgommery Swan and extrovert adventruer, Bear Grylls. In their dash across the Solent from Gunwarf Quay to Cowes, things were very closely contested.

Using identical Coastline seven-metre RIBs powered

by Suzuki DF150 engines, visitors saw a predictably diplomatic loss by Hugo, allowing Bear to bathe in the limelight.

Meanwhile, at the show itself, Bear had his very own RIB on display. His ten-metre Ribquest, sporting twin Suzuki DF300s, is a boat he uses for assorted adventures in and around the UK and Europe. It’s a gorgeous boat and a fine training platform for his attempt to navigate the treacherous North West Passage later in the year.

Elsewhere, the new Patrol RIB from Redbay (again with a pair of DF300s) was quick to catch the attention, as was the Yamaha stand, where the company’s four new engines put in a debut

BENETEAU Antares 680

Among the new wave of pilothouse sports boats is one that deserves a little more attention than most. Simon Everett heads for Marseilles to search it out . . .

T

he pilothouse style of boat has found a great deal of favour of late - and not just among weatherbeaten anglers. After four or five questionable summers, relatively young family boaters have also begun to consider the merits of a protective structure in preference to the blind optimism of a open boat. And while that sage approach to the decision making process is to be applauded, some of the latest pilothouse craft have left quite a lot to be desired. Most of them look very similar in profile and have virtually the same layout, but below the waterline, hull shapes tend to vary wildly, in many cases apparently abdicating any commitment to sporting ambition. Happily, the Antares 680 sets out to confront and confound that compromise. Here we have the promise of a pilothouse boat designed to satisfy the handling expectations of even the most ardent sports boat fan.

As a fisherman, a cruise boater and a driving fan myself, I can’t wait to get her on the water . . .

62 I SB&RIB

ON THE WATER I BENETEAU ANTARES 680

SB&RIB I 63

46 I SB&RIB

Tom Isitt takes a family boating break in Cyprus and discovers a beautiful and surprisingly unspoiled island

ADVENTURES

CYPRIOT

LIFESTYLE I CYPRUS

I

t had disaster written all over it. Two muscle-bound, but nautically-inexperienced, macho-men in Speedos, accompanied by three surgically-enhanced young ladies in tiny bikinis, renting a RIB with a 150 on the back. Despite extensive and comprehensive instructions from the boat rental people, you could tell that no one was listening. My middle son, an experienced and well-qualified boat-handler despite his tender years, turned to me and said “This should be fun.”

We settled back in our seats in a waterside taverna and watched as the macho mob jumped aboard, gave it a big handful of throttle, and ran straight over the mooring lines of the boats on the adjacent pontoon. The prop got entangled, the engine stalled and one of the boat-hire guys was despatched to untangle them. Cue more dire warnings for the Macho Mob, all of which fell on deaf ears as they once again set off, this time notching up a good 15 knots as they sped out of the harbour, leaving several dozen boats bobbing and banging against each other in their wake.

Yep, it was quite funny, but then this sort of thing isn’t entirely unknown to Trident Boat Hire, a small outfit in north-west Cyprus, a place that seems to have even fewer rules and regs than we do when it comes to boating.

SB&RIB I 47

THE UK’S BEST

DIVE SITES Adrian Porter dons his concrete shoes and heads off in search of the UK’s best kept sub-surface secrets.

Images by Simon Ford, Simon Rogerson, Jan DeBacker and Michelle Haywood

T

he world of boaters is generally divided into two types of person - those who buy a boat to keep themselves firmly out of the water, and those who buy a boat specifically to get wet. If you feel a natural draw toward the latter, you may be better placed than you suspect because, from scenic reefs to dozing wrecks and mysterious cave networks, the UK has an abundance of world class sites. You just need to know where to look . . .

Getting started If you don’t know your O-ring from your dive fin, you’ll need training before you strap on an air tank. There are two main diving associations operating in the UK: the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) and the international Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). Both are recognised as excellent training centres and both operate internationally. PADI’s entry level course is the Open Water Diver course, and BSAC’s is the Ocean Diver course. Both courses will teach you the basics of scuba diving and will have confined/sheltered dives (often in a swimming pool) followed by your first open water dive. To get started, have a look at either website, use their online facilities to look up your local club and then sign yourself up. It’s as easy as that.

www.padi.com www.bsac.com

40 I SB&RIB

ULTIMATE WISHLIST With so many satisfying ways to upgrade your boat, it was only inevitable that my top ten would become my top 11. Oh well. They’re not called must-haves for nothing. John Cooke reports.

W

here do you start (or finish) with boating upgrades? Yes, a nuclear reactor would be useful to combat fuel prices and Marty McFly’s ‘Back to the Future’ hoverboard would be a far more interesting means of getting ashore than an inflatable boat. But it seems churlish to ask for the impossible when the upgrade market is already so blessed with such desirable (and realistic) options. Everything is, of course, down to personal preference, but make no mistake: if any of what follows fails to appeal to you, it’s because you are drunk and/or stupid.

74 I SB&RIB

Colin Jones takes a break from his cutting edge treasure trove of ultra-modern gadgetry to consider the merits of the humble PDA . . .

love MY BOAT PDA WHY I 80 I SB&RIB

T

he Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) sneaked into my boating life a decade ago, when we were still struggling to get reliable communications on our boat as we travelled down across Biscay to North Spain. Since then, I have owned at least half a dozen of them, each change being forced on me, partly by my condition as a compulsive gadget freak and partly by regular improvements in both hardware and software.

That is the danger. Once you have spent a season being personally, digitally, assisted, going to sea without your electronic valet makes you feel somewhat vulnerable. Though perhaps that should more accurately read as ‘preparing to go to sea’, because one of the PDA’s greatest strengths is as a planning tool.

But what about the iPhone?

Obviously, the question of the moment is ‘Will the iPhone replace the PDA as a boat tool’. As ever, the answer is yes and no. I am lucky enough to have both, but not everybody wishes to be tied to an iPhone contract, costing about £170 as an initial payment, followed by substantial monthly outgoings for a couple of years. The iPhone is an amazing device but some of my friends are already looking at their monthly direct debits in relation to how often they use it as an actual

Once you have spent a season being personally, digitally assisted, going to sea without your electronic valet leaves you feeling rather vulnerable telephone and how much they use it merely for Tetris and Pac-man.

By way of stark contrast, the relative obscurity of the PDA means you can pick up a very high-spec traditional model for a very reasonable price by looking at the factory refurbished machines from a well established company like www.

TotalPDA.co.uk.

There is now plenty of low cost software on the market too, as people move over to smart phones and the programmer/suppliers rewrite their programs to suit the new machine concepts and operating platforms.

Until now, the choice of system has been Palm or Microsoft Windows Mobile, with the latter much more popular with us because it is clearly the favourite of software designers hoping to sell into the marine market. They

have devised some very successful practical projects, especially for passage planning and tidal predictions.

So, for the moment, let us assume that the PDA, which we know as a very robust tool, capable of withstanding a great deal more harsh and clumsy treatment than the iPhone, still has a good few years of useful life left.

TALKING POINT I ON COURSE

LEVEL TWO POWERBOATING Is it really possible to teach the basics of powerboating and navigation in just two days? We sent Adrian Porter to find out.

T

he problem with having an experienced crew of people on the magazine’s writing staff is that it can be hard to assess a training course from a novice’s point of view. This is where I come in. My dirty secret (well, the one I am currently willing to share) is that my experience of powerboating only amounts to some spells as a young teen, carting my family in our tender to and from the family’s boat. To make things right with the world, and to stop the rest of the magazine’s journalists putting razor blades in my tea, it was time to ramp up my expertise.

Cobbs Quay

I travelled to the Powerboat Training Centre at Cobbs Quay Marina in Poole, where I was to attend the Powerboat Level Two course, otherwise known as the National Powerboat course. It requires no experience or prior knowledge and yet promises to impart all the skills necessary to pilot your own boat with confidence, in just two days.

It’s a steep claim and yet the only thing asked of you is that you practise four knots: the clove hitch, the round turn & two half hitches, the sheet bend and the bowline. Instructions on how to tie them are sent out to all course participants prior to the start date and, thanks to a bit of practice, I started the course with a smug inner glow and extraordinarily secure shoelaces.

My fellow trainee, Alistair Sutherland, had already arrived when I walked in, and was attending to a coffee. The course is limited to a maximum of three learners per instructor, so groups are always small. I was greeted by the smiling figure of Don Roper, our instructor for the next two days. Mug of much needed caffeine in hand, the course officially began.

SB&RIB I 85

Diary Dates With events coming thick and fast, June and July are bumper months for the active UK boater . . .

JUNE • 05-12 June

Round Ireland Race www.aroundireland.org

• 12-13 June

Marlow Town Regatta and Festival Higginson Park, Marlow

www.marlowtownregatta.org.uk

04-06 June Beale Park Boat Show Lower Basildon 08707 777160

www.bealeparkboatshow.co.uk

• 13 June 2010

Chester Charity Dragon Boat Festival River Dee at Sandy Lane in Chester 01636 812658

www.chesterdragonboatfestival.co.uk

• 20 June

South Essex Boat Jumble Eastwood Nursery near Basildon 01268 511186

• 25-27 June

Plymouth National Race Weekend Email: shirley.simpkins@lsc.gov.uk

• 26 June 2010

Bonne Nuit Harbour Festival Bonne Nuit Harbour, Jersey 07797 797834

• 30 June 2010

Henley Royal Regatta Henley on Thames It’s pretty, it’s unashamedly elitist and it’s much better fun than you might imagine.

01491 572153

www.hrr.co.uk

JULY • 04 July

Titchfield Boat Jumble Hound Hill Farm, Titchfield, Hampshire 02392 381405 boatjumbles@yahoo.com

• 10-11 July

Dorset Seafood Festival Weymouth Harbour, Dorset

www.dorsetseafood.co.uk

96 I SB&RIB