INSIDE THIS ISSUE
OUR GUIDE TO BAGGING A BASS
ireland
DISCOVERING COUNTY ANTRIM
n f s wi air om tab a p tri to au
super fly
DESTINATION
THE UK’S HARDEST HITTING POWERBOAT MAGAZINE
HOLD TIGHT FOR THE TEST SPECIAL
SPEED DEMONS •TECHNOHULL SEADNA999 •RENEGADE 720 ALSO INSIDE
•QUICKSILVER ACTIV 675 •OLYMPIC 500C PLUS
A FLYING FISH?
HOW TO
MAVEN MARINE THE NEW CHANDLER WITH A GOLDEN HEART GRAB THIS
WAKEBOARD MASTER CLASS CONTINUES
mother of invention
SIX OF THE BEST IDEAS EVER?
£3.95
CHANGING THE GAME
AUGUST 2011
GET ON THE PULL WITH OUR ALL WATERSPORTS TOW GUIDE
PUBLISHING EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE
AUGUST 2011
CONTENTS REGULARS
10 16
WORD FROM THE WATER
20
WORD FROM THE WEB
88
RYA
A RIB learns a brand new trick
WORD FROM THE CIRCUIT Cooke’s first race in his spanking new machine
92
THE ULTIMATE WATERSPORTS TOW GUIDE
WHETHER YOU WAKEBOARD, SKI OR RIDE DONUTS, YOU NEED THIS GUIDE
A new forumite has a nine foot Cougar RIB. Are we jealous? Yes. Yes, we are
Should you wear that lifejacket?
ON TEST
30
OLYMPIC 500C
36
QUICKSILVER ACTIV 675 SUNDECK
42
This affordable, all-purpose cuddy is made for family boating
We test the biggest boat from Quicksilver’s renowned Activ range
RENEGADE 720 Top class, high performance boating from Renegade
24
42
RENEGADE 720 IS THIS THE BEST HANDLING RIB OF ITS KIND? QUITE POSSIBLY
BEST ACCESSORIES
OUR PICK OF THE LATEST BOATING GADGETS
36 8 I SB&RIB
ACTIV 675 SUNDECK THE BIG DADDY OF THE ACTIV RANGE ON TEST
EXCL
USIVE DOUB DECK BOATLE TEST TEST
panthe r REGAL
BY
ND RA AB
THE DUEL LEISURE RACE AND BEAST
D
RIB TEST
2220
piranha
5.8
se
getlvedat in o inve your bo
T OA WB NE
THE UK’S HARDEST HITTING POWERBOAT MAGAZINE
CREATING BENETEAU TH ANIERI ROCKS E RACYARCHAMPION INTRODUC
THE UK’S HARDEST
ING
TESTING THE NEW DESIGN FANTASTIC FLYER ED
HITTING
WIN LIDAY
POWERBO
win yourself new kit worth £250
HOTH £4000 AWOR
JUNE 2011
COME TOGETHER
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A PAIR OF REVOLUTIONARY TRIM TABS
RIB TEST
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PUBLISHING
PART ONE OF WE TAKE OUR ESSENTIAL ON THE ONE HOUR SESITEC WAKEBOARD CHALLENGE WAKEBOARDING TUTORIAL EXCELLENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE
PROMISE
COULD EXCITIN YOU BE A WIN G MAR INE MO NER IN THE MOST TORSPO ULTIMATE SHOW GUIDE CHARTERING IN CROATIA: COULD THIS RT EVER? BE THE BEST BOATING SPOT ON EARTH?
ZINE
e apps
DO IT SIX OF YOURSEL THE APP BES F SPECIA TIONS T SMA PLUS: IS ORLANDO THE ULTIMATE WATERSPORTS HOLIDAYLICA VENUE? REVIEWRTPHO L: THE NE ED PRO’S GUIDE TO PAT CHING UP YO UR RIB SB1107
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12/05/2011 20:12
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MORE ON TEST
48
TECHNOHULL SEADNA999
76
FLYING FISH MARLIN II
The plus seventy knot RIB with a cabin and drop dead gorgeous looks
Could a hovercraft be your next purchase? Alex Smith says yes...
FEATURES
62
MAD ANGLERS
ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH TO GO TOE TO FIN WITH A HUNGRY BASS?
TECHNOHULL SEADNA999 THE MUSCLES FROM BRUSSELS: BRUGES MARINE’S SUPER RIB
48
56
IRELAND EXPLORED
62
BASS FISHING
70
INTERVIEW: MAVEN MARINE
82
SIX OF THE BEST
92
ALL WATERSPORTS TOW GUIDE
98
MASTER OF THE WAKE: GETTING THOSE GRABS
It’s beautiful, green and a veritable trove of boating treasures - Ireland’s county Antrim
Simon Everett tells you how to bag one of these watery warriors
We talk to Mike Dovey, creator of the newest and most unique online chandlery
Is this the best boating clobber out there? We think so
From doughnuts to wakeboards. We show you how to tow them all
Crowhurst shows us how it’s done
MINE’S A PINT OF THE BLACK STUFF
WE GO BOATING AROUND THE SUBLIME COUNTY ANTRIM
56 SB&RIB I 9
racing report
OFF SHORE RACES COMING UP:
T
DEN HELDER HOLLAND GRAND PRIX OF THE SEA, AUGUST 5 – 7 COWES RB12 CLASSIC AND COWES TORQUAY RACE, 24 – 28 AUGUST TORQUAY CLASS III B WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, 1 – 4 SEPTEMBER GUERNSEY OFFSHORE RACE, 8 – 11 SEPTEMBER CONISTON SPEED WEEK, 31 OCTOBER – 4 NOVEMBER
he offshore racers gathered in Poole last month for the Annie Beakhurst Memorial Race (18-19 June), which is both an integral part of the 2011 Championship and a fantastic raiser of money for cancer charities. A fine field of Class III offshore boats, marathon boats and more basic boats were all present and correct but unfortunately, we were not met by beautiful summertime weather… but with high winds and scary looking waves.
in the dock or on the trailer would certainly not be thought less of. Personally, as long as the safety boats are happy to stay out on the course, then I say the race should go on, which happily it was in this case.
SUNDAY DRIVERS
MARATHON MEN
After some considerable discussion forced by the weather and to preserve our rather lovely new boat, we reluctantly agreed to take part in the ‘Basic’ race on Sunday, as opposed to the longer marathon class race (63 nautical miles rather than 104 nautical miles). The weather meeting on Sunday morning was nearly as daunting as the race itself, but in typical stiff upper lip fashion, the chaps were told they could race if they wanted to – but anybody staying
Above: My new boat performed well and will be on the water again soon...
Finally planted in the cockpit, the marathon guys were ready to go and get that all-important short practice lap in. A little bonus for championship hopefuls, tough competitor Vee Ganjavian was late to the start – meaning he had to join the back of the grid for the drop of the flag, giving the other teams a distinct advantage. After a classic rough water race with ‘significant wave height’ and up to force six winds, veteran racer Tony Toll finally came home for the win, a
FREDERICKS LOST POWER STEERING, FORCING HIM TO USE ONLY THE THROTTLES AND TRIM TABS TO DIRECT TOWARDS THE FINISH, TAKING THIRD PLACE OVERALL 16 I SB&RIB
FORUM FOCUS
WHY DON’T YOU JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION? www.sportsboat.co.uk/forum
Image courtesy of Apple UK
FirstMate BANTER
N
NE
Look sharp swabbies! The good Cap’n is in the dock at the moment, so I’ve been charged with presenting you with what’s going on this month - and it has certainly been a busy one. The topic on the tongues of all the forumites this month is racing. There has been so much demand for a dedicated forum for various guises of marine motorsports, that we’ve gone ahead and created a proper racing area in the main forum. The chaps from P1 are already on board and have even been kind enough to offer us a competition for one lucky forum user to win a ride on their new Panther machine. Definitely worth logging on for that one. Our resident racer and long term forum member, Cookee, has naturally been delighted at this turn of events, and has been busy updating us as to the progress of his new racing boat - which should be making its marathon premiere this August. You can read about her first ‘test race’ on the Cooke’s own racing pages
E
E
(pages 16-17). Other new fancy rebuilds are coming along nicely, forum member Ed’s project is taking shape and the very long awaited completion of the good Cap’n Jack’s boat is slowly coming into view. All these projects mean a wealth of questions are being posted and answered online, so get online now to discover the treasure trove of knowledge that is the Sports Boat and RIB forum. As usual the weather has been an issue this month with people having mixed fortunes getting out on the water, but looking into July we have the much anticipated Alderney cruise, happening over the 22-24 July. Keep it tuned to the most friendly forum in boating cyberspace for all the updates from the trip.
Jokaboat
OOPS! H20
Was wakeboarding in Poole harbour and all set to leave, when we were flagged down by another wakeboarding group, who were having trouble group trying to get up on their boards. Offering them the use of my tower (naturally supplied by Mike Dovey, page 70), my helpful daughter took the board off the rack and I thought to myself ‘ that was a loud plop’ – turning around, the rack was on its way to the bottom…
BAASBOAT1
Is your problem finding it or lifting it? To find it you will need a big weight (shot) on a line with a buoy, dropped over your gps mark. Then get your mask and snorkel and a length of line from the weight, you snorkel round in an ever increasing circle, up to say 30ft from the weight, if no joy move your weight 30ft down tide and repeat... content cut short, check forum for full method.
H20
Problem is finding it. The actual item is the fork that holds the boards onto the side of the tower -like a demented overgrown fishslice. My daughter had the board safely in her hands, so I guess I have to admire her priorities...
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. 20 I SB&RIB
S
boat accessories
WALK AND TALK OUR OPINION:
The TLKR T6 walkie-talkies (the middle of the line-up) has a range of up to 8km - and having spent the best part of three months playing with these things in and around boats, it’s difficult not to be impressed. Reception is outstanding. Better still, calls are free and you need no license to operate them. The set comes with rechargeable NiMH batteries, a dock for the two handsets and a choice of eight channels, plus a handsfree facility and a backlit LCD display. Small, tough (and also rather stylish), the TLKR T6 is splash-proof, shockproof and easy to attach to your gear via the belt clip or the corner loop. Pop it in a bag to make it waterproof and buoyant and this is the perfect tool for reliable boat-to-boat communications. Who’d have though the humble walkie-talkie could be so good. Price: around £60 www.motorola.com
TRI A ED TES ND TED
KIT OF THE MO
NTH
BIG, BOLD AND SHINY
OUR OPINION:
TESTED BY BOATERS, FOR BOATERS 24 I SB&RIB
These rather saucy looking ‘Tetra’ sunglasses are part of Bollé’s Marine Collection, and put succinctly - they do the job. That is they sport polarized, tough lenses, the glasses are wide enough to cover peripheral vision, have a good fit to them and can have up to -4.00 dioptres prescription lenses fitted by opticians. They come with a nice looking soft case, though a hard case is always preferred, and a pair of buoyant sunglasses strings. I’m a tad confuddled by these strings however, as the Tetra has quite robust arms and yet the strings are not really suited to fit onto such girth. The float on the strings is also very practical and as
TRI AN ED TES D TED stylish as string/floats can be. In summary, these sunglasses are attractive, tough and comfortable. Big and boldly styled, they may not suit everyone’s face, but for those who like the bigger style of shades, should certainly consider a pair. The Tetra and similar models are available from a variety of sources, we got ours from the London based friendly chaps at Roger Pope & Partners opticians, who are happy to fit prescription lenses if needed. From £94 (without prescription) www.bolle-europe.co.uk www.rogerpope.co.uk 020 7935 2124 (Roger Pope)
NEWS I BOAT ACCESSORIES
STANDARD HORIZON
GX2100E
In the marine world, a VHF radio is essential to a boat’s apparatus as the engine, the hull and the tea making equipment. Without it, you’d be a fool to leave port. Standard Horizon is a giant in the VHF world and seem to specialise in producing great kit that does five times as much as most of their competing products. We recently got our hands on the GX2100E, which is part of their fixed radio range.
OUR OPINION:
This is one of the few VHF radios with a class D DSC and AIS receiver rolled into one unit. For us sports boat owners, this is great as space on board is always an issue. To get the most out of the unit you must have a GPS feed, as without it, the AIS and DSC functions will simply not operate. Of all the many advantages this radio offers, I really like that there is simple, direct access to all the key features and that the display is bright and clear - even in sunlight. Frankly it’s amazing value for money, as long as you can feed in a GPS. From £299.99 (Inc VAT) www.standardhorizon.com
TIED IN KNOTS? OUR OPINION:
This is certainly a very handy guide and ideal as a course companion. Each knot is clearly broken down into stages and the illustrations makes knot tying as easy as it ever will be. Each entry carries a description – but something is missing. The intro tells you that when selecting a knot to consider the strength, how quick the knot is to tie, the size of the knot etc. So I say it would have been logical to include a chart for each knot that clearly shows a value for each of these criteria. The book seems to rely on you already knowing the basic merits of its fifty plus knots and when fumbling around at crunch time, having to read each description to find out what you need is a bit impractical. That said, it will still serve you well as part of your on board library. ISBN: 978-1-4081-3945-5 £7.19 (aprox) www.acblack.com/nautical
TRI A ED TES ND TED
CLEAN YOUR HULL, MATE Hull Mate released an innovative new boat cleaning brush at the start of this year and quite frankly we’re not quite sure how it has managed to elude these pages. Why? Because the ‘Brizo’ has all the best assets we like: it’s simple, practical and reportedly – it works. The Brizo is a special brush that you can use, whilst afloat, to get rid of the fouling that insists on clinging to your hull. Keeping your underside clean has many obvious merits, efficiency through the water for one and avoiding the eye watering cost of having your boat hauled out of the water for another. Yes, it’s a tad on the pricey side, but if you’re someone who leaves their boat in the water, this could be a great way to keep maintenance charges down in the long run. £235.00 (Inc VAT) www.hullmate.com
WATERTIGHT BOG ROLL Yes, toilet inventions can make us wrinkle our noses. But the truth is, everybody poops. Even on day boats, when there is not but a small heads in confined compartment, the time will come when nature calls. Naturally, what you don’t want to be is caught short by soggy toilet paper – it’s just a bad situation made ugly. Boating is a wet environment, and despite the efforts of even the most proud of boat owner, water will find a way inside… normally attached to people rushing for the heads. So this invention, which comes from boat shade manufacturer, Oceanair, makes a huge amount of sense on a lot of levels. It’ll keep the all-important paper dry between visits to the throne and cleverly hides away the roll during non-use in a contemporary aesthetic manner. Simple, practical and affordable. Nice. £17.38 ex VAT ∙ www.oceanair.co.uk
SB&RIB I 25
DESPITE THE UNERRING PRACTICALITY OF THE OPEN, THERE IS SOMETHING ENGAGINGLY UPBEAT ABOUT THE MORE LAVISHLY APPOINTED, MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE SUNDECK LAYOUT 36 I SB&RIB
ON THE WATER I QUICKSILVER ACTIV 675 SUNDECK
QUICKSILVER
ACTIV
675 SUNDECK
Can the daddy of Quicksilver’s Activ range woo the aspirational UK boater? Alex Smith finds out.
I
f someone asks you what kind of boat you want, it’s easy to wax lyrical about beautifully buffed Rivas, catwalk Azimuts and monstrous Russian stealth boats with helipads, submarine pods and Maria Sharapova reclining on the bow. But if you rein in your dreams to encompass the achievable, and ask yourself again what you really want from a family boat, the answers are fairly telling . . . Chances are, unless you are a die hard fisherman, diver or watersports enthusiast, you are going to want a bit of everything. This means a broad beam for decent deck space, deep freeboards for security, a swim platform for sunny recreation, a comfy helm position for
concerted spells of driving and a serviceable cabin for storage, convenience and perhaps the odd overnight stay. But boating is about sensory pleasures, not cold practicalities. So (quite rightly) your chosen vessel needs to be able to excite you when you turn the key - but because you weren’t that one winner of the EuroMillions, it needs to achieve all of this in an accessible package that doesn’t intimidate the common man’s bank account. This is obviously quite a tough wish list. But thanks to the range-topping Activ 675, the crew at Quicksilver may have just come up with a contender that will both steal your heart and preserve the dignity of your wallet.
SB&RIB I 37
RENEGADE SEVEN TWENTY
THIS IS FOR THE BOATER WHO WANTS TO MARRY HIGH SPEED TO HIGH PERFORMANCE 42 I SB&RIB
E
ON THE WATER I RENEGADE 720
Mike Pullen steps aboard the swooping, streamlined Renegade 720 to find out if she really is as good as she looks.
R
enegade is a relatively new company on the RIB scene, having been started from scratch but two years ago. The story goes that now-owner Mark Brownhall once bought an old RIB to restore, and then proceeded to completely rebuild it. This labour seemingly failed to phase Mark, to the point that he found himself a little frustrated, as he had hoped the project would last him all winter. So having found restoration work a trifle undemanding, Mark decided he would go rogue and simply build his own boat - and Renegade Ribs was born
ABOARD THE 720
Fast forward to the present and I find myself on board the first boat on the Renegade model list: the 720. With a hull drawn by the very established Alan Younger, the 720 has a high performance, non-stepped hull which follows the well established design principles of presenting straight lines to the water in a smooth, ever changing angle of deadrise. This provides a very comfortable, easy to drive hull - the stability and recovery of which will astound and please anyone who takes the wheel.
SB&RIB I 43
Bag yourself a
Bass 62 I SB&RIB
ADVICE I FISHING FOR BASS
Of the stereotypically masculine pursuits in life – chopping wood, making fire, changing lightbulbs – fishing is perhaps the most relaxing and rewarding. Manly lightbulb changer extraordinaire, Simon Everett, shows us how to bring home a bass.
I
n the autumn, inshore fishing around our shores reaches a crescendo that has been building throughout the summer. The sandeels and other baitfish have busied themselves in the warm months by growing, and so too have the fish that prey on them. Fish like the magnificent bass and the ubiquitous Pollack, both of which are really prize specimens for sporting anglers. Mackerel and garfish will also be seen blitzing on the fry and sandeel shoals, sending them skittering across the surface in shower of silver spray.
OWING TO THE RECENT HARSH WINTERS, THE SPAWNING EFFORT HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. WE NEED TO CONSERVE THE STOCKS WE HAVE, FISHING FOR SPORT – NOT FOR THE KILL SB&RIB I 63
THE GUIDE TO
TOWING
PEOPLE Inflatable riders, wakeboarders and water skiers have one thing in common: their complete dependency on a rope and boat to pull them. But to get the most out your day on the water, you need to know what you’re doing. Adrian Porter explains.
92 I SB&RIB
WATERSPORTS I TOW GUIDE
T
hese days, a lot of people have a casual interest in watersports, whether it’s a bit of wakeboarding, water skiing or just dragging people round on various water toys. The recipe to have a fun day out on the water is seemingly a simple one – wait for a sunny day packaged with mill pond like flat water (chance would be a fine thing) then attach a rope to your boat, staple the other end to the watersports enthusiast and away you go. But there is actually far more to it then we realise.
THE GUIDELINES
Firstly, this article is not about rules, but it should serve as a valuable quick reference guide. Why do you even need one? Because for each discipline, the speed, rope length and boat balance should be adjusted for both what you’re doing and for the skill of the rider. There are also established hand signals worth learning and a few other guidelines that you really should take note of.
SKIP, SPOT AND RIDE
Watersports is a group activity. In fact you need a minimum of three people at all times – a skipper, a spotter and a rider. A skipper’s job is of course to drive the boat whilst a rider is naturally the one flailing on the end of the tow rope. But the spotter is perhaps the most crucial of the three, as he or she will not only be the one relaying information between the skipper and the rider, but the person to alert the skipper if the rider has landed themselves in the drink. Without a spotter, then towing someone becomes very unsafe very quickly – you cannot have your skipper constantly looking behind them or gluing their eyes to the rear view mirror, as a slip of concentration could seriously endanger everybody both on and connected to the boat.
THREE’S A CROWD
This guide was compiled with the help of Mike Dovey (Maven Marine, see page 70) and Joe Jellicoe (pictured above, left) of Fletcher boats and SBS trailers, the latter a main supplier to Maven Marine. Experienced boaters and watersports enthusiasts, their knowledge was vital to this article and both are keen to see more people on the water. All the photos were taken at the sensationally superb Bomere lake in Shropshire, many thanks to Chris the owner. www.bomere.co.uk SB&RIB I 93
SIX OF THE BEST
IDEAS
EVER Among the vast unending swathes of boating kit out there, there are some true gems that deserve recognition for being absolutely superb. Adrian Porter has ferreted out six such items that are essential kit, great ideas and truly worthy of your cash.
L
ike many of us, you may be the type of person to shy away from visiting large clothing outlets, despise buying crockery and feel downright uncomfortable in jewellery stores. But put any of us boaters in a well stocked chandlery… and we’ll be lost for hours. Both tangible and online chandlery superstores now exist to house the incredible wealth of kit available to us nautical types, and if you’re not careful, you’ll make your way through several credit cards worth of new shiny stuff on the way to the checkouts. Given the choice and sheer level of temptation these days, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to hunt through the stores to present you with essential bits of clobber, each of which have a special reason as to why they merit being part of your birthday/ Christmas/wish lists.
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