Sports Boat & Rib Magazine July Preview

Contents 86 Cruising Cornwall

Inside . . .

J U LY 2 0 0 9

24 Name that boat There’s more to your boat’s name than you think . . .

45 UK’s best marinas If you’re not sure where to go this summer, this is the place to start

09 Word from the water From boat rental deals to Spyder rides, it’s all going on

27 Radical RIBs SB&RIB heads to the Isle of Wight for a look at the standout boats from the RIBEX Show

55 Lough Neagh Delta Force On call with Ireland’s premier inland rescue service

15 Race update Brits off to a flyer in the P1 World Powerboat Championship

31 Curtis opens up Yes he’s a world champion but is he really that happy?

17 June’s top boating kit Eight accessories ranked and rated

35 Jersey Boat Show Take a pinch of Britain, a wisp of France and you get something a little bit like this . . .

21 Reader writes On board with the Loch Lomond weekenders 22 What about Windermere?

The RYA lays down the case for preventing prohibition

39 Million dollar boat race How fast would you go for a fortune?

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86 Fun times in Fowey It’s pronounced “FOY”!

Bloody tourists . . .

94 Shark hunters If you thought UK boating was dull, this will revolutionise your life 105 Buying tips for radar You’ve done your homework now spend your money

109 WIN a Cobra for the weekend . . .

SB&RIB I

TESTED . . .

63 Ribtec 10m Cabin RIB

27

On the water in the latest addition to Ribshack’s timeshare fleet

The latest in RIB design from Cowes

71 Campion Chase 600 A 19-foot bow rider with 250hp? That’s gonna be interesting . . .

31 Sharing the helm with Steve Curtis

78 Opera 60 Believe it or not, there’s a big sister to the 60-foot Opera RIB

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35

Continental weekend at the Jersey Boat Show Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk

SB&RIB I

news Talented British youngsters like Nick Davies can look forward to much improved support

wakeboard youth boost

£56K for heroes

Sport England has backed British Water Ski under its new “Grow - Sustain – Excel” initiatives for the development of sport in England in the build up to the 2012 Olympics.

Part of this backing is a programme which integrates a strategy for schools and community groups with British Water Ski’s successful talent development programmes and this very much involves the wakeboard discipline.

The School & Community Club Links programme puts funding and infrastructure in place for school and community clubs to get kids involved in wakeboarding at accredited clubs and cables in England. And to further the success of wakeboarding, British Water Ski is also backing one of the world’s most promising riders, Nick Davies, with a training and competition programme as part of its Excel talent development plan.

Nick’s programme will integrate training and events in the UK and abroad in the build up to both the European and World Championships on both the boat and cable. John Wood, British Water Ski Performance Director said, “It is fantastic to have the funding in place for Nick to join the Excel programme and to be able to assist him in the next stage of his path to being the number one wakeboarder in the World.”

The Royal Southern Yacht Club has raised £56,000 for the HELP FOR HEROES Charity at a Gala Dinner held at its waterside Clubhouse in Hamble. More than 250 people attended the Black Tie event, including Bryn and Emma Parry, the founders of HELP FOR HEROES. While Royal Southern members and guests were entertained with live music, top auctioneer, Nick Bonham, drummed up the bidding on some great prizes, including a day on a Royal Naval ship, holidays in Cape Town and a walk-on part in Coronation Street. The idea of visiting the Rovers Return fetched £1200 alone.

Club Commodore, John Beardsley, said: “It was one of the most memorable nights in the club’s history - a great success.”

extreme Sport weekend gears up The countdown to the 2009 White Air Extreme Sports & Music Festival has begun. The event, which takes place from 18 to 20 September in Brighton, is now in its 12th year, and will be held along the beach stretching east from Brighton Pier.

There will be more than 35 different attractions at the festival, including the Red Arrows, Surfing, Thundercat racing, PWs, Triathlon, high diving, wakeboarding, scuba diving and Mini Moto. There will even be something called ‘Graffiti Street Wars’ and a Zip Wire. The emphasis is very much on audience participation, which means plenty of opportunities to have a go. And it will all be conducted to the tune of live music.

Nigel Howell, founder of White Air, said: “We’re very excited to be bringing Europe’s biggest extreme sports and music festival to an incredible location at the beach side in Brighton”. It should be well sorth a visit. www.whiteair.co.uk Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk

SB&RIB I 11

KIT OF THE MONTH

kit

ALL The latest boating gadgets AND GIZMOS Top Kit

Overboard OverBoard, a manufacturer of waterproof travel and sports gear, has launched the Backpack Dry Tube. Described as a “compact, tough and hardwearing solution for outdoor enthusiasts”, the Dry Tube is made from robust PVC tarpaulin that is electronically welded at the seams to ensure nothing gets through.

When closed, using the ‘folding seal’ system, it protects the contents from dust, sand, dirt and water.

The Backpack comes with a 60-litre capacity, plus an internal zip pocket for smaller items like phones and iPods. It also comes with removable back straps and an optional see-through ‘window’. It’s waterproof and it floats but at under £40, it’s the price that sets it apart.

Price: £39.99 01932 500091 www.over-board.com

Cruise vest How good is it to see a piece of marine clothing that you would choose to wear even if you weren’t out on your boat? This gilet-style body warmer comes with a fleece-lined collar and pockets to keep your hands warm.

But best of all, it is also a certified buoyancy aid. It’s a fantastically comfortable garment and far more practical for British summer boating than you might think.

Top notch gear.

Price: £90 www.hellyhansen.com

Twist and sh . . .

Top Kit

life light Here we have a torch that will apparently take just 90 seconds to charge and yet keep shining for almost 24 hours. Unveiled at the Gadget Show, the Light for Life UC3.400 comes complete with a 12V DC charging for your car or boat, plus a mounting plate and a belt ring. It is rated for 50,000 charge and discharge cycles (that’s one charge a day for more than 135 years) and its three LED bulbs are rated for 50,000 hours.

Despite the steroidal cyborg looks, it only weighs about 16 ounces and comes with a bright mode, a standard mode and a tactical strobe. Made of a high-strength polymer the UC3.400™ casing is fully sealed against the elements. It’s abrasion, crack and bend-resistant, water and temperature resistant. It comes with a lifetime warranty and will be available in autumn 2009. It looks great. Let’s just hope we can afford it.

The new CT3000 self-contained cassette toilet from Warwickshire based LeeSan is surprisingly innovative. Operated by a single push button, the seat can be removed and rotated 180 degrees on top of the bowl, enabling the unit to be fitted into corners or at right angles to a suitable bulkhead. The plastic bowl is lined with a ceramic inlay, making it extremely scratch resistant, very hardwearing and easy to clean. The 19-litre waste tank comes complete with its own telescopic handle and wheels, like those you see on luggage. Additional innovations include passive ventilation, which eliminates the need for plumbed piping and minimises the need for chemicals. There is also a tank level indicator to show when the tank needs emptying and spare tanks are available as an optional extra. It’s oddly attractive.

Price: from £354 01295 770000 www.leesan.com

Price: TBA 0800 463999 www.ebprofessional.com Place private ads for free at www.sportsboat.co.uk

SB&RIB I 17

What’s in a name?

A boat by any other name may float the same, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Craig Barnett investigates the fraught and fickle dilemma behind naming your boat . . .

A

s the owner of a production boat, one of the few chances you have to really express your personality is in the naming of your craft. But what’s in a name?

What does it say about the owner and why do we name our boats in the first place? After all, if you name your car, you are unlikely to be the sort of person other people want to know. And yet with boats, the prospect of namelessness is never even considered . . .

The best and the worst The fact of course is that boating is an obsession. Proof of that consists in the fact that Obsession has appeared in the Top Ten Most Popular Boat Names (an annual report published by Boat US) in nine of the ten years between 1991 and 2001.

Recent chart toppers have tipped their hat at both Hollywood and the events of 9/11, with Black Pearl and Liberty coming in first and second respectively in both 2007 and 2008.

But, as you would expect, humorous names feature heavily in the American 24 I SB&RIB

charts and, as you might also expect, many of them lack any real comedic merit.

Aquaholic and Knot on Call? I rest my case.

Unable to resist the temptation for a peek at what else was on offer, we spent several hours trawling the archives to come up with some more worthy examples . . .

Some hint at the realistic way in which some owners approach the expense involved in boating - names like Good Grief, Miss Mymonie, Sofa King Broke and Ship Happens say everything they need to say. A Crewed Interest and The Loan Ranger also feature near the top of the lists.

Among the many medical themed names we particularly liked Biopsea and Sir Osis of the River, but the omnipresent Vitamin Sea was too bitter a pill to swallow. Our choice for fishing craft names included Bite Me and our pick of the sailing yacht monikers included Blow Me, Sea Cup (a lady skipper presumably?) and Between the Sheets. The worst? Without question, Sail Bad The Sinner.

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The dangers When choosing a comedic name, consider the fact that it may be less than helpful when you want to be taken seriously. We read how one yacht at the Arun Yacht Club required assistance when a crew member was struck on the head by the boom near Selsey Bill in the Looe. The owner called the coastguard who enquired quite naturally, ”What is your name and position?” The reply came back, “We are Passing Wind in the Looe.” Hmmmm . . .

Those of us who like to put to sea tend to be a superstitious lot so there are certainly areas you should avoid when naming your boat. In his 2001 edition of ‘The Mariner’s Book of Days’, author Peter Spectre reported that while the alltime favourite names for ships are Mary and Elizabeth, naming your vessel after adverse meteorological conditions (storms or hurricanes), sea beasts (Kraken or Sea Serpent), cataclysmic events (earthquakes or eruptions) and even evil characters is a very bad move. Apparently vengeful Gods

are easily affronted and being bold enough to name your boat Sea Conqueror or Hurricane Tamer has the potential to attract their undesired attention.

In addition to ignoring the advice above,

It’s not wise to drink from the ceremonial bottle as Neptune doesn’t appreciate skin flints The White Star Line also apparently failed to give Titanic a proper launch ceremony and we all know how that particular story went down. So in order to further appease the gods, it is of course vital to carry out the naming of your boat in the correct and proper manner (see box below).

Though called a ‘Christening’, this is a misnomer as the tradition of anointing a new boat predates Jesus by a very long

way. In fact a Babylonian narrative from the third millennium BC replaces the traditional bottle of Bollinger with the arterial contents of a couple of heifers – but thankfully social mores have changed. Cow blood is a devil to get out of upholstery.

While you may feel reluctant to crack open a bottle of your cellar’s finest, the practice of breaking a bottle of wine over a ship’s bow was actually introduced by the British Navy in the late 17th century as a cost saving measure. Previously the ships had been baptised with a ‘standing cup’ of precious metal, which was then promptly thrown overboard. The rapid production of ships during the height of the British Empire quickly put an end to that.

So, if you’re resolved to name your boat, avoid the cliches, avoid angering the Gods, avoid courting bad luck and avoid crap names that make it plain to the world that you’re simply not funny. How about my all-time favourite - Maid Of Plywood. Okay, perhaps I’m not that funny either . . .

Sometimes, a number will do . . .

Boat U.S. Top Ten Boat Names 2008 1 - Black Pearl 2 - Liberty 3 - Second Wind 4 - Amazing Grace 5 - Aquaholic 6 - Knot on call 7 - Second Chance 8 - Wanderlust 9 - The Dog House 10 - Carpe Diem (or Seas The Day)

For sailors, it is lucky to - Smash a bottle against the boat just before sailing; - Have tattoos; - Throw an old pair of shoes overboard just after launch; - Have a black cat on board; - Have a child born on the ship; - Wear gold hoop earrings; - Touch the collar of a sailor; - Step aboard using the right foot first.

it is unlucky to . . .

Naming ceremony Make sure everyone of importance to the boat is present and then liberally distribute Champagne among those gathered. If you must apply the new name before the ceremony, be sure the name is not revealed until the ceremony is finished – cover it with bunting or whatever else you can get hold of.

When ready, recite the following in a deep and sonorous tone (something like Richard Burton): “For thousands of years, we have gone to sea. We have crafted vessels to carry us and we have called them by name. These ships will nurture and care for us through perilous seas, and so we affectionately call them ‘she’. To them we toast, and ask to celebrate (the name of your boat).”

Then everybody raises their champagne glasses and toasts “TO THE SAILORS OF OLD. TO (the name of your boat),” before taking a sip.

Next follow with: “The moods of the sea are many, from tranquil to violent. We ask that this ship be given the strength to carry on. The keel is strong and she keeps out the pressures of the sea.” Again the glasses are raised, and the assemblage shouts, “TO THE SEA...TO THE SAILORS OF OLD...TO THE SEA!” Take another drink.

Finish off with: “Today we come to name this lady (name of your boat), and send her to sea to be cared for, and to care for the (name of your family) family. We ask the sailors of old and the mood of God that is the sea to accept (your boat’s name) as her name, to help her through her passages, and allow her to return with her crew safely.”

Again, a raising of the glasses and the toast of: “TO THE SEA...TO THE SAILORS BEFORE US...TO (the name of your boat).” Finally a long glug of fizz by all.

Now pour champagne over the bow to appease King Neptune, and lay a branch of green leaves on the deck to ensure safe returns. It’s not advisable to drink from the anointing bottle as Neptune doesn’t appreciate skinflints. Breaking the bottle across the prow is optional for a leisure boat and should only be done after the bottle has been properly scored for a clean break. Once the ceremony is over, take any item bearing the new name on board and stow it where it belongs. Simple as that.

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- Name the boat with a word ending in the letter ‘a’; - Fail to break the bottle when using it in the launch ceremony; - Change the name of a boat; - Sail on a green boat; - Sail on a Friday; - See rats leaving a ship; - Have someone die on the ship; - Whistle on board a ship; - Cross an area where another ship once sank; - Lose a bucket at sea.

Other sailing superstitions - Women and clergymen as passengers bring bad luck (don’t tell the wife, especially if she’s a vicar); - If you meet someone with red hair, a clergyman or someone with crosseyes on the way to the harbour, you are encouraged not to set sail; - A bell ringing by itself on the ship is a death omen for one of the crew; - The word “drown” can never be spoken at sea or it may summon up the actual event; - A ship without its figurehead will not sink; - Horseshoes on a ship’s mast help turn away storms; - A ship will sail faster when fleeing an enemy; - A ship carrying a dead body will sail slower; - Albatrosses carry the souls of dead sailors; - Whistling, cutting nails and trimming beards at sea will cause storms.

SB&RIB I 25

t h e R YA a n s w e r s y o u r q u e s t i o n s

Where was the RYA at Windermere?

In the wake of the Windermere speed limit debacle the SB readers want to know two things. Firstly, where was the RYA in all of that? And secondly, what is it doing to prevent further prohibition on British Waterways? Sam jefferson presents the RYA’s case . . .

If there is one issue that rightly aggravates powerboaters, it is the Windermere speed limit fiasco. In all, it dragged on for over a decade and was only fully resolved in 2004.

For those of you unfamiliar with this case, in the 1970s and 80s the Lake District National Park Authority started introducing speed limits on lakes such as Ullswater and Coniston. There were some grumbles at the time, but powerboaters were generally placated by the fact that Windermere would always be their domain. This remained the case until the 1990s, when talk of introducing a 10mph byelaw for Windermere was mooted.

The proposals caused uproar and it was only after an epic legal battle, with many ups and downs, that the byelaw was finally passed. That fateful decision has had a massive impact on the area and, of course, on powerboaters . . . which brings us to the RYA. Where the hell were they when all this kicked off and why didn’t they fight the powerboaters corner more fiercely?

Well, the RYA was there, and naturally we were there to fight your corner. Edmund Whelan was working as the RYA’s Legal Manager at the time, and he attended the public inquiry into the byelaw. He explains: “I was up in the Lake District for the full 14 weeks of the inquiry, and I can assure you that the RYA was one of the major objectors.

We rallied around an awful lot of support and got a lot of witnesses from various parties, including the yacht clubs, to argue the case that powerboat racing was not a massive issue.”

Ultimately the representations failed, but it is hard to point the finger at the RYA. The Inspector who chaired the Inquiry looked at the case from the angle of what was best for the “quiet enjoyment” of the National Park.

If you are looking at it from that angle, it is pretty much impossible to argue that highspeed powerboats have a positive effect - so the opponents of the speed limit were fighting a losing battle.

But here came the twist - there followed a period of intense lobbying against the

22 I SB&RIB

decision, and the RYA was definitely leader of this along with local MPs, the Sports Council, the British Waterskiing Federation and local interests. The pressure paid off and in 1996 the Secretary of State for the Environment, John Gummer (remember him?) opted to go against the inspector’s decision. Victory for the RYA and their allies? Not quite.

Cedric Selby was an RYA councillor for the North West area. He was closely involved in the case. He picks up the story: “We had basically won through, and obviously we were massively relieved.

Empty pontoons on Windermere

The real problem was that the decision could not have come at a worse time, as it coincided with a change in government, and the newly elected Labour Party arrived with a different agenda.

“The National Park Authority, had now called for a judicial review on the grounds that Gummer had not supplied adequate reason for going against the decision.

This review was withdrawn following the change of Government and before you knew it, the speed limit was back in force.”

So, defeat for the opponents of the speed limit, but did the RYA let them down?

One person who has very strong views on this matter is Ted Walsh of Windermere Motorboat Racing Club (WMBRC). As

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the title suggests, WMBRC has a massive racing tradition and they were bound to be big losers if the speed limit was imposed.

Ted continues to be a big opponent of the ban - “Did the RYA let us down? I don’t think so.” Ted explains. “In reality, the RYA did their bit. Perhaps the main issue was that we were a little naive, I don’t think anyone really believed they would have the nerve to take powerboats off Windermere.

In hindsight perhaps we did not pull together enough, but that is not to say we weren’t all working in different ways to achieve the same objective. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.”

Following the decision, the RYA continued to search for a solution. Whelan explains: “We sought advice from a number of QCs on what to do next. They all urged against going for a judicial review, as they believed we would lose it. If we could have found any legal loophole we would have carried on the fight, but there simply wasn’t enough to justify the cost.

“I was at the RYA 26 years and it was unquestionably the case that I spent the most time on. For a single issue it took up more time and resources than any other. To say we weren’t there seems unfair.”

So what about the present? What are we doing to prevent further prohibition on our waterways? Current RYA Legal Manager Gus Lewis explains: “We have to take every threat of regulation on a case by case basis.

At present we are embroiled in a battle with a number of harbour authorities over proposed speed limits. Trust me, if there is a threat to the rights and interests of boaters, we will be there. I can’t stress enough how much that includes you, the powerboaters.”

Do you think this is a good enough answer?

Have your say by registering for the onlne forum at www.sportsboat.co.uk.

Log on and find out about next month’s hot topic . . .

Sharing the Helm with Steve Curtis MBE He might be eight-times world champion but what’s really going on in that head?

Mike Taylor finds out . . .

S

teve Curtis MBE is in a little bit of pain. It’s nothing much, just a tendon he pulled earlier in the day while out running on his favourite stretch of beach. “Something else for my physio to attend to,” he quips with a grin as we walk down the gantry to the Dory, which will be ours for the day.

Tall and slender with a bronzed ruggedness that clearly appeals to his female fans worldwide, Steve looks very much the part as he climbs into his race suit for some photographs in one of the Cougar Race boats before we set off upriver. Despite the idyllic conditions on the Hamble I can’t help wondering if our little meander will prove a little tame. “Not at all,” says Steve as we let go the warps. “I’ve spent many a happy hour relaxing on this Dory.” As we make our way upstream, the chat begins . . . >

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SB&RIB I 31

Life in the

How do you like them apples?

slow lane With continental weather, French food and English language, St Helier might just be the perfect festival venue. Alex Smith reports from the second Jersey Boat Show.

I

t’s hard to believe that a place as wholeheartedly seafaring as Jersey has only had a boat show since 2008. And it’s even harder to believe that this is only the second year of the event when you see the place on the opening Saturday, rammed with people from the town, keen to embrace whatever is there to be embraced.

It’s a three-day show running from Saturday to Monday and it takes place quite rightly in the marina and on the heritage quays, right at the maritime heart of Jersey’s capital town, St Helier. It features both power and sail but, in a very welcome turn of events, it feels like the power side of things dominates proceedings, with more than 80 boats on the water and an additional 80 stands up on the quayside. highlights It’s immediately plain that this show has done a great job of attracting some surprisingly big exhibits. The first of them is the Royal Navy destroyer, HMS YORK, which is tied alongside at Elizabeth Harbour, in full view of any ferry passengers arriving from the mainland. Also on show is one of the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s Tall Ships, Lord Nelson and she, like the warship, is doing a fine job of integrating with the locals, with free tours around the ship, plus a charity mast climb and a flag design competition for local schools.

This ability to extend the maritime exhibits to encompass issues of specific local relevance is continued in the presence of the local Honda Formula 4-Stroke 150 race team. The crew is on hand, alongside their race boat, to chat to the visitors and they are plainly excited - not just about competing in the one-make series under the ‘Port of Jersey’ banner but also about meeting the people of Jersey, whom they feel they represent. Liam McDermott from Fox Marine Services (the title sponsor of the Team Fox boat) said: “It is the first time we have taken part in this event and our team are thrilled to be representing Jersey, with the support of Jersey Harbours. The show is a fantastic opportunity for islanders to meet our local team, Martin Colligan and Gideon Du Val, and to see the racing boat close up, just days before she heads off to compete. We are looking forward to their support!” >

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SB&RIB I 35

20 best marinas

I

f I’m completely honest, I struggle a bit with the whole marina concept. They seem a bit too much like caravan parks and campsites - convenient but somewhat removed from reality. I’m an au natural kind of a guy so I prefer my tent to be half way up a mountain and 70 miles from the nearest toilet. If I’m camping I don’t really want a shower block with warm water or a site shop selling me expensive bacon.

Likewise marinas. I generally prefer to drop the hook in a quiet anchorage, or recover the boat to its trailer and head for

the nearest hotel but I will certainly not deny that marinas are very useful. In fact, for anyone with a non-trailerable boat they are pretty much essential and for those of us with smaller boats who like to do a bit of cruising, marinas offer a welcome safe-haven at the end of the day, with convenient facilities on-site.

Come to think of it, despite my haughty disdain for places of such efficiency, I seem to have spent much of the last 15 years in marinas, from the exceedingly grim to the surprisingly wonderful, so I am torn between enjoying the convenience

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they offer and disliking the acres of white GRP and the inevitable expense.

Either way, there are now hundreds of marinas dotted around our coasts so I reckon my hard-nosed cynicism makes me the ideal man to present a shortlist of the 20 marinas in the UK that I actually quite like. In fact they all have such a winning combination of facilities, service, accessibility and cruising excellence that they might just see me reconsider my > position as a boating loner . . .

SB&RIB I 45

Lough Neagh

Delta Force Not all lakes are born equal. Happily neither are boats. Stan Peakell visits Lough Neagh to check out the latest addition to the rescue fleet . . .

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SB&RIB I 55

Many of the current crew remain from the original founding of the service

Lough Neagh is an inland waterway a little to the west of Belfast. It is a sizeable piece of water, about 20 miles long by about nine miles wide, comparable in many ways to Loch Lomond or Windermere. It is the largest lake in Northern Ireland and yet, when you first see it you could be forgiven for wondering why they need four large, seagoing RIBs as lifeboats. The boats sit poised, ready for action at the two stations, strategically placed on the shores and yet, as I arrive, the lake is like a mirror . . .

But then, after an hour or so of messing around and taking photographs, the wind gets up and the lake changes character entirely. Now, it becomes very quickly evident why these lifeboats are needed on these shallow inland waters. The waves have picked up to a regular metre in height and, every now and then, a larger one, perhaps half as big again, rises up and crests aggressively, due to the shallow nature of the shoal patch. It is easy to see how leisure boaters could get caught out by an approaching front and a sharp increase in wind. Add in the fact that the lough is popular with small boaters, fishermen, windsurfers, kayakers, waterskiers, wakeboarders and a host of other water users and the danger of such a sudden change becomes obvious. Or at least it should do but, unfortunately, the majority of water users are oblivious to the consequences of weather patterns on their activity until it is too late.

Fast changing conditions have taken their toll over the years and the Lough is still a stretch of water that demands the greatest respect. When she is benign she is as pretty a place as any, but when her mood swings and she gets ruffled, look out. When conditions worsen, this is no place to be in a small boat. Even the 8.7-metre Deltas are being launched into the heavens off the steep, short, breaking waves. The wind whips across 56 I SB&RIB

the open water more than it does on the shrouded waters of either Windermere or Lomond, where the boater tends to be blessed with the shelter of the surrounding hills. Here, a stricken craft can be driven onto the rocks very quickly.

The beginnings It was just such an occasion that brought about the foundation of the Lough Neagh Rescue Service and the provision of a lifeboat for the lake.

David Gray Senior made it his mission following the tragic loss of his son, David Gray Junior, on the night of the 04 July, 1989. Young David and three of his friends were on passage home from Ballyronan when they got into trouble.

There was no rescue boat on the lough at that time and, even though local boaters mounted a search and succeeded in rescuing David’s three friends after they had been in the water for more >

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RIBTEC 10 m Cabin

The Grand Tourer How would you like to be the proud owner of a cabin RIB like this then?

The daft thing is, for the price of an ordinary sports boat, you could be.

Stan Peakell reports.

F

or under £30,000 you could be hurtling up and down the south coast as the owner of this £135,000 ten-metre Ribtec cabin RIB. What’s the catch? Well you only get a quarter share in the boat but that needn’t necessarily alter your appreciation in any big way. All you have to do is become a member of the Ribshack shared ownership scheme.

Tempting isn’t it.

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This though, isn’t so much a story about how you can afford to run one of these. It is actually a test of the boat itself; the first test of this ten-metre cabin RIB with a pair of Yamaha’s flagship 350hp V8s adorning her backside and very lovely she looks too as she sits serenely on her berth.

The Ribtec is very much in the style of a grand tourer, rather than an out and out performance boat. In car terms she >

SB&RIB I 63

UK SharK Hunters Hunting shark gives you some of the greatest entertainment you can have on your boat - and not just in exotic waters but right here in the UK. Simon Everett reports.

94 I SB&RIB

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H

appily, real life is not a lot like Jaws. A shark is not a 70foot chunk of unconvincing rubber with a vendetta. It is in fact a very popular sporting prospect. And because most sharks are far more modest in size than the Great Whites of Hollywood fame, they are the kinds of animal you don’t mind pulling aboard your boat.

Even so, the sporting angler’s sharks of choice can still grow to the kind of size that will see you dining out on the catch for decades at a time. Porbeagle sharks, mako sharks and thresher sharks can easily reach the magic 500lb mark. Blue sharks, while more numerous, are much smaller and the widespread tope is probably the most popular of the sporting angler’s sharks in the UK - partly because they are easily caught and partly because they don’t need heavy tackle to catch.

UK sharking equipment Sharks are a sporting prospect all around the coast of the UK, but they are less numerous than they used to be and are generally smaller than those found in warmer waters, which means you can target them with lighter tackle - in fact the kind of rods and reels that many occasional anglers already possess.

The bigger sharks require more specialist gear, but even they do not have to be expensive. I recently bought a top quality, Shimano 50lb class boat rod, with roller rings the full length, for £85 from Weymouth Angling Centre. Matched to a suitable reel this rod will deal with any shark that swims in British waters. I put a Penn International Torque 300 on it, loaded to the brim with 35lb monofilament line. This reel takes about 500 yards, which is plenty to fight even a big fish as you can always give chase in the boat.

Tackle for sharks need to be strong but not brutal. A standard boat rod and reel of 30lb class is adequate for most sharking. A lever drag does have some advantages over a star drag, but anyone used to a star drag reel will be at no major disadvantage.

The most important part of your tackle is the end trace and hook, which needs to be matched to the type of shark you are after.

Tope do not require such heavy end tackle as blue sharks. Porbeagles are much stronger than blues and your trace needs to be top quality to withstand the pressure and teeth of these top predators. Threshers are pretty uncommon and are not worth spending time on. The odd one gets caught by accident, but people do not go out of their way to catch them specifically. Tope, blue sharks and porbeagle sharks are the fabulous three that we will spend our time on here, as they are by far the most numerous and the most realistic for the British angler. >

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SB&RIB I 95

Time to buy Radar is the most complex equipment you will buy for your boat. Colin Jones helps you get it right . . .

R

adar will always be the leisure boat owner’s most complex purchase debate, because there are so many variables to take into account. The smaller the boat, the bigger the problem. The faster she can go, the more serious the consideration needed otherwise you might be wasting your money.

Starting from the top, if you are equipping a stable, commercial size vessel, doing no more than 15 knots and with plenty of generator power, you can opt for a 48M radar, with a very narrow horizontal beam width. Conversely, further down the scale, on a small, fast boat, which is inevitably a bit skittish in the waves, a narrow radar beam will be constantly jumping off and fading out the target and its high power

demand draining your battery faster than the alternator can recharge it.

Everybody adding radar to our sort of boat will need to choose from what is available between these poles. Budget will probably not be an issue. Most of us who really want something for the boat seem to find the money, even at the expense of domestic economy and harmony. In that respect, nobody can say “this is the best radar. All I can do is advise on the broad issues. The actual choice of model will be dictated by what sort of boat you drive and for what principal purpose you drive it.

But things have recently become very interesting. After idling for more than a decade without change, on a level plateau of analogue technology – like old TV – as discussed last month, radar progress has suddenly been given an upward jolt by the arrival of two new kids on the bloc.

High definition radar High definition digital radar mirrors TV progress in that the raw radio signal has not much altered, but we now have a much better way of interpreting the incoming signal.

The technical term is Digital Sensitivity Time Control (STC) which gives a much ‘sharper’ image, with targets remaining on screen all the time, rather than being subject to the fading and glowing typical of analogue radar, as the beam sweeps in circles. The system also has much improved rough-weather sea clutter removal, without reducing sensitivity so that weak returns (wooden boats and ‘plastic’ hulls head on) do not show. It also has good performance with reliable automatic tuning as range and conditions change. In time, all leisure boat radar will go digital – unless of course the second new type of radar gets its way . . . >

Modern radar is so good you may actually be tempted to sleep with it

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SB&RIB I 105

a Brand of Marathon Leisure Ltd

For a full list of local stockists please go to www.marathonleisure.co.uk Waveline dinghies have over the last 5 years built a strong reputation within the marine market for quality, reliability, and great value for money with sales of over 10,000 boats, and this 2009 range is no exception.

WAVELINE RIBS

Waveline boats are manufactured to CE and ISO 9001 and ISO 6185 standards and made from top quality 0.9mm 1100 Denier polyester fabric, unlike some cheaper economy boats which use 0.7mm 750grm PVC fabric.

3.3m Rib With console. Top quality Deep-V vacuum bagged fibreglass hull.

Perfect for watersports.

NWL330RIBCXS

2.5m Rib WL250RIBXS

2.9m Rib WL290RIBXS

3.1m Rib WL310RIBXS

£1599.00

All Waveline boats come with the following features: Splashwell flaps, 3 Chamber construction, Coated polyester tubes, Wide rubbing strake, Low profile valves, 3 x stainless steel towing eyes.

£719.99 £829.99 £929.99

For more information, please go to www.marathonleisure.co.uk

Console not included on 2.5m, 2.9m and 3.1m RIBs

STANDARD CABLES SC-18 Series

EDGE SERIES CABLE

G ARD WINNIN W A W E N X D LE BRAN ROM MULTIF F G IN R E E T S

SB0907 Marathon

The Edge series of Steering Cables and Engine Control Cables perform under extreme conditions. Binder allows cable to function even after damage/loss of outer sheathing, unlike other cables which cease to function properly after damage to outer sheathing. Advantages: Higher efficiency, Enhanced service life, higher flexibility, reduced bend radius – works even when tied in knots!

Complex routing possible, smoother operation and reduced lost motion.

Edge series cable with removed sheath compared to a standard damaged cable.

Conduit 12.5mm Helix 6.2mm Fits following Helms: Multiflex: LM-H-201 Teleflex®: Compac -T® Ultraflex®: T67 Morse®: C230/C231®

EC133 Control Cable Travel 90mm Application: Outboard, inboard & stern drive with relevant accessories.

Conduit : 8.0mm Inner : 1.9mm S.S. Solid Wire End Thread : 10-32 UNF

Leisure boating is an exhilarating experience. All the more when you are assured about the technology that drives it. Technology, which has been refined over years of experience, uses advanced manufacturing techniques, ensures prudent selection of input materials, and guarantees total reliability. Multiflex offers solutions to any of your requirements, whether its control cables for your outboard, sterndrive or inboard engine or a steering cable for a threaded, quick connect or light helm. All sizes are available and more importantly, an advanced cable competitively priced!

For more information and pricing please go to www.marathonleisure.co.uk

More information at: www.marathonleisure.co.uk