2022 Capelli Tempest 44 review

The Capelli Tempest 44 sits at the luxury end of the RIB market. Italian designed and built, it is one of a range of more than 40 fibreglass-hulled, rubber-ringed models that Capelli produces.

Overview

Cantieri Capelli is a little-known brand in Australia, although overseas it is one of a new breed of European brands producing dayboats with a clever blend of high-end luxury and mind-blowing performance.

RIBs have advantages over traditionally made monohull boats. Their wide beam makes them extremely stable and safe, they offer a much drier ride, and for anyone looking to store a boat off-water, they're incredibly light to lift out of the water and slot into a dry stack.

Sydney-based Short Marine is bringing Capelli into Australia and has already found a willing market among buyers who are stepping down from large, slow motor cruisers into something that rewards their time more efficiently.

Price and equipment

Short Marine ensures each Capelli boat is set up for Australia, fitting the outboard engines and electronics as well as other options that owners request but can't be selected from Capelli's extensive options list.

A base Capelli Tempest 44 is priced from around $550,000 with a white hull and tubes, and three 300hp outboard engines. Our test boat includes an upgrade to triple Yamaha 425 XTO Offshore outboard engines equipped with Yamaha Helm Master EX joystick control, increasing the price to just more than $650,000.

Topside, the design is simple. A large sun pad is located at the stern, and blends into the entertaining space, a sunken lounge with a wet bar located directly behind the helm position.

Two seats accommodate the helm and passenger behind a large console, which is pushed well forward and forms the coach house for the cabin. Ahead is a bow sun pad, with angled backrests riding up on the front of the console.

The list of options available is deep. Our test boat came with air conditioning inside the cabin, a $14,032 addition and likely a necessity given the lack of natural airflow below decks. A generator to run it costs $29,194.

Our Capelli Tempest 44 also has a 25-litre hot water heater system that adds $2661 to the price tag, expensive hot water by any measure.

Luxury touches include teak floors ($16,290) and a teak table in the sunken lounge area ($8710).

Covering the helm is a large upgraded hardtop ($33,387). Its shade doesn't quite cover the entire entertainment space, so adding the $10,000 carbon poles and a sun cover to shade it would be a smart move in the harsh Australian sunshine.

Other items are must-haves and include storage covers, a single-burner stovetop, and for the wet bar, an ice maker. After all, this is the ultimate cocktail-sipping platform.

Hull and engineering

Capelli has 40 years' experience building boats. The Tempest 44 includes a fibreglass hull designed by Italian design studio Roberto Curto, who has worked on everything from smart-looking runabouts to high-end superyachts.

The hull is ringed in commercial-grade tubes made using heavy-duty 1670dtex ORCA Hypalon, which is much better in terms of puncture, UV, abrasion and scratch resistance, not to mention rigidity, than the more commonly used 100dtex material.

Capelli doesn't go into details about how its RIBs are built, but the tubes normally have up to five separate cells inside them so that only a small section deflates if it is punctured. RIBs can usually still float — and run — even if all tubes are deflated.

Design and layout

Step aboard the Capelli Tempest 44 and the interior is all about space and flow — imperative in a boat that can carry up to 18 people. Realistically, though, the comfortable headcount would be half that.

Capelli's design team has done a superb job of creating four distinctly separate areas on what is a very flat boat, but in a way that they all flow together. There is a rear sun pad, an entertaining zone, a relaxing area in the cabin, and a forward sun pad stretched across more than 13 metres from bow to stern.

The console is forward of the hull's centreline leaving an enormous space behind it that is taken up with a sun pad and a sunken entertaining space.

The sun pad is impressive, with space for two people to lie across it. Its soft-touch quilted upholstery could have you happily glued here for hours.

Beneath the sun pad, which lifts hydraulically, there is a large storage space for water toys and the like.

The U-shaped sunken entertaining area forward of the sun pad is ideal for spending time while at rest. In the centre of the space is a teak table on a hydraulic leg that can drop down. An infill cushion converts it to another large lounging space.

A clear companionway provides access into and out of the seating area. Forward of it and backing onto the helm seats is a wet bar with stovetop, fridge, sink and an optional icemaker that will keep the drinks flowing.

The slightly raised two-seat helm station integrates with the low-slung cabin coach house. There's not much room to squeeze past the helm through this space, so the only course is to go out the port side past the sliding cabin door, down two stairs, past the wet bar and across to the starboard side, and back up two stairs. Swapping drivers all the time can get your daily step and stair count up.

Overhead of the helm is a large hardtop big enough to be useful in light conditions. Two large helm seats with bolsters provide ample luxury and comfort.

The helm position is busy with many angles and personally, the grey dash, which is not to my liking, gets quite hot. There is, however, plenty of space for a large multifunction display with engine gauges and switches located to the right.

The throttle and steering wheel are exactly where you need them whether seated or standing. Visibility all around is excellent.

Down below are two berths and a separate head with a shower. A berth that doubles as a U-shaped dinette with a drop-down table is located forward running north/south, and the other is under the helm position running east/west, a traditional design that maximises what would otherwise be dead space.

The cabin is a symphony of complementary tones; a dark brown woodgrain finish is set off against the white benchtops, while stainless steel fittings gleam at you from every angle. It is luxurious and very inviting.

Down here, you also have a small galley which I suspect would be used to store daily provisions. Anything worth doing should be done in the open air topside.

The enclosed toilet with a separate shower is equally impressive with lovely tones used throughout. Storage is superb and the black sink does go a long way in making you feel like you are in a luxury hotel.

It is great to see a separate toilet and full-height shower in this space, which belies the external cabin roofline.

The largest sun pad sits proudly at the bow. The design of the console accommodates part of the sun pad offering the perfect angle for relaxed life aboard, although there does not appear to be any cupholders.

In the centre of the sunbed is a round infill that, when removed, lets light into the cabin. The owner has added extra straps to keep the bow cushions in place, wise considering the pace this boat is capable of reaching.

On the water

The Capelli Tempest 44's hull feels sure and solid on the water. It has plenty of strakes running parallel with a large turned-down chine immediately under the large tubes. The tubes make the boat feel incredibly stable in the water, and also deflect spray, making this one of the driest running boats you could jump aboard.

The Capelli Tempest 44 is a large boat and handles well considering its bulk. It is quick to plane and tackles waves from all directions with a firm hand. There is no banging from the Tempest 44's hull as it lands with a barely perceptible bump.

RIBs also tend to feel like they're vibrating, particularly running quarter onto the slop and waves, as the tubes bounce on the water.

The long and sleek rigid hulls used in RIBs tend to have a high deadrise that gives a ride very different to a conventional fibreglass hull, and the Capelli is no exception. The deadrise helps the bow to cut through the water, but means the boat tips more into corners and tend to lean over more than other boats. However, the outer tubes ensure it never tips too far.

We achieved a healthy top-end speed of 47.0 knots, although I suspect on a calm day we would have topped 50.

As it was, we were using 404.4 litres an hour at that speed. Knocking it back to a more sedate speed, but still on the plane, we achieved a very comfortable cruising speed of 25.0 knots using 140.4 litres per hour to give a range of about 160nm.

Verdict

The Capelli Tempest 44 is clearly a luxurious build with excellent fittings and finishes throughout. It has a decidedly Italian feel that lends itself well to our waterways.

The hull provides excellent performance too in an almost dedicated dayboat build. I suspect that many owners will like the convenience of staying aboard yet will mostly use the Tempest 44 to entertain.

The high point for me is the well-designed cockpit that stretches from bow to stern. The spaciousness of the deck is a testament to the designers who understand the needs of owners.

In my mind, it would be impossible not to enjoy the water while aboard the Capelli Tempest 44.

Specifications
Model: Capelli Tempest 44
Length: 13.1m
Beam: 4.0m (including tubes)
Deadrise: Not available
Weight: 6700kg (hull only)
Engines: 900hp (min)/1275hp (max) 
Engines as tested: 3x425hp Yamaha four-stroke 
Fuel: 1000L
Accommodation: 2+2
Passengers: 18

Priced from: Just under $550,000 with triple Yamaha 300hp outboard engines

Price as tested: About $900,000 including triple 425 Yamaha outboard engines; hydraulic steering; Yamaha Helm Master EX joystick control; bow thruster ($9113); air conditioning ($14,032); hot water heater ($2661); generator ($24,194); bow teak ($16,290); upgraded hardtop ($33,387); teak table ($8710); ice maker ($2195)

Supplied by: Short Marine