Capelli Tempest 1000WA 2024 Review

Cantieri Capelli isn’t what you’d call a household name in Australia, although in Europe it’s a name synonymous with high-end rigid inflatable boats.

RIBs are big business in Europe where owners look for fast, safe and stable dayboats that can get away from the crowds, and then enjoy the day ahead surrounded by luxury appointments.

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 motor yachts into something that rewards their time more efficiently.

The flagship of Capelli’s “Top Line” of more highly appointed RIBs is the Capelli Tempest 1000WA, a centre console cabin boat with walkaround decks that make it easy to move from the bow to the stern.

It’s a model that has improved with time. The Capelli Tempest 1000WA received a major makeover in 2021 that included sweeping changes to the coachhouse to increase the amount of interior volume, particularly headroom.

Short Marine in Sydney, which has supplied our test boat, has the Capelli Tempest 1000WA priced from $445,000. The base boat can be modified via a long list of options ranging from a mix of tube, hull, rubstrake and seating trim colours, a Targa arch, the T-top with or without a sunshade, Flexiteek flooring throughout the boat, the cockpit table, to a ski pole. 

The options fitted to our test boat are few, amounting to a 12.0-inch Garmin multifunction display at the helm, a 600-watt transducer, 220-volt shore power, Flexiteek flooring throughout the boat, a hardtop and a bimini with carbonfibre poles. This pushes the price as tested up to $495,000.

The default engine package is two 300hp Yamaha F300 4.6-litre V6 Offshore outboard engines with hydraulic steering. Our boat is also equipped with Yamaha’s Helm Master EX system, and an upgrade to the F300 DES outboard engines with fly-by-wire electric steering.

A bathroom is also standard, featuring a marine toilet with a holding tank.

Other standard features include a freshwater hand shower at the transom, forward and aft seat cushions, LED navigation and cockpit lights, a stainless steel pulpit, extending stern ladder, Flexiteek flooring around the helm, and a single-piece windscreen.

RIB specialist Cantieri Capelli has 40 years of experience with building boats behind the name. The Tempest 1000WA includes a fibreglass hull and interior designed in-house by Cantieri Capelli’s technical department.

The hull is ringed in commercial-grade tubes up to 65cm in diameter 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 the tubes are deflated.

Because the bilge is out of sight, the boat is equipped with an automatic bilge pump.

Short Marine brings each Capelli boat into Australia pre-rigged with the outboard engines and most electronics. It will fit any other options that owners request that can't be selected from Capelli's extensive options list.

Topside, the design is simple. A large lounge that converts into a sunbed is located at the stern, with a wet bar located directly behind the helm position.

Two seats accommodate the helm and passenger behind a large amidship console that forms the coach house for the cabin. Ahead is a bow sun pad that forms the roof over the cabin below.

As a walkaround model, the Capelli Tempest 1000WA’s layout provides access forward along either side of the console. There is enough space for one person to comfortably move forward or aft on either side of the boat, although the higher deck and low rail largely limit forward access to while the boat is stationary rather than on the move.

The slightly raised two-seat helm station integrates with the raised part of the Capelli Tempest 1000WA’s cabin. 

The centre console design is fairly compact given that the space on either side is dedicated to companionways. 

Overhead is a large hardtop supported by a stainless steel frame. A large two-seat helm bench with bolsters, plenty of under-seat storage, and stainless steel side rails provide ample luxury and comfort, while a footrest integrated into the console adds comfort while seated.

The starboard helm position is simple with a grey dash below for the twin-lever digital shift and throttle control on one side, and the autopilot controls and joystick for the Yamaha Helm Master EX system used for precise low-speed manoeuvres. 

Above this is a large, flat glossy black fascia built to house two multifunction touchscreens side by side. On our test boat, it houses a single 16.0-inch Garmin EchoMAP multifunction screen, a head unit for the four-speaker Clarion audio system, a Yamaha CL5 Command Link digital engine gauge, Garmin VHF radio and a bank of analogue rocker switches for the Capelli’s electrics and anchor winch.

The throttle, and rubber-coated steering wheel that adjusts for height, are exactly where you need them whether seated or standing. Visibility all around is excellent.

Small-item storage is limited to a pocket built into the underside of the dash, and a recessed section on top of the forward part of the console.

The only criticism we can level at the helm is that the standing room is very tight, which positions you right up against the wheel. Sitting while making passage is more comfortable.

To port, the co-pilot’s seat faces the large, lockable tinted sliding door that provides access to the space below.  There’s a stainless steel handhold on one side, and another decent handhold outboard that integrates with the windscreen, important given the performance potential of this RIB.

One of the big revisions with this version of the Capelli Tempest 1000WA was to add more headroom to the below-console space. It has worked.

Take the three steps down and you’ll notice that headroom is still a little bit tight for taller people, but you’re crouching slightly rather than crunched over.

Cabins tend to be dark, sombre experiences, but in the Capelli, the void under the console is light-filled and inviting. Long, thin windows on each side of the coachroof – the port side with an opening porthole – and a large sunroof above, along with lots of light material and finishes and a mirror mounted on the forepeak bulkhead all combine to give the space an open feel.

The forward section is dedicated to a lounge space built into the bow that is sort of halfway between a daybed and a social space. An infill drops in to convert it into a sleeping space for a couple.

Amidships and to port is the Capelli’s electrical switchboard above a small bench with a 12-volt recharging port and plenty of under-bench storage, while to starboard is a fully enclosed bathroom including a head and washstand with a mixer tap and glass sink – a nice premium touch. The head has an opening porthole and again, lots of natural light from the coachhouse window and a skylight. Again, creating more space in the bathroom was a priority for the current-generation Tempest 1000WA.

I like that the Capelli uses an old-school analogue voltmeter to display battery status. In contrast to digital readouts, these gauges don’t compromise battery life. They should be more common.

You step aboard the Capelli Tempest 1000WA via the portside, Flexiteek-covered duckboard that extends past the engine pod housing the twin 300hp Yamaha outboard engines fitted to our test boat. An extending stainless steel swim ladder is integrated into it.

You step into the RIB via a small opening in the transom. The difficulty is that if the twin-folding teak table is set up, there is nowhere for you to step other than on the cushion of the large U-shaped seat that dominates the space. Ideally, you’d want a removable section of the seat base that won’t be punished by the high traffic use.

Large storage voids are built in under the seats. A clever thought is that the drink holders at either end of the lounge feature slots that are a great place to stow a smartphone or tablet.

The lounge is designed to maximise the interior beam of the Capelli Tempest 1000WA. A RIB’s design tends to result in a long and narrow deck area, but Capelli has pushed the outboard seatbacks to wrap around the tube and maximise space. The central table can drop down and, with the help of an infill cushion, turn the space into a large sunbed.

Access to the starboard duckboard is restricted again by the seat cushion but with the added hurdle of a seat backrest that extends right across the access space. 

Forward of the lounge and backing onto the console helm seats is a compact galley station. It has a sink with a faucet, as well as an Isotherm fridge below. A removable insert creates more bench, or sink space as needed.

Moving forward, the bow features a long two-person daybed built into the top of the console. An integrated backrest allows you to sit upright, but slide down and there is more than enough length to lay flat and soak in the sun.

The Capelli Tempest 1000WA carries a lot of beam a long way forward, creating a walkaround space that pinches near the front of the sunbed but still has a decent amount of space to house a large hatch providing access to the electric winch and chain locker.

The anchor is integrated into the bow giving the forepeak a nice, clean look. In a nod to its European origins, the Capelli features a split bow rail and a forward step commonly used to load or unload passengers from shore.

Ever wondered why you need a RIB in your life? This could explain why.

RIBs don’t have to worry about stability at rest. When they stop the tubes sit in the water creating one of the most stable platforms around. However, the rigid hull is long and narrow, meaning Capelli’s designers can do a lot to hone it for performance.

That manifests as a very deep vee hull forward, made for cutting through the water to provide a soft ride. The shape of the bow also helps to maximise the waterline.

Hard chines carried all the way forward help to deflect spray, aided by the wide collar of tube above, while lifting strakes and a flatter running surface aft help lift the Capelli Tempest 1000WA up onto the plane, with the tubes clearing the water.

Despite its size, the Capelli is a light boat, and that helps with nimble performance. At low speeds, they can be a bit big and grumbly to wrestle into a tight spot, but the Yamaha Helm Master EX system is so good at shrinking the boat down around the skipper that it’s no longer an issue.

Where it shines, though, is underway. The 600hp of Yamaha’s finest V6 Offshore outboard engines that propel this boat are an accomplished combination. 

We were not able to get performance figures on this test due to one of the team succumbing to seasickness and forcing an early end to our day, but the time we did get at the helm gave us a taste of its capabilities.

Deep-vee boats tend to take a bit of effort to climb onto the plane, but with the tubes supporting most of the hull, it’s a fairly effortless exercise for the Capelli. Roll on the throttle and it quickly rises onto the plane. The only time you notice the deep vee is when you pitch it into a turn, with the hull responding to the helm with a lightning-sharp reaction time, and the hull leaning in sharply to ride on the inside tube.

Cutting through the big swell rolling in through Manly, the Capelli was comfortably able to cruise at around 25 knots. The windscreen is tall enough to provide a letterbox of breeze to flow in between it and the hardtop, and create a comfortable zone behind the console that’s free from buffetting.

This envelope of clear air extends to the lounge behind, where all but the outboard seats are well protected from too much airflow.

If anything, the hardtop is an underutilised space. It could easily have net meshing to stow lifejackets, or even space to stow a couple of fishing rods.

While it’s the hero of Capelli’s Top Line of RIBs, the Capelli Tempest 1000WA isn’t the most luxurious in Cantieri's RIB range – that honour belongs to the Luxury Line, which we have had the chance to previously sample.

But as an everyday boat, the 1000WA is a cracking example of a fast, user-friendly platform that can turn an afternoon day trip to a remote anchorage into an overnighter at a pinch.

It’s a great platform for a couple, then. But come New Year’s Eve, up to 18 people can come aboard and watch the fireworks from the water, creating the perfect social platform.

The hull’s relatively light weight and compact size means you can easily arrange to have the boat dry-stacked, cutting down on maintenance and upkeep.

The Capelli Tempest 1000WA is a good use of the RIB platform and will suit many owners in a mix of uses.

Priced from: $445,000 including stern sunbed infill and bow cushions; Flexiteek flooring on stringers; Flexiteek cockpit table; fridge; toilet with holding tank; handheld shower; telescopic stern ladder; bow roller; LED navigation and courtesy lights; VHF radio; windscreen; inflation pump; automatic bilge pump; 2x300hp Yamaha F300 V6 Offshore outboard engines with hydraulic steering

Price as tested: $495,000 including 12.0-inch Garmin multifunction display; 600-watt transducer; 220-volt shore power; Flexiteek flooring; hardtop; bimini with carbonfibre poles, 2x300hp Yamaha F300 DES V6 Offshore outboard engines; Yamaha Helm Master EX

Supplied by: Short Marine