Ribco launches in Australia with three-model range, and a coffee machine

Rigid inflatable boat (RIB) maker Ribco has launched in Australia with a three-model line-up of day boats featuring featuring a solid fibreglass composite hull, durable Hypalon tubes, hand-laid teak decking, spacious seating area and huge rear sun lounges that blend superyacht tender versatility with outright performance.

They can even come with a coffee machine!

According to Ribco, the entry-level centre console 28ST (priced from $179,000) offers “superior speed, efficiency and performance due to the vessel’s advanced two stepped hull”.

“This feature provides lift to the 8.5-metre Ribco machine and reduces drag, allowing amazing handling, greater efficiency and a soft, dry ride in all conditions,” it says.

The 28ST is rated up to 300hp (224kW). It also offers bow and stern sunlounges. Optional extras include a pair of sun tents with double beds, a head, hot water, solar charging system, fridges and an espresso machine.

The 10.5-metre Ribco Seafarer 36 (priced from $369,000) is equipped with what the boatmaker describes as “an ultra-deep vee hull” designed by high-speed hull specialist, Lorne Campbell. It features a large helm station with electronics housed in a carbon fibre dash panel.

Ribco says the boat’s amenities are cleverly hidden under seats or in lockers – for example, the wet bar with sink and fridge is installed behind the helm seat.

“Inside the huge centre console hides the WC and shower, with a holding tank in the marine head,’ it says.

“There is even a cabin sleeping two in the rear compartment. The hand laid, full teak decking, handmade tubes and electric windlass with remote control are standard.”

Powering the Seafarer 36 is a pair of 350hp Mercury Verado outboards.

The range-topper, though is the 13.5-metre Ribco Venom 44 (priced from $689,000), which Ribco says sets itself apart from other premium RIBs by offering “true offshore capability” with Category B certification allowing voyages of up to 200 nautical miles. It is also built in 2C survey with a 12-person capacity.

“With its seven-bulkhead hull construction, the Venom 44 is able to withstand winds of force eight and waves heights greater than four metres,” Ribco says.

The Venom 44 features a completely sealed cockpit with a self-draining deck. Its tubes have no external seams, and the boat can run at full speed with the tubes completely deflated. Speaking of full speed, the Ribco Venom 44 comes standard with three 350hp Mercury Verado engines, capable of up to 62 knots.

The Venom 44 also includes two large sleeping cabins, a large centre console opening to a concealed toilet and shower, a wet bar and fridge, a coffee machine and a premium JL audio system.

Ribco Australia is a partly-owned subsidiary of Ribco Greece, and based at the Sydney Superyacht Marina in Rozelle (NSW). Models brought to Australia have every option included available to their European counterparts.

The boatmaker was established in Athens, Greece, in 1994 by Stelios Ladopoulos and Nikiforos Valerianos, from “a founding passion of performance boating and the luxury of a Mediterranean deck”. Its range of RIBs currently runs from 8.5-13.5m.