Tony Lee Elliot's last race was around Scotland three years ago. Navigating behind his younger son Andrew in the 150hp Mercruiser powered Force-5 'Offshore, "'Surface Tension," he swore, as he crawled up the Rhu Pontoons on his hands and knees after the last bash around the Mull, `that surely bigger must be more comfortable?'
Personally speaking, I have great affection for the smaller boat. One of the greatest and most enjoyable adventures I have ever had was aboard a 3.45m Avon RIB. But then, Tony has a point, size does have a large bearing on comfort even though the laws of relativity frequently come into play. (The bigger the boat the harder its driven, with the result being, the ride can become equivalent to that of a smaller boat in a lesser sea.)

Don't get me wrong though, given the choice between 3.45m and 9.50m, I'd plump for the big boat every time. Well who woudn't? To be honest, I had been itching to get my hands on the wheel of an Enforcer for some time, since first seeing it in the flesh two years ago, it's always struck me as being different from the crowd, a boat who's appearance simply exudes muscle and sea going strength.

Mike Nixon, the owner of the particular craft on test, uses her as a tender of all things, to his large yacht `Cobalt', which he keeps on the River Hamble. Most people would make do with an Avon Redcrest, but not Mike! Rigged with twin 150hp Yamaha outboards, this wee 2.75 ton `runabout,' carries him sedately around the Solent at a positively frustrating 50mph. It's what's described as a personal watercraft and eats jetskis for breakfast. 1 ask you, why not use paddles on his tender like everyone else?

Of course, a RIB of such substance could take a great deal more than a power installation of this size. The Enforcer is rated up to 600hp and has become widely known in the waters off Gibraltar as being a formidable tool in the hands of the drugs busting antics of the Royal Gibraltar Police. They `fly' these boats at speeds in excess of 80mph and subsequently apprehend the enemy with a quite a considerable degree of success. These RIBS are serious commercial craft and serious users love them.

Handling a RIB of this size means you've got to have your wits about you and not take the fact you have rubber sponsons to protect you for granted. In a tight space she's a big ship, as I had the pleasure of witnessing myself when Tony grappled with gears and throttles amidst the confines of Salterns Marina. The wind did it's best to push and shove, but in spite of his great age ( we're talking here of the man who reputedly invented the beloved RIB,) old Tony did well, flying the wheel and juggling the controls with the dexterity of a 21 year old.

Stepping aboard, one is obviously impressed by its sheer size. I've helmed diesel powered RIBS of the same length across the English Channel, but everything upon this craft seemed to dwarf one. Perhaps because many craft of this size would possess a wheelhouse or cabin. Flatacraft will accommodate such a need, custom building the owners requirements doesn't present a problem. Indeed, U.K. RIB builders in general are known for their ability to purpose build craft to customers requirements, perhaps its indicative of the fact that most British builders are of cottage industry size in comparison to their larger boat manufacturing counterparts, say in the U.S. or on the Continent.

This boat possessed several key aspects which are worthy of mentioning. Nearly all models within the Flatacraft rang leave the show room complete with heavy duty webbing bow strops fitted as standard. Those fitted to the Enforcer are capable of withstanding a two ton payload. With this boat weighing in at well over that, the strain on the bow if she happened to stuff into the foot of a wave would be considerable and could cause serious damage even to the best secured set of tubes. Bearing in mind the rigours these boats normally have to go through within the commercial environment it's a wise precaution and saves Tony the worry and hassle of boats returning to the yard for repair.

Other good design features include, the GRP water and crush proof battery boxes which in turn are separated by the 2x12 litre two stroke oil reservoirs and battery isolator switches. All of which importantly, are situated above flood level. Seating on any RIB is crucial. Here on the Enforcer, they're convinced that they have got it right - it's 3 aside bench styled seating with a difference. The difference being mainly the fact these seats amount to a massive 12 inch thick shock absorber beneath your bum. Coupled to substantial foot rests, one can either sit with your feet up or slide down and stand on the best shock absorbers made to date - your legs!

There's plenty of stowage too on this RIB, indeed, just about everywhere you look. The main console for example, is large enough to carry out wiring installations in the complete dry. The sit astride unit for three ahead of the console takes fenders, boat hooks and covers. It also houses the fillers, breathers and filters for the two I10 gallon tanks which give this petrol driven craft a range of 370 miles. Such a cruising range goes to show this craft is somewhat underpowered at 300hp, with its engines working at maximum, as opposed to possessing a comfortable power to weight ratio.

Handling wise, I couldn't fault her. She was responsive and stable throughout all her paces. I genuinely liked the feel she gave. The combination of Flatacraft RIB technology married to the proven qualities of the Hunton designed hull means there's quite a pedigree between the soles of your feet and the surface of the water. Apparently, when on the plane, the craft lifts itself some aft higher so all in all, ones head is about eleven foot above sea level. Sadly, a couple of hours at sea in this RIB do not really do her justice. I would have preferred a weekend down to the French coast and back to really discover what she's all about, but then again, I might have been asked to chip in towards the fuel bill ouch! Just the thought of it is enough to send shivers down the little black strip of even the most well used Barclaycard.

All in all she fulfilled all my expecta­tions, but if you're asking me to make con­structive criticism, I would level it towards the matter of her styling. To my mind, it's a bit dated. Square consoles, predictable stern arch design and the burgundy colour scheme mean her appearance will probably have limited appeal. With a modular type internal layout suggesting 21st century styling as opposed to late seventies, I'm sure this craft would be the basis for expansion into a much wider market, whilst still retaining it's commendable position within the commercial sector.

BUILDER

FLATACRAFT LTD,
1183 MeltonRoad,
Syston,
Leicester, LE72J1

Tel: +44 (0)116 2608468