It is an extraordinary beast. Forget what you know about driving conventional RIBS, because the Hysucat is a different concept altogether. True, this boat utilizes some familiar aspects of Rigid Inflatable Boat technology to its advantage, but thereafter, it's on another plane - literally! Besides the catamaran hull configuration, the all important factor rests with the boat's unique hydrofoil system. This consist of a 'boomerang' or chevron shaped main forward foil critically mounted within the tunnel between the two hulls. Fashioned in stainless steel, the 'hydro-wing' is designed to work in conjunction with boat's rear trim tabs which are substantially thinner than the main foil and are faired into each side of the tunnel just ahead of the transom. These fixed tabs ensure the boat runs absolutely flat and provide the main foil with the correct angle of attack, no matter what the prevailing wave formation may be.

The advantages of a vessel riding on a foil system are many. Reduced overall drag to the flat surfaces of the hull means greater performance and efficiency. A very much softer ride is attained at speed due to the fact that the boat is, in effect, literally lifted clear of the waterline by means of the foil, thus giving the feeling of being it a craft of very much greater overall length. The boat seemingly 'reaches' better from crest to crest as its foil system prevents it from having to follow the entire contour of each wave. There also is no question of the boat having to climb up over its own bow wave either, as the craft is lifted manually 'over the hump' from stem to stern as soon as the power is put on.

Another interesting feature of the Hysucat is the fact that the faster the boat is propelled, the greater the quantity of air it traps within the tunnel between its two hulls. This provides additional lift, and coupled to an air fed vent to the back of the boat's wave breaker bow section, the boat becomes almost 'unstuffable'. With this type of design, the more a wave tries to bury itself beneath the bow, the more resistant any trapped cushion c air becomes resulting in the forward section of the boat once again being lifted up. This we found first hand upon being taken through the tide rip off Hurst Castle in the Solent. Following a failed attempt on my part to drive the boat at speed through this shoaling patch of water, we were treated to one of the Hysucat experts showing us how it should be done. It was nothing short of exhilarating to power towards any sea we cared to encounter at full bore, (in excess of 44 knots) and discover to our amazement that she refused to slam, fly, or bury her nose. Instead, the boat 'danced' from wave crest to wave crest, with a totally stable, level running attitude.

She also proved dry, which, given the conditions, was testimony to the attributes of her 'under-carriage' and the manner in which she performs.

Being a twin hulled craft, she obviously doesn't heel in a turn as would a mono hull. Therefore, in then case of a twin engine configuration, the outboards are angled outwards in order to maximize propulsion in a manner that capitalizes on the water being funnelled between the hulls as well as the slipstream created by the foils. Understandably, she doesn't respond to `normal' helming techniques, as I discovered to my peril! The first time I took the wheel of the twin Tohatsu engine racing version, I boldly set about taking her through the tide rip at a goodly gallop. Before I knew what had happened, I'd sent the thing skyward only to land in a heap on the far side of the offending wave, lifeless and shaken! I just hadn't appreciated the delicate matter of which buttons I should have been pressing at which time. As mentioned I was soon shown how to bridle the beast and discovered, amongst other things, the method by which one should trim the Hysucat. This factor is crucial in getting the boat to run to its optimum. Too much engine trim up causes the boat to stall on its foil, too little trim up causes the boat to steer by the nose. It sounds complicated, but in reality about an hour of experimenting with the controls would see you well on the way to getting a good feel of how to drive this boat.

Additional benefits associated with this RIB include her reduced need of large quantities of horsepower. She also has a truly impressive load carrying ability. To test this, we loaded her to the gunwhales with 15 people and even with this weight she didn't have to struggle over the hump and proceeded to quickly attain a full 28 knots! True, the conditions were ideal, but it still takes some beating, wouldn't you agree?

The vessel's twin hulled configuration also allows for a great deal more space than would otherwise be found on a conventional RIB, plus with the Hysucat's current seating arrangement for 6 persons she's going to prove just the thing I sure for a wide range of leisure activities, including diving.

She's certainly very professionally finished. All her mouldings and fittings, whether they be consoles, seat units, lockers, the non-slip deck shell, or even the upholstery and steelwork, are all done to the standard you would expect from a top yard. I have to say though, the hypalon tubes fitted to the first prototype imported into this country for trialing purposes in 1997 were a bit shoddy, but the sponsons fitted to these current craft are well made and attractively finished for the leisure market. Let's face it, overall finish is extremely important if you're buying something for your family's enjoyment. Just one additional point to mention here, the removable seating consoles are adjustable as they can slide backwards or forwards on a set of runners inset to the surface of the deck. A useful addition to the list of the Hysucat's many unusual features

Being different to the 'norm' the South African designed Hysucat might take a little longer to catch on than its more traditional counterpart but if you're looking for a 6.5m leisure boat possessing the advantages of comfort and safety, then you won't go far wrong by checking this RIB out yourself and taking her for a test flight.'As far as I can see, the advantages associated with the Hysucat are unrivalled in the 6 metre category and remain unique to her extraordinary design.

HMS


Performance Results

Twin Tohatsu 70hp 2 stroke - OBM's s/s props = 44 knots
Twin Mercury 50hp 4 stroke - OBM's alloy props = 30 knots
Single Honda 50hp4 stroke - OBM alloy prop = 30 knots

Top speeds recorded on the day of test with 2 people up, 20 gallons of fuel and standard cruising gear aboard:

• Key Standard Equipment
• 1 Double s/s A frame Windscreen with s/s surround and s/s pulpit rails.
• Anchor locker
• Hydraulic steering
• Adjustable seat/helm console configuration
• Transom self draining storm well
• 20 gallon fuel tank to helm console (additional 15 gallon tank within drivers seat)
• Self-bailing non-slip deck
• Upholstered bench seating for six persons
• Under-deck routing system for cables

NB: All Hysucats sold to clients in the UK are accompanied by an optional free familiarization course. Ask your dealer for further details.

European Distributor

Crayford Marine,
Lyon Way,
St. Albans
Herts AL5 0LQ

Tel: 01727 851222
Fax: 01727 859222

Builder

Hysucat Marine (PTY) Ltd,
PO Box 2505,
Durbanville 7551,
Cape Town,
South Africa.

Tel: 0027 215 512761
Fax: 0027 215 51276