Ring Powercraft have been making high performance craft now for some 30 years and over that period of time have acquired many titles and honours that have included World Championship wins plus speed record titles both here in the UK and on the Continent. Well known for their sports and ski boats, Ring have utilized much of the technology and experience gained on the competition circuit and integrated it into the commercial arm of their product range. Until recently though, this fine pedigree could only be enjoyed by means of Ring's hard boat range, for unlike several other manufacturers, it's apparent that Ring have chosen to enter the RIB market a little later than most.
A decision to fuse their experience and knowledge to a complimentary brand name has led to a new product and Ring's joint venture with Suzuki Marine Power. The result being the launch earlier this year of the Legend range, a product which constitutes a full boat/engine package between 5.2 and 7.2 metres in length. Needless to say, the Legend is perceived by both parties as being an exciting union of sea going ability and price, but how will it be perceived by the boat buying public and those RIB users who are contemplating changing or upgrading their existing craft?

Well, my first impression is how unlike a RIB she feels beneath one. Of course, the driving position and jockey seat format are familiar enough, but even in close quarters within the marina, the Legend's level of responsiveness is more to akin to a boat possessing a pair of wheels rather than a hull. Not surprisingly, she's more than keen to show a clean pair of heels when up on the plane too, in fact the transition between displacement and fully underway is almost imperceptible with no climbing and very little bow up attitude involved at all. The scallop chined design of the Ring hull provides tremendous lift, enabling the boat to run on the plane as if she were set on a pair of tram rails. Good directional stability, a high degree of forward lift coupled to correct balance overall, meant amongst other things, she was incredibly dry even in the fresh conditions on the day of our trial.

The test boat was coupled to a Suzuki 100hp outboard engine, this in my opinion, was an unneces­sary amount of horsepower for this particular RIB, due mainly to the weight of the boat and the overall efficiency of the Legend hull. Though performance is a desired attribute, I would not suggest that anyone other than an experienced helmsman even contemplate much over 85hp on this particular model. As I said, she's not your typical RIB and therefore doesn't need a typical amount of horsepower. This may be bad news for Suzuki, but it's good news for the buyer as it means he saves on capital outlay as well as on future fuelling costs.

From a safety point of view, bearing in mind that this boat and engine package are to be market­ed largely to the RIB newcomer, agents responsible for their sale need to exercise caution when giving advice to the client on a suitable power pack. If the rig as trialed were to be sold to someone with little experience, the combination of man and machine could result in an unfortunate incident. It would be like putting a provisional car license holder behind the wheel of an MR2.

In terms of construction, Ring know what they are about and in general the overall build reflects their understanding of the differing needs between that of the hard sports boat enthusiast and those of the RIB user. RIBS quite rightly are seen as capable rough water craft, therefore, details such as foot-straps, handholds, correct throttle to wheel positioning etc. all need to be just so. In some of these respects, the Legend prototype gave evidence that whilst the general thinking was good, there still remained some margin for fine tuning. I liked, for instance, the design of the helm console and the inclusion of a sturdy s/s A-frame very much, but felt that the double jockey seat lacked in providing the helmsman sufficient security as it was up to the pillion to form the backrest. The colour scheme is a bit questionable and I feel for the particular market Ring and Suzuki aiming for, a moulded floor/deck would be viewed as being very much more appropriate.

In any type of perform­ance craft, staying with boat is the last thing you want to be concentrating on your efforts need to be centred wholly on the driving. Therefore, if this was my boat, I would want a couple of heavily swabbed wrap around bucket seats, though I'm sure that wouldn't necessarily be viewed by Ring and Suzuki as being in the spirit of things when it comes to the desired image of the new Legend.

The Legend I feel is somewhat on the expensive side when compared to similar rigs pro­duced by other manufacturers. As an entry-level RIB, it should have an entry level price tag. A braked trailer too, rather than the type being currently offered, should be standard fare when it comes to the transporta­tion of a boat of this size.

Not what I would term as an offshore cruiser, but certainly an exciting general watersports craft that genuinely feels as if she was born on the race track. Indeed, a RIB which certainly has potential, but if you were to ask me what my concluding thought was of this boat, I'd say the Legend is a good entry level RIB with a 65-75hp, but needs to be a little more convincing for her current price tag.

HMS

Builder

Ring Powercraft
Harwood Road Industrial Estate,
Littlehampton,
West Sussex BN17 7AU

Tel: +44 (0) 1903 731317
Fax: +44 (0) 1903 217662