MAR.CO R-Evolution 26 – Mercury Racing 450R
Stingher 28 GT – 5.7L V10 Verado 350hp
MAR.CO R-Evolution 26 – Mercury Racing 450R
Stingher 28 GT – 5.7L V10 Verado 350hp
Focchi 480 – Mercury EFI 60hp Four stroke
With great advantages of its clean lines and simple deck design, Focchi 480 is characterized by a perfectly functional and ergonomic layout, making it a very good choice for both short trips and fishing getaways. Its stable riding and great freedom of movement on deck, which offers very good storage spaces, combined with the excellent quality-price ratio and of course the low consumptions, constitute a very attractive set that really deserves our attention.
With an overall length of 4.80 meters and a width of 2.20 meters, Focchi 480 runs on a seaworthy hull made entirely of Kevlar, offering greater strength and rigidity while reducing weight by up to 20%.
We especially liked the bow area and found it completely generous and enjoyable for the size of the boat. The sundeck, with a length of 1.12m and a width of 1.18m, is slightly lower than the air chambers thus increasing the useful space which reaches a maximum width of 1.85m, while with the corresponding addition it turns into a comfortable berth for sunbathing and relaxation. Under the cushion bow there are two individual storage spaces, the forward one for hosting the anchor and the aft one, which is also the largest, for storing our luggage.
The console, although much larger than the one recommended by the yard, cannot be said to have deprived us of freedom of movement, but instead offered us greater protection from wind and spray while providing significantly larger storage spaces which are extremely valuable, especially in small size inflatable boats.
It is positioned on the starboard side, leaving a comfortable 26cm passageway to its left, while its front section, although it has a large integrated seat, is located 39cm from the bow sundeck, ensuring great freedom of movement. Inside, there is a large single storage area, with access from both the front seat and the hatch on the rear side, ideal for the boat's batteries and also for the heavy objects we carry so as to achieve the proper weight distribution which plays a catalytic role in performance, especially of vulnerable small boats.
With the addition of a cushion, the aft sundeck is converted into a very comfortable double helm seat that has an ideal distance from the pilot station, ensuring both comfortable driving and easy inspection of the instruments.
The portable backrest of the sundeck allows us to use it as a support when we want to drive in a semi-upright position, while if we shift it completely forward, a large 70cm long sunbed is created, which is on the same level with the air chambers and thus secures us a useful width greater than 1.85 meters.
At sea
Our test inflatable boat was equipped with Mercury's EFI 60hp four-stroke engine, which weighs 112kg and features an integrated monitoring system that provides detailed data on its condition and performance. With a maximum rpm range of 5,500 – 6,000 and a gear ratio of 1.83:1, its lower unit was turning a 13-inch-pitch Black Max aluminum propeller.
With a full 39 liter tank, 2 people crew, all the boat's equipment and very good weather conditions, we went out into the waters of Thessaloniki for a short assessment.
Focchi 480 was standing on plane at 3700 rpm with 15 knots, accelerating to 20 knots in 9 seconds and reaching 27 knots in 16 seconds.
The stability of the boat was very good, as was its behavior in sharp turns, but cannot be said the same for its acceleration which can certainly be improved a lot more. Observing more closely its riding, I found that its bow stubbornly insisted on reading the sea without even responding to even the highest possible engine trim out. Looking to justify its behavior, I found out that it was due to two main factors. First of all to the suffocating full bow locker, which among other things housed an extra 100Ah battery for the owner's fishing needs, as well as a spare 30 liter fuel tank. Secondly, to the fact that the propeller was running close to the surface of the water and so it is keeping the hull submerged with an obvious inability to control the bow.
The following measurements are also due to these reasons, which gave us numbers that I expected to be much better.
Focchi began cruising at 4000 rpm with 18 knots, while at 4500 rpm she was running with 21 knots. Slip values are clearly high, with 23% at 4000 rpm and 20% at 4500 rpm, which also verifies our observations.
At 5000 rpm we were traveling at 23 knots, at 5500 rpm with 25 knots while at full throttle the engine reached 6000 rpm and the Rib at 27 knots of top speed. For the same reasons mentioned, slips persisted at high levels and thus the 27 knots of top speed corresponded to 23% total losses.
It is worth mentioning the noticeably improved performance of the boat at low rpm, due to the installation of the vertical trim tabs of Hydrotab. After many tests, we found out that at 3500 rpm the boat was maintaining a speed of 9 knots with her bow standing high, unable to go into the planning mode. At that very moment, lowering the trim tabs, the boat slowly began to lower her bow and increase her speed to 14 knots without the slightest touch of the throttle.
The hydrotabs showed us once again how they work brilliantly and offered us, among other things, faster planning and the ability to stay on plane at low rpm, a fact that we will especially appreciate when we find ourselves in bad weather conditions.
There is no doubt that if we try to install the engine a hole lower, while moving the loads from the forward bow locker to the console storage, we will allow the bow to
"breathe" resulting in an increase in top speed beyond 30 knots, a clear improvement in performance with a parallel reduction in consumption, as well as a vertical improvement in the boat's behavior.
