Genesis 31 – Twin 300hp 2.6L V6 Verados
Seafighter Τ30 – Twin 3.4L V6 225hp Mercury
FUNKY 500 – 140hp Suzuki
Its profile may seem strange to many people, which is mainly due to its wave piercing bow, but it is really worth taking a closer look at the geometry of its hull which is designed by Paris G. Design shipyard which once again makes its presence felt and surprises us with its innovative proposals.
New Funky 500 is a special inflatable boat, capable of handling bad weather conditions that exceed the conventional capabilities of a five-meter boat.
It has a clear waterline length of 5 meters, due to the vertical bow that maximizes the wet surfaces and increases the real useful length of its hull, which in simple words means that the entire length of the hull participates in the navigation.
This is the key to the success of Funky 500, the hull length of which we find in larger boats.
It is worth noting that the hull geometry of Funky 500 is such that it focuses more on ride quality and the ability to drive comfortably through a 1m chop at cruising speeds and less on achieving high final speeds.
The knifelike vertical bow allows the boat to gently cut the wave while the high levels of buoyancy provided by the aft part of the hull do not allow the bow to rise high resulting in a stable and level ride even in high wave conditions.
The hull of Funky 500, in addition to its wave piercing bow, is characterized by the presence of a ventilated step that starts from the height of the console and two spray rails per dihedron, ending in a 40 cm wide pad at the stern that plays a very important role in direct planning but also in reducing fuel consumption.
Innovative hull extensions to the right and left of the engine, in addition to increasing the waterline, provide stability at a standstill even though the tubes do not touch the water, while offering increased stability when riding in beam seas keeping at the same time the bow at the desired height.
On deck
One of the most important advantages of Funky 500 is that it can comfortably carry 6 or 7 people who can sit οn the double helmseat, on the stern sofa and the wide single seat located in the front of the console. Do not forget that it is an inflatable boat just 5 meters of length.
In the bow area, a sunberth is formed with a length of 1.35 meters, a maximum width of 0.96 meters while the width in the headrest area is reduced to 0.30 meters due to the vertical bow.
Under the pillows there is a large locker that fully takes advantage of the depth of the hull thus increasing its capacity while in front of it there is a hatch that gives access to the windlass and the anchor chain, which protrudes in front of the polyester construction that surrounds the entire sundeck of the bow.
38 cm behind the bow sundeck, is the boat console which is positioned to the starboard, leaving a larger passageway, with a maximum width of 36 cm, on the co-driver side.
The steering wheel is located on the right, while on the left are the engine instrument, the radio, the windlass’s switch and the boat's electrical switches.
On the upper horizontal level of the console, we find the GPS base while there is space for speakers or a separate sonar.
The front part of the console, which has a large single seat integrated, opens upwards and reveals its interior from where we have easy access to the electrical installation.
Inside the console there is a toilet, in which we can sit very comfortably with our head and feet out of it.
Behind the console is the polyester construction which provides us with another storage space, while on its upper part the reclining helm seats are located.
The helmseats are independent and give us the choice of sitting or semi-standing position, although we can drive sitting with direct visibility to the bow and the horizon.
The deck behind the steering seats is 1.35 meters wide and accommodates the three-seater sofa where three adults can comfortably sit, while below there is a large storage space.
Its backrest falls back and thus, in combination with the tubes, a berth for sunbathing and relaxation is created.
At sea
In our present sea trial, Funky 500 was equipped with a 140hp Suzuki outboard engine, which with a range of 5600 - 6200 rpm and a gear ratio of 2.59: 1 was turning a 3-blade, 23-inch of pitch Solas stainless steel propeller.
Launching the Rib on the ramp, we unfortunately caused damage to the propeller blades so that it could not behave properly, especially after 4000 rpm. Nevertheless, we decided to carry out our measurements normally.
With a crew of 2, 70 liters of fuel, 30 liters of fresh water and all the equipment of the boat, Funky 500 jumped on plane in 4 seconds, stood planned at 2400 rpm with 7 knots, while accelerating to 30 knots in 8.5 seconds.
The low speed at which the boat is standing on plane is one of its most important advantages and this is due to the design features of its hull. This fact enables us to travel planned in bad weather conditions, thus increasing our autonomy, while optimizing its handling.
The accelerations were explosive throughout the whole rpm range, as it was the throttle response which gave us exceptional flexibility and enabled us to operate the boat with great comfort.
We had calm weather conditions during our test and so we were not able to evaluate the behavior of the rib in waves.
Funky 500, however, seemed to feel comfortable when crossing the wakes created by passing boats while the sharp angle of entry of the bow easily was opening the way for the rest of the hull, dampening the impacts and softening its ride.
The vertical bow stands firmly out of the water at cruising speeds so that it does not adversely affect the ride without leading to bow steering, and thus in ripple conditions it penetrates only the top of the wave and passes lightly over it without sinking into it.
At 3000 rpm our speed was 15.5 knots with a fuel consumption of 0.68 liters per nautical mile.
At 3500 rpm we were traveling at 20.5 knots burning 0.63 liters for each nautical mile, while at 4000 rpm we ran at 25 knots consuming 0.65 liters per mile.
These are the most economical cruising speeds we had recorded which give us a range of 110 nautical miles when we have 70 liters of fuel in our tank.
At WOT, the engine reached its max rpm limit and so at 6200 rpm we recorded a top speed of 38.8 knots burning 1.2 liters per nautical mile.
You can see our detailed measurements in the following table:
Although our propeller was hit, the slip values were pretty good.
At full throttle, the slip increased to 14% which shows that we trimmed the engine too much out resulting in the ventilation of the propeller blades.
There is definitely room for optimization of this set-up and further increase performance.
A very good choice seems to be the use of a 14΄΄ x 24΄΄ Suzuki propeller with parallel higher engine mounting.
In this case, despite the larger diameter and longer pitch of the Suzuki propeller, the engine will be able to reach the same maximum rpm while at the same time the performance in terms of cruising speed and fuel consumption will be improved.
Manufacturer:
PARIS G. DESIGN
8ο klm Paianias – Markopoulou, Koropi - 19400
Tel: +30 693 6603997 / 693 6603899 / 210 6620644
www.parisgdesign.gr
Email: giannikosp55@gmail.com
