Ballistic 7.8m RIBs supplied at short notice for Ready Steady Tokyo

The recent Ready Steady Tokyo, the ‘test event’ for the Olympic Games in 2020, saw seven Ballistic RIBs working hard as race support.

Set up with a customised fit out for race support duties, the RIBs had a modified smaller console with a raised windscreen, seating removed to enable two 1m wide race marks to be carried aft and forward, a higher bow cleat and additional fendering added.

Ballistic got the call from RibWorks in Japan, one of the suppliers of boats to the Games event management organisation. The tender specification required a lower 200HP engine than normal for RIBs of this size, which suited the Ballistic design and construction. The leisure range boats are designed with the same high strength specification as the commercial boats, to support high loads, yet retain excellent performance under reduced power.

Ballistic RIBs was able to fulfil the short seven week turn-around required for these bespoke layout boats. All the customised fabrications and stainless-steel work is manufactured in-house, resulting in the first boats being delivered direct from the factory in South Africa to Tokyo in less than four weeks.

As a result of the prompt service, the Ballistic’s high specification and outstanding performance on the water is that RibWorks Japan is now the appointed Ballistic RIBs distributor in Japan.

The 7.8m RIBs are made with a modular design. Whilst they have been adapted for specific race duties to support the World’s best sailors at next year’s Games, the open deck layout can be easily modified for passenger duties or a leisure fit out for future roles after the sailing events.