Ribcat pounces
Yachtwerft Hamburg reveals Ribcat, its new line of lightweight tenders designed as support vessels for large yachts.
27 March 2024
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Yachtwerft Hamburg, a German shipyard specialising in individual boatbuilding projects and fibre composite components, has revealed its new line of Ribcat luxury carbon tenders.
With the catamaran RIB design, Yachtwerft Hamburg says it offers an innovative tender for owners of large motor and sailing yachts, which are lightweight, extremely stable, and emission-free.
Tenders are often a problem when equipping large yachts. On sailing yachts, the size and weight of tenders are often detrimental to performance; motor yacht owners prefer stable tenders that lie well in the water and are compact enough to fit in the yacht’s garage.
“Finding the right tender for a large motor or sailing yacht is a challenge for many owners or their captains,” says Johannes Malzahn, managing director of Yachtwerft Hamburg and its new Ribcat brand. “That’s why we decided to make life a little easier for them and develop our Ribcat tenders.”
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Yachtwerft Hamburg says Ribcat tenders are made of carbon composite, are tailored to the needs of large yacht owners, and weigh just 170 kilograms at a length of 3.65 metres and 230 kilograms at a length of 4.30 metres. A built-in compressor can automatically inflate or deflate the hoses when craning, thus minimising the stowage dimensions, ensuring they are optimised for dinghy garages.
“This is an incredibly innovative solution,” says Malzahn. “It allows us to offer a tender with a maximum capacity for six people.”
Designed as a catamaran, the Ribcats manufactured at Yachtwerft Hamburg are available with both electric drives and conventional outboards at the stern.
Ribcats are also designed to be stable in the water; they do not tip on their side when boarding.
“This criterion is almost the most important for owners of large yachts,” says Malzahn. “They and their guests should be able to get on and off comfortably without anyone feeling unsafe.”
Yachtwerft Hamburg says Ribcats have a versatile layout that sees the steering position at the front, meaning the stern can be designed and used very flexibly. In addition, the Ribcats’ air tube can be deflated or inflated in just 45 seconds, resulting in a better pack size. The necessary electric pumps are integrated.
Ribcats are built in Hamburg and can be customised with a choice of colours, fabrics and surfaces according to the customer’s wishes.
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