Olympic 30SR - Twin 250AP Suzuki

Stingher 606 XS – Mercury 150hp 4-stroke

Black Mamba – Twin DF 250AP Suzuki

Stingher 606 XS – Mercury 150hp 4-stroke

Black Mamba – Twin DF 250AP Suzuki

By Thomas P.

When a Rib can travel economically at low and medium rpm, deliver high top speeds and combine a highly ergonomic and comfortable deck carefully designed to the latest detail, it is therefore reasonable to attract the attention of the most demanding public.

The all-new Olympic 30SR combines all of the above features and runs on a hull that keeps the boatbuilding lines of the successful and award-winning Olympic 8.40 E2 Diamond racing hull.

The Olympic 30SR makes it clear that the builder's philosophy is to design and build vessels with the least possible weight, of course without compromising their robust structure, while emphasizing the quality of construction and finishing that is evident even at the interior storage spaces resulting in a high aesthetic product.

In fact, it is an offshore and authentic inflatable boat with remarkable performance across the whole rpm range, oriented to face rough seas while offering the comforts and spaces of a 10-meter Rib.

Its hull is characterized by the presence of two ventilated steps, the first of which extends 117cm long, and the configuration of a 24.5cm pad in the transom area.
Three spray rails start from the bow area and continue with negative inclination until the transom of the boat.

The chine starts at a height of 22 cm in the bow area, reaching a maximum height of 35 cm in the helm area and ends at the transom with a height of 23 cm.
The main difference between the hull of the 30SR and the hull of the 8.40 E2 Diamond is the presence of a built-in bracket which is 8 cm higher than the hull level and provides more space on the rear deck while allowing the engines to be mounted higher with what that entails.

On deck

If there is something to be distinguished of the Olympic 30SR, beyond its seaworthy hull, is undoubtedly the extremely comfortable and ergonomic deck on which we were moving with the utmost comfort having the strong sense of being on a much larger Rib.

Of course, it would be a great omission if we didn't emphasize the very high level of the 30SR’ finish which in combination with its high quality equipment make it a real jewel in its class. The cleats, the switches, the lighting or even the stainless steel cup-holders are of the highest quality and make up a high aesthetic ensemble.

In the area of the bow and between the junction of the tubes, the elegantly shaped locker lies hosting the windlass. Lined with teak wood, with two folding cleats to the right and left of its hatch, it has the necessary and clear surface for easy access to the boat.

Directly behind, the V-shaped sundeck is located thus increasing the free space of the deck. There are a large trapezoidal locker forward and two smaller lateral ones providing the necessary storage space while, depending on our preferences, we can create a small dining area or a sunbath with dimensions of 2.05m x 1.66m x 0.54m.

The console is centrally positioned leaving very large passageways, 45cm wide, to its port and starboard for our free fore and aft movement.
Its black color and elegant plexi-made T-top match perfectly with the teak of the deck giving a wonderful on-board luxury feel.
The instrument panel has the proper space to mount even large navigation devices, and it has the appropriate inclination to inspect the screens immediately whether we are sitting or standing.
The steering wheel is positioned to the port at a very good height, having to the right the engine controls and a small glove compartment for storing cell phones and small objects.

At the front of the console is the door leading to the separate area of bathroom and toilet and incorporating a large single seat that is lined with premium leather.

The bathroom features an electric toilet, sink and shower, while on its back side there are two large and very useful hatches for the inspection of the electrical installation of the console.

What I really liked was the driving positions that, with a very simple and intelligent mechanism, moved very easily back and forth, ensuring the support of driver and co-driver in an upright position leaving enough space without digging the back of your legs into the seat base.

Behind the helm seats the elegant wet-bar is centrally positioned leaving comfortable passageways to its port and starboard, while being used as the T-top basis. It is equipped with a sink and a large stainless steel fridge, next to which there is a very useful storage area.

71cm behind the wet-bar lies the four-seater 1.85cm-wide sofa beneath which there is the largest storage space of the boat.
The aft sofa is lifted with the touch of a button and reveals the highly aesthetic finish of the internal locker, thanks to the double sided molds, as well as the highly ergonomic and neat position of all hoses, water separator filters and batteries.

The absence of the aft sundeck, which also indicates the orientation of the Rib, coupled with the installation of the long bracket is the main reason for the creation of such a comfortable and fully functional deck.
The wonderful design continues in the engines’ area, where all surfaces are lined with teak wood and completely clear and free from obstructions, providing appropriate spaces for our maritime activities and for easy access to the boat.

At sea

Our test Rib was equipped with two 250hp 4028cc V6 Suzuki engines mounted on the 65cm integrated bracket which were turning 16΄΄ x 23΄΄ Suzuki 3-blade stainless steel propellers through a 2.08: 1 gear ratio.

What is worth mentioning is that Suzuki's DF 250AP engines have lower than the 2.29: 1 gear ratio of previous models, showing the company’s orientation in achieving higher top speeds, and will find an ideal application in twin engine mainly boats where the need of large diameter propellers is limited.

The weather conditions of our test were excellent and the glassy sea was promising a wonderful day. We might not have been able to evaluate how the Olympic 30SR could control vibrations, which is more or less known since its hull is well known for its performance in tough seas, but we had a first-class opportunity to study the behavior and its operation at low rpm as well as when the throttles were flirting with the console's gel coat.

The throttle response and acceleration were very good, while even at low rpm the boat's ride attitude was excellent which is very important to achieve great performance. No matter how many times I turned the bow against our wake, the extremely robust construction of the boat became absolute apparent, indicating the excellent work of the yard both in the structure and in the perfect fit of all the moving parts of the boat.

With 200 liters of fuel and 2 people aboard, the Rib was standing on plane at 2300 rpm with 12 knots, which is even more important than even the achievement of the highest possible top speed as it enables us to travel at very low rpm thus improving the ride quality as well as our autonomy when the sea is not with our side.

The Rib accelerated to 30 knots in 7.5 seconds, reached 40 knots in 11.5 seconds while the planning speed was around 5.5 seconds. These numbers are going to be reduced considerably with some minor but very significant modifications already planned by the manufacturer.

At 3000 rpm, the GPS showed 24 knots with a fuel consumption of 1.75 liters per nautical mile, while at 3500 knots we were traveling at 31 knots burning 1.67 liters, recording the most economical cruise speed. And of course, no one can deny that the consumtion of 1.67lt / nm is an impressive number that fills with joy every owner.
At 4000 rpm we were running at 37 knots with the consumption insisting to remain below 2 liters per nautical mile, while at 4500 rpm we were traveling pleasantly at 41 knots burning 2.14 liters per nautical mile.

At wide open throttle, the engines reached 6200 rpm and the Olympic 30SR at 56.4 knots. Indeed, an impressive performance that will be envied by many hulls in this category.

You can see our detailed measurements in the table below:

Perfomance data by e-Ribbing

Most impressive of all, however, are the incredibly low slip percentages we recorded over the entire engine rpm range, which shows us that we had a great set-up in our hands and that the 30SR’s hull works great and allows the engines to reach their maximum performance.

It's really great to be able to travel at 3500 rpm getting almost the theoretical speed of our propellers, which on the one hand increases our cruise speed and on the other hand reduces the fuel consumption to a minimum.
At medium and high rpm, where the hull resistances are even lower, the slip percentages have dropped below zero, a striking fact that can of course be translated variously but no one can deny that this is mainly due to the hull design features and the excellent weight distribution of the boat.

So, at 6200 rpm we got the absolute, with the slip percentage at 0%.
What does this mean?
First of all, we got the maximum performance of our propellers or in other words the maximum top speed we could get from this set-up.
The most important thing, of course, is that the above figure opens the way for more research in order to increase the performance even further.

Given that at the open wide throttle the riding angle of the boat was approaching 0 degrees, it is obvious that we should focus on propellers that generate lower stern lift, which will keep the bow at a more ideal angle resulting in greater top speed as well as its better handling by the hull of the boat.

It would be really interesting to experiment with Bravo I FS propellers, with a recommended 27-inch of pitch so as to maintain the same rpm for our engines at WOT.

...keep Ribbing!