When it comes to hull design, the Soverato yard has nothing left to prove. Ranieri boats have always been seaworthy, and they're getting better all the time. With the 33.0, the builder introduces a completely new hull, deeper and, above all, with a double step. Two features that, on paper, make the Ranieri a boat that performs well in rough seas, while improving overall sportiness and reducing fuel consumption.
A double-step hull
To judge the merits of such a hull design, we put the Cayman 33.0 to the test in the Bay of Cannes. For the occasion, we had two 300 hp Mercury engines mounted on the transom. This is already a substantial engine, even if we weren't at maximum power, since the RIB is homologated up to 800 hp, which is pretty impressive! Powered in this way, the boat is a dynamic performer.
As soon as I reach the end of the channel, I push the throttle and the response is immediate. Just 4.15 seconds to lift off, and a few seconds later we're at cruising speed, around 35 knots (40 mph) at 4500 rpm. A sustained but comfortable speed, as the hull is perfectly able to cope with the chop.
Thanks to the two steps, lift-off is dispatched in no time at all and, once in its lines, the boat flies over the sea with a wetted surface reduced to a minimum to erase sea relief, improve performance and reduce fuel consumption. With a little more thrust, you can quickly reach 40, 45 and even close to 50 knots (57 mph) at full throttle, which, for a family boat, is pretty sporty.
The fact remains that the boat doesn't move; it traces its course as if on rails, without ever showing any sign of instability. The sequence of a few fast bends confirms these first impressions, as the RIB settles on its float and attacks the bend serenely, with a fairly short turning radius. Once underway, the stability provided by the rear of the floats is exemplary and, last but not least, the boat doesn't get wet at all.
Sporty performance and reasonable fuel consumption
A glance at the fuel consumption shows that, once again, both steps work perfectly. At 3500 rpm, just after lift-off, fuel consumption does not exceed 30 l/h. At 4500 rpm, the cruising speed, the dial shows 56 l/h (for the 2 engines), which is still reasonable. The figures climb a little as you push the throttle, but that's perfectly normal.
Another good point is that you don't have to work very hard to find the right trim, which leaves you enough room to maneuver to cope with changing sea conditions. The test was therefore more than satisfactory, especially as no one around me complained of being shaken around, confirming the comfort on board.
However, given the boat's 3500 kg unladen weight, such a cavalry is not necessarily necessary, and we should be able to make do with 2 x 200 or 2 x 250 hp without making this boat sluggish, which makes it even more attractive.
