Olympic RIBs 40SR — 3 x 500Rs V8

40SR RIB test by e-Ribbing

There is no doubt that I was looking forward to getting behind the steering wheel of OLR 40SR for a unique and out-of-the-ordinary sea trial, at least at a European level.Having 1500 horses, and even "racing", on the transom you can't help but feeling ecstatic even at the soft touch of the controls which is capable of pinning you to the back of the helmseat and shooting your adrenaline to unprecedented levels that almost become barely manageable.

Although the lightings were flashing around us, the temptation was great and no one could resist. The engines started and the impressive OLR 40SR slowly rolled towards the gray water, leaving the trailer on the shore. We may have been leaving the harbor at a low speed, but I confess that I couldn’t resist nailing the throttles down.
So as soon as I reached the lighthouse, I spontaneously pushed the controls forward.
We experienced an incredible acceleration that crushed us back into the comfortable backrests of the Ullman Dynamics Echelon seats, while everything around us seemed to disappear with amazing speed.

It is characteristic that the 12-meter Rib accelerated to 40 knots in 7 seconds, reached 50 knots in 10 seconds, while the speedometer showed 60 knots in 15 seconds. Numbers particularly impressive if we consider that the total weight of our test boat may have exceeded 6 tons.
The power, the torque, the new gearboxes and the 15 blades that cut the water seemed to be in wonderful harmony with the hull of 40SR, while the supercharged V8 outboard engines offered us a magical sound that sweetly caressed our ears throughout the entire rpm range, in a symphony that touched perfection.

The feelings we received while running at high speeds in every direction were truly unique, as were the grips, the crazy acceleration and the excellent behavior of the hull which managed the enormous horsepower with absolute safety, even when we attempted sharp maneuvers while running at 55 knots.
It is true that when you run so smoothly and comfortably at 55 and 60 knots, feeling like you are flying above the water, it is very difficult to land and reduce your speed to 45 knots, where the boat seems to be stopped.

However, let's not forget that we had a pleasure boat in our hands, and not a racing one, and as such must be evaluated. It is therefore of great interest to focus on the fuel consumption at low rpms which are particularly economical, always keeping the proportions in mind.
At 3800 rpm, we were cruising at 40 knots burning a total of 4 liters for every nautical mile, with the engines working effortlessly and giving us the most economical cruising consumption. It is true that this set-up literally swallows up the miles and can travel you very quickly to distant destinations. Weather conditions permitting, distances of 100 nautical miles seem like short close rides.

It was the first time that the new 4.6L V8 500R engines were hanging on the 40SR's transom, the gearboxes of which were turning the five-blade 15΄΄x 23΄΄ Max5 propellers with a gear ratio of 1.60:1.
With 600 liters of fuel, 120 liters of water, a 2-person crew and all the equipment of the boat, the 12-meter inflatable boat was planning in 4 seconds and standing on plane at 2500 rpm maintaining a speed of 11.5 knots.
At 3000 rpm we were traveling at 22 knots burning 5 liters per nautical mile, while at 3500 rpm we were running at 35 knots consuming 4.4 liters per mile.
At 4000 rpm our speed climbed to 42 knots with a fuel consumption of 4.5 liters per nautical mile, while at 4500 rpm we were traveling at 48 knots burning 5.3 liters per mile.

At 5000 rpm, where we arrived in the blink of an eye, we were running at 53 knots burning 6.1 liters per nautical mile, while at 5500 rpm we were flirting with 60 knots consuming 7.6 liters per mile.

At full throttle the engines reached 6400 rpm and 40SR reached 70.6 knots of top speed recording 6.7% slip, a figure that demonstrates a very good set-up if we consider the type of propellers we were using in relation to the character of the boat.

We must, of course, emphasize that when we started to trim the engines out so as to record the maximum speed of the boat, we entered the storm and were thus forced to interrupt our frantic course, ultimately staying at 70.6 knots.

During our test, we tilted the main engine out of the water and tried to get on plane with only the other two engines. At 4800 rpm we were cruising very comfortably at 49 knots, while at full throttle we reached 5700 rpm and 58 knots of top speed.To get a more complete view, we then tilted the port engine out of the water and cruised with the other two. In this case, at 4800 rpm we were running just as comfortably at 43 knots, while at full throttle we reached 5800 rpm and 58 knots of top speed. The above performances are food for discussion and demonstrate a clear and particularly significant advantage of triple over twin outboards, when the purchase and maintenance costs are not of the main boat owner’s significance.

As we have mentioned in the test of 40SR with the 2 x 400 V10 on her transom, an article that you can read at the following link, the 12-meter Olympic-Ribs inflatable boat is an excellent example of a luxury yacht tender, which with the 3 x 500Rs on her back is the ultimate fun machine, with incredible flexibility, while maintaining the original character of an inflatable boat.

Impressive and elegant, with excellent finishing and application of the highest quality materials and accessories, the new OLR 40SR reflects from the very first glance her luxurious aura that combines wonderfully with an authentic off shore character.
Her deck design testifies the shipyard's multi years of experience and its deep knowledge of important principles of navigation that translate into a mutual relationship of ergonomics and functionality. Equipped with advanced maritime technology, with state-of-the-art Ullman seats, excellent quality and finishing fabrics that cover the cushions, atmospheric lighting and a high-standard sound system, OLR 40SR is the diamond of the Olympic Ribs shipyard that takes off our love relationship with the Big Blue, without compromises and discounts.

The driving experience of OLR 40SR with the 3 x 500Rs was extremely enjoyable, with a jaw-dropping performance in terms of acceleration, while it is worth emphasizing that even when we were running at 70 knots we felt so much confidence and security in terms of the stability of the cruise and her robust build quality, that we were able to lift our hands from the steering wheel and let her travel on her own.

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