Updated on January 12th, 2025
The British semi-custom super RIBs from Enigma Powerboats should definitely be on the list of the best rigid inflatable boats available today. The company seems to truly care about every aspect of its business, from communicating with customers to creating top-notch products.
The first thing that can attract customers to Enigma Powerboats is the very high level of quality of the boats and their performance characteristics.
At the moment, the shipyard offers motorboat models in the range from 11 to 15 meters, which, according to our latest data, covers a significant part of customer requests in Europe. Thanks to the materials used, careful finishing and attention to detail, these RIBs can not only be classified as luxury, but also bookmarked as reference boats for those who are not ready to compromise.
You can not only choose any of the proposed RIB configurations, but also offer your own, both open and cabin. At the same time, the standard equipment of the boat is so rich that you are unlikely to need any additional options.
However, let’s not forget that this is still a RIB, which by definition should be able to cause fun and promote the production of adrenaline, so we are primarily interested in the seaworthiness of the boat. Well, Enigma Powerboats has something to answer us. It is obvious that the designers devoted quite a lot of time to the issues of hydrodynamics of the hulls of their boats.
Firstly, the inflatable elements were moved inside the hull to minimize the shock loads of waves on the tubes, typical of classic RIBs. Of course, there will be critics of this decision, but you and I know well that everything related to boat designs is always a compromise.
In this case, the main goal of the designers was definitely to maximize passenger comfort and increase the maximum speed in rough seas. Therefore, the passage of masses of water along a tangential path to the tubes is an ideal option.
Secondly, Enigma boats use a ballast tank system, which achieves perfect hull balance in planing mode, eliminating slamming. Yes, you may have all those transom plates and adjusting the angle of attack of the propeller, but these systems are only trying to eliminate the symptom represented by the negative trim, not the root cause of the boat’s suboptimal weight distribution.
Thirdly, the ventilation holes located in the helm console direct air through channels under the hull of the boat, which is sprayed on the ledges of the transverse steps, increasing the lifting force of the hull from the oncoming water flow.
All these technical solutions not only increase passenger comfort and the maximum and cruising speeds of the boat, but also, theoretically, significantly save fuel.
As for speed, according to the data we have, two outboard motors have 300 hp each you can count on 50 knots, while with an increase in the permissible total engines (outboard or inboard) power to 1000 hp, a speed of 80 knots is not the limit.
Given the shipyard’s meticulous attention to detail, we have no doubt about the quality of the GRP hulls of Enigma boats, which have a lifetime guarantee against rotting. As well as, there is no doubt about the quality of the Hypalon material for tubes from the well-known manufacturer Orca, which has a density of 1500 g/m2. The tubes have 7 chambers and a variable diameter from 30 to 56 cm.
But the company is not limited to just producing cool RIBs. We also discovered the Enigma Boat Owners Club, which has a number of perks, as well as the bonus of a bespoke powerboat training package for new buyers. Of course, it is very nice when the manufacturer does not abandon you immediately after selling the boat, but continues to provide support and quickly respond to difficulties and wishes of its customers.
We haven’t had the opportunity to test these amazing boats yet, but we have no doubt that the RIBs from Enigma Powerboats are truly something special. We will definitely get to these boats, arrange a test drive, tell you about our impressions and analyze the price-quality ratio.