Small Racing RIB Consoles / layouts - any pics?

Paul E · 30-12-2009, 12:44 PM

I know this isn't a RIB friendly place, but I figure I'll get more sense here than from the drysuit gaylord brigade on Ribnet...

I'm looking for photos of small racing RIBs so I can get some ideas for my XR20. We'll be making our own console/seating so I'd like to see what's around to get some inspiration!

Cheers

Paul

Jon Fuller · 30-12-2009, 02:56 PM

Are you looking to go Tandem, or side by side?

Paul E · 30-12-2009, 04:21 PM

side by side I think, with bucket seats & foot throttle. There's just about enough width and it will be easier for navigation instruments and communication etc, and would leave me room for a removable bench seat behind for carrying mates. It's primarily going to be a leisure boat but also used for the basic races here next year

larby · 30-12-2009, 07:36 PM

I've always been a fan of the phantom evolution console, you could make a lower full width version?

James

Paul E · 31-12-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larby

I've always been a fan of the phantom evolution console, you could make a lower full width version?

James

They are great looking consoles, but an absolute nightmare to create a mould or a plug from scratch!

larby · 31-12-2009, 04:04 PM

Ahh, thats true. You must be pretty tight on width too if you're going side by side? I had major issues with elbowing my passanger in my ring 16 cos it was quite tight, something to consider?

If you're going for bucket seats I'd make sure they're as low as possible, ther's no side to hold you in and i know i regularly bounce off the side of my screen. Make sure there's a good handle for the passenger too, I've never been a fan of foot straps or anything due to potential broken ankles etc.

I'd make it a bit like a cut out from the screen/dash of a phantom, but with a straight screen, sloping down to the deck at the front to make room for a foot throttle & rest. Piss easy to make a plug from ply as it's all straight. bviously the sides would go down to the deck too to make it rigid.

I've done a marvelous diagram of what i hope your rib will look like below. I hope i got the scale of the engine right!! If you'd like to commission a similar sketch of the finished product let me know

Oh, the bit in red is the important bit, the rest is my insane scribblings. Took me freakin ages on a mousepad!!

Paul E · 31-12-2009, 06:15 PM

hahaha mate that's brilliant!! Not sure about the gearbox height though haha!

That's the type of thing we're going to go for definitely, I'll see what my bro and old man can come up with between them, my brother is definitely the one that inherited my dad's hands!

larby · 31-12-2009, 06:18 PM

Yeah, you might wanna go with a shorter leg, I only had an xl in stock at the time!

Ph@ntastic · 31-12-2009, 06:23 PM

Paul , a friend of mine is working on a XR20 in my workshop at the moment , he is rebuilding the floor , transome and he is builing his own console with racing-seats .
There is a threat on ribnet as well , try to contact him and i am sure he can help you out , his name is Frank btw.

larby · 31-12-2009, 06:38 PM

Ring fast Paul, before there's a threat on here too!

Paul E · 31-12-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ph@ntastic

Paul , a friend of mine is working on a XR20 in my workshop at the moment , he is rebuilding the floor , transome and he is builing his own console with racing-seats .
There is a threat on ribnet as well , try to contact him and i am sure he can help you out , his name is Frank btw.

Hi Ph@ntastic - small world!! Frank had been emailing me and vice versa for a while before we both got our XR20s! I have seen his mock-ups, the amount of work he's done already makes me hang my head in shame! haha

Ribnet seems to be full of SBS wannabes who couldn't care less about good looking fast RIBs

Jon Fuller · 31-12-2009, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul E

They are great looking consoles, but an absolute nightmare to create a mould or a plug from scratch!

I remember the pile of ply, foam & filler very well.

A lorra time went into that plug.

Jon Fuller · 31-12-2009, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul E

Ribnet seems to be full of SBS wannabes

Steady on! Kennett'll have a Horses head on it's way to you if you're not carefull!

PHANTOM EVOLUTION · 02-01-2010, 10:20 AM

9 months of my life seems a lot of time to development a console and seating position but im very pleased with the final product , it ticks a lot of the boxs for sitting down and driving a fast rib ,not to mention the finacial investment (ops i just did)

paul tilley · 03-01-2010, 10:43 PM

paul it will be very tight width wise in your xr20 for side by side seating ,when pete kidd from vector marine used to race the xr24 they had tandem seats as can be sen on my website www.tidel.biz ,there is also a couple of pictures of cookies bananshark race boat with tandem seating .in the xr24 the seats were about 6 to 8 inches off the floor

Paul E · 04-01-2010, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul tilley

paul it will be very tight width wise in your xr20 for side by side seating ,when pete kidd from vector marine used to race the xr24 they had tandem seats as can be sen on my website www.tidel.biz ,there is also a couple of pictures of cookies bananshark race boat with tandem seating .in the xr24 the seats were about 6 to 8 inches off the floor

Hi Paul

I just had a look on your site that XR24 looks sweet! I've already spoken to a guy that has done lamination work for Osprey, he had a race console from an XR24 in his workshop, but from the measurements he gave me it would be right up against my bow and look crap, as well as having the driving seat too far forward. I think there will be room for 2 seats side by side, but as you say it will be tight... as soon as I rip out the existing jocky console and seats I'll do some mocking up. There's currently side by side double jockey seats at the rear and they're a comfortable fit, so I think buckets will just about go

Cheers for your help!