WAlker BAy GenerAtion 430

April 2009
Walker Bay Generation 430
Walker Bay have sold many thousands of boats around the world, but what can we expect from the recently launched larger
Generation RIBs? Irving Stewart has been finding out.
Over the past few years, Walker Bay have sold over 70,000 of their cute little family
friendly unsinkable ‘plastic’ dinghies worldwide. By adding small tubes they even
created a new boat type ‘RID’, or rigid inflatable dinghy, to which they also added
masts and sails, thus establishing a new marketplace amongst both existing boat
owners and first time buyers.
The success of these diminutive yet lovable craft, distributed in the UK by E.P. Barrus,
is in no small way down to the enthusiasm of my old friend Christian Roberts who
dashes all over the country in his ‘big white van’ cheerily unloading a flotilla of
Walker Bays at umpteen local boat shows and demonstration days. The delight of
those who get afloat, especially children (often for the first time), at such events, is
both a joy to behold and a salutary lesson in marketing.
Whilst these versatile and attractive little craft have secured Walker Bay a strong UK following with families seeking an affordable
way to get afloat, and those requiring a light tender to get out to their larger craft, it is fair to say that they were never designed to
explore large expanses of wind swept open water, cope with adverse offshore conditions or carry an entire family with their clobber.
With this in mind the launch of far larger Walker Bay Generation RIBs at the NEC was greeted with some scepticism by those familiar
with similar sized ‘serious’ RIBs - especially other RIB builders and marine journalists.
OUTSIDE THEIR COMFORT ZONE
The new Generation RIBs, recently launched in 3.9m and 4.3m configurations, have
certainly caused a stir at recent boat shows across Europe. Unashamedly aimed at
those either seeking a stylish tender for a motor yacht, or a trendy family friendly
alternative to a more rudimentary boat, the new Generation RIBs appear to tick many
boxes. At first glance they look as if they are inboard powered with what appears to
be a curved engine bay cover astern of the rear seats - just like an Avon or Williams
jet. But no, they actually have transoms with obvious provision for outboards.
In similar vein the seating is well upholstered, comfortable, extremely trendy and
laid out for easy movement around the craft - far removed from the simple jockey,
‘suicide’ and bow seats found on many similar sized competitive RIBs. Visually, at
least, it seems Walker Bay have undergone a remarkably fast learning curve, taken
a huge leap of faith and come up with very attractive RIB packages. The proof of the
pudding is surely whether they will actually handle at sea, or not.
But, before we get hands-on, we need to take a brief step back. With much of the world’s economy in melt down the new Generation
RIBs represent some truly brave marketing decisions by Walker Bay:
• ‘Serious’ full sized RIBs are surely well outside their existing ‘comfort zone’.
• The competition amongst RIB and tender builders in Europe is formidable - and America is not yet family RIB oriented - so
European competition will be fierce and home markets difficult.
• To design new Mediterranean style RIBs and offer them for sale in the highly competitive European market is
admirably brave for a Trans Atlantic manufacturer.
• To add a further risk factor Walker Bay have decided not to distribute through their established UK distributor and dealers but
to develop a select group of specialist ‘Generation UK’ sales outlets - which explains the numerous engine options available,
including the Evinrude E-TEC in white, which will really colour coordinate the boat.
INITIAL SCEPTICSM
I must admit to have been more than a little sceptical as we
poddled out of Lymington aboard a brand new, untested
Generation 430 powered by an equally new Yamaha F60 ‘straight
out of the box’. We headed out under threatening grey skies,
onto an uninviting equally dank choppy sea and, significantly,
apart from the camera boat, we were the only powerboat
heading out.
The long run out through the channel gave us time to look
round the craft and to discover some of her little intricacies. The
numerous dry stowage lockers (including the ‘boot’ astern), the
welcome surprise of extremely comfy seating behind the console,
the utter hugeness of the craft’s two-tone Hyperlon tubes and
the ease of handling all became obvious very quickly.
But then we had to relinquish the Generation in order to get
pictures. After a short period of ‘playing to the cameras’ our ever jovial model and PR man gleefully handed back the Generation in
favour of the camera boat, and promptly headed home in search of coffee, leaving us to ‘play’.
With scepticism enhanced by cold fingers we (maybe unfairly) put
the new Generation and its Yamaha through some ten miles of quite
tough evaluation fully expecting to find this first venture by Walker
Bay into ‘real RIBs’ would soon display some obvious shortcomings,
rattles and foibles. It did not, so in this task we failed
dismally. Whether gently planing, cruising or (rather unfairly)
exploiting the inevitably uncomplaining Yamaha to the ‘n’th’ degree
the little Walker Bay steadfastly refused to put a foot wrong. We
ran down the sea, across it, up it and even sought out the infamous
ferry wakes in a bid to put the Generation’s hull off its stride - and
again we failed dismally.
Even deliberately winding the steering from lock to lock, and playing
the throttle at the same time, would not induce the hull to lose grip
or ‘be naughty’. Instead the boat simply leaned on its huge tubes,
steadfastly refused to misbehave and then just safely relaxed back
onto an even keel - as if waiting for us to finish playing silly B’s.
COMFY & SMOOTH
I am forced to admit that even for my somewhat knackered back the Generation’s ride is comfy, smooth, soft on the bum and about
as traumatic as travelling in a classic Citroen DS19. The handling also proved equally precise with well positioned controls and plenty
of leg room; only let down by a rather stiff steering system - not the boat’s fault. The small extra initial investment in hydraulic
steering would be on par with fitting power steering to a small hatchback - pure luxury but an ‘essential’ optional extra.
No doubt purist ribbers will (quite sarcastically) say that we did not push the Generation through really rough seas in order to
get a true measure of its ability. To which I would reply that very few, if any, of those to which this stylish boat will undoubtedly
appeal would derive any pleasure (or see any point) in such a painful and sadistic exercise. However, I have no doubt that if caught
out by bad weather the Generation, or its occupants, are hardly likely to come to any grief- assuming the boat is handled with
any semblance of skill. To say that the boat is unsinkable is this year’s greatest understatement to date - it is also remarkably and
delightfully dry.
For a craft that does not have the acutely razor edged spray rails of a Ring, the acutely Vee’d hull of a Scorpion, the sexy tapered
tubes of a Pasco, or the deep chines of an Avon, the Generation certainly does precisely what you’d expect from a pedigree RIB. I
don’t know where Walker Bay found Paola Rista, the Generation’s designer, but they certainly want to keep him securely under wraps
- together with the production team who have put together a well built and equipped boat that displays remarkable attention to
detail.
WILL IT TEMPT YOU?
Whether Walker Bay’s new Generation RIBs will
wean Trans Atlantic family boaters away from their
beloved bowriders is a matter of conjecture, and
hindsight. What is not open to question is that
Walker Bay have come up with, at their first attempt
at building ‘real’ RIBs, with a craft with sufficient
appeal and performance to carve a slice of the
highly competitive tender and family RIB markets and that alone is no mean achievement.
Wearing my soothsayer’s hat, with my hands gently
caressing my crystal ball, I foresee a future where
Walker Bay might just be able to use their name to
infiltrate the RIB mystique into the Trans Atlantic
markets, maybe with even larger Generation craft.
If they were to also bolt inboard jets under those
temptingly awaiting Generation ‘boots’ many new
cans of worms would surely be opened, on both
sides of the ‘ditch’.
SPECIFICATIONS
The Generation 430 RIB is available from the dealers below at a ‘boat only’ price of about £9,400.
Ready to go ‘turn key’ boat/engine/trailer packages similar to that tested should be in the region of £16,500, depending on the brand
of engine fitted. However, whilst talking to the dealers we’ve discovered that there are ‘special introductory offers’ available as low as
£14,900. So, if you haggle with your nearest dealer you may be able to make a considerable saving - especially if he still has an engine
in stock bought before the last price increase - but don’t wait too long!