RIBs are the most common boats among the working fleets of Sailing clubs and marinas. Their unbeatable combination of versatility, strength, economy of use and manoeuvrability allows them to cover the wide range of needs required by this type of institutions, both in open and inland waters. Backed by more than four decades of its team experience, Vanguard has signed collaboration agreements with eleven of the most prestigious Sailing clubs in Spain, from East to West (Galicia to the Balearic Islands) and from North to South (Cantabria to Andalusia). 

Bespoke products

Vanguard’s relationship with Sailing clubs is tailored to their needs, possibilities and size. In words of José Luis Rivera, sales director of Vanguard Marine: “From working as a standard client to schedule fleet renewal agreements with a number of new boats per year, as is the case with Club S’Arenal. In other cases, we offer multi-brand assistance and we take care of the integral assistance of your RIB fleet regardless of the brand, both in terms of the tube (through our Retubing brand) and any other service. We offer direct assistance from the manufacturer, with the ability to modify the existing product and adapt it to the final needs, colour, customization, lettering and logos”.

The Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona (MRCYB) is one of Vanguard’s longest-standing partners, with a relationship spanning almost 35 years. Its fleet includes seven Vanguard RIBs ranging from 4.0 to 8.6 meters in length. “Our collaboration agreement guarantees that the boats are always in perfect working condition, which in a club with as much activity as the MRCYB is essential to provide good service to members and visitors,” explains Roy Alonso, the club’s sports director.

Ferrán Muniesa, manager of Club Nàutic S’Arenal (CNA), highlights the points that add value to the brand and that led his club to establish a first collaboration agreement five years ago: “Firstly, for the value for money, as they have a good product at a very reasonable price; secondly, for the ability to customize, which is very important for a sailing club, and they are specialists in making custom products, both for sailing school and marina service; and finally, for the service, as they respond when needed.”

In addition to the MRCYB and the CNA, Vanguard collaborates with the Real Club Náutico de Vigo, the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo, the Club Marítimo de Canido, the Club Marítimo San Antonio de Sa Playa, the Real Club Nàutic Port de Pollença, the Club Nàutic Ca’n Picafort, the Club Náutico Puerto Sherry, the Club Náutico Sevilla and the Real Club Náutico de Cádiz. Vanguard RIBs provide service in 15 other sailing clubs and marinas in Spain. 

Vanguard’s multi purpose boats

The basic fleet of the sailing clubs with which Vanguard Marine collaborates is made up of several small units (between 4 and 5.5 meters) to provide quick and fast assistance to sailing vessels, and a larger unit (around 7.5 meters) for marking. According to José Luis Rivera, the Vanguard RIBs are a reliable response to their needs: “They are looking for lightweight to transport in order to attend events, ease of launching, maneuverability, stability and safety, especially when assisting in bad conditions. Inflatable tubes are an advantage when it comes to assisting sailing boats, both for protecting the boat being assisted and for the comfort they provide to crew members when leaning on them”. 

Vanguard’s DR Series best meets these needs. These are multipurpose models with a wide-V hull for fast, stable and dry sailing, available in eight lengths (between four and nine meters) and fully customizable directly from the shipyard. The most common configuration is combined with small engines, which provide an adequate performance/consumption ratio, as Rivera explains: “They are working engines to be used at a medium speed most of the time, which do not need high speeds or thrust. We are talking about models with a 25 hp tiller control for the smallest four-meter units, 40-50 hp with single jockey for the five-meter units, and 200 hp for the bigger 7.5-meter units”.

Up to 12 meters

While the versatile DR Series is the most demanded by sailing clubs, Vanguard has the capacity to design and manufacture boats of greater length and performance to respond to more ambitious projects or more specific needs. This is where the TX Offshore Series comes into play, a range of models with ocean-going capabilities and lengths between 5.4 and 12 meters. MRCYB has two units in this range, in lengths of 7.5 and 8.6 meters and equipped with inboard engines of 200 and 260 hp respectively. At the top end of these high-capacity RIBs is the TX-12.0 IB ordered by the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo (RCNS): Completely custom-built, this imposing 12-meter RIB is equipped with a 380 hp inboard engine with duoprop tail and is certified to carry up to 25 people. Its performance in open waters has earned it the designation as a support vessel for Maritime Rescue national organization in Spain when needed. 

All vessels of the international Vanguard Marine group are manufactured in accordance with the ISO 9001:2015 quality control system certified by LRQA. Vanguard vessels and all their components are manufactured in the European Union. The Vanguard Marine team has been designing and manufacturing RIBs since 1984.

The complete range of Vanguard RIBs is available at www.vanguardmarine.com.