I've received a couple of complimentary editions of what seems to be an excellent monthly RIB magazine.
It's big and glossy, with 180 pages plus a 50 page buyer's guide. There are four or five detailed boat reports in each issue, and lots of trip reports and news. It's probably well written and proof-read too, but I can't guarantee that though as I don't read Italian!
The magazine is "Il Gommone"
It's a bit of a reality check about the size of the Italian RIB market compared to the UK. We may think that Britain is the hub of the RIB world (after all we invented them), but there's masses out there that we never hear about. Of course, their weather probably helps a bit.
Most of the manufacturers appearing in the mag will, at best, be vaguely familiar over here. There are a few well known names, but many we've never even heard of. Here's a quick scan through the ads in the latest edition:
Marlin
Lomac
Abate
Zodiac
Pirelli
ZAR Formenti
BWA
Kardis
Black Fin
SACS
Flyer
4XC
Master
Solemar
Nuova Jolly
Stingher
Seabull
altmarea
Northstar
Motonautica Vesuviana
Stilmar
Noah
Mar Co
Coastal
Colbac
Novamares
LED
Joker Boat
There's a whole other world out there. Spooky!
