Ballistic History

The Ballistic RIB design originates from expert Lowestoft boat builder Paul Frankowski, whose aim was to create a high-performance boat with a superior load-carrying capacity. In the mid 1990s, entrepreneur Nick Parish bought the rights to Frankowski's design and created the Ballistic brand. Parish spent a few years developing the Ballistic RIB brand in the leisure and commercial markets from his Hayling Island base before deciding to find a partner to boost production levels. In 2002, Parish teamed up with JBT Marine to build the reputation of the Ballistic, in particular in the family leisure boating sector, before JBT bought the rights to the boat in 2005. JBT Marine has since further expanded production of the Ballistic and continues to update and improve the boat's design. 

Ballistic in the Water

Ballistic has a proven reputation for safety, stability, speed and seaworthiness, and is one of the best-equipped RIBs on the market. Hence, it is no surprise that Ballistic rigid inflatable boats are very popular with a wide range of users. Ballistics are used by military and law enforcement agencies across the world, including the Metropolitan Police in London, the South African police, the Norwegian police and the Fisheries Protection Service in Sierra Leone. Ballistic RIBs are also widely used by coastguards, harbour masters and dive clubs. As a family leisure boat, Ballistics are popular for harbour and beach-hopping, as a way to enjoy watersports such as wakeboarding, waterskiing and snorkeling and as a simple cruiser for getting out on the water. One particularly high-profile champion of the Ballistic is Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson, who has three of these high speed boats on his British Virgin Islands retreat Necker Island. He is due to add to his Caribbean Ballistic RIB fleet in the near future, with new inflatable boats destined for his new, luxury, eco-friendly Mosquito Island resort.

Ballisitc in Design

The core feature of the innovative Ballistic design is its unique three-part structure, which comprises individual hull, internal ladder chassis and deck mouldings. These three mouldings are bonded together with Lloyds-approved high quality resins and notably, there is no wooden panelling under the deck that can rot. The Ballistic's superior, high-speed load-carrying capacity comes thanks to its unique reverse scallop chines which, coupled with its deep-V shape hull, gives it immense lift and pace. This cutting-edge construction process sets the Ballistic apart from other RIBs and makes it one of the strongest and most durable rigid inflatable boats on the water.

The Ballistic also has a unique dual-purpose layout. This two-part design features jockey seating at the rear of the boat, enabling safe and comfortable rides at high speeds, and bench seating and room for a removable sunbed at the front, which allows the boat to be used for more relaxing activities.