Spanish Red Cross Takes Delivery Of Zodiac Hurricane Ribs

Feb. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- The first RIB was a nine-metre H920 Maverick Cabin that has been delivered fitted with two Evinrude 200 hp outboard engines and will be used in waters around the Basque country of Northern Spain. This has now been followed by two ZH733 models, fitted with 225 hp Volvo inboard diesel engines and duoprop outdrives that will be used off Almeria and Murcia.

               The three boats are expected to make an important safety contribution to Spanish waters where their sea-keeping abilities will make them particularly welcome. Zodiac Hurricane nine-metre RIBs represent the top of the company’s range and are highly regarded by military and civil users around the world. The ZH920 is now presented as one of the finest craft of its type due to its ruggedness and durability. The enclosed cabin provides protection for the two or four person crew when operating in extreme conditions. In addition to its search and rescue role with the Spanish Red Cross, this model Zodiac is also used for a wide variety of maritime tasks including law and security enforcement, fisheries patrol and harbour management including the maintenance of aids to navigation.

               Exceptional seaworthiness is provided by the ZH920’s deep-V welded aluminium hull and tough inflatable collar. The hull design maximises shock mitigation when the boat is being used at high speeds and also contributes to its stability and manoeuvrability when working in extreme conditions. The rugged collar and the responsive nature of its twin outboard engines also make the Zodiac Hurricane 920 particularly suitable for operations that require it to come alongside other craft for stop and search or boarding duties.  

               The size of the Zodiac Hurricane 920 combined with its large fuel capacity and fully enclosed, heated cabin are considered to make the boat the ideal choice for long-range autonomous operations in a variety of maritime environments.

               The two Zodiac Hurricane 733 RIBs are open boats that may be expected to be used by the Spanish Red Cross for search and rescue tasks closer inshore. They share many of the characteristics of the nine-metre craft including its low cost and ease of maintenance. This is expected to make the boats particularly welcome by the Red Cross that will benefit from using craft with easily removable collars and the option of using DuraRIB™ foam tubes if the need arises.

               All Zodiac Hurricane RIBs are recognised as being tough and easy to maintain. The standard collars are made from heavy-duty neoprene Hypalon fabric with Zodiac’s special intercommunicating valves. They are also all relatively light for their size and this makes them easier to handle and enables a wider range of engine sizes to be used.

                Zodiac Military and Professional (MILPRO) is part of the Zodiac Marine & Pool Group which operates in three sectors that provide a comprehensive service to their specialised markets. The Zodiac Military and Professional (MILPRO) sector supplies inflatable and semi-rigid craft for professional users such as police, coast guard, special forces, anti-terrorism units, fire teams, the offshore industry and other military users. The boats manufactured by Zodiac MILPRO range from  4. 7m to 12m long and are available in configurations that include inflatable and rigid inflatable boats with aluminium or fibreglass hull designs, inflatable or foam tubes, diesel inboard or petrol outboard engines. The Zodiac SOLAS sector supplies life rafts for merchant ships, ferries, and cruise ships and complete rescue systems combining escape slides and rafts. The Zodiac Recreational sector manufactures inflatable and semi-rigid craft that are distributed under the Zodiac®, Bombard® and Avon® brands.

-ENDS-


Commercial enquiries contact:

Lucie Ruivo

Zodiac International
Military & Professional Marine Sector
1 Quai de Grenelle, 75015 Paris, France

Tel + 33 1 76 76 71 90
Email : info.milpro@zmp-zodiac.com
Web site  www.zodiacmilpro.com