DÜSSELDORF. ARKOS RIBS AND BOATS: THE ITALIAN STYLE MADE IN MALTA

The ribs and boats built by the renovated Arkos brand strike for some details which might go unnoticed at the untrained eye.  Elements like a shaped handrail which allows to the pilot sitting at the console to sail comfortably or the 45-degree inclined astern stairway which reduces the strain when climbing up, are, on the contrary, essential to a comfortable and safe life aboard.

The idea of Mr. Baraggioli, the new owner of Arkos brand and moulds, was to introduce these elements on attractive boats equipped with advanced nautical details. Thus, at the Boot Düsseldorf, the company, currently based in Malta, exhibited two units of the new range which includes, in its turn, four rigid-keel ribs and seven motorboats ranging from 17 to 25 feet, all incorporating the company’s philosophy.

Baraggiolo tells: “ We start from an irreproachable nautical planning and precise choice of the materials. All our rib tubulars are made of Hypalon 828, the transom is closed on the bottom with no visible elements. Waterlines, too, benefit from the same care; the stern features dovetail waterline exits, which ensure higher performances with no flap. Our ribs start to surf at just 6 knots and sail with the bow lower on the water maintaining a more comfortable stability and using less power”.

Fiberglass boats are lighter and easier to steer. The use of wood is abandoned to the benefit of polyurethane and carbon fibre.  “As a result, boats are 20% more lighter than previous models. The Arkos 647, for example, weights 980 kg while the previous version exceeded 1,240 kg”, claims Baraggioli.

Designers have greatly focused on both style – the reduced wood use is not synonymous of a poor result in terms of design – and graphics, with a sort of squared wave that appears on both the tubulars of ribs and the sides of the fiberglass open boats (in addition to the fore window of the upcoming Arkos 737, the top-of-the-range model of the whole production). Moreover, a specific App developed for Arkos allows to customize ribs, now available in different colours and layouts, according to customers’ tastes and needs.