Scanner Envy 1500: sea trial of the queen of Maxi-RIBs

It’s hard not to be struck by the design of the new Scanner Envy 1500. Beautiful, elegant and damn sexy, it immediately won over the public. Perhaps for this very reason we couldn’t resist getting on board to put it through its paces; what follows is in fact the account of three full days of testing.

Scanner Envy 1500 Sea Trial

Once at the helm station, it’s impossible not to admire the layout of the controls: everything is positioned exactly where it should be, right at hand. Forward visibility is perfect and the protection offered by the (giant) hard top is well above average, but enough talk — we cast off the lines and head out.

Handling this huge Maxi-RIB is a piece of cake. The two 600HP Mercury Verado V12 engines are installed at a distance that delivers unmatched ease of maneuvering.

So today we have a total of 1,200 horsepower pushing us along, which for the Scanner Envy 1500 actually represents the minimum power, since, at the owner’s discretion, this boat can be equipped with inboard or outboard engines delivering up to an impressive 2,400 horsepower overall.

I push the throttles forward and, despite what I’ve just said, the big RIB lifts out of the water instantly, gets up into the plane and accelerates effortlessly to around 15 knots. A phenomenon I honestly wouldn’t have expected with the minimum power, but the excellent hull geometry and the powerful torque of the two V12s work extremely well together on this Scanner, with no trouble at all handling the more than 13 tonnes of full-load displacement of this large cabin-equipped craft.

I accelerate further and, at around 20 knots, the Envy 1500 naturally settles onto the water, adopting a perfectly horizontal trim. A quick glance at fuel consumption confirms the seat-of-the-pants impressions: just over 5 liters per nautical mile is truly impressive, unmistakable proof of a hull that doesn’t drag.

At this point I’m curious, I want to see how far this maxi Rib can go. So I push the throttles fully forward and at the same time I’m pressed back into the seat; the Scanner Envy 1500 accelerates without hesitation and in an instant we’re doing 40 knots. I fine-tune the trim and we push past 41. Really not bad at all for a 15-meter Maxi-RIB carrying the minimum power on the transom.

I stay at top speed for a while. The cruising comfort this large RIB is capable of is simply unparalleled — at sea, size really does matter. The water is crossed by long waves, about half a meter high, but on board the Scanner Envy 1500 you’re always traveling first class.

I slow down to 30 knots and then, without hesitation, crank the wheel hard to starboard. The RIB heels over and carves a perfect circular path. I counter-steer and once again the Scanner Envy 1500 executes the maneuver flawlessly; there’s no denying it, this hull has turned out extremely well.

I bring her back to 30 knots and point the bow toward the harbor. The sun is setting and it’s time to head back.

As I cruise along, I think about the performance this Maxi-RIB would deliver with 2,400 horsepower on the transom — it would certainly exceed 60 knots, even if, honestly, I’m not sure it would be worth it. With the current setup, I had an absolute blast.