ATLANTIC CROSSING? YES, WITH A RIB POWERED BY A SUZUKI 200 HP OUTBOARD

The news is no way secret but, at least at present, it hasn’t had the impact it deserves: an Atlantic crossing from Palermo to Recife, Brazil, on a Master 996 rib powered by two Suzuki 200 hp outboards.

The protagonist of this amazing performance is Sergio Davì, a sailor already used to this kind of extreme experiences. This time, however, he has to sail several miles with no stop. Great sailing skills, rib’s seakeeping, engines’ reliability and extraordinary range capacity are the key ingredients of the challenge.

At this time, Sergio Davì is in the Marina of Rubicon, on Lanzarote Island, waiting for reaching the Islands of Cape Verde. Suzuki Marine Italia Sales Manager Paolo Ilariuzzi told us this experience during our encounter at Milan NavigaMi. We interviewed him on board a Zar Formenti rib powered by two Suzuki 200 hp outboards, identical to those which are currently experiencing the Atlantic crossing.

So, Paolo. How is it possible to have such a range to cross the whole Atlantic Ocean?

Your question pinpoints the reason why Sergio chose this outboard. The 200 hp four-cylinder model is a jewel of Suzuki technology since it combines excellent performances with a considerable fuel-efficiency thanks to the Lean Burn innovative system. And what Sergio needs is precisely the greatest range as possibile because, from Cape Verde to Recife, he will have just one refuelling possibility offered by the Brazilian Navy.

A great show of confidence from Sergio Davì but also an exciting challenge for your company, isn’t it?

Today, manufacturers dont’ need to show the reliability of their engines through raids and Suzuki, too, doesn’t need to show it. In this case, what engines have to guarantee is something more, namely an over-standard reliability and excellent fuel efficiency.  In the Atlantic Ocean, you can’t go wrong. In this case, Sergio has just one refuelling possibility and everything must go well. Our certainty about engine qualities has led Sergio to choose it and it has convinced us to supply our 200 hp model for this challenge.

Of course, we’ll follow this challenge. However, for the time being, we would like to move from ocean waves to the markets’ ones. How do you see the current situation?

We can say that the market is actually recovering. For the fourth year running, it shows unequivocal positive signals as for outboards and motorizations. Consequently, together with the other outboards manufacturers, we have benefited from the positive signs of recovery before other sectors within boat industry.  This year, we’re seeing an interesting growth in the sector of new boats and this is a very important positive sign for boat industry.