The RAM I 850 Spyder "street parking" in Jamestown, Rhode Island, after a sea trial ~ October 2009

19 October 2009 RAM1

BOAT: Ram 1 850 Spyder
OWNER: Reflex Advanced Marine, Dundas, Ontario, Canada http://www.ramboats.com/
DESIGNER: Ian Taylor, Ontario, Canadahttp://www.ramboats.com/ram-company-profile.html
BUILDER: RAM Marine http://www.ramboats.com/
YEAR: 2009
HULL: Fiberglass with inflatable airtight compartments
LENGTH: 28 feet [8.53 meters]
 HISTORY:
Formed in 1993 by Master boat designer/ builder Ian Taylor, RAM started out as a research & development company. The revolutionary new hull design is not a catamaran or a trimaran, but rather a hybrid. The hull actually mixes air into the water as it moves so that the boat rides atop a spray of air and water. This greatly reduces friction and increases efficiency. A boat of this size might normally carry a pair of 225 HP outboards to achieve the performance standards of this boat. Instead, and due to the patented RAM Design the boat uses two 120 HP outboards which means half the power and even less fuel!
  The hull concept has many applications from recreational to commercial transport to military uses. A look at their web site www.ramboats.com will give an idea of the many uses for this extraordinary new technology.
Jamestown resident Jim Mattingly is head of U.S. sales for the RAM line, and he is very busy indeed. The future for this new technology is bright, and very much connected to Newport County.