Lymington-based Electric Outboard is delighted to announce its involvement with the latest phase of the RYA Midlands Region e-boat trial.
Phase two takes on board learnings from the previous trial period that ran throughout 2025 and aims to address issues raised by the Midlands based clubs involved, mainly relating to the speed and power of the initial trial boat.
Electric Outboard has refitted the original boat – a Rigiflex 360, used by many sailing clubs for rescue and coaching duties – with a more powerful yet lighter motor and battery combination.
With a 10kW motor (15hp equivalent), the Momentum M10 is powerful enough to get a range of RIBS and safety boats including the Rigiflex 360 on the plane almost immediately. Its instant torque means that it feels more like 20hp off the line.
The massive torque together with its large 4-bladed propeller makes the M10 more than capable of towing multiple boats, a key capability of any sailing club safety boat.
Despite this level of power, the M10 package is lighter than comparable electric outboards. The motor itself weighs just 22kg and while its battery weighs 37kg, it is far smaller than competing offerings being designed to fit in a standard fuel locker yet has twice the capacity. While it can power the M10 to easily deliver 15 knots, users will get an impressive 24-hour run time at trolling speeds.
“Having delivered different models of safety boats kitted out with the M10 package for a number of sailing clubs outside the Midlands region, we know it fits the bill for many – especially for those operating on inland waters,” says Algie Bennett, founder and CEO of Electric Outboard. “Being able to position the battery in the bow locker means that the Rigiflex has a much better balance on the water, and we’ve also routed the power cable through the hull to keep the deck area as clear as possible to enable easy and safe rescue of any casualties by users throughout this second test phase.”
The RYA Midlands Region kicked off this new test phase at Burton Sailing Club in May and will be taking the boat around a variety of clubs in the region over the coming months, and gathering data about how each use the boat in their racing and training sessions as well as feedback from club members to help shape the development of electric safety boat solutions going forward.
“Data is essential to help us confirm that the M10/Rigiflex package can offer the capabilities that these clubs need, as well as narrow down the gap analysis on where electric power may not still be suitable,” says Algie. “The more we understand real world use requirements, the easier it becomes to put in place multiple viable options going forward, not just for clubs on inland waters but those operating in coastal waters as well.”
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