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Cobra Ribs are a UK-based Rib manufacturer and offer a range of customisable Ribs and Yacht Tenders in a variety of sizes. In this article, we take you through their story as the company talk about their approach to craftsmanship and the expertise of their team. Read more to hear all about their foundations, their work ethic, and their exciting new business developments.
When Was Cobra Ribs Founded?
Cobra Ribs was founded in 1988, starting off from very humble beginnings. That being said, the extraordinary craftsmanship, quality and attention to detail at the heart of the company, quickly afforded Cobra Ribs its reputation for build quality and sea-keeping. This put us at the forefront of the UK Rib market.
Spotting Potential In The Market
Keen to remain at the top of our game, Cobra was unique in building not only commercially based Ribs but also for being one of the first manufacturers to see potential in the leisure market. This enthusiasm quickly led to the introduction of the first Nautique leisure boat range.
Partnered with the increasing high demand from leisure boat enthusiasts, the business increased in popularity. In 2000, Cobra launched generation two of the Nautique range. This kept our steadfast product firmly in the limelight and helped us remain at the forefront of the market.
Work Ethic & Expansion
We have always felt that success within the business, which is evident in the design, build quality, and outstanding craftsmanship, is due to the hard work and dedication of the exceptional engineers within the company. We strive off expertise within the business and frequently share ideas, tweak designs, and use all of our resources to create constant solutions. This way, Cobra can create Ribs designed purely with the customer in mind.
This passion and development within the company helped lead to generation three and four of the Nautique range and furthermore, the introduction of the now world-renowned ‘deep V’ hulled Nautique powerboat range. This unique Cobra design, the first of its kind, and provides boats with increased performance and edge in rough seas.
Cobra’s ever-expanding reputation within the Rib market, and being known for selling the ‘ultimate family adventure Rib’, naturally prompted heads to turn in Europe and further afield. In 2014, we made our first leap over to the Balearics where we partnered with Marine Power Menorca. Since then, we are proud to have partnered with dealers based in Ireland, France, Greece, Turkey, Australia, and the USA.
“Success within the business is due to the hard work and dedication of the exceptional engineers within the company.”
Evolution & outreach
With the success of Cobra Ribs in the leisure market, 2017 saw a launch into a new market for the brand. With our Patronus range, we launched into the Superyacht Tender market and quickly had orders in for a 6.2m Solas, 6.2m Beach Lander and a 7.2m Guest tender. Bespoke, custom tenders, designed specifically for each project. Cobra Ribs have seen rapid growth in this market, and now offer a wide variety of tenders, including; Beach Lander, SOLAS, Luxury Guest Tender and Chase Tender. This expansion meant that we outgrew our workshop at the start of 2022. We then opened a further two units permitting us to have an in house GRP unit, tubing workshop, and customer experience suite – a truly British built product in every department.
The evolution of Cobra Ribs has spanned more than 30 years and we remain the sole designer and manufacturer of the now highly respected Cobra Ribs products. We are proud of our British heritage and all that we have achieved in the UK. However, in the latter stages of 2022, we felt it was the right time to broaden our horizons within the USA by offering a flexible and alternative approach to leisure boating in America. We made our first appearance at the International Miami Boat Show 2023 with an 8.7m and a 9.7m Cobra Nautique. Accompanying us on our display were our new partners, Blackbeard Marine. Despite this being a very recent change, we are already seeing development and growth within our brand. We sold two boats within the first four months of our launch.
Pride In British heritage
Technology and innovation being at the forefront of our designs, requires us to be one step ahead. This is why we are currently perfecting a new, larger model, the Navis range which we are hoping to launch late 2023/early 2024. Our intention is to offer a larger model and bring something completely unseen into the powerboat market. We currently have an 11.85m Navis chase tender in production and are excited to share more.
From humble beginnings to leaders in a variety of sectors, Cobra Ribs continues to fly the flag for British built quality, design and innovation.
To learn more about Cobra RIBS and their range of products, visit their website.
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