Small tenders like RIBs tend to be more practical than pretty. Argos Nautic and Pininfarina felt it was time for a change. The F-330 tender is a compact option delivering high style to owners who want some of the same benefits as those who commission custom ones.
Having premiered at the just-concluded Miami International Boat Show, the F-330 tender is 11 feet (3.35 meters) long. Multiple features make her practical. She runs on a 90-hp Rotax engine, for example, a powerplant made for personal watercraft. She also has a fold-down center console. Similar to traditional RIBs, the F-330 tender is also lightweight. She can seat four to five people, too.
The differences, though, began right from project conception. According to Argos Nautic, the two companies analyzed how owners and guests think about tenders in this category. Simultaneously, the companies considered the general ride and overall comfort. Pininfarina wanted to allocate more deck area for passengers without impacting operations. Firstly, closed-cell foam tubes, instead of conventional inflatable tubes, take up less space. These offer a further benefit, that being durability. Secondly, the Rotax engine, a change from a typical outboard, doesn’t protrude into usable deck space. Since it’s a waterjet engine, it helps the F-330 tender remain maneuverable and responsive.
“As a yacht owner, I’ve always believed that a tender should feel like a natural extension of the yacht, not an afterthought,” Ignacio Vadillo, Argos Nautic’s president, says. “Working with Pininfarina gave us the opportunity to challenge conventions.” Paolo Trevisan, senior vice president of design for Pininfarina of America, is equally pleased with the change of course. “After years of designing across the nautical world, working with the Argos family has been truly special, driven by shared passion and resulting in something far beyond a tender,” he says.
Miami-based Argo Nautic manufactures the F-330 tender in the United States.
Argos Nautic argosnautic.com
Pininfarina pininfarina.it