24 replies to this topic

[Ship o' Fools]

I've read, heard, and overheard conversations in mumbled, hushed tones about Rondar US building Vipers. Has it happened yet? If not, when? Inquiring minds.

[wpbeardsley]

My guess is within the next month or two at latest. It'll happen. The tooling is arriving soon (here?) and boats will start coming off the assembly line as fast as people can order them.

[Mambo Kings]

Palecap?

[schoonerman]

Tool is loading into a container very soon. We're stuffing in a couple of the lads from the UK production floor to get the USA crew trained up too. Don't think they'll like the long ride in the dark container though....HTFU

USA orders coming in and now the Canadians a jumping aboard...love NAFTA !!

Tool is loading into a container very soon. We're stuffing in a couple of the lads from the UK production floor to get the USA crew trained up too. Don't think they'll like the long ride in the dark container though....HTFU

USA orders coming in and now the Canadians a jumping aboard...love NAFTA !!

[ultraracer613um]

"lads from the UK production floor going to show Ben Parker how to build boats?" Please tell me it's the other way around! Correct me if i'm wrong but rondar is not going to build squat in the USA, it's going to be Whitecap Composites.. and whitecap (Ben Parker and Zimm) look to have been infusing some pretty sexy little carbon boats over the past months, not sure why they'd need training from the slop and chop crew from the UK.

I was told months ago that tooling was headed over, my guess is (based on experience) that if they say the tooling is getting loaded soon it'll really get loaded in about 6 weeks, sit somewhere for another month and then show up in the USA two weeks later.

Orders roooooling in huh... with jets and afterburners i suspect. If you're going to fuzz it up, at least do it with style.

Schoonerman, you're a good guy but more often than not SO full of crap. Crackhead's pretty bad about it too... You guys dont need that BS to sell boats, just get whitecap building a reasonable product and show the class that you can support the effort. Might even turn momentum back in the right direction down here in Texas.


 for drew and dan.jpg   51.14K   9 downloads

Tool is loading into a container very soon. We're stuffing in a couple of the lads from the UK production floor to get the USA crew trained up too. Don't think they'll like the long ride in the dark container though....HTFU

USA orders coming in and now the Canadians a jumping aboard...love NAFTA !!

Tool is loading into a container very soon. We're stuffing in a couple of the lads from the UK production floor to get the USA crew trained up too. Don't think they'll like the long ride in the dark container though....HTFU

USA orders coming in and now the Canadians a jumping aboard...love NAFTA !!

[Tejano]

Spoken like a true Texan. No BS. "East coast, West coast, Third coast...all one big happy Viper family". Find a dozen Jonsey-like sparkplugs around the nation and watch the US-built Vipers sell them selves (autopilot?).

[ZachF]

Spoken like a true Texan. No BS. "East coast, West coast, Third coast...all one big happy Viper family". Find a dozen Jonsey-like sparkplugs around the nation and watch the US-built Vipers sell them selves (autopilot?).

Yeah, because bashing the builder and reps(which he was himself at one point)with vague complaints is a great way to build a fleet.

[ultraracer613um]

Zach, what about my complaint was vague?

I'n my experience the beat way to build fleets is work your tail off and introduce people to the boat. Yep, I was a rep down here but didn't do it for the money. I passed every boat I sold through at my cost because I believed I'n the effort. Guess you would call that spark plugging?

Guess what, if things don't change our fleet is going the way of the southeast fleet.

There's lots of positive things to talk about, 41 boat fleet at crw is an example. But for us its ultimately going to come down to getting support. Having boats built by whitecap will be big. Ill be happy when it's not a "soon" proposition.

Spoken like a true Texan. No BS. "East coast, West coast, Third coast...all one big happy Viper family". Find a dozen Jonsey-like sparkplugs around the nation and watch the US-built Vipers sell them selves (autopilot?).

Yeah, because bashing the builder and reps(which he was himself at one point)with vague complaints is a great way to build a fleet.

[hotair]

"All things come to he who waits."

[ZachF]

Zach, what about my complaint was vague?

I'n my experience the beat way to build fleets is work your tail off and introduce people to the boat. Yep, I was a rep down here but didn't do it for the money. I passed every boat I sold through at my cost because I believed I'n the effort. Guess you would call that spark plugging?

Guess what, if things don't change our fleet is going the way of the southeast fleet.

There's lots of positive things to talk about, 41 boat fleet at crw is an example. But for us its ultimately going to come down to getting support. Having boats built by whitecap will be big. Ill be happy when it's not a "soon" proposition.

Your accusations that Rondar can't make a decent boat come across as a little vague at times. What is the specific issue? Do you expect a Stradivarius instead of a light weight, production race boat built to a low price point? I own an early Rondar Viper, and have had no issues with the boat outside of regular maintenance(re-finish the keel, re-paint the clearcoat on the mast,replace worn cordage and hardware), and the boat just finished 3rd at CRW behind 2 other Rondar boats. The hull has never taken on water and the keel has not broken, can you say the same about your Bennett built Viper?

[RockHead]

No need to squabble gang, we're all on the same team.

Good stuff is happening. 41 boats racing in Charleston. 40 currently registered for the NAs. Vipers racing ALL over North America. Butts are getting on boats at demos up and down the east coast & Great Lakes. There's another boat going to Bermuda. We're talking to folks about fleet buys in Jamaica a new region of Australia. It looks like an Annapolis fleet is likely. We do need a solid rep in TX. This stuff takes some time to show results, we're really only been at it full time for a couple of months. We're trying hard to do things RIGHT, rather than half-assed.

We are pushing HARD to get the tooling and bits we need in a box and to Peabody ASAP. When we have a landing date, you know you'll hear about it!

[Rawhide]

We're talking to folks about fleet buys in Jamaica a new region of Australia.

Cool, great to have Jamaica part of Aus, they make some great rum.

[bshores]

No need to squabble gang, we're all on the same team.

Good stuff is happening. 41 boats racing in Charleston. 40 currently registered for the NAs. Vipers racing ALL over North America. Butts are getting on boats at demos up and down the east coast & Great Lakes. There's another boat going to Bermuda. We're talking to folks about fleet buys in Jamaica a new region of Australia. It looks like an Annapolis fleet is likely. We do need a solid rep in TX. This stuff takes some time to show results, we're really only been at it full time for a couple of months. We're trying hard to do things RIGHT, rather than half-assed.

We are pushing HARD to get the tooling and bits we need in a box and to Peabody ASAP. When we have a landing date, you know you'll hear about it!

I'm confused, wasn't hull #180 at CRW a new US built boat that the guys were pimping to show off the new features? If not, what hull #'s will the new US built boats start at?

We are definitely seeing a drop off of boats here in Texas, a few second hands have left the area. Hoping we can seen another resurgeance before the NA's in Houston next year.

[RockHead]

I'm confused, wasn't hull #180 at CRW a new US built boat that the guys were pimping to show off the new features? If not, what hull #'s will the new US built boats start at?

#180 was the first boat out of the new molds, with the new features. Built in the UK. Quite nice fit and finish on all the glass, IMO. First US built hull # depends on how many boats are built in the UK before we build the first US boat, so who knows. Technically, the Class assigns the hull #'s, we haven't discussed the topic of batching hull #'s to one shop or the other vs. keeping them sequential.

FYI, There's at least one former Rondar 5o5 owner who wants his new Viper built by the lads in Wiltshire. Scheduling the build of that boat in coordination to ship across in the same box with the molds is one of the questions we discussed internally today. We do build other classes and have other orders, don't forget, so we do have to actually plan a production schedule.


We're talking in terms of weeks for the container with molds to ship at this point, not months...

[RockHead]

We're talking to folks about fleet buys in Jamaica a new region of Australia.

Cool, great to have Jamaica part of Aus, they make some great rum.

Oops, looks like I left behind an "and". Or created a new land of Jamiaus!

[Mambo Kings]

Ben and Zimm (Whitecap) have been to Wiltshire and worked on the floor with those guys. I think they have a good idea who they want and why.

My guess is two reasons.

1. There is a lot to do. Whitecap has 5 full time employees. They are hiring, but with resin infused carbon dinghies and RIB hulls to pump out in addition to getting Viper production rolling at a pace to meet the "built in the USA" demand, Whitecap want the help. This help is familar with the tooling and the layout of the components, have been building boats for 20 years, are 6'3" tall, weigh 250lbs, have Triumph motor cycle tattoos and can flip over a Viper without the help of a chain lift.

2. Everyone wants the Vipers built in UK to be the same as the ones built in Peabody. Having a couple of their guys come here is a good thing.

The bottom line is that IT IS TIME. Promises have been made. Expectations have been set. The notice period is due. The fleet, the spark plugs and the future owners want, expect and require a North American built Viper.

Reassurances that the UK built Viper will be indistinguishable from a Whitecap Viper are as useful as telling a customer that a Red hull is the same speed as a White hull . He wants a white boat and he wants it built in the U.S. of A.

Even if he is from Perth, Jamaica.

[Mauri Pro Sailing]

I am really happy with my Rondar Viper and am looking forward to seeing the class grow in other areas such as the Caribbean and South America.

I know that there is currently no offiicial sales rep in Texas or in the GUlf Coast. If Rondar or any potential buyer need help, please feel free to give me a call and I will do my best to support the class as well as Rondar USA efforts.

Best,

[port tack]

I would prefer you guarantee me 15-20kts of breeze in Marblehead than guarantee me a US built boat .

Can I get that deal?

[RockHead]

I would prefer you guarantee me 15-20kts of breeze in Marblehead than guarantee me a US built boat .

Can I get that deal?

I can absolutely guarantee that one day in the next 12 months there will be 15-20 knots of breeze in Marblehead.

In fact, here you go, how about today?


I cannot guarantee that on a race day however! Oh, and it's cold & raining today, is that a problem?

[port tack]

I would prefer you guarantee me 15-20kts of breeze in Marblehead than guarantee me a US built boat .

Can I get that deal?

I can absolutely guarantee that one day in the next 12 months there will be 15-20 knots of breeze in Marblehead.

In fact, here you go, how about today?


I cannot guarantee that on a race day however! Oh, and it's cold & raining today, is that a problem?

Damn slippery salesman got me again!!!

[RockHead]

Damn slippery salesman got me again!!!

Thank you. Please complete the attached order form and return it to me. Only a $3000 deposit is due right now. Mastercard, Visa, wire transfer or check?

 Viper 2012 price list USD.pdf   221.71K   54 downloads

[fairdinkum]

I would prefer you guarantee me 15-20kts of breeze in Marblehead than guarantee me a US built boat .

Can I get that deal?

I can absolutely guarantee that one day in the next 12 months there will be 15-20 knots of breeze in Marblehead.

In fact, here you go, how about today?


I cannot guarantee that on a race day however! Oh, and it's cold & raining today, is that a problem?

I don't like the cold, or rain. Fix it Rockhead!

[RockHead]

I don't like the cold, or rain. Fix it Rockhead!

A adequate application of 151 fixes everything! Or at least I won't remember what we were worried about.

[Soley]

Damn slippery salesman got me again!!!

Thank you. Please complete the attached order form and return it to me. Only a $3000 deposit is due right now. Mastercard, Visa, wire transfer or check?

 Viper 2012 price list USD.pdf   221.71K   54 downloads

You guys don't take cold hard cash??

[RockHead]

Damn slippery salesman got me again!!!

Thank you. Please complete the attached order form and return it to me. Only a $3000 deposit is due right now. Mastercard, Visa, wire transfer or check?

 Viper 2012 price list USD.pdf   221.71K   54 downloads

You guys don't take cold hard cash??

Jars of pennies for all I care!