Five days with the Airborne fleet in Herdla

Are the Airborne RIB’s as seaworthy as we say they are? We let the Best of Boats jury decide. During five days in Herdla, along the Norwegian west coast, the Nordkapp Airborne 5.4, Airborne 7 and Airborne 8 were put to the test by some of Europe's top boating journalists.

Welcome to Scandinavia's boating paradise.

Transportation day: Sunday

Landing in Bergen is always spectacular. On this day, you could almost spot the boats from the plane. The Airbornes were already waiting when we arrived, a wall of clouds building behind them, perfect RIB conditions.

I took charge of the 5.4, and we set off towards the small island of Herdla, where the fjord meets the North Sea, an ideal place for the testing.

The 5.4 is our newest Airborne and the most configurable of the fleet. This one was fitted with additional bow storage and seating, comfort chairs at the helm and an extended aft sofa, the ideal setup for a full crew. The small RIB had no problem keeping up with its larger siblings on the crossing.

Testing days: Monday and Tuesday

The first two days offered mixed conditions, which are the most honest conditions you can ask for when testing a boat.

Monday's winds stirred up real waves for Tuesday, when Geoffroy Langlade from Boat Heroes and I tested the Airborne 8 in rough seas. It was important that he experienced this boat in its rightful element: Scandinavian design in Scandinavian conditions.

I have spent many hours driving the Airborne 8, and it has a rare quality: it is both steadfast and playful. Espen Thorup's hull design gives you the stability and control to push hard, and the confidence to actually do it. It's the kind of boat your family loves on a perfect summer's day, but you sense the boat itself gets a little bored. It craves action.

Hitting the throttle: Wednesday

We woke up to 1 m/s winds, no swell and 19 degrees. Not the most demanding conditions for boats as capable as the Airborne series, but on a day like this, nobody was complaining.

We gathered at the dock and headed out to the island of Fedje, about 45 minutes at 20 knots. From there, the Airbornes went flying out to sea.

The jury was split into three groups, rotating between boats all day. Each journalist tests differently, but all of them go out and push hard. Not a bad day at the office.

I spent a good part of the day behind the wheel myself, which is one of the most important parts of my job. Each Airborne has its own personality, and understanding that from the inside out is how you talk about them honestly.

A final thank you

Time will tell what the BOB jury’s final say is, but one thing is certain: we had the time of our lives during these days in Herdla.

An event like this depends on many people working quietly in the background.

Thank you to Viknes and Askeladden for their cooperation throughout the week, and to Biologen for providing us with the right base in exactly the right place. Thank you to our colleagues at Frydenbø Bil for lending us two cars, which made logistics around Bergen far simpler than they would otherwise have been. And to everyone at Nordkapp HQ who made sure the 5.4, the 7 and the 8 were ready and waiting when we arrived, this week wouldn't have happened without you.

This was a reminder of what good cooperation looks like. And a reminder of how fortunate I am to spend so much of my working life on our Nordkapp boats.