RIB Rendezvous 2026: Is this the largest RIB gathering at sea?

By early May, Kerrera Marina in Oban will host a remarkable spectacle on the water. Exactly 250 RIBs and close to 1,000 crew are now confirmed for RIB Rendezvous 2026, with organisers reporting that the event has already reached capacity and a waiting list has formed.

The scale of participation has prompted an obvious question among participants and observers alike – could this be the largest gathering of privately owned RIBs on open water anywhere in the world?

RIB Rendezvous is not a race and it is not run as a commercial marine event. Instead, it is a voluntary cruising-in-company passage that brings together private RIB skippers to explore Scotland’s west coast waters.

Participants gather for a mandatory briefing before departing together for the day’s passage, navigating some of the most dramatic boating scenery in the UK.

The event traditionally begins with a parade around Oban Bay led by the Oban lifeboat. This slow formation allows the fleet to assemble before increasing speed and heading west or north depending on conditions.

Even at moderate cruising speeds the scale of the fleet becomes apparent. Travelling at around 20 knots with safe spacing between boats, the procession can take close to fifteen minutes to pass a fixed point.

Viewed from a headland or from the air, the sight is striking – a long line of RIBs stretching across Highland waters.

Supported by headline sponsors Redbay Boats and Suzuki Marine, the event also receives backing from SBS Trailers, Radical Marine, Pantaenius and SeaRegs.