2025 Inishbofin RIB Run: A Triumph of Community and Charity

2025 Inishbofin RIB Run: A Triumph of Community and Charity @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat

Inishbofin Charity RIB Run

The 2025 Inishbofin Rib Run concluded as a resounding success, blending adventure, camaraderie, and philanthropy against the stunning backdrop of Ireland’s western coastline.

This annual event was organised to raise funds for Cancer Care West.

It brought together 57 boats and nearly 200 participants from across the country.

They were united by a shared passion for boating and community impact.

Participants of this Inishbofin RIB Run navigated a breathtaking 93-nautical-mile route.

They weaved past iconic landmarks such as the dramatic Cliffs of Turk. They also passed the rugged Bill’s Rock and historic Black Rock Lighthouse.

The fleet explored the serene islands of Inish Kea, Clare Island, Inishturk, and Inishbofin.

They made a stop at Achill Island’s picturesque Keem Bay.

Covering such a vast distance in a single day highlighted the participants’ dedication.

The favourable weather also played a crucial role. This was a “fantastic bonus” celebrated by organisers.

Record Participation and Fundraising Milestone

This year’s Rib Run marked its largest turnout yet, with 57 boats carrying enthusiastic passengers.

The event’s true triumph, however, lay in its fundraising achievement.

It raised € 12,430 for Cancer Care West.

This is a Galway-based charity providing vital support to cancer patients and their families.

The announcement followed a brief delay as organisers finalised contributions, including last-minute donations received the morning of the reveal.

David O’Connell of Cancer Care West expressed profound gratitude, emphasising how the funds will directly enhance their services.

Over its three-year history, the Rib Run has donated an impressive € 32,197 to the charity.

This reflects the boating community’s unwavering generosity.

Media by William Flood.

Enjoy more photos of this RIB Run organised by Dermot Concannon & Family: Instagram Photos.

Alternative approaches to organizing a charity run: RIB BRIG Fantastic Hankø Pokerrun 2019 Norway.

My Goofy Results RIB Images Using AI

Ongoing Results for RIB Images Using AI @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat

RIB Images: There’s No Thing Like the Real Thing

That said, my journey with AI image generation has been a fascinating ride of trial and error.

During my creative journey (I didn’t know I had one), I focused on RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) images.

I also worked on mug designs and birthday cards. Gradually, I expanded into video content which is only just starting to pick up.

The process of creating with AI is rarely straightforward—prompt refinement is essential to match the intend.

While ChatGPT offers helpful starting points, further tweaking is always needed.

I’ve explored several AI tools—Adobe Firefly, Google Gemini, Midjourney, DALL·E, Leonardo AI—each with unique strengths and quirks.

I know there are more tool but that’s not the focus of this blog post.

Currently, Gemini by Google provides the best RIB-related results.

However, its persistent square format requires post-editing in Photoshop. This editing is necessary to achieve a 16:9 aspect ratio.

I need to generate extra content to fill in those gaps between square and 16:9 which is a challenge.

DALL·E initially struggled significantly with RIB images. It often produced awkward, crazy, out of this world, unusable results.

This highlighted the complexity of the “RIB formula” and the insufficient training of the language model.

Still, it’s rewarding when everything aligns.

I must ad that he environmental impact of generative AI is something to be aware of.

An MIT article on this topic is particularly insightful. It’s worth reading.

Here are my funkperiments.

PB Europe: Cool Protector Boats and Scorpion RIBs

PB Europe: Scorpion RIBs and Protector Boats @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat

PB Europe

The company is the exclusively appointed European Distributor for Scorpion RIBs and Protector Boats (Rayglass).

Ian (Andy) Andrews is the Brand Manager for PB Europe and Ancasta for Protector Boats and Scorpion RIBs.

In this post I’ll focus on the Protector RIBs.

Protector RIBs have a track record of proven operational excellence in extremely challenging waters worldwide, this watercraft serves as a robust platform for a range of commercial applications.

Encounter them in action at prestigious events like the America’s Cup and Sail GP races, where they serve as indispensable support vessels.

I’ve posted articles and videos of the British built Scorpion RIBs as well as of the Rayglass brand that build Protector RIBs in New Zealand.

Contest: Your Best RIB Photo 2023

202309 Contest Your Best RIB Photo @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Home

Show Us Your Best RIB Photo

I thought it would be fun to hold a photo contest on RIBsONLY.com for the first time ever. Don’t think that your photos aren’t good enough. Just go ahead and do it.

Your photos can be taken with a smartphone all the way up to professional equipment.

As in every competition, there need to be rules to make everything fair and run smoothly. Good agreements make good friends.

Do read the rules below prior to participating.

1. Some General Remarks and Points of Attention

1.1. Categories

There are 4 categories for submitting your best RIB photo (max. 2 per category). You’ll find them in the rules below.

Certainly, you are welcome to utilise a small, non-disturbing personal watermark if you wish. Avoid incorporating watermarks from third-party brands.

Professional photographers are required to complete the entry form beforehand.

For further information on these categories, see ‘rules’.

You do allow the photo(s) to be published on RIBsONLY.com and its Facebook group for free, applicable solely when possessing copyright ownership.

You can send in maximum two photos per category. In each category there will be 3 winners selected by a jury composed by the owner of RIBs ONLY i.e. Medianaut, Karel Overlaet.
The jury of Your Best RIB Photo Contest consist of photographers, chief editors of nautical magazines, artists, maritime professionals, adventurers and naval architects.

All photos you submit and conform to the regulations can be used in a slideshow on RIBsONLY.com. You will be given credit of course as long as you own the copyright.

1.2. How to Submit Your Best RIB Photo(s)

To be valid, you must mention the category in which you are participating.

You can send in maximum two photos per category. In each category there will be 3 winners selected by a jury composed by the owner of RIBs ONLY i.e. Medianaut, Karel Overlaet. Each of these three will be awarded a prize, with prices yet to be determined. There’s a change that there are none.

The jury of Your Best RIB Photo Contest consist of photographers, chief editors of nautical magazines, artists, maritime professionals, adventurers and naval architects.

All photos you submit and conform to the regulations can be used in a slideshow on RIBsONLY.com. You will be given credit of course as long as you own the copyright.

You can send them to this email address, or if your files are too large, you can use WeTransfer using the same email address.

Feel free to utilise it also if you require any assistance or have any questions.

1.3 Deadline

The closing date for submissions of Your Best RIB Photo Contest is scheduled for:
Thursday, October 26th, 2023, at 23:59 (GMT+2), Brussels time.

1.4 Declaration of victors

The declaration of victors is slated to occur within the latter portion of the month of November 2023.

2. Rules for Entering Your Best RIB Photo Contest

2.1. Rules

The term “Your Best RIB Photo Contest” shall henceforth be referenced herein as the “Contest”

  1. Eligibility: The “Contest” is free, regardless of age or location, except for employees and immediate family members Medianaut who organizes the contest.
  2. Privacy Policy: By participating in the contest, the entrant acknowledges he has read and understood the Privacy Policy which is available on this page.
  3. Photo Quality Standards: All photo submissions must adhere to specific quality standards. Each photo should have a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Submissions not meeting this requirement may be disqualified.
  4. Submission Format: Each photo must not exceed 15 MB in size. Each photo must have a title, the mention of the category and the full name of the entrant.
    Any other information that the entrant wishes to share is very welcomed. For instance the story behind the photo, location, anything special to be mentioned…
    Submit your photos only in the following formats: HEIC (iPhone), JPG (JPEG), or PNG.
  5. Subject Matter: Photos must prominently feature the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) as the primary subject.
  6. Safety First: Photos should not depict any dangerous or irresponsible behaviour involving RIBs. Any content that endangers the marine environment will not be accepted.
  7. Respectful Content: Obscene, racist, pornographic, indecent, harassing, threatening, offensive or inappropriate images will not be admitted to the “Contest”. Respect for other participants and the broader audience is essential.
    The photos entered must not violate national or international regulations regarding domestic security.
  8. Originality: Each and every entrant tendered for inclusion in the “Contest” must unequivocally represent the original creation of the entrant, who is further required to possess absolute proprietorship and copyright entitlement over the depicted image.
    The submission of photographs that infringe upon copyright or intellectual property rights in any manner is strictly prohibited. Possible claims will be forwarded to the entrant of the photo. “RIBs ONLY” under the purview of Medianaut (Karel Overlaet) shall hereby be deemed exempt from any potential claims.
  9. Editing Guidelines: Minimal digital editing is allowed for color correction, cropping, and minor adjustments.
  10. Multiple Submissions: Each entrant is afforded the opportunity to tender a maximum of two (2) photographs per category for evaluation in the “Contest.”
    The submission of more than two photographs per category shall result in immediate disqualification in that category.
  11. Deadline: All entries must be submitted by the deadline Thursday, October 26th, 2023, at 23:59 (GMT+2). Late submissions will not be considered.
  12. Category Selection: There are 4. Entrants vying for participation in the “Contest” are obliged to select the designated contest categories for their submission and are further required to explicitly specify the chosen category during the submission process. Failure to comply with this directive shall render the submitted photo(s) ineligible for inclusion in the “Contest.”
    Professional photographers are required to complete the entry form beforehand.
    A. Leisure Use: Highlighting the recreational aspects of RIBbing with your own Rigid Inflatable Boat, non-professional, non-commercial.
    B. Professional use: Showing the deployment of Rigid Inflatable Boats used for professional, commercial and rescue operations use only.
    C. Professional Photographing: Showcasing high-quality professional photography for a.o. marketing purposes.
    D. AI Modified and renderings: Permitting the inclusion of creatively enhanced photographs of Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) through the utilisation of renderings or Artificial Intelligence (AI).
  13. Judges: The judges come from a range of disciplines from different countries; they will be considering images according to criteria including but not limited to design, innovation, technical skills, artistic merit and originality. The chairman of the jury has no vote. There is no appeal against the composition of the jury.
  14. No responsibility can be accepted for entries: Photos that are lost, delayed, corrupted, damaged, misdirected or incomplete or which cannot be submitted for any technical, delivery or other reason. So be sure to make a copy of the photo before submitting it.
  15. Jurisdiction: Only Belgian courts have jurisdiction.

2.2. The “Contest” Outcome is Final

Kindly take notice that the finality of the “Contest” outcome is absolute and precludes any potential deliberation or recourse.

In the event that the victorious photograph originates from a brand engaged in advertising on RIBsONLY.com, such an occurrence is entirely serendipitous.

All determinations rendered by the adjudicators carry the force of binding effect and are immune from contestation.

Prizes allocated are non-negotiable for cash conversion.

By participating in the “Contest”, entrants explicitly consent to unreservedly accept all regulations and the ultimate judgment, relinquishing any entitlement to dispute or appeal.

Good luck with Your Best RIB Photo!

Brugge Marine Center RIB Trip River Leie May 2023

Brugge Marine Center RIB Trip @ RIBs ONLY - Home of the Rigid Inflatable Boat

Brugge Marine Center RIB Trip Amazes Again

During the year, Bruges Marine Centre (BMC) organises RIB trips (Rigid Inflatable Boat).

As every year, there is a cruise on the beautiful river Leie. So was this one in Flanders, Belgium.

Cruises are also organised abroad in fantastic locations.

The Belgian-located company led by Kris Deraedt will hold an open day during the weekend of 17 and 18 June 2023.

Checkout the previous one and more posts.

It’s always interesting getting to know them and visit their halls with also second hand RIBs.

People come from far to checkout their offerings and the Brugge Marine Center RIB Trip planning.

Checkout the slideshow below and be part of this trip.

All photos are courtesy of BMC.

Proud to share that Brugge Marine Center (BMC) is a good Friend of RIBs ONLY.

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