About this tender
The Cobra NAUTIQUE 9.7 is the build we ask Cobra for when a programme needs a serious outboard RIB at the top of the Nautique range. At 9.7m overall, carrying fourteen persons under CE Category B certification, and accepting twin outboard installations up to 700 hp in combined output, it sits at a point where day-boat comfort and genuine offshore performance overlap without compromise. The 600-litre stainless steel fuel tank and a quoted range of 240 nautical miles mean your crew are not rationing throttle on a coastal transfer.
Cobra has been building GRP RIBs by hand at their south coast UK facility since 1988. Every hull is moulded from a high-precision 5-axis CNC machine working to a tolerance of +/- 0.005, which is the kind of dimensional consistency you expect from a yard that supplies both leisure owners and superyacht programmes. The NAUTIQUE 9.7 is the flagship of the outboard Nautique line, and it inherits the Generation V deep-V hull with a twin-chine configuration that channels spray downward, keeps the bow planted, and returns a notably dry ride in short, sharp offshore chop.
Engine choice on the 9.7 is broad. The standard pairing we see most often is twin Mercury V8 300 hp outboards, a combination that the manufacturer quotes at 58 knots top speed. Step up to twin 350 hp units from Mercury, Suzuki, or Yamaha and you are pushing 700 hp total. All options are four-stroke petrol outboards, which keeps the driveline accessible and parts availability genuinely global - a practical point for owners running superyacht programmes across multiple cruising grounds.
Specification on a Cobra is always built to order. Cobra's fully configurable build programme covers tube colour, upholstery pattern, console finish, T-top design, navigation electronics, bow thruster, electric windlass, and toilet fitment. That means the 9.7 you take delivery of is not a stock unit dressed up; it is specced from a blank sheet to match your yacht's livery and your captain's operational brief. We'd put it alongside the better Italian and Dutch outboard RIBs at this length, and the British build quality and CNC-precision hull moulding hold up well in that comparison.
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Highlights
The four details we'd point out first to a captain who hasn't seen one on the water yet.
The NAUTIQUE 9.7 is the largest model in Cobra's outboard Nautique range, built on a Generation V deep-V GRP hull with twin-chine geometry. The lower chine channels water aft and downward, reducing spray over the bow and improving forward drive in offshore conditions. Moulded on a 5-axis CNC machine to a tolerance of +/- 0.005.
A stainless steel 600-litre fuel tank gives the 9.7 a manufacturer-quoted range of 240 nautical miles. That figure is meaningful for a superyacht chase role: it covers the kind of coastal passage where refuelling stops break operational tempo, and it gives a captain genuine range margin in variable sea states.
The 9.7 accepts twin outboard installations from 300 hp to 350 hp per side, with engine options from Mercury, Suzuki, and Yamaha. A twin Mercury V8 300 hp fit is quoted by Cobra at 58 knots top speed. Outboard propulsion keeps the aft deck clear, simplifies servicing in remote anchorages, and makes engine replacement straightforward.
CE Category B certification covers offshore operation up to 200 nautical miles from a place of shelter, and the 9.7 is rated for fourteen persons at that certification level. This capacity and range combination makes it a credible primary chase boat for owners whose programme takes them beyond inshore coastal waters.
Cobra has built GRP RIBs by hand since 1988, and every NAUTIQUE 9.7 is individually specced and crafted at their south coast UK facility. Tube colour, upholstery, T-top configuration, navigation fit, bow thruster, and toilet package are all customer-specified items, not dealer-added options from a stock hull.
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The full specification
Specifications, prices, availability, and performance figures are supplied for guidance only and remain subject to confirmation by the yard, seller, broker, survey, contract, and final specification.
Questions, answered
Last call · Available
Cobra · Christchurch, UK
Tell us about your yacht, your programme, and the missions NAUTIQUE 9.7 needs to handle. We come back within 48 hours with a written assessment - fit for the brief, lead time, and trade-offs against alternatives in the same band.
Prefer to talk? +44 (0) 77180 88055 · other ways to reach us
From the library
