It has taken five years and more than £1.5million to bring Rocket Rebel to life. But, at last, London’s fastest-ever speedboat is here to stay.
Boasting two 725hp engines, the attraction is billed as the UK’s first jet-propelled sightseeing speedboat, whizzing tourists through the city at speeds of up to 35mph.
But it’s not just for visitors, we learn as we’re fired down the Thames one crisp evening in April.
With a supporting cast of actors and comedians leading the show, Rocket Rebel promises to colour the capital in a new light.
Packing that magic into a one-hour experience is a delicate alchemy for Thames Rockets founder Charlie Matheson.
Having spent decades tinkering with different projects, the 48-year-old from Guernsey realises one can become desensitised to the water.
And then he sees our reaction and realises he’s still got it right.
The first stretch is limited to a modest 12 knots (14mph). Max, our guide, fills the time with trivia about the city and its history.
It’s loud, so close to the water. There’s a lot to focus on. But there’s ample time to study the rolling skyline.
And then, everything changes. After the bridges, the river opens up into a marine autobahn of sorts – a ‘no speed limit zone’ down towards Canary Wharf.
Thames Rockets’ Rocket Rebel opens to the public on April 10
Charlie Matheson, from Guernsey, spent £1.5mn on the British-built boat
The engines roar into life and a medley of classic rock blares over the speakers.
The boat twists and turns through the second act, waves riding up the sides as the Bond theme fades in. It’s 7pm, the sun is setting, the wind in our faces.
It is easy to become jaded by the cool monotony of London living. But, for an hour, it’s nice to feel like a tourist in a foreign city. Charlie has still got it right.
London does look different from the water. There is something striking about passing bars and restaurants familiar from another angle, a step removed from past lives.
Max, one of several guides hired to liven up the initial trek out of the city, reels off quick facts about London and its many lives through the centuries.
HMS Belfast – far more imposing sat alongside it in a 16m aluminium frame – once had the power to do the same speeds, he says. Unthinkable.
Designed and built in Britain, Rocket Rebel is a triumph of local ingenuity. To former investment manager Charlie Matheson, it is as much a triumph in cutting through red tape to make it happen.
Seating 26 passengers, Rocket Rebel takes more than double the current maximum of 12 allowed in Europe and on the River Thames – the result of careful work by maritime lawyers to reinterpret the law.
Amanda Holden pictured on a Thames Rockets boat on the river
The attraction is billed as the UK’s first jet-propelled and fastest-ever London sightseeing speedboat
As well as being the fastest British-designed and built speedboat of its class, it is also the largest.
The hope is that overcoming prohibitive regulation will allow the venture to thrive and grow where others could not.
Ahead of its release to the public on April 10, Charlie tells me his plans to scale the business, perhaps abroad. But for today the focus is on making sure everyone is having a good time.
Rocket Rebel is, after all, the coming together of years of work since he moved to London in 2005, aged 28.
Two years prior, he had trialled a boat tour in his native Guernsey for visitors interested in a nearby seal colony.
The capital was a much bigger playground. But tourist trips were limited by speed and size. He said he found what was available boring and, at times, even cringeworthy.
Thames Rockets began offering tours in 2006. At the time, they could get away with hitting 40 knots (46mph) through the centre of the city.
Regulations on speed and capacity have threatened to stifle what tour-operators can hope to do on the Thames.
Swimming against the tide, as it were, Charlie is proud that his venture can still generate the excitement in customers that drew him to the water all those years ago.
The boat will stay moored near the London Eye, a permanent addition to the mostly static historic centre of the capital and its plethora of familiar attractions.
It’s a welcome twist on the steady flow of ferries and taxi boats still chugging back and forth after all these centuries.
‘I wanted to bring something unique for this London based tour, using performers, comedians and actors to guide the boats, to really add to the element of surprise,’ Charlie explained.
‘I wanted someone who could really read an audience and deliver the energy, humour and vitality that London and our customers deserved.’
Passengers will pass the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye before moving down towards the Tate Modern and St Paul’s Cathedral
It goes on past London Bridge, HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge, before coming to the ‘no speed limit zone’ towards Canary Wharf, hitting speeds of 35mph
Bringing it to fruition required help from British naval architects Chartwell Marine and builders Diverse Marine, based in the Isle of Wight.
It was ‘rather a strong brief’ for the architects, Charlie acknowledged. ‘But they have delivered.’
‘We have not only doubled our capacity but also significantly reduced our carbon footprint with a more efficient engine and lower emissions, whilst carrying twice the numbers.’
Andy Page, Managing Director of Chartwell Marine, said: ‘We’re excited to venture into London’s speedboat sightseeing market with the launch of Rocket Rebel.
‘The vessel has been designed in close collaboration with Thames Rockets, and we’ve leveraged the latest innovations and design techniques to reduce its environmental impact on the Thames.
‘Rocket Rebel features a sleek C21st lightweight engineered hull, and is the first HSC code boat of its type – significantly reducing emissions per person when compared to traditional high speed sight-seeing options on the Thames.’
April launch tickets are offered at £54.95 for adults and £49.95 for children, rising to £69.95 from May 1.
