The resulting Cheetah is 7.9m LOA with a beam of 2.7m and a draft of approximately 0.30m depending on load. Hull width is considerably greater than Cheetah's popular 6.9m design, giving increased buoyancy and a maximum load of 1.5 tonnes.

A walkaround wheelhouse gives easy access to the bow.

The first 7.9m will be working off the west coast of Scotland.

The long wheelhouse version gives a cabin space of 2.1m by 2.58m which is fully fitted out and includes two suspension seats on storage pods. Two Houdini sliding side windows provide excellent visibility and a Vetus hatch is fitted in the front window.

Power is provided by twin 225hp four stroke Honda outboards which delivered a top speed of 45 knots on preliminary sea trials.

Fuel is located in twin 180 litre tanks. Full Sea Star hydraulic steering allows each engine to be raised independently. Electronics include an M 401 ICOM VHF with ICOM 100 DSC control unit and GPS. All the craft's extensive stainless steel work was done in-house at Cheetah.

The custom built trailer has three axles, six wheels, and disc brakes which give greatly improved performance over drum brakes after immersion in salt water. Cheetah has two more firm orders for the 7.9m with several more enquiries in the pipeline.

Ventnor Haven, near Cheetah's home on the south side of the Isle of Wight, was built by the Isle of Wight Council. Opened last month, it is the only sheltered mooring between Bembridge and Yarmouth. It will provide an anchorage for local commercial fishing vessels as well as small motor boats travelling from the Solent ports. Pontoons and a slipway will be completed by next spring.

MJ Information No: 18608