Rebel Rocket: A thrilling spy adventure for the whole family

This Easter holidays, The Rocket Rebel makes its stunning debut on the Thames, transporting you into a world of espionage as you race down the river, crafting unforgettable memories with your loved ones.

On a radiant sunny day, the London Eye gleamed majestically against the vibrant blue sky as we arrived at the pier, brimming with anticipation for our Rocket Rebel adventure. Clad in our bright red lifejackets, we could hardly contain our excitement as we eagerly awaited our turn to board.

The Rocket Rebel stands as a brilliant testament to cutting-edge naval engineering. It cost £1.6 million to build and was conceived by the visionary Guernsey boat entrepreneur Charlie Matheson and his talented team who accompanied us on the inaugural ride.

Expect an extraordinary experience from the get-go. Our warm welcome, complete with VIP treatment, set the stage for something special. Charlie himself came down to meet us and handed an exclusive goodie bag to our daughter, whose delighted squeals filled the air as she lifted up her vibrant red sunglasses and a bespoke Lego set of the magnificent boat.

Since introducing the first sightseeing speedboat to the Thames in 2006, the concept has flourished, leading to a fleet of rigid inflatable boats that have dazzled in films and facilitated transportation to the O2 for various celebrities, including Amanda Holden.

Yet, the unparalleled Rocket Rebel goes beyond, seamlessly marrying the sophistication synonymous with 007 with a thrilling adventure that offers captivating sightseeing interlaced with sharp-witted humour, hosted by some of London’s finest comedians and actors.

As the striking, Formula-one-like red vessel taxied into the pier, it shone like a Ferrari, igniting our imaginations and racing hearts. This 26-seater marvel is more than double the size of conventional RIB boats, which seat only 12, a true feat of engineering, where we had the luxury of front-row seats. We glided past historic landmarks, including the imposing Tower of London, the majestic HMS Belfast, the ancient London Bridge, and the breathtaking architecture of Tower Bridge, with our daughter soaking in the stunning views.

Charlie shared his childhood dream of launching this craft: “We needed something sleek, exciting, and sexy, this was it, I have dreamt of this since a young boy.”

He then led us onboard, where we met our skipper, Charlene Peck, and our professional actor and comedian guide who entertained us with witty anecdotes and intriguing facts about London’s rich history. This sparked our history-loving child’s imagination - combining her two passions - speed and history.

Then came the moment we had all eagerly awaited. As we zipped beneath the iconic Tower Bridge, we surged forward to the exhilarating tune of James Bond, feeling the rush of wind as we sped through the waves at a breathtaking pace of 35 mph - the wind ripping through our hair.

Engineered for high-speed carving turns, the lightweight aluminium design is powered by two 725 hp (1,440 hp) low-emission jet-propelled engines, which are a step up from the 440 hp engines of the existing fleet- that are still fast. With the James Bond soundtrack and the skyscrapers all around, it is a thrilling ride, and one for adventure junkies. We loved it so much, and our daughter got a real taste of the high life.

It took five years of meticulous planning; the British-flagship Rocket Rebel was designed and built in the UK. Charlie and the British naval architects at Chartwell Marine dreamt up the concept, which was brought to life and built by Isle of Wight's Diverse Marine, a company renowned for constructing strong, fast, and lightweight aluminium commercial boats.

It all began when Channel Islander Charlie, originally from Guernsey, envisioned taking people on island tours in his homeland. He converted an old fish and chip shop, bought a boat, took people to see the wildlife, and built an online booking system in 2003 in the early days, revolutionising it, and got the business model working. After three years, he decided to bring it over to the Thames.

"In Guernsey, I used Marine biologists, but here in London, I knew we had lots of out-of-work actors, so I thought, 'Let's use them and add something different to it."

"So we have performers, and we started adding new boats. Every six or seven years, we have another generation, and this is the latest version of that. We started to find the naval architects to make it happen in 2018, and we designed her to lean and skim over the river's surface and carve through the Thames."

He added: "We wanted something sleek and sexy that operated within the licensing laws, as they have strict rules. We added another layer of safety management to operate this boat with 26 passengers. We also worked with legal experts to reinterpret UK licensing law, enabling high-speed rides across the Thames for 26 passengers."

Rocket Rebel departs from the iconic London Eye Pier (Boarding Gate One) and heads downriver, showcasing some of London’s most famous sights - the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Cleopatra’s Needle, Somerset House, Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and more—before unleashing its full potential in the ‘no speed limit zone’ towards Canary Wharf, with all the glittering and gleaming skyscrapers adding to the glamour as the vessel reached speeds of 30 knots, approximately 35 mph.

Charlie added: "Rocket Rebel is what our incredible capital deserves - an exciting, eye-catching, contemporary way to experience our glorious city at speed from the water, complete with a massive sound system, all hosted by our talented actor-comedian guides."

“Rocket Rebel fulfils all licensing requirements while ensuring passengers enjoy sensory connections with the elements, exhilarating turns, and breathtaking acceleration. It was a formidable challenge for British naval architects, but they excelled. We’ve doubled our capacity and significantly reduced our carbon footprint with a more efficient engine and lower emissions, all while accommodating twice the number of guests."

Andy Page, Managing Director of Chartwell Marine, remarked: "We’re thrilled to be entering London’s speedboat sightseeing market with the launch of Rocket Rebel. Designed in close collaboration with Thames Rockets, we’ve harnessed the latest innovations and techniques to minimise its environmental impact on the Thames. Rocket Rebel features a sleek, lightweight engineered hull and is the first HSC code boat of its type - significantly reducing emissions per person compared to traditional high-speed sightseeing options.”

The Rocket Rebel, launched on Thursday, 10 April - just in time for the Easter break- and will offer every passenger a license to thrill. We can’t wait to return for more adventures.

April launch tickets are offered at £54.95 for adults and £49.95 for children, rising to £69.95 from May 1.

Find out more at: thamesrockets.com/ultimate-london-adventure-rocket-rebel-50-mins