Multihulls - especially catamarans - are not held in the highest regard by sailors. Adjectives such as sluggish, slow or bulky are often used on the dock. In addition to the supposedly poor sailing characteristics, the two-hulls are particularly noticeable due to their mostly bulky and less aerodynamic box silhouette, which may not look very attractive, but offers clear advantages.
Large-format catamarans from shipyards such as Sunreef, Lagoon or Fountaine Pajot are mainly used as travelling flats with plenty of space rather than as sporty cruising platforms. In principle, you could leave it at that if it weren't for the Gunboat brand, which can be regarded in good conscience as the multihull equivalent of the Finnish carbon custom manufacturer Baltic Yachts. Not only is the build quality first-class, but the French shipyard's models are also around 100 per cent more expensive than their competitors.
Also interesting:
Three to four newbuilds are currently being built in the shipyards in La Grande-Motte every year. The portfolio comprises three units: Gunboat 68, 72 and 80. The shipyard's Chief Operating Officer responsible for production processes, William Jelbert, explains: "We do not emphasise mass production and have no plans to increase capacity. We want to remain exclusive, deliver the best possible quality and continue to realise individual customer wishes."
"Wonderful" is the first Gunboat 72
This is exactly what they did with "Wonderful", the first Gunboat 72, whose experienced owner knew exactly what he wanted. The performance and stability of a gunboat, but with one crucial difference in the layout: a flybridge! Until then, the performance requirements associated with the brand did not allow for a sailing roof deck, and the shipyard always refused. It was able to do so because the majority of customers come from the regatta sector and rely on high VMG and first-class sailing fun. With "Sea Tilt", the multihull experts delivered build number 03 of the Gunboat 68 to a regatta professional with a wealth of experience in offshore and coastal regattas, including Mini-Transat and Solitaire du Figaro participations and a strong involvement in SailGP, Olympic and America's Cup teams.
Scotsman Lord Irvine Laidlaw also enjoys sailing and has steered a whole fleet of high-performance maxi yachts called "Highland Fling" around the courses for the last 20 years. The now 81-year-old regatta fan switched to two Gunboat hulls for reasons of comfort, as he explains in the YACHT interview below. With sailors of this calibre, it is understandable that their multihulls were designed for pure sailing pleasure thanks to their lightweight carbon fibre construction and high-performance rigging package - even in casual cruising mode. The "Wonderful" owner, on the other hand, likes things to be a little more relaxed. He wanted plenty of living space and a fly with large lounge areas and a central, centrally installed helm station.
To compensate for the higher weight of the sun deck, the proven design team, consisting of Gunboat engineers, the studio of Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) and exterior designers Christophe Chedal Anglay and Patrick le Quément, developed a cat whose sharply cut hulls with wave-piercing stem offer significantly more volume compared to the Gunboat 68. In addition, an extra 30 centimetres in width ensure a greater righting moment.
To avoid the worst-case scenario, every Gunboat cat is equipped with the UpSideUp system
This makes perfect sense for gunboat formats, as unlike most cruising cats from well-known series manufacturers, the carbon constructions are also able to sail on a hull - beach cat feeling in XXL format, so to speak. "We build our models so light that the pressure in the rig is immediately converted into forward motion, which is why it is really difficult to capsize them," explains William Jelbert during the tour of "Wonderful". "To avoid the worst-case scenario, each of our boats is equipped with the UpSideUp system.
This electronic safety unit continuously measures the loads in the rig and the heel of the catamaran and automatically furls the mainsheet from a previously defined limit." Extendable, straight carbon centreboards, which generate additional buoyancy with their asymmetrical profile shape, ensure that the 29-tonner stays on track and minimises drift.
Of course, most gunboat owners are not only interested in the pleasure of fast sailing, but also in comfort and space. "The 72 was designed with a cruising focus," says William Jelbert. "This is in stark contrast to the Gunboat 68 and 80, which were customised for performance-oriented owners."
Isabelle Racoupeau was responsible for the interior, creating flowing transitions between the living spaces and realising a dynamic and bright living ambience. The large aft cockpit, which is completely covered by the fly, flows seamlessly into the saloon, which is dominated by a galley on the port side.
The "Wonderful" owner, on the other hand, chose the minimum set-up at the helmstand
A centrally positioned counter serves as a room divider and storage space for a fridge and freezer and is used both as a bar and for preparing food. The spacious lounge area opposite consists of an L-shaped sofa plus coffee table; a chaise longue placed right next to the window resembles a bunk bed. "One of the best places on board," enthuses Production Manager Jelbert. In the standard version, there is a complete steering position at the very front of the saloon, including the wheel and all instruments. The "Wonderful" owner, on the other hand, opted for the minimal set-up, consisting of a chart table, B&G chart plotter plus autopilot, radio and command transmitter for the two 110-kilowatt diesel engines. This makes the saloon look even more airy than it already is. The superstructure's XL window panels ensure a light-flooded space and the best possible overview.
The North Sails wardrobe is steered and trimmed at the flybridge helm station, where the experienced owner also opted for the centrally positioned single helm station instead of the standard double helm station. This gives him and his guests more valuable space in the fresh air.
The 29-tonne Gunboat 72 is the SUV in the shipyard's portfolio
Gunboat customers have a variety of options when it comes to the layout of the cabins. On "Wonderful", the generously proportioned owner's suite with adjoining shower and toilet is located in the starboard hull aft, with ribbon windows on two sides providing a great view from the bed. The bow area is occupied by a guest cabin with a double bed. Opposite in the port hull, the crew of two occupy the bow, with a guest suite directly behind. VIP guests or particularly good friends of the owner move into spacious accommodation with their own companionway in the stern. A hydraulic bathing platform between the hulls enlarges the cockpit and serves as a lift for the 500-kilogram high-field tender.
Anyone who pays Gunboat at least 10.5 million euros for the new 72 will realise that performance and comfort are not mutually exclusive. William Jelbert describes the hybrid character as follows: "Our Gunboat 68 and 80 are like a Porsche 911 - fast, sporty, sexy. The Gunboat 72, on the other hand, is like a Cayenne, it is the SUV of our portfolio - designed for comfortable travelling at high speeds, garnished with a lot of sailing fun."
Technical data of the Gunboat 72 "Wonderful"
- Length over everything: 22,00 m
- Length (waterline): 20,00 m
- Width: 9,40 m
- Depth: 1,70-3,80 m
- Displacement (empty): 29 t
- Material: Carbon/GRP sandwich
- Motors: 2x Yanmar
- Engine power: 2x 110 kW
- Mast: Lorima
- Mast height: 32,60 m
- Sail: North Sails
- Sail areas: 288 m² (large + J3), 250 m² (large + J2), 450 m² (large + A3)
- Winches: Harken Performa
- Anti-centre system: UpSideUp Easy
- Fuel: 2x 650 litres
- Water: 2x 420 litres
- Navigation: B&G
- Construction: VPLP, Gunboat
- Exterior design: Christophe Chedal Anglay, Patrick le Quément
- Interior design: Isabelle Racoupeau
- Shipyard: Gunboat, 2023
- Starting price: from 10.5 million euros
Interview with Lord Irvine Laidlaw: "I want to encourage other owners"
Lord Irvine Laidlaw is causing a stir in the maxi circus with his Gunboat 80 "Highland Fling XVIII". The 81-year-old Scot is one of the first monohull owners to switch to two hulls for reasons of comfort
The 2023 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo was an unusual sight: twin-hulled boats moored at the pier of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. One in particular stands out: the Ferrari-red Gunboat 80 with prominent provenance. It is "Highland Fling XVIII" owned by Lord Irvine Laidlaw. The Scottish baron continues to steer the cat himself in regattas in accordance with the rules of the International Maxi Association, and the race crew includes sailing heroes such as French multihull veteran Loïck Peyron. Shortly before setting sail, the passionate regatta sailor Laidlaw gave an interview to YACHT in the cockpit.
Lord Laidlaw, when did you catch the catamaran bug?
Lord Irvine Laidlaw: I have taken part in regattas with 15 "Highland Flings" with only one hull. There are two of them here [in Porto Cervo], "Moat" and "Django Unchained". I started to worry for two reasons. Firstly, if I moved from side to side on a boat and didn't time it absolutely right, climbing onto the high edge became a struggle. Also, and more importantly, I think the IMA [International Maxi Association] has set a good and generous amount of time to get off the oar, which to be honest I need, so ten minutes in the first hour and 30 minutes in the following hours.
I don't use the 30 minutes, but the ten minutes really make a difference. On a monohull you can only squeeze behind the railing, there's not really enough room. During the ten minutes you probably make a tack or two, so you have to cross, sit down again and you don't get to rest. Staying on course is a kind of balancing act, you have to hold on tight all the time. In short, I wanted to extend my life as a racing sailor. I could still sail on a monohull today, but I'm worried about the next two years. It won't get any better.
Then the cats came into play.
I wondered whether that would be better, because of course they push less. And you can sit right here [in the cockpit] in the ten free minutes. Someone can even make you a coffee, which is a luxury. To try it out, I bought a Gunboat 68, it wasn't quite the boat I wanted, but it improved things that had bothered me about the monohull. Well, and you go fast, which is fun. Eventually I ended up with a cat length of 80 feet, which seemed like a good compromise. Since the Gunboat 80 is a brand new design, we got to choose hulls and centreboards with VPLP. It's not really a production model.
What special features had to be taken into account during construction?
The deck was made at Multiplast in Brittany and the hull at Fiber Mechanics in Lymington. Everything is made of prepreg. We upgraded the hydraulics, trimmed the boat for racing and utilised our 40 years of experience with racing yachts. For example, we suggested these steps to make it easier to get from the running decks to the cockpit. So you don't have to walk over the steps aft and the working cockpit, which is covered in ropes. That is dangerous.
But you have decided against the typical Gunboat inside steering position.
All the 68s originally had that, and I said there was no way I could race on the inside. So we insisted on two wheels on the outside of our 68. Apart from the fact that the mast is right in the way on the 68, you have to be able to see into the sails.
What is the estimated ratio between cruising and regatta sailing on the latest "Highland Fling"?
Zero per cent cruising. I have a large motor yacht, the 68-metre "Lady Christine". Twenty years ago, I decided to stop cruising on sailing boats. They are not comfortable. In England, I use the Spirit 52 "Oui Fling" for regatta sailing.
Were you involved in the catamarans being allowed to compete in the Maxi Cup?
The IMA has been extremely helpful, especially their General Secretary Andrew McIrvine, but also the YCCS Commodore Michael Illbruck. Now that we have started, we need to encourage more people to join the Big Racing Cats class. It's fabulous to see the others here.
Your Gunboat 80 shoots through the sea on a hull. How do you prevent capsizing?
We have an automatic mainsheet release. The heel is currently set to 20 degrees, and a sensor at the masthead provides information about the loads in the rig. The day I went out for the first time, the wind was blowing at 27 knots. We triggered three times, once manually from the main trimmer, then due to the heel and the third time due to excessive loads. It works very well. We can set everything precisely, including the delay. For example, we can set the automatic furling to 23 degrees only after several seconds. Thanks to powerful hydraulic cylinders, we can then tighten the main again very quickly.
Foilers heel even less. Have you also thought about a "Highland Fly"?
We took a look at foilers. "Flying Nikka" was built independently of the handicap, but we want to take part in regattas with compensation. So we decided in favour of straight, asymmetrical daggerboards, not curved or L-shaped. Although they would have given us lift, they don't help below 16 knots.
How much have you been pushing "Highland Fling XVIII" over the last few days?
We reached 27 knots with a good 25 knots of true wind. But we were only training and didn't want to set any records.
