New Boats Table
in association with the Spinlock Special Projects Team Fresh start Gunboat may be no more but Gunboat owners are not giving up their sport…
A dedicated core of Gunboat owners are now working together to take their class forward in spite of the failure of their boats’ manufacturer. This was the eighth year I have competed in the Gunboat class in the Caribbean. These boats are quick, which I will come back to later, but the main attraction is space. Space while racing, space for parties and space for friends and family. Plus, even when hull-flying, typically at around 10°, the Gunboat ride generally remains ‘stress-free’. You can race these boats with a crew of four, but a couple of extra hands does not hurt and the plentiful working space makes it safe for guests to pitch in. With large trampolines forward and limited heel, the work is much less intimidating than on a large monohull. This is racing which involves a full social sphere of friends and family, rather than hardcore carbon junkies with yachts full of pro crew. Most boats race without professionals –well, there is one, Elvis, which upped the game this year, also adding a big new 28m carbon spar. But then they also had the loudest stereo and Mount Gay (literally) on tap… That said, at class events Gunboat racing is still pretty serious.
Docks are lined with containers where gear is offloaded. Diesel is pumped out, water tanks kept low, anchors and chains are left on the dock, taking a tonne or more out of the boats. In terms of performance, we were of course obliterated by Lloyd Thornburg and Brian Thompson on their MOD 70 Phaedo3
. But fighting
it out with the Volvo 65 Bruneland beating them in a breeze is a cool thing. In fact, Elvisrocked on to beat them in every race, at times hitting over 30kt… usually on one hull.
It would be great to see this style of yachting flourish since it offers something for a wide audience: sailing excitement combined with the
Custom builds BOAT Mini 6.50
IRC 36
Class40 Dibley 40 ORC 40 IRC44 IRC 45
Vismara 50 FC3
53 Dayracer
Vismara 56 Hugo Boss Imoca 60
Chessie Racing Vismara 62
Maxi 100 11m
LOA DESIGNER 6.5m
Marc Lombard Brett Bakewell-White
12.13m Nivelt/Mabire 12.2m Kevin Dibley
12.2m Brett Bakewell-White 13.36m Humphreys Yacht Design 13.64m Marc Lombard
15.8m Mills Design/Vismara 16.17m Finot Conq
16.76m Brett Bakewell-White 16.9m Mills Design/Micheletti 18.28m Verdier-VPLP 18.28m Verdier-VPLP 18.79m Tripp Design
Baltic 68 Custom 19.51m Reichel-Pugh High Spirit Maxi72
18.8m Mills Design/Vismara 20m
Botín Partners 21.9m Botín Partners 29.76m Brett Bakewell-White BUILDER
François Champion Confidential
Shoreteam, Caen Carl Smith (NZ) TBC
Standing by...
CSC Composites Vismara Marine Knierim Yachtbau TBC
Vismara Marine Green Marine Persico
New England Boatworks Vismara Marine Baltic Yachts King Marine
Premier Composites Confidential
Wally Cento 4 30.34m Mills Design/Pininfarina Persico Marine
www.persicomarine.com
Gitana XVII
Banque Populaire IX 30.5m VPLP Wally 110
Tiger Jay Svea
Baltic 175
30.5m Verdier/VPLP 33.51m Frers
Baltic 130 Custom 39.6m Reichel-Pugh J9 J8
41.5m Hoek Design 42.64m Hoek Design 43.6m Hoek Design
43.6m Hoek Design/Thore Holm 53.9m Judel-Vrolijk
Multiplast Multiplast-CDK
Performance Boats, Italy Baltic Yachts
Holland Jachtbouw Holland Jachtbouw Bloemsma Shipyard Vitters Shipyard Baltic Yachts
Coming through… and pressing hard. During the 2016 Heineken Regatta Melges 32 champion Jason Carroll’s turbo Gunboat 62 Elvis (on port) beat the VO65 Brunel across the line in every race
best hang-around platforms on the planet.
But as Nigel Irens suggests (page 36), it is time to open this game up to other boat types. In terms of rating, the current approach of the Gunboat class is ambitious, with weighing every year and hull shapes also measured. Checking weight is important in a cat, but for wider use we could start with just an assessment of foil and sail plan efficiency, together with waterline length and propeller arrangements –hull shape variations are relatively unimportant with such slender hulls. As Nigel says, we all now just have to get together and do it. Torbjörn Linderson
q
LAUNCH COMMENTS Aug 2016
June 2016 Spring 2016 2016 2017
Sep 2016 July 2016 July 2016 May 2016 Late 2016 May 2016
Spring 2016 2016
May 2016
June/July 2016 Sept 2016 May 2016 Sep 2016 Dec 2016
July 2017
First new proto for a while from Lombard. Scow influenced, but this is not a scow Stripped-out carbon IRC racer for Japan… the carbon IRC break-point creeps down further A new Campagne de Francefor Halvard – late but will be ready for 2016 events Canting-keel offshore racer-cruiser
All-carbon flat-out ORC racer for Korean client (South Korean, we expect) The latest Oystercatcherwill be ready and waiting for the next Caribbean season Another custom IRC racer from the designer of the successful MC34
A new cruiser-racer suitable for both IRC and ORC competition… and stylish holidays This new all-carbon lift-keel racer-cruiser will also feature twin rudders Rather elegant gentleman’s (large) dayracer with plenty of loud pedal A new cruiser-racer also with IRC and ORC potential… very stylish down below More sea trials are underway following the slamming failure during the TJV Relaunch – the lack of a sponsor forced Andrea Mura to sell this boat to Mer Agitée Soon… highly refined café racer from the builders of Rambler88and Bella Mente A cruiser-racer and a racer-racer, both good looking and both being built by Vismara Good-looking new cruiser-racer design from the California style kings Powerful-looking all-carbon racer-cruiser with canting keel
‘Robertissima’ Tomasini should have his new boat just in time for the Maxi Worlds Designer Brett Bakewell-White is busy busy, and submerged under a tedious pile of NDAs
A very beautiful-looking hull shell and matching deck are now complete and the installation of the complex and innovative primary structure is well underway. Weight concentration is a big feature of this build
July 2017 April 2017 Aug 2016 Late 2016 Late 2016 Late 2016 Late 2016 2017 2017
Séb Josse will get a new singlehanded multihull to follow the Vendée Globe And a new solo trimaran for 2016 Vendée Globe favourite Armel Le Cléac’h Latest Wally features novel interior styling with Wally Cento-style performance Very little from the Reichel-Pugh office ever goes slowly…or looks old Original 1936 Frank Paine design Original 1935 Frank Paine design Original 1937 Thore Holm design
This Thore Holm design has been 75 years in gestation… but now she is underway Big, comfy, but will be very fast for a boat of this type. Superyacht racing awaits
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RODDY GRIMES
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