DESIGN & Build Table in association with the Spinlock Special Projects Team Outstanding! Gunboat G4 – the world’s first foiling cruiser-racer
The blazing orange G4, Timbalero 3, came off the freighter in Sint Maarten to undergo first sea trials. Could the dream of a cruiser with hydrofoils come true? Would it be manageable? With its 3-tonne weight, could it actually fly… with fridge, salon and beds? Day one… 14kt of breeze. Safely in surface mode, foiling supremo Mischa Heemskerk puts the G4 through her paces with Holland Composites’ Pieter Jan Dwarshuis checking things. The prep-preg carbon/Nomex structures perform as predicted in steep Caribbean seas. Cautious yes, but Timbalero still speeds downwind at 22kt. Day two and the first foiling tests. Moderate winds and boards set to the maximum rake of 7°. After several runs the team decides to shift the foils forward. The need for this adjustment was antici- pated with three foil positions already built in. Easter Sunday brings light air. Too light to fly, but the balance feels right. Milestone day, mastmaker Ben Hall and Ronstan Moth sailor Ben Moon join the team. Higher winds are ideal for the first day of foiling. The R1 unfurls and speed builds to 20kt, we hold our breath and watch the G4 lift clear of the water and accelerate to 24kt. Flight appears smooth and stable. With stable flight established, three more days’ testing confirm performance of the G4. Numerous foiling runs above 30kt in open water – and test-sailor Shannon Falcone tells us that an AC45 or AC72 would be difficult to manage in these rougher conditions while the G4 appears to be thriving. The G4 offers real benefits to performance sailing. The T-rudders and forgiving daggerboard foils lead to a comfortable skimming mode upwind and greatly reduced pitching. The boat lifts, levels and accelerates by over 2kt when foil rake is induced. With time we expect to see an upwind foiling mode in the high teens. The faster we
Custom builds BOAT
C-Class
MC34 Custom Class40 IRC 45 TP52
LOA DESIGNER
7.62m Joncas/Chaussée/ETS 10.3m Marc Lombard 12.13m Nivelt/Mabire 13.64m Marc Lombard 15.85m Botín Partners
BUILDER
Mystery Composites/ETS Marsaudon Composites Shoreteam, Caen TBA
Longitud Cero
OCD Class 40 12.13m Owen-Clarke/Clay Oliver Carbon Ocean Yachts
www.carbonoceanyachts.com
TP52 TP52 TP52
Code 2 Hugo Boss
15.85m Botín Partners 15.85m Judel-Vrolijk 15.85m Botín Partners 17.6m Marc Lombard 18.28m Verdier-VPLP
Banque Populaire 18.28m Verdier-VPLP Gitana
Virbac-St Michel 18.28m Verdier-VPLP Imoca 60
Super Nikka High Spirit Cafe Racer
WallyCento 3 WallyCento 4 Macif
Tiger Jay
18.79m Mills Design 20m
18.28m Verdier-VPLP 18.28m Verdier-VPLP Botín Partners
26.36m Humphreys Yacht Design 30.34m Reichel-Pugh
Banque Populaire IX 30.5m TBC J9 J8
41.5m Hoek Design 42.64m Hoek Design 43.6m Hoek Design
WallyCento 3 30.34m Reichel-Pugh
www.greenmarine.co.uk
King Marine Persico
Cookson
Black Pepper Green Marine
CDK & associates Multiplast Multiplast Persico
Vismara Marine King Marine Delayed
30.34m Confidential (but well deserved) Confidential 30.5m VPLP
TBA
Holland Jachtbouw Holland Jachtbouw Bloemsma Shipyard
Green Marine
Green Marine Multiplast-CDK
Day two and the Gunboat G4 is up on her foils and launched at 20kt. The power of modern lift foils is amply demonstrated by the easy pace of this 3-tonne design
sailed her upwind, the more dampened the motion. Reaching and downwind are transformed. The G4 can be pressed far harder than other cats of her size. According to Mischa, an Extreme 40 has a limit of about 25kt, and the original AC45 in trials appeared to top out at 27kt before risking a pitchpole. The G4 has already achieved 31.7kt. We expect to see 40kt+ soon. The G4 trials led to many firsts. The first cruiser-racer to foil. The first fridge to foil. The first galley to foil. The first fresh-water porcelain toilet to foil. What might the future hold? Systems will be refined for easier solo and couples sailing. For coastal cruising you should be able to leave work on Friday and foil to a destination 50-70nm away before sunset. After enjoying a long weekend in ‘Glamping’ comfort, you return at dusk on Sunday. Sailing can deliver a more attractive proposition than power- boats. The journey there should be as much fun as the destination. The Gunboat G4 embodies this ethos. India Johnstone, Gunboat
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LAUNCH COMMENTS June 2015
July 2015 Sep 2015 Oct 2015 May 2015
May 2015
A brand new C-Class out of Canada. Admirable university technology project Customised IRC version of the MC34
A new Campagne de Francefor the great man Custom full-on and relatively light IRC racer
A sistership to Quantum Racingfor Andy ‘Alegre’ Soriano
Open 60 engineering and build quality in a Class40. Designed by Owen-Clarke Design with engineering by Pure of New Zealand. Built in Rhode Island for a new US-based Class 40 team
May 2015 May 2015 May 2015 Oct 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 Sep 2015 July 2015 July 2015 June 2015 2016
Sep 2015 July 2016 June 2015 April 2017 End 2015 2016 2016
June 2015
The latest Bronenoseccomes off the Azzurratooling The 2015 Ránalso has a sistership – the new Gladiator
Sledwill be the second new Cookson TP52 out of Auckland this year All-carbon high-performance cruiser-racer
Alex Thomson will start his next Vendée Globe on a brand new design A new Imoca 60 to go with the team’s promised 100ft solo trimaran Séb Josse’s hard work with Gitana pays off with the build of a new Imoca 60 (Yet) another new Imoca 60 for the flying vet Jean-Pierre Dick
Italian skipper Andrea Mura is the lucky customer for the latest VPLP-Verdier creation Fast lift-keel all-carbon cruiser-racer for the Med circuit Powerful-looking all-carbon racer-cruiser with canting keel
This all-carbon/Nomex day racer features a deep lifting keel and twin rudders The third WallyCento is much more Magic Carpetthan Hamilton Now underway but we have been NDA’d... Definitely happening though François Gabart gets a new singlehanded multihull to keep him fit … As does Vendée Globe runner-up Armel Le Cléac’h Original 1936 Frank Paine design Original 1935 Frank Paine design Original 1937 Tore Holm design
The third WallyCento will be (much) more Magic Carpetthan Hamilton. Currently approaching completion for a USA owner, big news will hopefully come soon with confirmation of the 4th WallyCento
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