AUGUSTUS - GUNBOAT NEWS

PHAEDO'S 427 MILE DAY....
For years we have extolled the daily range of a GUNBOAT. As early as 2002, TRIBE was averaging 270 miles per day offshore, with many days in the 330-385 mile range. We noted that 400 mile days are possible. During the TRANSPAC Race last week, PHAEDO recorded a 427 mile day, and was tracking towards an even bigger day, when....

   
 
GRAVITY STORM
Our hearts go out to the well-prepared and always professional PHAEDO team. According to PHAEDO owner Lloyd Thornburg, who was on the helm at the time, the top of the rig broke off while under a full main and A4 code sail. So ended PHAEDO'S remarkable run at the TRANSPAC Race. PHAEDO was well ahead of the entire TP52 and West Coast sled fleet at the time. The only boats on the course showing better pace were a 100' super-maxi, a turbo-charged Volvo 70, and a lengthened ORMA 60' tri. We may never know the exact reason why PHAEDO's rig succumbed. The crew wisely cut it away to preserve PHAEDO's hulls. She is the only GUNBOAT that chose to utilize PBO rigging. While it can reduce windage and save weight, it's track record for reliability would not be regarded as the best today. The manner of the rig's loss, in our opinion, is consistent with the failure of a windward diamond shroud. All GUNBOAT's today are specified with aramid shrouds and carbon diamond stays, which reflect industry best practices at this time. We salute Lloyd and his PHAEDO team for pushing so hard in so many epic races. PHAEDO is our cover girl, and has helped reset expectations of what an all-carbon world cruising GUNBOAT can achieve. We know PHAEDO's awesome team will rise again, and will be even more impressive when she returns!

 

MED DEGREES

 

 We are getting great reports from ZENYATTA, TIGER LILY, LAGUZ, and PANTHERA as they explore the Mediterranean Sea this season. These stories make our hearts sing as we watch these beautiful GUNBOATs deliver on their promise of world cruising in luxury at speed. ZENYATTA plans to enter the ARC Rally from the Canaries to St Lucia. TIGER LILY is thumbing a ride on Dock-Wise to make the fall season in New England. PANTHERA will keep cruising wherever her young family's heart desires. And LAGUZ plans to winter in the Med. Delivering these dreams keeps us fired up every day!


BATTAILE STATIONS 

 

 Lauren Battaile has left her career in the wine industry on the West Coast to be stationed at GUNBOAT as the new marketing manager. Lauren studied marketing as an undergrad, and applied those talents to two brands before joining us. A noted foodie and wine expert, she and her family are lifelong sailors from North Carolina. Lauren will be focused on traditional and social media, events, pr, shows and sales support. She will work closely with Meg Minetree, our sales director, and Peter Johnstone. This edition is Lauren's first effort. Welcome aboard!



WEEKNIGHT GUNBOAT CLASS RACING  

 

Tuesday and Thursday night saw the first ever weeknight beer-can racing between GUNBOATs. TRIBE's owner organized the series with the help of Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT. ELVIS and SLIM joined the host on the water. Winds were light, and racing was tight between the GUNBOATs racing on short courses, and in some cases through other yacht club races. The sight of three large cats towering over all other boats along the Connecticut shoreline led to several spectator boats following the fleet. Dave, the mate on ELVIS, employed his mass aloft on a halyard in a pseudo Spiderman wrecking ball technique to get ELVIS' battens to tack in the lighter winds. A big thank you to TRIBE's owner and Indian Harbor Yacht Club for a very special two nights. Thursday featured a barbecue for the GUNBOAT owners and crew at Indian Harbor's Sunfish bar and patio. These very special evenings show signs of growing. Upwards of seven GUNBOATs may be on the line in Long Island Sound in 2014! www.gunboat.com
 
FALCOR REFIT: THE SERVICE YARD IS LIVE

 

The new ramp at GUNBOAT's yard is proving to be a great addition. Owner Travis Rice sailed into town and left his beloved GUNBOAT 48 in our care for his snowboarding season. When he returns, he will find a spruced up eight year old GUNBOAT in new condition and ready for Travis' loop of the Pacific. CREAM is expected later this year, and up to three other GUNBOATs expect to get service at our NC yard in the coming months. More to come.

FLOW'S A GO!
 

The gorgeous new GUNBOAT 60 is completing sea trials, and will begin her delivery journey to the East Coast USA imminently. The best laid plans are to have her at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis in October.

GUNBOAT 55-05 EMERGES, 55-06 STARTS & 60-05 INFUSES 

 The NC team led by Aaron Croswait pulled GUNBOAT 55-05 from the gorgeous female tooling this past week. The outer skins of 55-06 are already in the mold. Paul Hakes reports the successful infusion of GUNBOAT 60-05. GUNBOAT 60-04 had her decks installed. Production is on a roll!

GUNBOAT ENDLESS SUMMER NEWS

GUNBOAT G4 

 

GUNBOAT expects to announce the new 40' GUNBOAT G4 imminently. Aimed at coastal cruising, weekends, daysailing and racing, the GUNBOAT G4 breaks new ground and redefines what sailing can be. Included will be everything you need, and set aside, will be everything you don't need. Innovations abound. We are thrilled to be nearing announcement with all details soon!  Please contact Meg Minetree if you would like to be included in future notifications on this series: meg@gunboat.com.

 

GUNBOAT WEATHER SEMINAR

This past weekend, GUNBOAT hosted a Weather Seminar for GUNBOAT 55 Owners and families at the College of the Ablemare in Manteo, NC. Bill Biewenga, a four time Whitbread/Volvo Race veteran (and winner) led the two-day session. Bill is one of the foremost weather gurus in the offshore world with his own book, DVD, and North U courses. With 400,000 miles offshore, Bill has seen just about everything. Eighteen attendees were immersed in advanced offshore weather teaching. GUNBOAT held a Friday evening welcome dinner at La Dolce Vita, and the gang gathered at Peter Johnstone's home for a Wanchese tuna cookout on Saturday. "Keeping our owners safe, and giving them confidence is critical. We will be offering these advanced weather seminars every 6-8 months. Every owner will receive advanced boat handling training as we have always done during sea trials," stated Meg Minetree, Director of Sales.  www.gunboat.com
 

FLOW TESTING

 William Jelbert, the GUNBOAT 60 project manager, announced the 'soft launch' of FLOW into the test pool at the yard. "We like to test all systems while afloat in the yard's pool before launching. Results look excellent and we expect to launch FLOW this coming week." Once again, the GUNBOAT Team at Hudson Yachts has delivered a gorgeous result. We look forward to reporting on sea trials in the coming weeks.   www.gunboat.com
 

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Bruce Hopkins joins GUNBOAT as Chief Financial Officer. "It was time to bring in someone of Bruce's caliber," remarked founder Peter Johnstone. For the past 15 years, Bruce has been an industry leading CFO at two renown Maine boat builders, Lyman Morse and Hodgkin Yachts. After 30 years in Maine, Bruce and his wife Kate have made the move to North Carolina. "We're excited to be here. GUNBOAT is thriving, and we're looking forward to being able to sail in warm weather for six months out of the year, rather than six weeks!"  www.gunboat.com


 

GUNBOAT MARINA AND SERVICE YARD

GUNBOAT expects to close a deal to purchase the marina and yard a few hundred yards South of the GUNBOAT facility in Wanchese, NC. Included in the purchase are two piers and development rights to a third pier. When completed, the GUNBOAT marina will have dockage for up to 14 Gunboats. The gravel yard enables up to six hauled GUNBOATs, and features the brand new 40' wide ramp for launching and hauling via hydraulic trailer. The GUNBOAT Marina will be the base for all service activities, commissioning and sea trials. www.gunboat.com
 

ART GUNBOAT

Meredith and Nils Erickson's painting of the GUNBOAT 62 ZENYATTA on the Horta harbor wall deserves special mention. Many GUNBOATS have celebrated their successful Trans-Atlantic passages with a stopover at Horta in the Azores with a beautiful painting on the wall. The creativity of the ZENYATTA painting stands above all. Few people realize that the GUNBOAT logo is based on an aerial photo of TRIBE's bows. The ZENYATTA painting perfectly captures the spirit of the logo. Well done Meredith and Nils!  www.gunboat.com

 

 

HIRED GUN!

There must something in the water at GUNBOAT these days, as it continues to attract top industry talent. Frank Edwards joins GUNBOAT as our Production Engineer. Operations Manager Dan Bottjen remarked, "This is a real coup for GUNBOAT. Frank is the best I have seen at production engineering. He comes across from Hattaras Yachts, where he was a key person for 20 years, most recently running their design and engineering teams." Frank will be a key asset in further refining the Gunboat production set-up and organization.

 

FALCOR: FIRST GUNBOAT CUSTOMER!

   RED BULL extreme snowboarder Travis Rice arrives this week on his GUNBOAT 48 FALCOR. Her GUNBOAT service stop will prepare her for an intended circuit of the Pacific in 2014 that will include film work for Travis' next movie production, MIGRATIONS, to follow up on his epic snowboard movie FLIGHT.

  
 

GUNBOAT HALL INSPECTION  

  

Henry Maxwell, along with assistance from owners Eric and Ben Hall, gave GUNBOAT the full tour of Hall Spars at their flagship Bristol, RI facility last week. With the first two GUNBOAT 55 spar packages nearly complete, the tour, of course, featured GUNBOAT work in every area. We are really happy to welcome Hall to our team, and to have such a world-class vendor so close to our NC production facility!  

GUNBOAT EXPANSION TO NORTH CAROLINA - VIDEO

GUNBOAT GO MARCHING ON

MOONWAVE IN PHUKET AND SE ASIA 

The gorgeous new GUNBOAT 60 MOONWAVE recently enjoyed a cruise from Singapore, through the Malacca Straits, to Phuket, Thailand. Meg Minetree and Peter Johnstone from GUNBOAT checked in on MOONWAVE and were honored with a visit from Bob & Margie Guthrie, the owners of GUNBOAT 60-04. MOONWAVE basked during a 3000-mile check-up and will continue her cruising with owners onboard in SE Asia. MOONWAVE is available for charter beginning in April. www.moonwave.com PUT A LID ON IT!! GUNBOAT's major composites team leader Aaron Croswait reports that GUNBOAT 55-01's all carbon deck infused like a dream. Aaron leads our team of highly skilled composite boat builders in our North Carolina yard. All members have been skillfully trained by composites legend Phil Steggall, who you might recall from his OSTAR professional sailing days. GUNBOAT expects the best from its craftsmen and this team delivers! www.gunboat.com 

TERESA THOMPSON JOINS GUNBOAT 

Joining GUNBOAT's finance and administrative team is Teresa Thompson. Teresa, a Manteo local and avid lover of Jazz Music, chose GUNBOAT over other offers in the über-competitive NC job market. She has over twenty years of outside industry experience in both the corporate and private sector, including having worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., CIGNA, CHD Merdian Healthcare, Snap-on-Tools and Hospira Worldwide, Inc. Teresa beams, "I am excited and looking forward to utilizing my broad skills and knowledge in the areas of Administration, Accounting and Human Resources in assisting Gunboat with achieving their goals and directives." And we are lucky to have her! Before joining GUNBOAT, Teresa made her mark at the North Carolina State Ferry Maintenance facility. She brings brightness to the office and wealth of knowledge to our team. 

PHAEDO BLASTS AROUND THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600 

PHAEDO completed the 600-mile race in 50 ½ hours. She was 2nd Multihull and 5th to finish Overall. Finishing on the heels of the Irens 63' tri Paradox, the 100' cant keel maxi ICAP, the JV72' Bella Mente, and the RP 112' Nilaya, PHAEDO gave them a run for their money. Behind PHAEDO were various superyachts: a Swan 90, two RP 78's, a Tripp 75', two 90'+ maxis, and a host of other grand prix keelboats. Well done to owner-driver Lloyd Thornberg, Captain Paul Hand, multihull legend Brian Thompson, 'Robo' and the PHAEDO Team!! GUNBOAT is proud of what you have achieved!! caribbean600.rorc.org 

UPBEAT ABOARD PANTHERA 1400 MILES TO WINDWARD. 'LET'S DO THIS!' 

After a successful Miami Show for the GUNBOAT Team, GUNBOAT 66 PANTHERA left Miami headed for the St Maarten Heineken Regatta with an ominous, week-long forecast of SE winds. Captain Chris Bailet reports that the wind has been on the nose at over 20 knots since departure, "It might take us a day longer to get there than we planned...." 1400 miles to windward in any other sailboat is un-imaginable. Yet Chris's tone remained upbeat. On a GUNBOAT, such a passage can be summed up as, "Let's do this!" 

DUAL PURPOSE YACHTS! BACK INTO WORLD CRUISING MODE 

 Captain Paul Hand reports that PHAEDO is going back into world cruising mode for a transit of the Panama Canal and leisurely cruise up the West Coast of the Americas. PHAEDO will be in St Maarten with her sister-ships during the GUNBOAT CLASS at the Heineken Regatta where her cruising gear and stores will be loaded back aboard, post-Caribbean 600. SLIM REGROUPS AFTER CARIBBEAN 600 Our heart goes out to the GUNBOAT 66 SLIM. She took the lead on the first leg of the multihull class at the RORC Caribbean 600 race. Captain Travis McGarry nailed the start and left the higher profile PHAEDO and PARADOX teams with their heads spinning. In hopes of reducing weight even further than what Gunboat already delivers, SLIM's crew chose to have her outfitted with new, custom, lightweight rudders. Upon rounding Green Island at the Eastern end of Antigua, Team SLIM set their screecher for their blast across to Barbuda. But within minutes, both of their new, custom-ordered rudders exploded from the 20+ knot speeds. Alas, SLIM was forced to retire and limp back to port. SLIM's team is top notch and deserves the best. We know that this is not the last we've seen of this GUNBOAT 66 and expect a very different outcome in future races. 

GATHERING OF THE GUNBOAT CLAN 

The coming week in St Maarten is building to be a gathering of the GUNBOAT clan. Racing in the GUNBOAT CLASS at the Heineken Regatta will be GUNBOAT 62's TRIBE & ELVIS, and GUNBOAT 66's COCO DE MER, PANTHERA & TIGER LILY. Several other GUNBOATs will also be at St Maarten, participating in various roles. PHAEDO will prepare for her cruising trip through the Panama Canal, SLIM will regroup after her Caribbean 600 race, ZENYATTA will support another GUNBOAT, and we hope to catch up with LAGUZ while she is cruising these waters. GUNBOAT SIGHTINGS & 

YOUR GUNBOAT TALES See a GUNBOAT? 

Take a picture and send it to us with your name, address, and where you saw it. We'll send you a GUNBOAT hat! If you have a good GUNBOAT story with a photo, send it in, and we will send you a GUNBOAT belt. meg@gunboat.com

GUNBOAT, WANCHESE, NC, USA BY BILLY BLACK VIDEO

GUNBOAT VALENTINES' NEWS 2013

GUNBOAT 60-04 INFUSED  

Xiamen yard President Paul Hakes reports that the infusion of GUNBOAT 60-04 is a huge success. The one piece, all carbon platform is immaculately constructed in female molds. The carbon bulkheads will be assembled while the platform is still in the mold soon after Chinese New Year holidays. With two GUNBOAT 60's launching in early 2013, and two more starting, the GUNBOAT 60 production is on a roll!

 

 

 

CLASH OF TITANS Gunboat Class Dual at RORC Caribbean 600

SLIM, the brand new GUNBOAT 66, will take on her iconic orange sistership PHAEDO in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Caribbean 600 race that starts in Antigua. The 600 nm, power-reaching course weaves around several of the most beautiful Caribbean islands. The many legs and wind shadows can favor local knowledge. SLIM's Captain Travis McGarry is a GUNBOAT veteran of many years, and has always been at the top of GUNBOAT Class events. PHAEDO will be run by her talented owner/skipper and will feature Round the World Record Holder Brian Thompson in her crew. Former GUNBOAT PR maven, Rachel Jaspersen, and Richard Langdon will be producing YouTube videos of PHAEDO's effort. Tune in!  http://caribbean600.rorc.org/ 

GUNBOAT 55-03 EARNS FLIER MILES

GUNBOAT 55-03 flew out of the perfect GUNBOAT 55 molds recently. GUNBOAT Chief Boat Builder Phil Harvey smiled broadly as he inspected the pristine molded finish and immaculate infused carbon laminates. 

 

 

JEFF BLACKWELL & TEAM JOIN GUNBOAT  

Jeff Blackwell and his hard working paint team have joined GUNBOAT at the North Carolina facility. They are well known for attention to detail and beautiful paint-work on larger sportfishing yachts. Jeff and his team are a key addition to deliver the world-class finish everyone expects of GUNBOAT.

CODE RED ALERT!!Valentines at Miami Show

GUNBOAT will be at the Miami International Boat Show from February 14-17. Come fall in love with GUNBOAT at the end of Pier C at the Bayside Marina location of the show. Best to schedule your VIP time slot in advance to avoid the 45-minute boarding lines! Please contact meg@gunboat.com

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL BOATBUILDER MAGAZINE VISIT      

Billy Black, one of the top yachting photographers, took pictures and shot video for PROFESSIONAL BOAT BUILDER magazine over two days this month. Writer Ginger Gardiner summed up her day on site, "There is simply nothing like this going on anywhere. Seeing such large epoxy-carbon infusion done in series is really exciting." We might add that GUNBOAT has excellent teams on two continents performing beautiful all carbon yacht construction.

   

CELEBUTANTE!! NOMINATIONS!GUNBOAT 60 Nominated for Asia-Pacific Yachting's 'Best Awards'

While the Oscars and Grammys are making headlines in the USA, the celebutante we are following is the GUNBOAT 60. We learned that this sleek, next generation GUNBOAT has been nominated for several categories including BEST OVERALL YACHT, BEST SAILBOAT (15-20m), BEST YACHT BUILDER, BEST CHARTER YACHT, BEST YACHT DESIGN, and BEST YACHT DESIGNER. We've been told the GUNBOAT 60 has received an unprecedented number of nominations. Voting ends February 15th. 
http://www.gunboat.com/series/gunboat-60 

GUNBOAT 55: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8........10 When?    

The somewhat radical GUNBOAT 55 is attracting record interest. All carbon. Brilliant Nauta interior. Spaces laid out for how we actually use these GUNBOATs in real life. The formula is working and sales continue to build. Post a comment on the GUNBOAT Facebook page guessing the time and date that GUNBOAT 55-10 goes under contract. The person closest to the actual date will win an Orange GUNBOAT belt and GUNBOAT spray jacket.  

http://www.facebook.com/gunboatcatamarans

WIN A FOUR DAY WEEK END ABOARD A GUNBOAT FOR TWO

If Gunboat wins a 'BEST' award from ASIA-PACIFIC BOATING, we will draw a winner from the people that nominate us.  The publisher assured us they would share the list of emails of those who nominate us.   

 

The ASIA-PACIFIC BOATING Awards are now taking nominations at http://www.asia-pacificboating.com/awards/nominate .

Please fill in the below nominations for the GUNBOAT 60. They will give you a six-month digital subscription to one of the nicest yachting magazines in the world.

The number of nominations has a direct impact on the Awards process. This means a lot to GUNBOAT. Please go to their site and fill in the below. You will be eligible to win that 4-day weekend on a GUNBOAT!  Thank you for your support!

Best Asian Yacht Builder (15-30m)

Hudson Yachts/GUNBOAT

 

Best Asian Built Yacht

Hudson Yachts/GUNBOAT 

GUNBOAT 60

 

Best Production Sailing Yacht (15-30m)

Hudson Yachts/GUNBOAT

GUNBOAT 60

 

Asia-based Charter Yacht of the Year

MOONWAVE GUNBOAT 60

Personality of the Year

Mr. Hudson Wang/Hudson Yachts

 

Best Yacht Design of the Year

Hudson Yachts/GUNBOAT

GUNBOAT 60

Best Yacht Designer in Asia of the Year

Nigel Irens/GUNBOAT

GUNBOAT NEWS JANUARY 2013

ELVIS WINS KEY WEST RACE!

Fresh from a gorgeous refit, the GUNBOAT 62 ELVIS trounced the multihull division in the classic Ft Lauderdale to Key West Race.  She won her division by nearly three hours on corrected time, and was third across the finish line, led by only a grand prix maxi racing boat, and a stripped out carbon racing trimaran.  Congrats to ELVIS owner Jason Carroll and his crew that included US Moth Champ Anthony Kotoun.  ELVIS switches duties for Key West Race Week, and will serve as mother-ship and home to Jason's winning ARGO Melges 32 team.  Race winner... best mother-ship... world cruiser.  Gunboat versatility.  

 PIRATES, GALES, OH MY!  Moonwave's maiden offshore romp  

The gorgeous new Gunboat 60 MOONWAVE departed the yard on Christmas eve with her crew Stephane Fumat and Sophie Brehovsky and Gunboat founder Peter Johnstone and Francesca Grum aboard. The two couples enjoyed the 2000 mile passage from Xiamen to Singapore immensely. MOONWAVE was put through quite a test. "We had large, confused seas along the coast of China to Hong Kong. In some of the flatter waters near Hong Kong, we unleashed her a bit and saw 30.2 knots of boat-speed," enthused Captain Fumat. The new Nigel Irens' shapes effortlessly climb through the speed range with excellent manners. Further South, the winds and seas built to gale conditions. "We kept the small asymmetric flying until winds reached the mid 30's, then went to just a deeply reefed main when waves reached 20'+, started to break, and winds topped 45 knots. The centerboard system is brilliant because you can always adjust the balance of the boat with the boards. You simply cannot do that with a cat equipped with daggerboards. The deeply reefed main allowed us to go straight downwind with the wave train and perfectly balanced helm. Through much of the gale, we sailed at 12-18 knots in perfect comfort, enjoying gourmet sit-down meals. It is quite a contrast to my keelboat years, and the sail handling is so much easier than our earlier series. There is no need for staysails or cutter stays," revelled Johnstone, who saw a top daily mileage at close to 340 miles. He continued, "The new hull shape makes for a very dry ride. The forward doors were open the entire trip, and we only saw spray on deck twice." The rough weather contrasted to the near calms as MOONWAVE glided through the pirate infested Anambas Islands of Indonesia on the approach to Singapore. The all black sails are pretty intimidating. The Pirates either steered clear or could not keep up. "We sailed MOONWAVE right up to the final channel markers off of the Raffles Marina on the Western shore of Singapore," Johnstone concluded. For full details of the new GUNBOAT 60, contact meg@gunboat.com.
 

PAUL HAKES, RENOWNED BOAT BUILDER 

Paul Hakes, and his core team, have joined Hudson Yachts, the builder of the GUNBOAT 60 series. Paul has been named President of Hudson and overseas the GUNBOAT 60 series with project manager William Jelbert. Paul earned his enviable reputation building several of the top TP52's in his former Wellington NZ yard. He has brought along the SL33 catamaran series to be produced at Hudson. TEAM NZ has utilized these speedy carbon 33' cats for two-boat testing and to assist their AC72 design process. Paul's earliest multihull experience was aboard Steve Fossett's record setting PLAYSTATION, which he helped build. Paul and Mr. Hudson will visit the GUNBOAT USA yard in late January for a GUNBOAT world summit on continued development of best practices between the two GUNBOAT yards. GUNBOAT is very fortunate to have Paul and Mr. Hudson on its team. Welcome Paul! 

 

FIND YOUR HEART IN MIAMI 

GUNBOAT will be at the Miami International Boat Show from February 14-17. How about a steamy midwinter Valentine weekend in Miami? Restoke the fire with your someone special, and fall in love with the GUNBOAT that will be at the end of C dock at the Bayside Marina location of the show. PLEASE schedule your VIP time slot to avoid the 45 minute boarding lines! Contact meg@gunboat.com.

GUNBOAT 55....... One Design/World Cruiser!    

The GUNBOAT 55 series is going from strength to strength. Eight GUNBOAT 55's are now on order. The GUNBOAT USA yard is a bee-hive of activity. The first three GUNBOAT 55's are now molded and a new GUNBOAT 55 starts every month. The clean, simple, and versatile design is aimed at owner-operators who do not want crew and desire maximum world cruising comfort and performance from an easy to sail and maintain platform. Several owners have one design racing backgrounds and talk has begun of racing the GUNBOAT 55's one design in Caribbean regattas. Contact meg@gunboat.com for the latest on the Gunboat 55 series.
   

78 MOCKED UP! 

The gorgeously built, all carbon GUNBOAT 78 platform now has a nice interior mock up constructed for potential customers to come view her spaces. She was successfully hauled up our new ramp and is located in our special 78 project shed. Prospective customers are lining up their visits. The world's fastest world cruising cat is available for completion in early 2014. If purchased during the project preparation period, we can customize to suit your needs. Contact meg@gunboat.com to schedule your visit or to make inquiries about our 78 Series. 

 FAVORITES AT HEINEKEN    

Captain Harvey Jenkinson from the GUNBOAT 66 TIGER LILY reports that six GUNBOATs will sail as a GUNBOAT Class at the Heineken St Maarten Regatta this March. Each GUNBOAT will be weighed on digital load cells at Bobby's Superyacht Marina prior to racing. Pre-regatta favorite is ELVIS, the Gunboat 62 being owner-driven by Melges 32 ace Jason Carroll. ELVIS Captain Scott Bradford has lightened ship, added some new sails, and has ELVIS in the best condition in years. The brand new GUNBOAT 66 SLIM will be led by former ELVIS captain, Travis McGarry. Expect close racing, and a fun filled week. We love seeing our all-carbon world cruising cats demonstrate their versatility. The Heineken, as it is known, is one of the world's most fun regattas. Beautiful point to point races, gorgeous setting, huge beach parties, and a proven atmosphere of relaxed fun. Add a GUNBOAT class, and it is magical.

 NEW GUNBOAT BELTS & FACEBOOK  

 Meg Minetree reports that the new, extra wide GUNBOAT belts are in the store. These hot commodities are typically reserved for GUNBOAT owners, special crew, and VIPs. As keeper of the swag, Meg has generously offered belts to the next 10 Gunboat eNews readers who "Like" GUNBOAT on Facebook!  Use this link and follow our News Feed to learn if you're a winner of our coveted gear!



http://www.facebook.com/gunboatcatamarans

 
 

GUNBOAT HOLIDAY

THE GOLDEN GUN!

A CELEBRATION OF THE 25^TH GUNBOAT

Perhaps the most beautifully finished new GUNBOAT is our special edition 25^th GUNBOAT to be launched, the GOLDEN GUN. She is our brand new demo GUNBOAT 60, and our focus for editorial efforts in 2013. To celebrate this 25^th GUNBOAT, we are offering her as a special GOLDEN GUN package. She will be featured in leading yachting magazines worldwide as the next generation of GUNBOAT. Ownership will come with all of the awards that will be won, and as well as carbon framed copies of her magazine covers! We welcome you to join us for an exciting year. Besides the glowing attention from such a special 25^th GUNBOAT project and celebration, GUNBOAT will take special care of the owner who steps up to join us in the GOLDEN GUN. To say she is loaded is an understatement. Some restrictions do apply for such special treatment. You can be sailing and enjoying ownership of this special edition GUNBOAT 60 in only a few short months! If you purchase before Christmas, we will send you a scaled model of this GUNBOAT 60 to put under your tree. Contact peter@gunboat.com for the details of the GOLDEN GUN Package. 

LOCKED & UNLOADED GUNBOAT 78-01 enjoyed smooth sailing from the Port of Baltimore to GUNBOAT's Wanchese, NC facility. Two PURE YACHTING 730 RIBs powered her down the Chesapeake Bay, and through the Intracoastal Waterway. Winds had blown 20-25 knots for weeks prior. On the morning of unloading from the freighter, the winds magically became calm, and conditions remained glassy for her five day journey to GUNBOAT. Upon being tied up at the GUNBOAT docks, the winds began to pick up again. Mother Nature seems to be shining on the GUNBOAT 78 and is indicative of the positive kharma surrounding her! She will be hauled into GUNBOAT's newly renovated 78 building for completion. Contact meg@gunboat.com to schedule your visit to see her progress!

VALENTINE'S MAYHEM in MIAMI GUNBOAT will be showing the beautiful GUNBOAT 66 MAYHEM at the Miami International Boat Show from February 14-17. Plan a Winter getaway weekend in steamy Miami. Enjoy some GUNBOAT love, and celebrate Valentine's Day with your special someone. MAYHEM will be at the end of C Dock at the Bayside Marina location of the show. Be sure to schedule your VIP time slot in advance to avoid the 45 minute boarding lines! Contact meg@gunboat.com.

SPECIAL OPS Dan Bottjen is joining GUNBOAT to handle the newly formed role of Operations Manager. Dan's extensive experience includes over a decade on the management team at Hattaras Yachts where he was Director of Operations during their boom years. Later, he ran operations for Buddy Davis' sportfish line, and became the CEO for Davis in the final years of his era. Dan's new role as GUNBOAT Operations Manager is a bit of a homecoming. He designed, developed, and built the former Davis facility that is now home to GUNBOAT in Wanchese, NC. Dan will be responsible for daily operations, planning, coordinating, processes, and development of GUNBOAT's production. "Dan's contributions to our team are already noticeable, and will help GUNBOAT achieve its goal of best practices in every aspect of our business", noted GUNBOAT's Chief Boat Builder Phil Harvey.

Row, Row, Row.... your GUNBOAT Rowland Bennett merrily joined GUNBOAT before it began! In 2001, he helped to complete the first GUNBOAT, a 62 footer named TRIBE. Rowland helped sail this first GUNBOAT from Cape Town to the Exumas. As word spread of his offshore abilities, several owners utilized his talents for their GUNBOAT's maiden voyages, which were typically a Trans-Atlantic journey from the former Cape Town GUNBOAT yard to the Caribbean and beyond. He proved to be one of the best shipmates anywhere. Rowland ran TRIBE until owner Peter Johnstone and his family started their sabbatical. He ran the Gunboat 62 PRANA for years, and he continues to be a key member of the GUNBOAT RI refit team that has renewed several GUNBOATs in recent years. The final new GUNBOAT to sail from Cape Town is the recently completed (and gorgeous) GUNBOAT 66-06 SLIM, which is now on her maiden Trans-Atlantic passage to St Barth's for New Year's Eve, where she will wring out the old and ring in the new! This is Row's 6th Trans-Atlantic aboard a GUNBOAT. We salute Rowland for his support, dedication, and commitment to the GUNBOAT family since the beginning. He sailed on the first, and the final, new GUNBOATs from the Cape Town chapter of GUNBOAT's history. For those of you into numbers and symmetry, you could say this is Row's TransAt #6 on 66-06. The crew will celebrate the days of 12-12-12 and 12-21-12 during the crossing. Thank you Rowland! Wishing you and all aboard SLIM a fine downwind crossing!

FLYING BOTH HULLS! GUNBOAT 55-02 confirms a new trend established by the AC 72' cats, when she recently flew both hulls! While "me-too" competitors remain a decade behind in their technology and performance parameters, GUNBOAT 55-02 achieved what only Team New Zealand's America's Cup 72' cat has done... fly both hulls. Admittedly, we have no intention of foiling a cruising catamaran. GUNBOAT 55-02 was lifted from the mold and placed on the GUNBOAT 55 production line cradles for completion. The GUNBOAT 55 series is rolling. Come tour the GUNBOAT facility to capture the excitement. Contact meg@gunboat.com to assist with your arrangements.

GREENIES & GUNBOATS The GUNBOAT CLASS returns this Caribbean Season to the Heineken St Maarten Regatta from March 1-3. The GUNBOAT CLASS has regularly gathered for friendly, good-natured competition and social gatherings since 2005. Captain Harvey Jenkinson, from the GUNBOAT 66 TIGER LILY, has led the charge for this season's GUNBOAT CLASS organization. He has arranged for accurate sail measurements and load cell weighing of the fleet to make the CSA GUNBOAT ratings even more accurate. Six GUNBOATs are expected. The two GUNBOAT 62's TRIBE and ELVIS will be challenging the GUNBOAT 66's TIGER LILY, SLIM, COCO DE MER, & MAYHEM! The GUNBOAT CLASS is proving to be a lasting successor to the Maxi Class of bygone years as THE big boat class in the Caribbean. The sight of six GUNBOATs crossing the line at mid-teen speeds is one to behold. We love seeing our all-carbon world cruising cats demonstrate their versatility. Have fun everyone!!

 RAMPING IT UP!

You might have noticed that GUNBOAT is ramping things up on all fronts. The new launching ramp completed last week next to GUNBOAT's Wanchese, NC facility. The ramp was a joint effort by the Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to help GUNBOAT and the other talented businesses in the area develop the catamaran production and service segments. GUNBOAT thanks the Park and the NCDOT for their support. The ramp will be christened with the hauling of the GUNBOAT 78, seen here parked at the GUNBOAT docks on the left side of the photo, during the first weather window this week.

 

GUNBOAT GRATEFUL - NEWS

Wanted: Entertaining Chefs 

Nauta Design and the Gunboat team have completed design work on the 'Galley Up' version of our new Gunboat 55 series. The flexibility in layout of the two aft cabins and the galley location is leading to some terrific customized layouts to suit each owner.

 

 

LIMITED SPECIAL OFFER on GUNBOAT Yard Tours    The fall boat show season is over, and now is the time to come see GUNBOAT's unique carbon infusion production process and meet the team. You will see high tech boat construction at its best. Through the end of January, prospective customers that visit us in NC and commit to purchase a Gunboat, will be reimbursed their flight and hotel!  Please contact meg@gunboat.com to schedule your visit!

Put a Lid on It The new Gunboat 55 deck mold was produced in-house over the past several weeks. The tool was post cured in our oven while still on the plug to minimize shrinkage. The mold was pulled from the plug this week, and turned over for final positioning on the Gunboat 55 series production line.

LOADED! The carbon and core is loaded in the mold for the 2nd GUNBOAT 55. The vacuum bag is on, and infusion has started. Look for the 2nd GUNBOAT 55 hull to emerge in the coming week on our Blog  and on Facebook!

A Big Present in the Belly of the Beast   Fully shrink-wrapped, GUNBOAT 78-01 looked like a big present ready to arrive at GUNBOAT in time for the Holiday Season! While she could not quite fit on Santa's sleigh, the team did manage to fit her below decks on a freighter bound for Baltimore. Watch this space for her planned tow down the Chesapeake and the Intercoastal Waterway to GUNBOAT.

TWO PAWS UP for the Award Winning TIGER LILY!!!    We give a two paws up salute to the owners and crew of the GUNBOAT 66 TIGER LILY. At the recent BVI Charter Show, TIGER LILY walked away with two of the five Awards given at the show!! First mate, Tracy Jenkinson and Capt Harvey Jenkinson were on hand to accept the awards for BEST MULTIHULL & GREENEST YACHT. We think she deserves an award for the most stunning paint job and graphics! Congratulations to the TIGER LILY team. They are raising the bar in the GUNBOAT fleet!

Ramping It Up!   The North Carolina Department of Transportation teamed up with the Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park to create a new 40'-wide ramp next door to GUNBOAT. The ramp will enable GUNBOAT and the neighboring boat yards to better serve the sailing catamaran market. GUNBOAT plans to begin service work on GUNBOAT's beginning in May 2013. Nearby yards are keen to help build this area into a catamaran service mecca for the industry.

MOONWAVE Readies to Sail the World

The first GUNBOAT 60 is completing sea trials off Xiamen, China. On a recent sea trial day, she easily exceeded 20 knots with the owner and Captain Stephane Fumat at the helm. The finish of the GUNBOAT 60 series is exceptional, and her Nigel Irens design is a major step forward for GUNBOAT's next generation of series (55, 60 & 78).