La Grande-Motte, France: Gunboat announces the Gunboat 72V, a new catamaran concept to complement the existing heritage series’ currently in production (the Gunboat 68 and Gunboat 80) – the first catamaran with Gunboat sailing performance and a flybridge. Design and engineering is the collaboration of Gunboat, VPLP (a French-based naval architectural firm), Christophe Chedal Anglay, and Patrick le Quément (the same team for the Gunboat 68) with a bespoke interior by Isabelle Racoupeau.
- Designed with the enjoyment and pleasure of cruising in mind, with the knowledge that even the most turbo Gunboats may spend >90% of their time in cruise mode. This new range invites clients whose cruising plans were just out of reach of full high-octane Gunboat capabilities at the performance end of the spectrum, with priorities for family and coastal cruising.
- Build quality and performance engineering delivered by Gunboat. Built by the yard that has delivered each and every Gunboat 68 on-weight. The focus remains on accurate, high-quality, all-carbon construction and performance optimizations. The result is a flybridge catamaran that yields comfort, stability, and capability in the widest range of conditions.
- The 72V will sail at wind speed and above from 8 kts true.
- A focus on delivering sailing capabilities that are truly advantageous over motoring as a foundation for a sustainable life at sea. Lightweight construction, energy systems boosted by renewables, and a boat delivers effortless, mile-eating performance.
- It’s configured for simple, controlled, shorthanded performance sailing from the flybridge helm station, with streamlined sail controls and cruising-optimized sail plans.
- The 72V features no less than 5 distinct social areas: salon, aft cockpit, flybridge, foredeck lounge, aft beam lounge, and the choice of davits or a swim platform/aft beam lounge extension.
- The design aesthetic of Isabelle Racoupeau balances the dual personality of the cat, achieving comfort and richness while maintaining that Gunboat sense of light.
- For each series, Gunboat sets the parameters, and the owner sets the cursor with semi-customizability on a spectrum of performance and lifestyle preferences.
The name “V” is a nod to the blended culture of Gunboat – French and American. Since Gunboat joined Grand Large Yachting in 2016, the French sailing culture asserts itself on both fronts: cruising lifestyle and offshore multihull performance (as evident in the Gunboat 68). “V” stands for “Vie”. Life, the way you will enjoy it onboard a 72V, and the experience of a lifetime.
Construction of the first 72V started in early June and it is scheduled to splash in 2023. The catamaran will be built entirely in-house at the Gunboat factory in La Grande-Motte, France, alongside the 68 and 80.
“Technology has come a long way in 20 years, and so has the vast popularity of multihull cruising. Families come in droves to boat shows, searching for the perfect match between the significance of their world cruising adventure and the vessel that will carry them, that they will also call home. The pendulum swings hard – Gunboat sailing performance or layers of living space? Family and friends start voting, and we catch the look of pleading in your eye. The flybridge catamaran: that free-spirited force-to-be-reckoned-with sits in pole position on the dock at every boat show, flaunting the best views and happy hours… without truly revealing her unruly nature offshore. We get it. It’s nice up there. Armed with >20 years of experience, top engineers and advanced lightweight technologies – it’s time to tame the flybridge.”
More information: https://www.gunboat.com/series/gunboat72v/
