Gunboat 66 – the ultimate fast cruiser?

[beiland]

I haven't watch this video in some time now, but it really is quite good. Even non-sailors should have a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdqXoIhg0dA

This vessel, or style of vessel, has to be one of the top contenders as world cruiser. Its a shame that they find themselves in financially difficulties at the moment.

[Stumble]

I love the big Gunboats, but actually the 66 is one of my least favorites. The forward cockpit is a very debatable design on big cats, and since the only access to it is thru the cabin with a big front facing door, if you ever need to go out during a storm there is absolutely no way to keep from shipping massive amounts of water inside.

PJ made a lot of mistakes running the company, but the finished products certainly weren't one of them. The boats themselves are amazing.

[donradcliffe]

World cruiser can mean different things to different people. If you like the G66, you like a crew of 6, with at least 3 professional sailors. If you like the performance of the G66, you must appreciate that it is less forgiving than a condomaran. You will also like getting wet in the forward cockpit.

An interesting comment from a professional sailor on the last Transpac race. The souped up G66 Exreme H2O was leading the multi's on corrected time until they almost lost the boat in a squall one night. After that, they sailed very conservatively at night and Phaedo corrected out at the finish.

[Paul J. Nolan]

A perfect boat for The Donald and others of his ilk. There is even room for his hair.

Paul

[Polux]

Originally Posted by beiland

....
This vessel, or style of vessel, has to be one of the top contenders as world cruiser. Its a shame that they find themselves in financially difficulties at the moment.

That may be the idea of the boat concept designer when he started the series but quickly Gunboat clientele proved to be something else. The Gunboat was an attempt to equalize in glamour, status and luxury lifestyle the maxi yacht market.

I mean the boats that are sailed by professional crews crossing the Atlantic and in the med and the Caribbean participate in high profile sailing social events with some low key racing involved, with a small crew, owner and guests. A kind of Yacht jet-set global community.

They were never much used by the owners for extensive cruising, contrary of many other cats of about the same size. Their price and luxury finish also pointed to whom they were pointed to.

It seems that in what regards that it was a failed experience. The boats were fast, if compared with other big yachts but never rated as well in what regards status and failed to attract an alternative way/clientele to maxi yacht life style and glamour.

[MaxWebXperienZ]

Originally Posted by Paul J. Nolan

A perfect boat for The Donald and others of his ilk. There is even room for his hair.

Paul

I'm sure they want your ilk onboard

[Scout 30]

The boat tries to fly a hull when it's not even white capping. Doesn't sound very safe to me.

[seasick]

Cruising means different things to different people. To me it is the ultimate form of relaxation, mostly.

I met a crew off a similar cat recently. One of the three people constantly on watch when under way sat facing aft with the main sheet in his hand at all times. His job was to stare unblinkingly at the windward wake for three hours at a stretch. Whenever that windward wake disappeared i.e. The windward hull became airborne, he was to sheet out like a mad man and when it reappeared, he'd start sheeting back in.

This was anything but relaxation. The upside was that they crossed oceans in a third of the time I did. The downside was that they crossed oceans in a third of the time I did.

[MarkJ]

Its not a cruiser. Definitely not. Absolutely not.

There was about 6 here and some ship in their own 40 foot containers to support them!
Can you imagine doing a world cruise where you need to find a marina in the middle of the Pacific, or Asia with space for a 40 foot shipping container?

The problem with marketing a top speed high performance multi million dollar boat is there is too few people young enough with that kind of money to burn.
Oh, and they must be single because fewer wives would put up with it.


Sent from a stupid phone that replaces words with weird stuff.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Its not a cruiser. Definitely not. Absolutely not.

There was about 6 here and some ship in their own 40 foot containers to support them!
Can you imagine doing a world cruise where you need to find a marina in the middle of the Pacific, or Asia with space for a 40 foot shipping container?

The problem with marketing a top speed high performance multi million dollar boat is there is too few people young enough with that kind of money to burn.
Oh, and they must be single because fewer wives would put up with it.
...

40ft containers? The Gunboat has 66ft!!! The one that was made to be sent on a 40ft container was this one:

Odd skinny boat. It seems almost nobody was interested neither on the boat neither on the container shipping idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV6KSl7Hxu4

The name gave an idea of the purpose: Far Harbor, meaning not to sail far on its own but to be shipped far on a container. Somebody thought that to be a great idea.

[Saleen411]

[QUOTE=Polux;2082366]40ft containers? The Gunboat has 66ft!!! The one that was made to be sent on a 40ft container was this one:


Funny.... The containers are not what the GBs were shipped in.

[cruisersfarm]

Originally Posted by Polux

40ft containers? The Gunboat has 66ft!!! The one that was made to be sent on a 40ft container was this one:

Odd skinny boat. It seems almost nobody was interested neither on the boat neither on the container shipping idea:

The name gave an idea of the purpose: Far Harbor, meaning not to sail far on its own but to be shipped far on a container. Somebody thought that to be a great idea.

What Mark is talking about is the 40' shipping container that is sent around the world, following the boat.

Go look at any of these boats in the yard and you see it has its own shipping container with all the various things needed to support a boat like this.

The owners ship everything that isn't tabbed in when they are racing.

They pay to have a 40' shipping container follow the boats around the world.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by cruisersfarm

What Mark is talking about is the 40' shipping container that is sent around the world, following the boat.

Go look at any of these boats in the yard and you see it has its own shipping container with all the various things needed to support a boat like this.

The owners ship everything that isn't tabbed in when they are racing.

They pay to have a 40' shipping container follow the boats around the world.

Thanks

That's exact what I meant.

Mark

Sent from a stupid phone that replaces words with weird stuff.

[alansmith]

Polux, your remarks hit the mark on what I perceive as what the underlying problem with the Gunboats were. These boats are for the uber wealthy crowd. But the boat is really a skittish high maintenance racehorse. Nonetheless she is gorgeous, sexy, and can I rent her for couple of thousand a week from Sunsail? I promise not to use the spinnaker...I swear it

[BobFord]

Gunboat is impressive for performance but for World Cruising the EuroCat 2000 has far more " womanly assets ". Naturally i'm biased, but I must say that weighing in at 30 tonne, EuroCat is no " greyhound "!