Faster than the wind
Following the successful gamble on the superb Gunboat 68, two options were available to the emblematic American brand now flying the French flag: to go bigger or smaller? The future model had to be just as elegant, light and fast. Guided by a few customers as passionate as they are wealthy, it was finally to be an 80-footer with customizable layouts.
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Published on 25/11/2020
By
Paul Thomas
Issue:
175
Published:
Jan.
/
Feb.
2021
You don’t change a winning team, it’s a well-known fact... So, it’s the same trio (VPLP/Le Quément/Chedal Anglay) as was in charge of the 68; the silhouette is immediately identifiable and responds to the desired effect of the range. But the Gunboat 80 is far from being a simple scaled-up version of the 68...
1- Like the sharpest offshore racing multihulls signed by VPLP, the mast has moved back slightly (2%) and is now on the coachroof. The mainsail, proportionally smaller, thus keeps a perfect profile even when reefed.
2- The headsails, including self-tacking J2…
