Gunboat 72 (22 m): the first time with the fly bridge

The Gunboat shipyard, which specializes in building sport cruising, carbon catamarans, has launched a new treat: the Gunboat 72. This is partly a change of course for the La Grande Motte shipyard, as this is a cat more “pushed” toward cruising than past projects.

Gunboat 72 – There is also the Fly Bridge

In fact, the big new feature is the fly bridge, the upper deck, which has never been seen on this shipyard’s catamarans. Studio VPLP, which designed the cat, made a typical pure cruising choice: an upper deck on which to place the wheelhouses and all the rigging. The four winches, halyard stoppers, large rudder wheel, square top mainsail carriage, everything was placed on the fly bridge in order to make the cockpit below completely clear.

To enrich the fly bridge, in addition to the raised deck maneuvers, a living area with a C-shaped sofa and a table was designed, just like on pure cat cruisers. The lower cockpit is totally shaded, connected with the inner square by a sliding glass door. As glazed is the entire deckhouse, laterally and on the front face, a detail that enriches the interior of this Gunboat 72 with light.

Sports DNA

Net of a decided orientation toward the cruising world, this model is not, however, reneging on its history and the philosophy that has always distinguished the shipyard. Fine bows, netting between the two hulls, low inhabited cell on the deck despite the fly bridge, this catamaran nevertheless has sporty performance as one of the hallmarks of its DNA.

This is confirmed by the ever-present side drifts, slightly curved, capable of improving performance especially upwind and beyond. We are a long way from the cruising cat experiments with foils of the early Gunboats, but the shipyard has certainly not denied its identity.

Gunboat 72 – Data Sheet

Length 22 m

Waterline length 22 m

Width 9.40 m

Diving dinghies 3.8 M

Dive drifts raised 1.7 M

Displacement 29 t

Fuel 2 X 650 L

Water 2 X 420 L

www.gunboat.com