Gunboat: Engineering Luxury Catamarans That Sail Faster Than the Wind

Gunboat was founded in 2002 in the US by sailor Peter Johnstone. He had a clear vision: combine the speed of racing with the comfort of cruising to create an entirely new category of high-performance cruising catamaran. Rodolphe Cadoret, Marketing Director, was attracted to join Gunboat by the challenge to combine race level technology with craftsmanship and build yachts that are not only thrilling to sail, but also beautiful to live aboard. He joins us to talk about what makes the Gunboat brand unique.

The Gunboat 62 was the first boat Peter Johnstone launched. It was probably the best compromise on the market between a real performing catamaran with very good livability and experience on board. Peter's dream was to go fast with maximum stability. With a typical monohull, you're more at the mercy of sea swells. A catamaran stays flatter and carries its pace. This first Gunboat 62 was a real revolution in the sailing area, offering the best of both worlds for the entire family.

For speed, Peter turned to carbon construction, which has two main advantages: it's lightweight and very resistant, lasting forever. The lightness has a direct impact on performance, as the lighter the boat, the more speed you can reach. Every boat is a carbon composite using aerospace materials and precision engineering to achieve both strength and lightness. This allows Gunboat yachts to sail efficiently even in very low wind conditions. From day one, Gunboat has fused racing DNA with liveable luxury.

In La Grande-Motte in Southern France, Gunboat operates from a purpose-built shipyard. Every stage of the boat building process happens side by side, from design and engineering to final assembly, all just a stone's throw from the sea. It's a modern innovation hub where engineers, naval architects, and artisans work together to build yachts faster than the wind. The main job is composite work, with every bulkhead and structure meticulously weighted and measured to the gram. There are more than 1,000 control points per build. They don't choose between comfort and performance; they design for both.

Many engineers working on these yachts have been through a very high level of naval architecture studies and are passionate about sailing. They bring their emotion to the projects they build, asked to create emotion with precision. They calculate every single detail to ensure the yachts perfectly answer performance objectives and customer requirements. These vessels are designed in collaboration with world-renowned naval architects VPLP and the interior craftsmen behind Falcon Jet.

Before a Gunboat glides across water, carbon fiber is shaped into a high-performance structure using advanced techniques like vacuum infusion. Every component is crafted with absolute precision because the structure determines speed and quality. In the assembly workshop, the hull, deck, and bulkheads are assembled with millimeter precision, a crucial stage ensuring a seamless, strong, and lightweight structure. After launch, each Gunboat undergoes two months of real-world testing before delivery. The carpentry workshop receives very light furniture that's adjusted and fine-tuned to fit perfectly into semi-custom yachts.

As Rodolphe guides us through each building stage, it's clear how hands-on the process remains. Modern technical skills sit alongside heritage craftsmanship, creating a striking balance. Going forward, Gunboat has plans to integrate simulation, AI, and advanced digital twins into their designs without losing the human touch. Rodolphe's advice to young engineers hoping to break into luxury yacht design? Be curious, push boundaries, and don't be afraid to blend art and science.

Some Gunboat owners race in Palma and St Tropez, but many also cruise all over the world. The catamarans they build are among the fastest on the cruising performance market, reaching speeds up to 30 knots. But most clients don't care about maximum speed, they just want to maintain good speed all the time, even in low wind conditions. Want the fastest boat on water? Buy the Gunboat 80 series. Want the best compromise between speed and luxury? Choose Fusion 80.

Today's Gunboat range spans from 68 to 80 feet with three original series: the 68, 72, and 80 series. Each boat has its own specificity, with innovation mainly in system control and safety onboard. Fusion is their latest statement, offering 30 to 40% more speed than comparable market options with incredible interior space.

Gunboats’ commitment to speed serves a deeper purpose rooted in efficiency and responsible seamanship. For them, efficiency is sustainability. The lighter the yacht, the more you sail and the less you motor. Their hulls are optimized to move with minimal energy. With solar integration and electric systems, plus recycled composites, bio-resilience, and alternative propulsion systems, they are always pushing to sail more and motor less. The next wave of innovation will focus on making yachts even more intuitive, with systems that lighten the load on sailors, so the experience becomes smoother and more accessible.

Brian Thompson from PTC explains how Creo helps customers accelerate time to market. When you build all your native geometry inside Creo, from complex surfaces for hulls to underlying composite structures, the entire team can evolve the design in a completely synchronized way. Everyone sees the impact of changes automatically. In Creo you could do half a dozen or a dozen design iterations in a day. This universal strategy significantly drives time to market, whether designing catamaran hulls or aircraft engines.