Here's a bit from the local St. Maarten newspaper The Daily Herald, January 22, 2009:
SIMPSON BAY--Gunboats have returned to St. Maarten. This year the fleet is bigger and includes the newly launched 66 series. A new breed of racing cruiser catamaran, the Gunboat was designed to hold provisions for up to six months of cruising and still able to race with all carbon spars and Kevlar shrouds. The Gunboat, named for the fact they win or take the gun at so many finish lines, consists of composite construction of vacuumbagged, epoxy foam sandwich and Aramid Honeycomb Nomex with carbon fiber inner skins & Kevlar outer skins for impact resistance. The fast 48 foot version, capable of speeds in the mid 20’s, will be sailing the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta the first weekend of March. “Gunboat is excited to have one, and maybe two of our latest series, the Gunboat 66, at the regatta,” said Chandler Collins from Gunboat. “This new 66 embodies luxury, comfort, and SPEED! The 66 was launched this winter in Cape Town, and she has just completed her maiden voyage across the Atlantic to Saint Maarten.” Also expected to race Heineken, like last year, are Gunboat 48s and 62s.We went and took a few photos of the Gunboat catamarans that are currently in Simpson Bay and in the Lagoon in St. Maarten: Looking for Elvis (Gunboat 62), Kanaloa (Gunboat 66), and Safari (Gunboat 62).
Looking For Elvis - Feb. 25, 2009 - Simpson Bay, SXM
(Photo by ParadiseConnections.com ©2009)
Looking For Elvis - Feb. 25, 2009 - Simpson Bay, SXM
(Photo by ParadiseConnections.com ©2009)
Kanaloa - Feb. 25, 2009 - Simpson Bay Lagoon, SXM
(Photo by ParadiseConnections.com ©2009)
Safari - Feb. 25, 2009 - Simpson Bay, SXM
(Photo by ParadiseConnections.com ©2009)
Safari - Feb. 25, 2009 - Simpson Bay, SXM
(Photo by ParadiseConnections.com ©2009)
Safari is available for crewed yacht charters. Contact Paradise Connections for more info.
We looked at the entries listed on the Heineken web site and for the Catamaran Class it shows the Gunboats Cream, Safari, and Sugar Daddy. They only show a total of 175 entries but in a recent newspaper article they said that had 200-some, so their website probably hasn't been updated yet.
