Gunboat 68 launched
Photos & video by Gilles Martin Raget / Guilain Grenier / Gunboat sent by Gunboat Media. Click pics for larger size & slideshow.
If you are going to revive a brand like Gunboat, this new 68 seems to be the right move. The length helps on the stylized lines but this new 68 has a proper design work behind, added to the MM functional heritage, the now French yard has managed to nail the spirit of the Gunboat line and delivered one of themost beatiful Cruiser Cats ever built.
More below by Gunboat official release
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Release sent by Gunboat – LAUNCHING THE FIRST GUNBOAT 68 This week marked a key milestone for the Gunboat team, as they rolled the first Gunboat 68 out of the factory in La Grande-Motte, France to the marina for her first splash and mast stepping. Since the brand was acquired by Grand Large Yachting in 2016, the newest Gunboat series was conceptualized, designed and built by Gunboat in just two and a half years – a 16-month build time of 6801 from the first carbon laid on September 15th, 2017.
Gunboat Managing Partner, Benoit Lebizay, comments on the day, “We value and honor what has been done in the past. With this new 68 design, we are proud to write the next chapter of the Gunboat story, for our company and for the whole Gunboat community, as we continue to drive the benchmark of the luxury, performance catamaran segment.”
“This is a major milestone, an important step towards soon delivering on our promises, but we don’t want to run before we walk and are taking the time to complete it right. We have tremendous respect for this industry and a clear mind for how much it takes to build and launch these boats. But clearly this is a moment we’re enjoying and celebrating with our team!”
• May 2016 – The Gunboat brand joined Grand Large Yachting.
• June 2016 – Gunboat began designing the new Gunboat 68.
• February 2017 – Tooling construction started.
• September 2017 – Construction of 6801 commenced.
• December 2017 – The hull and bridgedeck were demolded.
• January 2018 – The new 3600 sqm Gunboat factory was completed.
• June 2018 – 6801 deck was bonded.
• October 2018 – 6801 external paint was completed.
• January 2019 – 6801 splashed in La Grande-Motte.
Before rolling out of the factory, the protective coverings were removed and reveal a first look at the thorough level of design detail. More photos and news will follow during commissioning and sea trials, and her first sailing adventures in 2019.
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