Gunboat G4 with UptiP Foils

Tks for sharing. Good that there comes little bit "transparency" and "light" into the dark and mystic world of "ocean foils".

Great to see No. 2 is coming.

 

Gunboat G4

#2 is already sailing, I believe.

 

Yepp, we all know about it.

 

No it's not. Out of factory in December/Januari I suppose, then a long transit to the other side of the world.

 

Thanks for straightening me out Susho.
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UPDATE: Susho-either you or Martin at catsailingnews.com are wrong or I have misinterpreted this article. He says the second boat has been launched: http://www.catsailingnews.com/2015/09/holland-composites-launchs-updates-g4-2.html

Gunboat G4 #2 according to catsailingnews:

 

Doug where the h it says that G4 #2 is sailing? Below the sailing pic of #1 there is a render with new modifcations and a factory shot of the second built.

I think you might the only one reading the article implying #2 is already sailing.

And you have a serious reading and comprehension issue or you simply don´t read the articles: "Nr 2 being built as we speak." ....

 

"Holland Composites launches and updates G4 #2" -followed immediately by a sailing picture and other pictures. Very, very misleading headline. I figured the part of the text you quoted was done before the boat was launched.It appeared to me that you were breaking the story about the new boat.
http://www.catsailingnews.com/2015/09/holland-composites-launchs-updates-g4-2.html

 

For the completeness, I was in the build team of number one, and made some parts for number 2 too before I left Holland Composites. Just so you know my sources
Too bad I can't share a lot, it's a great boat.

 

G4

I wish you could share more-bet you have some good stuff! Thanks for your comments....

 

Gunboat-Chapter 11 bankruptcy

From the Editor at SA:

A bit of a shocker from Peter Johnstone and Gunboat....

In a period of non-stop accolades and introduction of several terrific new models, Gunboat has been quietly struggling behind the scenes for nearly two years. It has been a perfect storm of adverse business circumstances, mistakes, and disputes. A brief summary from my viewpoint/opinion:

• The Chinese built Gunboat 60 series cost Gunboat a fortune to sort out. The Chinese builder has fought its contractual obligations to manage, support, pay and reimburse for the completion, rework and warranty costs. Gunboat felt an obligation to its customers and spent millions out of pocket, which proved to be a huge strain on our resources, focus and productivity.

• The G4 capsize in April, and the recent photo boat collision on a magazine boat test in Annapolis have thwarted sales of this series to date. The investment was made. The return is in the future.

• The abandonment of RAINMAKER by her owner and crew certainly was not helpful to a new series. The Gunboat 55 is a great boat, and it will take time for that word to get out.

• The ramp up of production in North Carolina took longer and cost more.

I am sure our situation will be dissected. As sole owner of the company, these issues are all mine…..I could have overcome maybe 1-2 of these challenges, but certainly not all of these in one short period of time. Today, Gunboat will file for Chapter 11 protection under the Federal Bankruptcy Code.

With the challenges above, there are also positive notes moving forward. The operations have shown a nice turn-around in the past few months. Boats are being built, and we are meeting our plan for operating the business and recovering through the Chapter 11 process.

Business has ups and downs. Success and failure. I have enjoyed 30 years of both results. While the past two years been the most stressful and difficult period of my life and business career, this period has also been one of enormous assessment and growth personally and professionally. I have learned far more from the failures than the accolades. We have a lot of good people, and we will see our way out of this period in the next two years.

To everyone who has been so supportive, I am forever grateful. To anyone adversely affected by Gunboat’s situation, I am deeply sorry.

 

Gunboat

Damn shame-I wish them the best.......

 

It is the logically consequence, DoughL.

The boat doesnt have the substance... a big marketing gimmick.

Let us remember: Already in 2004 an Outremer 45 Cat sailed with 22-23 knots (see vid: http://bit.ly/1Yh5YcY ).


Give such "an old boat" some foils, high tech sails on a modern profiled rotation wing mast and T-rudder... and you see the same in the range of 30 knots what we have seen with some spectacularly images with drones of the Orange G4. Nothing new, nothing special. Big show making...

One (as owner/founder/enterpreneur) should know the market and understand customers... and not just selling 100% Carbon at an insane prize in the range of 3-3.5 million US dollars / boat (produced cheaply in China).

The list with critics could go on, e.g. looking at another concurrence. Let's take the SIG45 High Performance Cat going 20 knots easily (without foils) in 18 knots wind. Already sailed in 2008 in the range of up to 25-26 knots ( see vid: http://bit.ly/1WZCwuV ).


Later in 2012 the SIG45 was sailing in Frisco Bay the Big Boat Series... but still missing some cool Drone footages as we have seen with G4.


A Le Breton Yachts SIG60 (with foils) by sure would be same competitive as the Gunboat.

In other words: there is competitively concurrence... but all the hype around the G4 over last months pretended that this US boat would be something very special and new. So is not the reality.

Saillors with experiences having enough money and knowledge of the market (observing it over last 20-30 years) know all this and cant be made blind by some cool images.

If I'd be interested in cat racing I'd take a SIG45, call the guys of HP (Holland Composite) who built the foils for the Gunboat and order a set of powerfully daggerboard foils + foiling rudders and pace around like mad around the globe presenting cool video clips on youtube. Nobody then would be impressed anymore by this Orange G4 thing. A SIG45 is in the prize range of 1.1 million US dollars, plus a foil/T-Rudder kit... then we have 50"% of the costs for a Gunboat, if Holland composites wanted 3-400,000 alone for the foil set. - So why a G4 ? (Rec.: Probably its less costly, as Hugo Le Breton the founder himself talked in the Cruiser's Forum in 2009 about a prize for the boat without sails in the size of 700,000 Euros with fully interior, exclusively sails and electronics.)

Its always risky to misunderstand "PR" effects (and "hot air") with the substance of the product. Happened very often (and still will happen in the future) top managers became blind because of the big applaus they received. Its good for their own ego, but has nothing to do with the "customer's need".

 

Gunboat G4

You're dead wrong, Skip-the Gunboat is a great boat-very well designed and works exceptionally well. The company has problems but the boat sure does not. Holland Composites didn't just build the foils they built and designed the whole boat. Some of the top guys in performance catamaran design were involved as were top level engineers.
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There are many people yapping on the sidelines saying they "knew it all along"-typical uninformed trash.
I wish Peter and the creditors good luck and hope it can be resolved.

 

If I was a creditor to Gunboat in future I'd not want to be an unsecured one. I'd be asking for my money up front and not extending any terms.

The G4 capsize couldn't possibly have been that unexpected with the way they were pushing the boat. Normal prudence would dictate that you should have contingencies in place in the event of something which is pretty much inevitable.

Problems with quality control in China? Companies that you deal with there not willing to make good unsatisfactory work? Whoever would have thought that could happen?

 

I didnt say, that the G4 is a "bad boat" of trash... but its not that worth how it is presented and hyped in the public. By sure not. I am economist enough to see that there was lots of "hot air" around the "new foiling look". Maybe it was the first bigger foiling catamaran, but we all know, that its just the beginning of this new era...

In the future we will see many different bigger cataramans on foils like the G4, just a question of time.