It was in 2001 that Peter Johnstone embarked on a mission to make the perfect cruising catamaran, giving birth to Gunboat and the company’s first splash, Tribe. Sailors took notice and word spread, helping to take Johnstone’s passion from a single 62 foot cruising cat to a thriving business building luxurious cruising catamarans ranging in size from 48 to 90 feet. Johnstone’s latest innovation is the Gunboat G4, christened Timbalero 3 by its owner. In close collaboration with Holland Composites, the world’s first recreational, fully-foiling catamaran with comfortable long-range cruising accommodations was launched. This 40-foot cat not only turns heads due to her rocket-like speed around the race course, but also her bold Alexseal finish—a vibrant color trait she shares with many of her Gunboat sisterships.
With the 2013 America’s Cup regatta accepting new cut ting edge foiling technology, it was only a matter of time before these exciting advances made their way to the private yacht sector and Gunboat was determined to help pioneer this technology. Collaborating between Gunboat’s headquarters in North Carolina and Holland Composites’ facility near Amsterdam, the team developed their own foiling catamaran design they knew would have an instant international appeal. Boasting a long history of providing advanced coatings to the aviation market, Mankiewicz, which belongs to the same group as Alexseal, was more than qualified, and excited, to assist on such an innovative project. The exceptionally lightweight coatings system used throughout much of the G4’s carbon fiber skin helped with the boat’s overall weight savings; a critical factor in the engineering of a foiling craft of this size.
After completing construction, the Gunboat team immediately delivered Timbalero 3 to her owner just in time for the boat to participate in the 2015 Caribbean racing season. With only a few days to practice, this amazing new sailing machine was put through her paces in St Barth and Antigua prior to capturing first place in the Antigua Sailing Week in dramatic fashion. Taking second place behind Timbalero 3 was another Gunboat, the 55’ Toccata, also sporting a stunning Alexseal finish. As the Gunboat legacy has grown, the fleet’s sharp lines and spectrum of bold colors have made it easy to see why Alexseal has played an obvious role in the brand’s pursuit of excellence in aesthetics and performance. As founder Peter Johnstone explains, “We use Alexseal coatings on the Gunboat G4 and all of our boats because it is the finest yacht paint available—period!”
