Design and Construction
The G-32 stands out for its exceptionally aerodynamic form and incredibly slender hulls. This geometry allows a surprisingly small rig to drive the boat at competitive speeds. The hulls also have extremely fine entries, which the designer’s own account credits for the boat’s notable dryness: even in lively conditions, usually only a few droplets reach the cockpit.
The structure was molded in foam and fiberglass using an early predecessor of Gougeon’s PRO-SET Epoxy, a laminating resin later widely adopted across the industry. At 8.5 feet wide, the G-32 has the same beam as a Hobie 16 but twice the length. The entire package is road legal on a trailer.
Rig, Launching, and Handling
The G-32 asks relatively little of its crew when it comes to managing sail power. Around-the-boom mainsail reefing and a furling jib make depowering straightforward. Although inherently tippy, the boat is quite capable in wild weather. A very effective water-ballast system counters that tippiness in use; control lines on each side of the cockpit fill and empty the ballast.
The mast can be raised or lowered in just a few minutes, using the boom as a jin pole, so it can be laid down and reset without heavy equipment. The entire setup and launching process can take as little as 15 minutes, and a 12-year-old could handle the work. Together, these features put the G-32 at the extreme practical end of the trailerable spectrum.
Capsize and Self-Righting
Production boats have a water-ballast system and are self-righting. A masthead float also serves as a wind vane and prevents the boat from turning completely upside down during a capsize.
If the G-32 does capsize, the crew cants the rig using the running backstays. The boat comes upright in less than five minutes, with only the crew’s ankles getting wet. That quick recovery is a direct product of a rig that can be lowered and raised within a few minutes.
Accommodations and Cruising Role
The G-32 was designed as an affordable cruising and racing boat, though it did not achieve broad market success during production. Its slender hulls and compact beam favor performance and trailering over interior volume.
The result is a personal-scale, go-anywhere catamaran that one person or a small family can launch, rig, and sail without shoreside infrastructure. The trade-off is limited cruising accommodation and cabin space.
Known Issues
The only operational caveat is the G-32’s inherent tippiness. Rather than fixed ballast, the design relies on active use of the water-ballast control lines to manage it.
The Verdict
The Gougeon 32 is an unusual combination: a road-legal catamaran with slender, fine-entry hulls, a rapidly articulated rig, self-righting capsize recovery in less than five minutes, and a launch process that can take as little as 15 minutes.
Its rarity—just fourteen boats built in the early 1990s—means a buyer joins a tiny fleet, though every boat in that fleet remains active. For sailors who value aerodynamic efficiency, easy trailering, and built-in self-rescue more than cabin square footage, the G-32 remains a quietly remarkable design.
Pros
- Self-righting, with a masthead float and sub-five-minute recovery using the running backstays
- Slender, fine-entry hulls that keep the cockpit exceptionally dry
- Rapid rigging: the mast goes up or down in minutes, and a full launch can take as little as 15 minutes
- Road-legal trailerability at an 8.5-foot beam
- Competitive speed from a small rig
Cons
- Inherently tippy without active use of the water-ballast control lines
- Minimal production—14 boats—limits fleet support and resale liquidity
- Cruising accommodation sacrificed in favor of slender hulls and trailerable width
