Design and Construction
The 55's structure is built around lightweight carbon epoxy construction, with hull and deck a composite of carbon fiber, epoxy resin and Corecell foam bound together by a sophisticated vacuum infusion process. The hulls and bridge are molded as a single unit, which makes the structure extremely stiff and strong and allows the forward crossbeam to be eliminated; the hulls are then strengthened internally by long stringers of carbon fiber to compensate. Weight saving is paramount throughout, with carbon fiber featured prominently in the Hall Spars mast and boom, carbon/Divynicell-foam composite panels forming the interior furniture, and all systems planned to use a minimum of material. CNC routers cut the individual parts to exact tolerances. This disciplined approach to mass lets her stand out from most other cruising multihulls particularly upwind while still including cruising comforts without sacrificing performance.
Rig and Handling
The working cockpit has been moved indoors into the shelter of the deckhouse just ahead of the central wheel, where one person can set, trim, reef and douse the sails using buttons controlling two electric winches. The self-tacking jib demands no attention once trimmed, and the hydraulically controlled mainsheet is trimmed and eased at the touch of a button, with a large red emergency release by the wheel to dump it in squalls. Standing rigging is aramid fiber, with inner and outer forestays tacked to a jutting carbon fiber beam braced by aramid stays to the hulls; halyard locks inside the Hall mast reduce stretch and mast compression. Pivoting centerboards replace vertical daggerboards, are hydraulically controlled from the helm, stow below the cabin sole, and will kick up if they strike something. A display at the helm shows deployment depth, and the carbon fiber rudder blades can be lifted by hand within their cassette bearings. Test sailors found her very easy to sail once familiar with the systems, clocking an easy 6 to 7 knots in 7 knots of wind and 11 knots on a beam reach in 12 with a screecher, tacking nimbly even in light airs.
Accommodations
Living area is maximized through an open-plan central deck that replaces a conventional enclosed salon with aft doors, surrounded by an enclosed central helm station and large windows, open aft yet enclosable with removable screens or soft panels on the back porch. A large sliding window ahead of the helm gives access to the trampoline and mooring platform, and a sliding moonroof above offers the driver a view of the sails. The tested boat held two superyacht-style double cabins—owner's quarters to port, a large double starboard—with both queen bunks on platforms with stowage under, plus a starboard aft cabin used as workshop-storage with generator and washer/dryer access, specifiable instead as an office or third stateroom. The optional galley-down layout places a roomy galley aft in the port hull with four-burner stove, fridge and freezer; galley-up trades one perimeter settee. The dining table seats eight to ten, hulls are reached by sliding locking doors with bug screens, and heads feature large showers with electric freshwater toilets. The fit-out is understated and inviting, with teak, cherry, walnut or Makore offered.
Performance Underway
Writing in Yachting World, test sailors recorded the 55 reaching mid-teens to 20 knots downwind under reefed main and jib, averaging 10–11 knots upwind at just under 40° apparent and coping with 45-knot gusts over Caribbean swells with very little slamming. She lifts a hull at speed with the airborne rudder whistling, yet accelerates back to double digits within seconds; offwind a firm grip is needed on the loaded helm. Boat captain Chris Bailet noted the aim is to sail at close to wind speed, and the boat remained quiet and calm aboard at speed apart from easing sheets.
Refits and Ownership
Gunboat will install any propulsion system the owner wants, though the test and spec boats carried twin 39hp Yanmar diesels with feathering Maxprops via V-drives; engine bays are large and well laid out with very good access to all service points. The choice of sail loft and wardrobe is the customer's, the test boat wearing Quantum sails with a square-top main, self-tacking Solent and furling R1/screecher. The lengthy standard equipment list covers instruments and systems needed to sail to potential and live at anchor. The builder manufactures in North Carolina.
The Verdict
The Gunboat 55 is a rare fusion of all-carbon race-bred structure and genuine owner-operated cruising livability, rewarding sailors who want to cover ground fast in warm latitudes without a crew. Her single-unit molding and weight discipline yield a stiff, strong platform whose centerboard and rudder arrangements suit varied depths, while the enclosed helm and push-button sail handling make short-handed passagemaking plausible.
Pros
- Extremely stiff single-unit carbon structure with eliminated forward crossbeam
- Push-button short-handed sail handling from enclosed indoor working cockpit
- Kick-up centerboards and hand-liftable rudders for shoal exploration
- Strong upwind performance versus typical cruising catamarans
- Flexible two- or three-cabin layouts with galley-up/down options
Cons
- Aramid and carbon rigging systems demand informed, careful ownership
- Loaded offwind helm requires physical effort despite powered systems
- Semi-custom all-carbon build implies high-complexity, specialist service
