[MHml] Gold Coast Yacht - 20 knot motor sailors

[Dlm48@aol.com]

In a message dated 13/05/2004 15:58:42 GMT Daylight Time, K38BOB at aol.com 
writes:

> Surprised these guys have not been mentioned. Seem competent multihullers 
> sail, motor, and hybrid. No relations to GCY.
> cheers
> bob

" But now some new multihull designs are proving that speed and comfort need 
not be mutually exclusive. Conversations and correspondence with Roger 
Hatfield, designer and one of the operating partners of Gold Coast Yachts in St. 
Croix, U.S.V.I., reveal that this group is now producing what is arguably the 
fastest motor-sailor in the world ? a  55-foot charter catamaran designed for the 
rough waters of the Hawaiian Islands. What?s more, the boat, The Spirit of 
Kauai, had to be delivered to Hawaii on its own bottom, which is about as 
thorough a sea trial as one could devise.

Delivery Captain Randy West reported that the cat?s top speed under power 
(twin Cummins 220 h.p. diesels) was 24 knots. Sailing with a spinnaker in 20 to 
25 knots with the 23-inch fixed-blade props free wheeling (in neutral), the 
boat hit 25 knots, and the average speed for the entire trip was 11.5 knots, 
which is eminently respectable. "We could sail as fast as we motored, and motor as 
fast as we sailed," noted West, "and consequently we could set and meet a 
schedule regardless of whether the wind blew or not."  That?s pretty heady stuff ?
 the kind of speed performance most cruisers never get to experience. "

    

can i say that a 55 foot day charter (empty shell) cat with 440 hp seems slow 
at 24 knots to me - sounds like they are overdriving a sailing hull form - 
which seems slightly strange as GCY do make very sweet wave piercing power cat 
ferries.

just back from St Croix myself had a few looks around the GCY facility and 
GCY are now moving to resin infusion BUT using a foam core not balsa - OWELL 
Part Five

regards

David