Gunboat: Engineering Luxury Catamarans That Sail Faster Than the Wind

What if you could build a yacht that combined the speed and efficiency of a racing craft with the grandeur of a floating villa? That was the vision founder Peter Johnstone brought to life when he launched Gunboat in 2002, creating an entirely new category of high-performance cruising catamaran. Gunboat's twin-hull design provides remarkable stability compared to traditional monohulls, allowing the deck to stay flat and maintain pace even in challenging sea conditions. Carbon fiber is used to construct the catamarans for extreme lightness and exceptional durability that lasts forever. The lightweight design isn’t just about speed, but also sustainability. Lighter boats sail more and motor less. With solar integration, electric systems, and ongoing research into recycled composites and bio-resilient materials, these vessels represent responsible seamanship for the future. We traveled to Gunboat’s purpose-built shipyard in La Grande-Motte in southern France to meet Rodolphe Cadoret, Marketing Director at Gunboat. Rodolphe walks us through every stage of the building process, from the composite workshop through to assembly, carpentry, and the meticulous painting rooms where flawless metallic finishes emerge. He gives us a full picture of how, supported by PTC partner 4CAD, Gunboat uses digital precision to transform physical performance on the water. PTC's Brian Thompson then joins us to explain how Creo's model-based approach and integrated surfacing capabilities enable Gunboat to accelerate time to market dramatically. Find out more about Gunboat here.Find out more about Creo here.Your host is Paul Haimes from industrial software company PTC.Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn and X for updates.This is an 18Sixty production for PTC. Executive Producer is Jacqui Cook. Location recording by Mat Eric Hart. Sound design and editing by Louise Morris. Music by Rowan Bishop.