A sailor’s boat -- created for sailors who appreciate the subtleties of performance sailing; yet want to comfortably take non-sailing friends out for the day or, perhaps, to get away themselves for a weekend or a short vacation. Although the larger catamarans on the market admiringly address the comfort issue of offshore cruising, they have done so at the expense of the performance qualities that lure sailors to multihulls in the first place. In order to retrieve the performance aspect, it was necessary to recognize that, no matter what the size, most boats are used most of the time for daysailing. By focusing on daysailing, it was possible to eliminate much of the weight in equipment and accommodations required for passage making while still retaining reasonable accommodations for weekending and short cruises. The optimization for day sailing began with a large, comfortable cockpit -- one with good visibility and excellent protection. A hard dodger protects the forward portion of the cockpit from burning sun or chilling spray. Further protection can be added over the aft half of the cockpit in the form of a bimini top, complete with front and side curtains. At anchor, an aft curtain can also be added to the bimini to completely enclose the cockpit, creating a large interior space. In the center of the cockpit, forward of the helm, is a wet bar/galley console. Standard coolers are fit into recesses in the cockpit, eliminating the need to transfer food in and out of an icebox at the beginning and end of an outing. In keeping with this boat’s mission, the galley has been kept minimal -- perfect for breakfasting in some secluded cove, or cups of hot cocoa to keep off the chill, yet not pretentious enough to compete with a romantic evening ashore, dining in some quaint local restaurant. For overnighting and longer cruises, each hull is laid out as a private cabin with a double berth and a head, complete with shower. Forward in each bow, is space for a single berth bringing the total sleeping accommodations to six. Ventilation is exceptional through 12 opening ports and a huge dorade box built into the front wing fairing. Turning to sailing performance, the sail plan is designed around a large, powerful mainsail on a rotating mast and a self-tacking jib. This rigeliminates the necessity for multiple jibs, their cost, and having to change them as conditions change. Instead, through careful hull design and foil location, it is possible to completely furl the jib as the wind increases and sail the boat as a uni (or cat) rig. Further sail reductions are accomplished through successive reefs in the mainsail. Since jibs are never fun to deal with on a blustery day, it seems smart for the first move in shortening sail to be getting rid of them altogether. Downwind, an asymmetrical spinnaker is tacked to the articulating spinnaker pole. For sailing upwind or close reaching light air, the spinnaker pole can be moved to leeward in order to allow a large drifter (or screacher) to be tacked to the pole and sheeted outboard of the shrouds opening the slot. Under water, low wetted surface hulls were developed with a moderate prismatic coefficient. The result is minimum drag hulls with a seakindly motion. Deep, high aspect daggerboards and rudders furnish the bite necessary for exceptional upwind performance. Unlike other cruising catamarans on the market, The Gulfstream 35 will go upwind tacking through 90° (including leeway), at speeds between 7 and 11.5 knots, depending on the wind speed and sea state. Reaching, she is capable of sailing wind speed in moderate conditions, easily romping along at 14-18 knots. Downwind in a breeze her speed often climbs above 20 knots. Back at the beach, her foils fully retract to allow her to slip through the shallows. Power is provided by a single 35-hp outboard. Optional power choices include either a 50-hp outboard or a pair of inboard Yanmar saildrives. Outboard power allows the strut and propeller to be retracted while sailing -- reducing drag and providing protection from damage. The outboard is steerable with a separate tiller for tight maneuvering. The first Gulfstream 35, Merlin, is fitted with a 50-hp outboard, providing a cruising speed of 10 knots and a top speed of 14 knots under power. If you would like more information about this design or designs in other size ranges, please contact us. Peter Wormwood