'ATTITUDE' | G-Force 1500
Owner of G-Force 1500 'ATTITUDE' Alan Larkin comments on sailing and living aboard, including the ease of handling with just 2 people and her effortless performance.
“We leave Cairns on Sat week, the 17th for the Louisiades, Attitude is sitting up in Cairns patiently waiting for us to catch up with work, and rejoin her next Monday. Testimony to how well she sails, just Michele & I sailed her up to Cairns from Brisbane, and yes, we covered the 100 odd nm in daylight, which is just fantastic when you’re doing a delivery with two people.
The numerous beautiful anchorages along the Qld coast were a pleasure to drop the pick each night, and watch the sun set after a great days sailing. Skitting along in 25 kts of wind, double reefed main & heady, we felt very comfortable in two metre swells doing 18 kts, just exhilarating, especially with just two on board!!
The delivery proved Attitude everything we set out to achieve, with our wish list dovetailing nicely into your fantastic design.I believe Attitude gives you guys the opportunity to promote the G‐Force range as a true performance cruiser, probably the best there is, not just a bare bones racer. And as you know better than most, when it comes to making these purchases, the saying “happy wife, happy life”, certainly makes that decision easier.”
Alan Larkin
portfolio
“Jag is tracking very well can take your hand off the helm at any speed for minutes on end and she says on course. Did this one day in slight seas and 20 knots of wind for seven minutes at 16 knots boat speed and her course altered by 7 degrees. I am very much enjoying ‘JAG’ she is awesome. I am cruising at 16 knots using 24.4 litres per hour for both motors.”
I have sailed Immagina, a G-Force 1500C, from Cape Town to Grenada covering 6,500 Nm across the Atlantic. She sailed wonderfully throughout! We had south easterly winds that ranged from 10 Kts to 40 Kts, mostly 15 Kts to 25 Kts. With Code 0 hoisted, Immagina was often doing wind speeds. You have to keep in mind that we had provisions for four people for two months on board (we had one month spare provisioning as a safety factor), and this was not “dried” food but rather good, tasty Italian food. Most of the time we had the fresh water tank with 300 – 400 litres in it and 200 – 250 litres of diesel (generator back up). Then about 90 Kg for dinghy and outboard and many tools and spare parts. So we were not sailing light. Yet, Immagina behaved beyond my expectations. She was very stable and kept her course so well that I’d forget she was sailing under autopilot most of the time. Sailing at speeds of 15 kts was the norm and we were able to cook, shower, eat, sleep and do whatever at speeds between 10 and 20 kts. She is very stiff which translated in immediate accelerations with any wind increase or gusts and if I was resting in my cabin I would be able to tell her speed by the different sounds she was making through the water. Even in 40 kts winds, I never felt in danger or that she was not able to cope with the increasing seas and worsening of sea conditions. She is defiant and certain!
The particular layout with “U” galley and so forth is quite comfortable and useful for long passages and even she is quite light for her size nonetheless we still have three double cabins and three heads with two large showers, two freezers, two fridges, microwave, electric oven and induction cooktop which make an Ocean passage very pleasant and comfortable, yet you are crossing at double digit speeds at all times.
“I’m a long time catamaran racer. A Nacra 5.8 in the mid 80’s. A 40’ Crowther cat from 1997-2000. And in 2001, Afterburner, a 52’ x 30’ Tennant racing cat, heavily modified by the previous owners from a Bladerunner design. She had a great NZ racing record. We imported her and raced her for 16 years. It was quite the hoot, flying a hull into the high 20’s regularly. She had no center cabin, and would be described as wet and Spartan by most people. As an overpowered beast by others.
I got to specify the fit out and rigging. I went for a bit taller carbon mast at 20m, as wind in southern California is generally lighter than the Cape of Good Hope. We got a deal on shipping her to the British Virgin Islands. My friends and I spent most of 2015 bringing her back to Sothern California in a series of legs. It was quite the adventure with lots of boat repairs in exotic locations. Her fundamentals are sound. The design is great. Her construction is a bullet proof work of art. She sails great! We have pushed her hard without drama. (Who doesn’t have some issues with plumbing, electronics, fuel, and engines on a new boat?)
An article on the G-Force’s under construction and the development of a new custom design. Published in issue #120 of Multihull World Magazine.
A write-up on the G-Force 1800C, the latest and largest G-Force from Schionning Designs. Published in issue #121 of Multihull World Magazine.
A short design write-up on the new Legend 60 design. Published in issue #121 of Multihull World Magazine.
A design review in Multihull World magazine for the brand new Arrow 1200 design. This design is 100% flat panel construction and is a great budget option for those wanting to cruise the world.
An article from Multihull World Magazine about the introduction of the new G-Force Cruise range, that keep with the performance of their thoroughbred sisters but can carry those cruising extras!
A launching story from Multihull World Magazine about the Wilderness 1030 “Time Lord” that was launched in 2013.
