The GS 80 Custom comes easily out from the complicated mooring to which she was bound. It is the owner himself who is maneuvering and, with a few clever strokes to the retractable bow and stern thrusters, we’re out in a flash. This maxi yacht can literally evolve on itself .
As soon as we’re outside we head into the wind, with the third gear of the electric winches located at the base of the mast, the main goes ashore quickly. We bear away, shut down the engine and, even before “unrolling” the self tacking jib, the boat lean on the left side and speeds up at almost six knots while blowing 8 knots of real wind.
The self tacking jib is extracted, trimmed and, immediately, the GS 80 Custom accelerates creating its apparent wind.
At 28 ° from the wind we are sailing at 8.3 knots of speed while a crowd of people, far from being disposed where they should to facilitate the situation, suddenly falls silent and looks at the instruments.
I meet Giovanni Ceccarelli’s sight, we smile each other, we don’t need any words to comment on the satisfaction of the moment. Unbelievable how, despite the almost three additional tons of people on board, this maxi yacht can easily slide on the water, at wind speed, only with the mainsail and the self-tacking jib .
I close my eyes and imagine the deserted boat, the owner at the helm and his wife lying on the leeward couch.
The large central winch is within reach to discharge the main if the wind increase. In these conditions this yacht tack without touching a button.
This 80 foot is skippered with the ease of a 50′ and has the performance of a racer.
Giovanni takes me close to the must and explains to me that we are sailing in the cruise setting. He shows me the rails for the 105% genoa that is used to switch the GS 80 Custom to the race configuration, and it’s easy to think of how much the performances can increase with this configuration.
The true wind drops to 4/5 knots and Paolo Semeraro, great sailor and Project Manager of this maxi yacht, decides to hoist the rolling drifter.
The sail is trimmed and the magic happens again. The boat restarts and accelerates up to 7.2 knots of speed while the instruments mark 5.2 knots of real wind, at 38 ° of AWA.
Paolo leaves me the wheel and moves to trim the sails. The wheel is direct and precise, retransmitting route variations millimetrically.
The boat is reactive, sincere, this GS 80 may be helmed literally with two fingers.
The wind drops again, but this yacht does not really want to stop, with three knots of real wind we still make four knots of speed.
Yesterday afternoon there was more wind and the owner, given the conditions, went out to sail. Luck wanted us to be out for the GS 48 Performance test too, so, right when we were reaching the nine knots, in a fantastic close hauled sailing, we saw her arrive from our stern, take us on, easily passing us from leeward.
While the drone was flying we recorded the scene and, I confess, I felt a thread of envy in seeing this maxi yacht while sailing heeled over, easily reaching double-digit speeds.
Then the wind leaves us completely and it is time to return to the mooring.
We enter the harbor and, instantly, life on the quay stops.
Everyone’s eyes turn in our direction while the GS 80 Custom evolves elegantly going to her berth at the central pier.
Because this maxi is not only fast, she is also irrefutably beautiful.
GS 80 Custom by Cantiere del Pardo description