A fantastic debut for the Eagle Class 53 at Les Voiles de St Barth
by Fast Forward Composites / Eagle Class 53 26 Apr 2019 22:51 NZST
Eagle Class 53 catamaran - Les Voiles de St Barth © Richard & Rachel / Ocean Images
Tommy Gonzalez of Fast Forward Composites debuted the groundbreaking Eagle Class 53 catamaran with Hybrid Wing during the 10th anniversary of the Les Voiles de St Barth regatta last week. What a reception he received!
The week was full of fantastic sails, with journalists, professional sailors, avid boat racers, friends, family and well-wishers on board. It couldn't have been a better week for the boat. The reception from all who sailed on her was phenomenal. The pros certainly enjoyed giving the helm a go and seeing how easy it was to control the Hybrid Wing and sail systems. Most of the guests enjoyed the "splash" factor of the spray from the wave piercing bows!!
The screecher sail also made its debut and we saw speeds of 29 knots on its premier outing. It was a fairly breezy week, so the boat was sailed with caution. The initial testing certainly blew our hair back, and we are happy with the shape and cut.
The Gustavia Yacht Club hosted Tommy and his crew for a nice informal dinner and gave him the opportunity to chat about the boat and its conception. Many thanks to the club for hosting us.
It really was a great week, and a fantastic opportunity for Tommy and Randy Smyth to be able to chat and demonstrate the boat and Hybrid Wing in person. They were able to show off not only the boat in action, but also the look, feel, and quality of the build and design. Everybody left the island fairly tired, but with a grin from ear to ear.
The Eagle Class 53 will now be coming up the East Coast of USA in early summer. Keep checking out her progress on Instagram
Video by Richard Langdon / Ocean Images