Launched in May 2014, KATO, a custom Schionning G-Force 1800 is set to turn heads with
stunning goods looks and outstanding sailing performance.
| LOA | 18.30m |
| Beam | 8.60m |
| Fuel | 600L |
| Water | 600L |
| Engines | 2x 75 hp Saildrive Diesels |
| Speed | 25+ knots |
| Schionning Designs | www.schionningdesigns.com.au |
| Noosa Marine | www.noosamarine.com.au |
Designed by Jeff Schionning, Schionning Designs, KATO was commissioned by a Queensland businessman, with previous catamaran experience, who wanted a performance oriented cruising catamaran with a generous pay-load, that was easy-to-handle for short-handed sailing. The design brief also called for plenty of room for storing kite surfing equipment in the cockpit and a clear area for kite launching and retrieval from the back of the boat.
"The G-Force 1800 is the ultimate in high performance cruising catamarans and is the flagship of the G-Force range. One of the main benefits of these easily driven hulls, with excellent power to weight ratio and a good WL beam to length ratio, is that you don't need much wind to get up and go." Jeff Schionning
Jeff specified DuraKore Strip Planking for the hulls and a DuFLEX Composite Component Pack , Techniglue epoxy adhesives and KINETIX laminating systems, for KATO's construction, with S-Fibreglass and carbon reinforcements, where appropriate, to control weight and achieve the desired strength . The DuFLEX Panels were CNC routed into kit form and cored with a rigid end-grain balsa to optimise the engineering and performance in specific areas. The DuraKore / DuFLEX construction significantly reduced the build time while addressing the need to keep the boat as light as possible without sacrificing comfort or performance.
Built by Julian Griffiths and his experienced team at Noosa Marine, Queensland, KATO was constructed in 14 months. On her maiden voyage, in light 8 knot winds, she hit 9.8 knots of boat speed. A following outing logged 22.3 knots surfing in 2m swells with three reefs in the main and the jib, in winds ranging from 25 - 30 knots. The owner has reported that he could not be happier with the boat, and after an initial cruise to Lizard Island in the Whitsundays they are planning a world sailing adventure.
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