Cruising World - June 2018

june/july 2018

cruisingworld.com

90

I

f you truly loved

catamarans, if money

were no object, if you

wanted high performance but

also wished for a boat that you

could actually sail as a couple,

if state-of-the-art carbon-fi ber

construction were something

you could really understand

and appreciate, what would

you buy?

Ladies and gentlemen, I

present to you the HH55.

Built in China to exacting

standards, and created by the

renowned multihull designers

and partners Gino Morrelli

and Pete Melvin, the HH55

looks and feels like something

conceived and launched in

a future time and place, and

deposited here in 2018 as if

by time machine. Tellingly,

the naval architects, Morrelli

and Melvin, and one of the

principal boatbuilders, New

Zealander Paul Hakes, were all

involved in the development

and evolution of the original

Gunboat brand. With the

HH55, they’ve taken that

concept and run with it.

The 55-footer certainly looks

and feels like a next-generation

Gunboat. The hulls maximize

the waterline length and boast

what might be called a reverse

sheer line, and the bows, which

look slick and pierce waves, are

swept slightly aft. And there

are defi nitely some overlapping

features to a Gunboat, the most

prominent being the forward

steering station inside the cen-

tral saloon (though you can also

opt for twin wheels aft) that

opens up to a forward cockpit

where all the sheets, halyards

and reefi ng lines live. It’s clean,

functional and has withstood

the test of modern times.

The materials and technol-

ogy incorporated in the HH55

would not be out of place on

Starship Enterprise. Carbon fi ber

is employed throughout in a

sandwich laminate that incor-

porates infused epoxy resins

and Core-Cell foam cores,

which makes the boat lean

and strong and also provides

sound and heat insulation.

Rod rigging is eschewed in

favor of light, durable aramid

fi bers. The fractional spar and

V- shaped boom are prepreg

carbon that’s baked in an

autoclave. A CZone digital

control and monitoring system,

linked to a B&G Hercules

central processing unit,

provides a seamless electrical

interface among all electronic

components and state-of-

the-art autopilots and sailing

instruments. It’s all powered by

lithium-ion batteries.

In the interior layout,

customization is both available

and encouraged. On the

model we tested, the owners

suite spanned the length of

the entire port hull, with a

comfortable double berth aft

and a large head with an enor-

mous shower stall, forward.

The starboard hull housed

double cabins in the ends, with

separate heads. The main cabin

is airy and equipped with an

ample galley, dedicated nav sta-

tion and spacious dining area;

sliding glass doors open up to

create a vast, seamless space

between the interior saloon

and the outdoor aft cockpit,

which features a second dining

table, sun bed, wet bar and

barbecue. Luxurious is the word

that readily leaps to mind.

Not surprisingly, the bloody

boat sails like a witch. The

curved carbon daggerboards

maximize the performance and

control. The helm is as smooth

and silky as can be. During our

test sail on Chesapeake Bay, in

about 11 knots of true wind,

the HH55 slipped through the

water like a hot knife through

butter. During our Boat of the

Year contest, only one boat sur-

passed the 55’s sailing prowess,

its bigger, more powerful sister,

the HH66 (see “Hook In and

Hang On,” opposite).

Our BOTY judges were

smitten by the yacht. Bill

Bolin was impressed with the

arrangement and functionality

of the galley: “I thought it was

exceptional. It’s U-shaped and

very deep. The crew would be

out of the way of the traffi c

patterns, with people moving

around and going in and out of

either hull or the staterooms or

heads. It was very well thought

out.” Ed Sherman said, “I

like the way it’s laid out. The

builders have demonstrated

that they can build a cruising-

oriented boat that offers a good

turn of speed and performance,

but a couple can run it without

outside assistance. It’s a really

cool boat.”

Of course, with a price tag

over $2.5 million, it better

be. But for those well-heeled

enough to afford it, it might

just be a bargain. It’s hard to

imagine more fun at any price.

Herb McCormick is CW’s

executive editor.

The FUTURE is NOW

Light, fast and exquisitely executed, the HH55 is a unique cruising cat that an experienced

couple can sail with confidence and aplomb.

BY HERB McCORMICK

BOATS & GEAR

JON WHITTLE