Extreme 40 cat poised to pounce

The Boat Works - Extreme 40 ready for action Charmaine Webb

Tony Longhurst - The Boat Works © Charmaine Webb

This waterborne weapon supersedes the boat Longhurst entered in 2015, former Indian Chief with her distinctive red hull and black sail.

“Our new Extreme 40 will be a sight to behold,” promises Julian Griffiths, boat captain and director of Noosa Marine. “She specialises in short, inshore Grand Prix style racing and can reach speeds of 30 knots on flat water in around 20 knots of wind. That said, we will still give the spectators and five crew a thrill in as little as 8 knots of breeze.”

Longhurst, who built his cruising catamaran Kato with Griffiths at Noosa Marine, and has another ground-breaking project in build, describes The Boat Works Extreme 40 as “incredible to watch and breathtaking to sail”.

“This high-tech one design multihull combines all the excitement of a beach cat, with the power of an ocean racing multihull,” the speed specialist enthuses. “It was designed for speed and agility, built entirely in an autoclave from carbon fibre with a nomex core.”

From a purely sensorial point of view, The Boat Works cat promises to steal the spotlight as she streaks around the azure waters off Airlie Beach, 11 to 18 August.

“She looks sensational from either side and when the wind is up, you literally glide above the water surface,” says Longhurst. “It’s surreal and addictive!”

Longhurst will face stiff competition in another foiling craft, the GC32 catamaran, Vodafone32, in the Multihull Racing division, owned by Auckland-based, Simon Hull, who claims his best speed is around 36.5 knots in good trade-winds.

“With our boat, our team and our appetite for speed, we’re confident we can put up a sporting fight,” says Griffiths. “People are in for a fantastic show!”

Hosted by the Whitsunday Sailing Club, the 27th Airlie Beach Race Week, has registered more than 100 boats for this year’s event. Then on to Australia’s largest offshore sailing regatta, the 33rd Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, 20 to 27 August, which attracts the international yachting fraternity, serious sailors, celebrities and socialites.

“We are looking forward to sharing the extreme experience with sponsors, clients and media during both regattas,” says Longhurst. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people and the closest you will come to flying on water.”

The Boat Works specs:

• LOA 40’
• Beam 26’
• Displacement 1250kg
• Mast height 62'
• Mainsail 75m2
• Jib 25m2
• Gennaker 78m2
• Top speed 30kts
• 5 crew