World debut of Grand Banks Yachts' new flagship: the Grand Banks 85
by Grand Banks 26 Mar 2022 14:05 PDT
The GB Marine Group - Brief History
The GB Marine Group is home to three of the world's most famous boating brands - Grand Banks, Eastbay and Palm Beach Motor Yachts. The three brands are well established as industry leaders with a litany of accolades and a history that dates back over 65 years.
What began as American Marine in 1956 with the famous line of Grand Banks yachts that defined the "recreational trawler" category, and became an international sensation, continued to grow and was later listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1987. 1993 saw the release of the Eastbay brand with the venerable EB38, and once again defined a new category in "production Downeasters", designed specifically for the American market.
At the same time, on the other side of the planet in Sydney, Australia, the Palm Beach brand was established, soon transitioning from impeccable sailing sloops into picnic-style motor yachts, taking cues and paying homage to the classic lines of the lobster style boats in both Australia and the United States.
Since 2014, when Grand Banks acquired Palm Beach Motor Yachts and appointed Mark Richards as Chief Executive Officer, the business has evolved significantly with all three iconic marques now housed together in what is today called GB Marine Group.
Dedication to production and customer service
The GB Marine Group's dedication to its loyal and emerging customer base, and commitment to delivering the best motor yachts on the market, has led to the company investing heavily into their three primary facilities.
In 2014, the factory was 270,000 square feet. Today, the factory footprint has doubled in size to 550,000 square-foot to become one of the most advanced luxury boat building factories in the industry. GB Marine Group is currently designing a further factory expansion which when completed in 2023 will expand to a total of 800,000 square feet.
Regional Customer Service facilities are also a primary focus for the company in its two core markets, with the purchase and recent renovation of a full-service yard in Stuart FL, that serves as the US headquarters. Similarly in Australia, the company has invested significantly in establishing its new official regional headquarters in Newport NSW, on Sydney's iconic Pittwater where Palm Beach Motor Yachts was born. Both locations provide a direct conduit between customers and the factory, being staffed by exfactory management, shipwrights and technicians. The company operates on a factory-direct model without a dealer network, which enhances and strengthens relationships with customers.
V-Warp® Technology
Grand Banks, Eastbay and Palm Beach are the only motor yachts to be built using proprietary V-Warp® technology with the outcome producing superior performance, unrivaled fuel efficiency and the softest riding vessels in their class with the attendant benefit of minimizing the impact to the environment.
The three key components to V-Warp® technology are:
1. Hull design
Designed by a team of leading naval architects, its underwater geometry was informed by the NASA and American Navy databases and then further developed by CEO, Mark Richards' experience as an ocean racing champion. This continual pursuit is a manifestation of Richards' focus to bringing a design approach from decades of competitive sailboat racing from the Admiral's Cup, America's Cup, and a record number of Sydney to Hobart victories. Three key elements to any successful high performance sailboat design are:
1. Wetted surface,
2. Reduction of energy required to move a boat through the water,
3. Running attitude.
Less weight requires less power to push the boat through the water, while a slippery hull design reduces wetted surface, and the design is intended to stay flat and keep the sharp entry engaged, and the full waterline in the water. The V-Warp hull design utilized by GB Marine Group is a proven concept throughout the company's range.
2. Premium materials
Using only premium grade e-glass, carbon fiber and closed-cell foams, which are then vacuum infused with 100% vinylester resin, allows us to reduce weight and control its distribution, while ensuring supreme strength and durability that will endure for generations.
This combination of materials used in the construction of the hull, deck and superstructure produces a very low center of gravity which is a critical element in delivering the outstanding performance characteristics across the range.
3. Construction techniques
Designed and built to the same exacting standards as our team's experience with the America's Cup, the hull, deck, bulkheads and fixed furniture are structurally fused together to create semi-monocoque 'torsion box' that delivers a unique combination of strength, rigidity and weight reduction. That means berths, locker bases, galley cabinetry, heads, and more are all an integral part of the structure. They don't sit in a liner rattling around or merely held in place with basic tabs.
Nothing is "along for the ride", every piece contributes to the structure and stiffness of the boat, which also has the added advantage of eliminating any squeaking or creaking. The virtues of this singular, robust grid must be experienced in foul weather to be fully appreciated.
Furthermore, all large mass components are balanced transversally and longitudinally to maintain a low and centered weight distribution and ensure inherent form stability in all conditions. The full beam baffled composite fuel tanks are manufactured in-house, and are positioned amidships with the engine blocks. The platform is designed to work with both conventional shafts and IPS pod drives.
Grand Banks 85 debut
The GB85 design
The highly successful and revolutionary introduction of the Grand Banks 60 in 2017, saw a response from owners and the boating industry alike that has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The evolution of the new design maintained the elegant lines and opulent interiors that define the Grand Banks style, while taking the company in a bold new performance-driven and fuel-efficient direction.
The Grand Banks 54 followed the 60, debuting in 2020 and almost immediately selling 10 hulls to eager yachtsmen around the globe. Now, due to both customer demand and established confidence in the marque's adoption of the V-Warp platform, Grand Banks is once again pushing the envelope for design and engineering, and is thrilled to release the company's new flagship, the Grand Banks 85.
Like all new Grand Banks models, the GB85 benefits from the infinite knowledge gained from building cruising designs for nearly seven decades and delivering more than 7,000 yachts. Whether it's a focus on maximizing storage, allowing an abundance of fresh air flow, or ensuring comfort both at sea and at anchor, there is not a detail on the GB85 that has been ignored.
True to the brand's heritage, the GB85 is an ocean-going Bluewater cruiser that is also nimble with a shallow draft, making it equally suited for coastal cruising. Designed to travel efficiently at 21 knots for extended cruising, and easily handled by owner-operators, the internal configurations also accommodate spacious and highly impressive crew quarters capabilities should that be the owners' choice.
Hull #1
The first Grand Banks 85 is making her highly anticipated world debut at the 2022 Palm Beach International Boat Show in Florida. The boat will be delivered to her owners immediately after the show, and is only briefly stateside before heading to Europe where she will also feature at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival.
Hull No. 1 is powered with twin 1,000HP Volvo IPS 1350s, while twin 1300hp V8 Mans running conventional shafts have been installed in hull #2. Richards reported that, during the pre-delivery test, the GB85 met all expectations. Like the entire range of the new generation of Grand Banks, the GB85 runs flat and pushes very little water, demonstrating the superior efficiency of the V-Warp platform.
A beam of 22 feet allows Grand Banks to offer a range of internal configurations and amenities for both guests and crew. For long-distance cruising, special attention was given to both sociability and privacy.
"First, we focused on what makes a superior long-distance cruiser while under way for long legs," said CEO Mark Richards. "This means understanding the rhythm that occurs while on passage, and creating various spaces where you can separate from others off-watch. Some people onboard are focused on running the boat, others are relaxing, and others may be sleeping. This approach ticks a lot of boxes in how the design comes together."