Tony Smith formed Performance Cruising in 1980. He began his boatbuilding career by constructing a 24-foot Piver trimaran in a shed in England. Then, in 1969, he developed a method of integrating foam coring with fiberglass and produced the Telstar, a 26-foot, folding trimaran. During a 10-year run, 300 of the boats were sold worldwide. Along the way, he was also involved in the construction of 30- to 70-foot custom yachts.
Tony Smith introduced the Telstar to the US market. Following the loss of the molds in a fire in 1981, he re-emerged on the scene with the design for a new catamaran, appropriately called the Phoenix, the first Gemini.
In 1993, the company launched the Gemini 3400, the first catamaran with a lifting underhung rudder system. It was eventually modified and reintroduced as the 105M, and the 105MC is the most recent upgrade.
With over 800 boats on the water, the company claimed to be the best-selling catamaran manufacturer in the US.
Gemini Catamarans’ latest models are the Gemini Legacy 35, Gemini Freestyle 37 and Gemini Freestyle 399 Power Catamaran. Gemini stopped its production during COVID and has not restarted.
The manufacturer identification code (MIC) of your craft identification number (CIN or HIN) is GEM. This MIC (GEM) stands for the company name Gemini Catamarans which is currently In Business. This boat manufacturer code has other company names, and GEM sometimes goes by General Marine, Inc., or Gemini Marine. This could happen if the US Coast Guard reissued the MIC to a new company after the first went out of business.
Telstar 8M
The Telstar 8M, named after 8 meter length, is a trimaran sailboat designed by Tony Smith and built by Sandwich Yacht (UK) between 1970 and 1981. A 26-foot LOA made this trailerable trimaran perfect for coastal cruising. It featured a swing-wing ama system that allowed it to fold for transport. With a center cockpit, lightweight build, and retractable daggerboard, it was nimble and efficient but basic inside. Typically powered by an outboard motor, it offered decent speed but wasn’t a high-performance racer. Production ended in 1981 when a fire destroyed the molds, leading Tony Smith to focus on catamarans like the Gemini 3000.
Telstar 28
An entirely new TELSTAR model (2003) was a modernized, faster version of the 8M with improved speed, comfort, and versatility. (An earlier TELSTAR 9M was also designed and built by Tony Smith until about 1980.)
This version is ‘foldable’ reducing the beam from 16.0’/4.8m to 8.5’/2.6 m) for road transport and easier mooring where space is restricted. The Double-hinged beams swivel the amas alongside the main hull without extending the boat’s overall length.
A larger sail area, taller rig, and better hull design made it significantly quicker than the 8M. The interior was livable, with improved accommodations for cruising. Some models featured an optional inboard diesel, making it more practical for extended trips. It combined trailerability, performance, and comfort, making it a great all-around trimaran.
Gemini 31/3000
The Gemini 3000 is a compact cruising catamaran designed by Tony Smith and built by Performance Cruising Inc. from 1983 to 1990. It was a direct result of a setback—Smith’s Telstar trimaran molds were destroyed in a 1981 fire, pushing him to pivot toward a catamaran design instead. The Gemini 3000 quickly gained popularity as an affordable, trailerable, and shallow-draft cruising multihull.
The Gemini 3000 and Gemini 31 are closely related, but there are some key differences between them. In addition to the 31 adding 1 foot to the LOA, it also adds about 1,500 lbs to the displacement, additional headroom, more sail area, refined daggerboards, and a slightly more modern feel. If you want the lightest, simplest, and most affordable version, go for the Gemini 3000. For improved build quality and interior accommodations, the 31 is your boat.
Gemini 3000 Reviews
Wave Train – Gemini 3000 Review – Charles Doane, March 2014
The original Gemini 31, appropriately named the Phoenix, was rebranded with minor changes as the Gemini 3000 after the first 28 hulls were launched. In all, 153 of these boats (including the first 28) were built from 1981 to 1990, when the 3000 was discontinued and replaced by the Gemini 3200. All subsequent Gemini models built by Performance Cruising, including the 3200, the 3400, and two 105 models, though they grew slightly, have the same basic hull and deck form and interior layout as the first.
The GEMINI 31 was the first of Gemini series of cruising catamarans that became the best-selling boat of its type being built in the United States. Loosely Based on the earlier ARISTOCAT 30, designed by Musters and Shaw, the 31 was superseded by the very similar Gemini 3000, which remained in production until 1990, when it was in its turn replaced by the slightly longer Gemini 3200.
Gemini 31 Reviews
Practical Sailor – Gemini 31/3000 Review – Darrell Nicholson, June 14, 2000
Long America’s only production cruising multihull, this boat has many fans. The funny thing about the Gemini is that it’s an old design. Ken Shaw drew the lines in 1969. There’s nothing particularly contemporary about it. However, by painting the cabin sides black (Euro styling), adding a swept-back fiberglass “pilothouse” and gradually adding length to the full-bodied hulls, the Gemini has always looked like she belonged with her contemporaries, whether that was the 1980s or 1990s.
Gemini 3200
The Gemini 3200, built from 1993 to 1995, was another step in the evolution of the Gemini line. It retained the overall concept of an affordable, trailerable cruising catamaran but featured several notable improvements over the Gemini 3000 and Gemini 31. The most obvious difference is the increased hull length above the waterline. Gemini 3200 were built between 1990 – 1993 with 99 hulls being built.
In this evolution, the bulkheads and structure was bolstered, addressing some weaknesses in the 3000. The 3200’s centerboards and rudders were redesigned for better upwind performance, subsequently making the draft slightly deeper than before. Perhaps the most significant changes regarded the suitability for extended cruising, made possible by improvements in inboard diesel engines, electrical systems, ventilation and lighting.
Gemini 3400
The GEMINI 3400 was the predecessor to the GEMINI 105 and the first in the series to have molded transom steps. A new kick-up rudder system was developed for the new transom design. Like all Gemini models the 3400 has kick-up centerboards which are housed in low aspect ratio fixed keels which serve as protection for the under-slung rudders from damage when grounding. Production was between 1993 to 1996.
Gemini 3400 Reviews
Cruising World – Gemini 3400 Sea Trials – Hal Sutphen, December 1993
Despite his Bermuda passage, [Designer Builder Tony Smith] classifies the Gemini 3400 as a performance cruiser rather than an offshore voyager, because preserving its performance means limiting its load. He also describes it as a “seven to eight knot boat” and our sea trial suggested that it probably can average those speeds easily over long periods in varying winds. If stability, comfort, nimble handling, and consistent speed are high on your list of priorities, the Gemini 3400 deserves very careful examination.
Gemini 105M
Gemini 105M is a 34’ catamaran sailboat designed by Tony Smith and built by Performance Cruising between 1982 and 2000.
Gemini 105M Reviews
Catamaran Site – Gemini 105 Review – River B, October 24, 2020
The Gemini 105s were designed to be affordable, compact, relatively easy vessels for sailors new to catamarans. In the performance – comfort — cost trifecta, there is a definite favor towards cost, which can equate to quality issues. However, Gemini owners swear by their performance and aspects of comfort.
Sailing Magazine – Gemini 105 M – John Kretschmer, August 7 1999
Under sail It was a terrific sail on the bay in perfect conditions. With a full main and a small genoa, we zipped along consistently at more than 8 knots. I wondered how close the boat could sail before stalling. The Gemini maintained 7.5 knots at 50 degrees apparent and 7 knots at 45 degrees, which is good going for a cat. Under 40 degrees boat speed tailed off drastically, but it would on most cruising monohulls too. Cracking off onto a beam reach the Gemini 105 M really showed her stuff. At first I thought Smith’s rhetoric about improved performance was typical builder banter, but it wasn’t. The GPS told us we were making 10 to 11 knots through the water, and yet there was very little motion. Then the boat hit 12 knots in a gust, I was impressed.
Gemini 105MC
GEMINI 105MC is a development of the 105M with a number of interior updates. Most visibly, however, the cockpit of the 105Mc can be temporarily enclosed with either canvas or solid panels. Production was from 2001-2010. Marlow Hunter began building Gemini catamaran in 2010.
Gemini 105MC Reviews
Multihulls World – Gemini 105 MC, A Traditional Catamaran Design for New Times
10.5m long, beautiful accommodation, all this from a builder with recognized experience: here is the Gemini 105 Mc, a cat which is as comfortable taking you on a weekend trip, as on a sabbatical break…
Practical Sailor – Gemini 105Mc – Darrell Nicholson, April 10, 2003
This is the third version of an already thoughtful design that Tony Smith has been tweaking for years. It’s a spacious, stable platform for a fast-cruising couple.
Smith’s perspective on sailing and yacht design fits the definition of a multihull advocate. From his standpoint, sailing is about speed, comfort, and stability.
The Gemini 105M and 105MC started life as a complete overhaul of the previous 3 generations of Geminis from the ground up. Both 105s are the same dimensionally but the 105MC has a taller mast (1 ft) and a sizeable increase (30%) in sail area to 340 square feet. Headroom was also increased slightly in the cockpit of the MC version.
From an aesthetic standpoint, comparisons of a 35-foot catamaran to a cruising monohull are usually akin to comparing a coupe to a delivery van. Though both may be designed to accomplish the same purposes, the execution varies greatly. Many cruising multihulls present a slab-sided appearance, and boxlike profiles with cabins extending high above deck level.
Spinsheet – Gemini Catamarans Used Boat Review, April 5, 2017
Construction of the Gemini is quite conventional with a solid lay-up of fiberglass mat, woven roving and polyester resin used for the hull. The decks are cored with end grain balsa for stiffness. Beginning with the Gemini 3200, a layer of vinylester resin was incorporated in the lay-up schedule of the hull in order to help prevent osmotic blistering. According to a survey conducted by Practical Sailor several years ago, about 20% of the owners of older Geminis reported some degree of osmotic blistering. This is likely below the average for 1980s vintage production sailboats. There are polyurethane-coated plywood centerboards in each hull which fully retract providing for a scant 18″ of draft with the boards up and 4’ 9″ with the boards down. Many of the bulkheads of the Gemini are not tabbed into the structure but are free floating. This is by design similar to aircraft construction, and the structures have reportedly held up well.
Canadian Boating – Gemini 105 MC, A Rugged Performance Catamaran, Just Launched in Canada, John Kerr
The cockpit is airy and easily accessible by stern steps to both port and starboard and can easily handle eight. Moving forward, there are well-placed handrails making the transition easy. Gemini did compromise somewhat by giving up some deck space to maximize the cockpit space and height but it was a great move.
Gemini 105MC Brochure, Owners Manual and Repowering
A somewhat unique option is the Sillette Sonic drive (common on Gemini 105 catamarans) which is a type of saildrive. It allows using an inboard engine with an outboard drive leg exterior to the boat. The drive leg can be raised while under sail, providing the same no drag advantage as outboards, while having the engine inboard which protects it from saltwater. The drive leg is typically mounted from the bridgedeck or in a pod underneath.
Most Geminis 105M and 105MCs were originally powered with Westerbeke Diesel W30B3 3 cylinder engine (27 hp) connected to a Sillette Sonic Drive with a 16” 3 blade prop. The drive leg is no longer in production but some replacement parts are still available. Fortunately, the drive leg can be tilted enough to be completely out of the water when not in use.
Gemini Legacy 35
Gemini Legacy 35 is a 10.8 m catamaran sailboat designed by Tony Smith and built by Performance Cruising starting in 2013.
SAIL – Gemini Legacy 35 Review – Peter Nielsen, June 17, 2013
Where the 105MC reveled in its quirkiness, the Legacy 35 has shifted into the production cat mainstream. Gone is the 105MC’s centrally mounted Westerbeke diesel and swiveling love-it-or-hate-it Sillette drive leg, in favor of a brace of 15hp Yanmars. The diamond-stayed rig is all-new and so is the square-topped mainsail. Halyards and reefing lines are now led aft to the cockpit, and the optional Code 0 is set on a retractable sprit. The pivoting centerboards that allowed the 105MC to float in just over 18 inches of water have been replaced by a pair of fixed keels that increase draft to 2ft 10in; the trade-off is improved protection for the hull when drying out.
