large cruising trimaran

16 Best Trimarans For Sailing Around The World (And a Few For Daysailing)

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Trimarans are growing in popularity worldwide, due to their light construction and high stability these multihulls are even faster than catamarans. Trimarans are still one of the lesser-known boat types so in this article ill be checking out some of the most popular models.

The best trimarans include: 

• The Neel 43 
• The Neel 47 
• Dragonfly 28 
• The Pulse 600 
• Corsair 37 

These tris are built with your safety in mind while also packing powerful speed and a wide array of comfort features to optimize your sailing experience , some are even foldable making them possible to load on a trailer and transport to the sailing destination of your choosing.

In this article, I have created a list of the 16 best trimarans in the market and their unique features. You’ll also learn the best options for different purposes such as circumnavigation, weekend sailing, racing, and more. 

Table of Contents

What Is a Trimaran?

A trimaran is a multi hulled sailboat with three individual hulls; the main hull ( vaka ) and a pair of outrigger hulls ( amas ). These smaller outrigger hulls are attached to the main hull using beams. 

While trimarans have a rich history dating back nearly four millennia, these types of sailboats have only gained popularity in the late 1900s and early 2000s. 

Trimarans are primarily used as personal boats for sailing enthusiasts or racing. These sailboats draw their versatility from their lightweight design, making them faster and easier to handle at sea when compared to single-hulled boats (monohulls). Additionally, the three hulls also contribute to better stability, making it very hard to capsize (although more likely than a cat according to this study)

Trimarans come in various sizes, and some can be as small as 19 feet (5.8 meters) in length, while others go up to 60 feet (18meters). They’re also used for different purposes. Most trimarans are used for racing and recreational purposes, although some units are still used as ferries.

As with all things, to find out which is the best we need to understand what it will be used for. There is a big difference in requirements between a boat used for day sailing compared to offshore around the world sailing.

The list below highlights the best trimarans for different purposes.

Best Trimarans For Cruising, Liveaboard and Sailing Around The World

The Neel 43 is a French trimaran best suited for cruising. Its key features include: 

• Easy maneuverability on the open sea by only a small number of crew members 

This unit is also built for comfort, ideal for more extended travels. This 43-feet (13-meter) trimaran is also made with recyclable and bio-sourced materials, highlighting the manufacturer’s commitment to environmental consciousness. 

This trimaran has a base price of  €329,000 excluding VAT. This translates to approximately $370,138. 

2.Neel 47 Possibly The Best

Named the best full-size multihull for 2020, the Neel 47 is a strong contender for one of the best trimarans in the market. This 47-foot (14.3-meter) long trimaran features optimized exterior and interior ergonomics for a unique design and look. 

Still on design, the Neel 47 is ideal for couples looking to take a weekend off or spend some time as liveaboard. It has a spacious owner’s cabin and two bedrooms. It also features a spacious living room and kitchen and is optimized to ensure comfort for a couple. 

The Neel 47 also has two basic guest cabins so your friends or children can tag along on your sailing adventure. Accordingly, this unit is ideal for those looking to explore the sea for the sheer joy of sailing. 

The Neel 47 comes at a 571,139 euro ( $643,600 ) price tag, excluding VAT. 

3. Rapido 60 The Fast and Comfortable Circumnavigator

The Rapido 60 offers a blend of performance, safety, and luxury, making it one of the best options for bluewater sailing. Measuring 59.3 feet (18 meters) in length, the Rapido 60 is an imposing unit. It’s made from lightweight sandwiches and carbon materials that provide speed and strength, allowing it to stand up to strong ocean currents. 

The Rapido 60 also has spacious living spaces and is built for comfort at all points of the sail. Its design also optimizes safety. While it’s an ideal option for circumnavigating, it’s also an excellent choice for racing due to its speed. 

This is also the same boat that The Youtube channel La Vagabond just purchased.

The Rapido 60 retails at $1,400,000 . 

4. Rapido 40

The Rapido 40 measures 39.4 feet (12 meters) in length and is ideal for cruising around the world. The Rapido 40 features twin “C” foils, which provide added lift, enhancing its speed and performance whether you are sailing downwind or upwind. 

Because it has C foils, this trimaran doesn’t have a central daggerboard, increasing interior space. Accordingly, it’s an excellent option for couples looking to cruise and enjoy great performances .

The Rapido 40 is made from high-tech all-carbon materials for a lightweight yet sturdy design. This material is also used for the countertops and furniture, and the cork flooring adds a touch of style.

This trimaran retails for $595,000 , making it a cheaper option than the Rapido 60. 

5. Dragonfly 40

The Dragonfly 40 measures 40 feet (12 meters) in length. It features high-comfort standards, making it one of the best trimarans in the market for taking your family for a cruise. Because of its larger size, it has a better capacity, being capable of accommodating six to eight people, so you can bring your family and friends along. 

It’s easy to navigate and extremely safe. With a maximum speed of 24 knots (44.5 km/h), this trimaran also provides fast speeds to make your cruise even more exhilarating. 

The Dragonfly 40 retails from €509,000 exclusive of VAT, which rounds up to $572,000 . 

6. Dragonfly 32

The Dragonfly 32 is a high-performance cruiser. Like the Dragonfly 28, this unit features a contemporary design for racing. This trimaran can accommodate five to seven crew members. 

Although slightly longer than the Dragonfly 28 with its 32-foot (9.8-meter) length, the Dragonfly 32 has a max speed of 23+ knots (42.6+ km/h), making it one of the fastest trimarans for racing. This unit also has comfortable accommodation, which makes it an ideal option for a weekend cruise with family and friends. 

The Dragonfly 32 has a base price of $350,000 . 

7. Corsair 37

Thanks to a variable draft with a retractable rudder, the Corsair 37 is an ideal choice for shallow water exploration. This 37-foot (11.3-meter) long trimaran features advanced foam-cored construction designed for safety, making it virtually unsinkable. 

The carbon hulls minimize weight, this makes for a lightweight ocean exploration sailboat with blistering speeds. One of its selling points is that this trimaran has previously been used for Arctic expeditions, possibly marking it as one of the better options for circumnavigation and offshore sailing in the northern waters. 

This trimaran has a base price of $189,000 but can go up to $204,125 .

Best Trimarans For Day/Weekend Sailing

8. dragonfly 28.

The Dragonfly 28 is a 28-feet (8.75-meter) long sailboat that can accommodate up to five people. It comes in two versions: 

• Touring version: This version is ideal for families.  
• Performance version: This is built to provide optimal performance for the sports enthusiast within you. 

It clocks a maximum speed of 22+ knots (22+ km/h) and is beam-folded. It’s an excellent option if you want a high-performance, comfortable yet smaller unit for your day or weekend cruise. 

The Dragonfly 28 starts at  €188,280 inclusive of VAT, which comes to around $211,600. 

9. Dragonfly 25

Like other trimarans under the Dragonfly brand, this 25-foot (7.62-meter) trimaran is great for both racing and short term cruising. However, this high-performance boat delivers easy handling, making it perfect for couples looking to take a ride out over the weekend and seasoned sailors looking for an exhilarating racing adventure. 

The Touring version features a lightweight build and offers comfort and accommodation to keep you, and the few guests you can fit, comfortable during the ride. This trimaran also has a Sport version, which is optimized for racing. 

The Dragonfly 25 retails from EUR 86,800 . 

10. Pulse 600

The Pulse 600 trimaran is a compact sailboat. It’s made from lightweight, carbon-reinforced construction and vacuum-formed materials for optimal speed. This trimaran is an ideal option if you are looking for speed. 

It also features ample deck space, greater stability, and volume than most trimarans of similar size and build. 

This trimaran measures 19.8 feet (6 meters) in length and can be sailed single-handedly by one person with minimal effort. The Pulse 600 has a base price of $38,800 , which places it in the lower price range. 

The F-22 is one of the smaller trimarans in the market. Developed in New Zealand, the F-22 is a folding trimaran built for speed. The hulls are made from narrow fiberglass tied together using fiberglass beams and aluminum, minimizing bulk while optimizing speed. 

The F-22 is roomy and is not as pricey as other models in the market. This trimaran has two main versions: 

12. 2019 Weta Trimaran

The 2019 Weta trimaran is a 14.5-foot (4.4-meter) trimaran featuring a carbon frame, centerboard, rudder foil, and rudder shock. The hull is made from fiberglass and foam. The Weta is built for strength and speed based on these lightweight materials. 

The 2019 Weta trimaran is easy to sail and is worth considering whether you want to take a quiet sail, race with your friends, or take kids to a sailing lesson. It has a simple design and is easy to set up independently. Thanks to its collapsible design, this trimaran is easily stored away with minimal space demands. 

13. WindRider 17

The 17.4-foot (5.3-meter) WindRider 17 is one of the more versatile trimarans in the market. It packs high performance for a low cost. This trimaran has a light rotating mast to boost performance, and a full-battened mainsail optimizes visibility. 

This sailboat is made from rotomolded polyethylene, which is more durable than fiberglass and demands less maintenance.

The WindRider 17 has a comfortable interior and can fit six adults. This is an ideal choice for social sailing for a couple or a family and friends. It’s easy to ride, and a shallow draft allows easy maneuverability. 

14. Astus 22.5

If you’re looking for something small but still comfortable, this 22.5-foot trimaran is for you. Built for speed and maneuverability, the Astus 22.5 has optional foils to optimize speed. The modern design, coupled with the spacious interior, can fit up to four beds. Accordingly, this trimaran is suited for family outings. 

This trimaran also has a foldable design, collapsing to only 16 feet (4.9 meters) for easy storage. 

15. Multi 23 Trimaran 

The Multi 23 trimaran has a contemporary design, featuring a vinyl ester and PVC foam core construction. The section below the waterline is made of solid glass for a sturdy base.

The beams are made of lightweight carbon, and the trimaran features a 33-foot (10-meter) aluminum rotating wing mast for optimal harnessing of the wind. While ideal for weekend excursions with family, once rigged with the asymmetrical spinnaker will get your heart pumping.

This trimaran packs high performance at a lower cost than most other options in the market. It’s a good choice if you are looking for a high-performing unit without spending an arm and a leg. 

16. Challenger Class Trimaran

The Challenger Trimaran 15 is the best choice for persons with disabilities. It’s designed to provide disabled sailors an opportunity to explore their passion for sailing without worrying about aspects like safety or operation. 

A man named Geoff Hold circumnavigated the British Isles in 2007, becoming the first disabled person to achieve this feat. He had quadriplegia. 

Living up to its name, the Challenger can withstand harsh weather conditions while blending performance with speed. 

Final Thoughts 

Admittedly, no trimaran is best for everyone. But whether you are looking to race with your friends, take your loved ones or friends for a cruise over the weekend, or circumnavigate the ocean, you can rest assured that these lightweight trimarans will deliver speed, safety, and comfort to make it worth your while. 

These brands are innovatively designed and feature intricate safety mechanisms that make them virtually unsinkable. Give them a shot and begin your ocean adventure. 

• Basco Boating: A Comprehensive Guide & Introduction to Trimaran Yachts
• TheBoatAPP: New Trumarans: Which are the Best Ones
• Corsair Marine: Corsair 37
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 28
• Rapido Trimarans: Rapido 60
• Neel Trimarans: Neel 43
• Yachting World: World’s Collect Yachts: Maxi Trimaran MACIF
• Yachting Monthly: Dragonfly 28 Performance
• Rapido Trimarans: Rapido 40
• Dragonfly: Dragon 32
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 40
• Yachting World: Dragonfly 40 yacht tour: This cruising trimaran can do 24 knots
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 25
• NauticExpo: Dragonfly 25
• Yachtworld: Corsair 37 boats for sale
• Cruising World: Neel 47 Trimaran: Best Full-Size Multihull0
• Neel Trimaran: Neel 47
• Multihull Solutions: NEEL 47 Boat Review | Cruising World
• Yacht World: 2022 Neel 47 for sale
• Farrier International: F-22
• Weta Marine: The Boat
• WindRider: WindRider 17 Trimaran Sailboat 
• Astus Boats: Astus 22.5
• Boat-specs: Multi 23
• National Maritime Museum Cornwall: Challenger Trimaran #1 – BC26

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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Neel 47 Trimaran: Best Full-Size Multihull

• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: December 9, 2019

It’s hard to imagine three vessels, in a single class, as different in layout, purpose and execution than the trio of multihulls that comprised the year’s Best Full-Size Multihull class. Two of the three were catamarans, and the third a most unusual craft: a cruising trimaran. Sorting out these unique boats was a challenge.

The multimillion-dollar Eagle Class 53—built in Rhode Island to exacting standards and a radical design brief (with potential foiling capability and a solid wing mast that also incorporates a “soft” mainsail on its trailing edge)—was not, in any manner, a contemporary cruising boat. Yes, there is a pair of cabins with doubles aft, and the central living space includes a workable galley and one other notable feature. “It’s the only boat we sailed that even had a full bar on deck with slide-out seats sitting on carbon fiber: custom-made carbon-fiber pods,” panelist Ed Sherman said. “I mean, it’s just an amazing piece of workmanship. I don’t know what else to say. It’s a cool boat.” And while it would be a reach to call the Eagle 53 a cruiser, it was certainly remarkable and couldn’t be ignored, which is why the judges were unanimous in separating it for special recognition.

What it thus came down to was which of the two remaining boats—the Bali 5.4 cat and the Neel 47 tri—best addressed or met its stated design briefs. The 55-plus-foot Bali certainly has offshore bona fides—the boats are delivered across the Atlantic from the boatyard in France where they’re crafted—but the yacht is most definitely laid out for steady work (and parties) in the charter trade. The final deliberations were lively.

The first thing that struck judge Dan Spurr was the unusual sailing experience, with the steering station situated on a flybridge well above the waterline. “It felt like a floating island and kind of sailed like one, I thought,” he said. “Being so high above the water, even though we were doing well in light air and making 5 or 6 knots, it was almost hard to tell whether we were moving.”

His fellow judge Ralph Naranjo concurred. “The main boom on the Bali is probably 15 or 16 feet high,” he said. “You’re giving away a lot of the foot of the sail, and you’re sticking the masthead up a lot farther in the sky to get the same kind of drive. At anchor in warm climates in areas where you sail flat and don’t have too much of a seaway, boats like this certainly fit the bill. And the Bali was an extreme version of that. The idea of doing an ocean passage up there aloft seems like a tiring situation.”

“Under sail, the motion of the Neel through the water was very comfortable.”

“I was actually pleasantly surprised that the boat sailed better than I thought it would, and by a significant margin,” Sherman said. “And let’s not forget the chartering equation that’s a big part of this boat’s aura. The way it’s equipped and laid out down below, it’s built for calm seas and a bunch of friends to have one hell of a good time.”

In some ways, that describes the reasoning behind what happened next. Viewing it as the better layout and configuration for serious cruising, the judges conferred the title of Best Full-Size Multihull on the Neel 47 . For the BOTY 2020 awards, three hulls proved better than two.

“The Neel 47 is a very ­interesting boat—the only ­trimaran in our collection, which has quite a bit of significance just from a design perspective because it enables them to get all of their heavy gear and machinery in that center hull,” Sherman said. “In terms of balance, it’s a great way to go. Under sail, the motion of the boat through the water was very comfortable. It’s a unique concept with the interior layout in that the ­owner’s stateroom is at deck level with these giant picture windows overlooking the horizon, and the guest cabins are aft and in the amas. So even though we have a 47-footer here, it’s really a couple’s boat, though there is room for occasional guests.”

“The trend of late in cruising multihulls has certainly been toward cats, so I appreciated their efforts to make a cruising trimaran,” Spurr said. “There’s a real trade-off—the fundamental one being I believe you’re going to get better performance with a trimaran, but you’re going to sacrifice accommodations. So I feel that for most of the buying public, they’re going to have to be leaning toward the performance end of the spectrum. The main owner’s cabin on the saloon level is kind of fun and interesting, but it’s adjacent to the galley and entertaining areas. So, I agree with Ed that this is a boat aimed at an experienced couple.”

Those couples who go with a Neel will be going with a winner.

See All Winners:

2020 Boats of the Year

Other Winners:

• Overall Boat of the Year
• Best Performance Cruiser
• Best Midsize Cruiser Under 45 feet
• Best Full-size Cruiser
• Best Full-size Cruiser Over 55 Feet
• Best Midsize Cruising Catamaran
• Best Full-size Multihull
• Best Charter Boat
• Most Innovative
• More: boty , boty 2020 , Sailboats
• More Sailboats

Featured Nominee: Windelo 50

Featured Nominee: Neel 52

Featured Nominee: Leopard 46

Featured Nominee: Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail

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On board the world's largest trimaran White Rabbit

She’s blissfully quiet, impressively efficient and comfortably cavernous. Oh, and she’s an 84 metre trimaran. Stewart Campbell follows the White Rabbit ...

The obvious question, really, is: why bother building a trimaran when the rest of the world is cruising around in monohulls? Why go so radically against the grain?

Vindication can be sweet – in January 2019 the team behind White Rabbit picked up the Best Naval Architecture Award for Displacement Motor Yachts at the Boat International Design & Innovation Awards . It turns out that trimarans, done right, are quieter, leaner and more environmentally sound than monohulls. The owner of White Rabbit has known this for some time; he has never been anything but evangelical about their benefits. He has almost single-handedly proven the concept in big boats and now owns the world’s two biggest trimaran superyachts: the original three-hulled 61-metre White Rabbit from 2005 and now this 84-metre version, delivered just in time for Christmas. There’s also a large catamaran in the fleet, a 51-metre support vessel called Charley .

Let’s tick off some of those other benefits. You might think that a trimaran platform limits interior space, but you’d be wrong. White Rabbit carries 2,940 gross tonnes, so roughly the same as a 90-metre monohull. Sunrays , the 85-metre 2010 Oceanco , has an internal volume of 2,867GT. Solandge , the 85-metre Lurssen from 2013, has a gross tonnage of 2,899. The 90-metre DAR from Oceanco has an interior measured at 2,999GT, so only a snip more than 84-metre White Rabbit . All this volume is generated by the trimaran’s 20-metre beam, which makes it around five metres wider than equivalent-length monohulls. And she could be a lot more voluminous – the top deck, for instance, is fairly modest, while a bluff bow would generate even more GTs.

Such novel naval architecture surely adds to the cost, though? Not according to Mark Stothard, founder and owner of Echo Yachts , the Australian yard responsible for  White Rabbit , who estimates the yacht was "significantly cheaper" to build than an equivalent-size monohull at a Northern European yard. You sometimes hear complaints about the ride of trimarans, and here, they have a little work to do. A comparison study by the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) in 2000 showed that when bow-on to the weather, at speed or rest, trimarans are more comfortable than monohulls with equivalent displacements.

But in some conditions, particularly stern-quartering seas, the motion of a trimaran can be worse. To counter this,  White Rabbit’s  naval architects drew on the experience gained from the 61-metre boat, installing four enormous Naiad fins totalling 45 square metres that jut out from the centre hull. These have a limited range of movement and essentially act as aircraft wings under the water, planting the hulls and evening out the ride. Each of the three hulls also carries significant flare, generating buoyancy to dampen roll. The brains behind  White Rabbit  claim that trimarans, unlike monohulls, are far easier to fine-tune to find a ride motion the owner is comfortable with, simply by increasing or decreasing buoyancy in the outer hulls – "so the negatives are really not negatives", says exterior and interior designer Sam Sorgiovanni .

The very same MARIN study points out the obvious, and massive advantage of trimarans: "When the same speed is required, the installed propulsion power [in the trimaran] can be reduced by some 40 per cent, leading to lower operational costs, a reduction in weight and less environmental contamination." And there you have it – three slender hulls are better than a single fat one. Or, as Sorgiovanni puts it: "What would you rather be paddling in? A bathtub or a kayak?" In an age when all superyacht owners, regardless of bank balances, are casting a lingering eye over fuel bills and environmental impact, comes a concept that offers you better space, value and a cleaner conscience. So naval architects’ phones should be ringing off the hook with billionaires demanding multihulls, right? Right...? Not quite.

The problem is one of perception, says Stothard. Not necessarily on the part of owners, he says, but from an occasionally reactionary superyacht industry inexperienced with the multihull form. Sorgiovanni agrees. "Why would I build three hulls instead of one?" was one shipyard’s response to a trimaran design he presented. "Meanwhile, you’ve got big-name naval architects who in their whole career have never done anything like it, so why would they endorse it? Why would they endorse something they’re fearful or ignorant of?" Whatever the reasons for the inertia, it doesn’t look like the needle will be twitching in favour of trimarans any time soon. Which is a shame, because for all the above reasons and more, this platform makes all kinds of sense – as  White Rabbit  capably proves.

As a rough guide, the length-to-beam ratio of a monohull superyacht in this size range is around 6:1. By comparison, the length-to-beam ratio of  White Rabbit’s  centre hull is 13.7:1. You don’t need a degree in naval architecture to know which one will use less fuel, but the truly impressive thing about  White Rabbit  is the engineering underpinning her natural slipperiness. One key demand of the owner was that Echo Yachts limit noise – and therefore engineering – in the centre hull, where he has a cabin, so designers had to rethink the arrangement seen on the 61-metre, where the main engines are located on the centreline. "The owner sat us down and said, ‘Boys, with this thing I want some engineering boldness.’ He said what was important to him was smoothness and quietness," says Stothard. "And he gave us the latitude to go out and explore solutions."

The team quickly decided to go diesel-electric, with generators in the outer hulls powering STADT electric motors in the centre hull, in turn spinning two Rolls-Royce variable pitch props. Other ideas were discussed and thrown out: waterjets because the boat would be sitting idle in Singapore for lengths of time, so divers would be required to go down to pump out the jet tunnels and then plug them; Voith thrusters because the yard felt it a "bit early for them to be able to gear up to such a project"; and azimuthing pods because they would have required too much volume in the centre hull. They also looked at putting everything – engines, motors, shafts – in the outer hulls, but studies revealed the ultimate solution to be the most efficient. Just how efficient is best exemplified, again, by way of comparison: according to White Rabbit’s naval architect, the Sydney studio One2Three , it requires 91.5-metre Equanimity (now Tranquility ), which has an equivalent gross tonnage to White Rabbit , 7.2MW of power to reach its top speed of 19.5 knots; White Rabbit requires just 4.2MW of power to reach its top speed of 18.7 knots – some 40 per cent less.

There are six generators on board – four Caterpillar C32s outputting 940ekW and two C18s outputting 550ekW, each brought online and off by a Kongsberg power management system. The engineers should get plenty of life out of these units because the boat can run at a 12-knot cruise with just two gensets engaged. "I’ve been on sea trials up the coast using just two C32s – and that will be cruising at 12.8 knots, with 75 per cent power to the drive system and 25 per cent, or 500kW, to run the house," says Stothard. "That’s with four generators offline and a burn of about 320 litres an hour for everything. The crew even think they could do 12 knots on one C32 and one C18." The boat’s eco-cred doesn’t end there: she barely creates a wake. Sea trial images included in this feature show the yacht running at around 15 knots, but she might as well be idling for all the wash she generates. The owner does a lot of coastal cruising and wanted the "ability to operate without detrimental wash impact on surrounding vessels and foreshores", says Steve Quigley, One2Three’s managing director.

All this has resulted in a very quiet boat. In the lower deck master cabin Echo Yachts recorded sound levels of just 40db at 13 knots. Up on the main deck those levels dipped below 40db. "The owner was walking around with his own sound meter," says Stothard. "He didn’t even bother going up top." The diesel-electric set-up on  White Rabbit  has the added benefit that you can carry less fuel. The trimaran’s fuel capacity is 166,200 litres, for a range of 5,000 nautical miles.  Solandge ? 222,000 litres.  Sunrays ? 285,000 litres.  Equanimity ? 271,000 litres. That’s a lot of weight she’s not lugging around.

Smaller fuel tanks free up space, of course, but the designers weren’t fighting for volume here: there’s plenty of it. On the main deck, the boat gets very beamy, for a length-to-beam ratio of 4.3:1. Fat, but without looking it. That’s down to the skill of Sorgiovanni, whose office is not far from the Echo Yachts facility in Henderson, Western Australia. He’s the first to admit that the layout of White Rabbit is very idiosyncratic and has developed more "conventional" versions with beach clubs, gyms and bigger master cabins. But his brief from this client, with whom he worked on the 61-metre  White Rabbit , was very clear: this is a multigenerational yacht, built for family use, but with a necessary corporate function. Translation: lots of cabins – two masters, three VIPs and six guest – for a total guest capacity of 30 and a wide open main deck to host upwards of 200 people when alongside in her hometown of Singapore.

"You’re spanning three generations in terms of functionality as well as style," says Sorgiovanni, who travelled to Singapore to spend time with family members and hear each of their wants. "The overwhelming comment was, ‘We love what we’ve got, we just want it bigger.’ The words were: ‘We want [61-metre]  White Rabbit  on steroids.’ They literally meant it. As we started to develop the boat we realised that whatever we presented kept coming back to what they loved, which was their current boat. In a way it’s flattering to think they enjoy and love that boat so much, but it has evolved. The bigger boat has a far more sophisticated approach, both inside and out, but nevertheless there is that link there to something that is familiar." The art deco edge on the smaller yacht has been rounded off a little on the 84-metre, but there are still references throughout – in the light column at the huge bar in the main saloon, for instance, and wall sconces.

The colours used are rich enough to keep you interested, but not so much that the spaces feel stuffy or overly formal; you’re never afraid to put your glass down. The tactile, chequer-style wall panelling used all over the yacht, made of brushed Tasmanian oak, helps with this, and brings a bit of nature to the saloons. All the cabinetry and furniture was custom made by Alia Yachts in Turkey, who Sorgiovanni worked with on 41.3-metre  Ruya .

He was so impressed by their furniture skills he asked them to pitch for  White Rabbit’s  interior, which was fully assembled in Turkey, allowing Sorgiovanni and Echo’s project manager, Chris Blackwell, to walk through it making changes before it was disassembled and shipped to Australia for installation. This was a considerable undertaking considering the 1,200 square metres of guest area on board. The amount of space proved one of the designer’s biggest challenges – just what do you do with it all?

The main deck is the main event – and where the boat’s 20-metre beam is most evident. "And it could have been even wider," says Sorgiovanni. "But I was very conscious about keeping it human scale. It’s just a massive area." The designer has split the space into zones, according to generations. Upon entry, and beyond the spectacular staircase leading to the upper deck, the saloon splits – to port is a more informal lounge for younger members of the family, and to starboard a slightly stiffer seating area for elder generations. "The saloons are separated but not completely separated, because the owner didn’t want the generations split up," he says.

Beyond, all ages come together around that attention-grabbing bar and games area and dining space. The owner dictated that there be no televisions in any of the cabins (except his), forcing kids into the light and demanding that they spend time with the rest of the family. If they want a screen, they’ll find one only in a communal area. In direct contravention of the modern vogue for massive, floor-to-ceiling windows, meanwhile, the owner was deliberately modest with his glazing choices, but the windows still usher plenty of light across the 20-metre expanse.

The upper deck saloon is tiny by comparison and used as a media lounge and karaoke hangout by the family, complete with baby grand piano. The focus of this deck is really accommodation, for both guests and crew. Strangely, the guest cabins on this level either have very little or no cupboard space, but they do have benches, "so guests can put their stuff out", says Sorgiovanni. "They said they didn’t want any wardrobe space as guests are expected to live out of their suitcases," which suits the kind of cruising guests are expected to join for – weekends and overnights. Up again is the sundeck, with another games area and forward-facing cinema with seats that shake to mirror the action on screen. "From a sound point of view, it’s in the right spot," says the designer. "You can really crank it up and you’re not disturbing anyone." The deck spaces up here are ample – and the site of the only spa pool on board – but they are under-exploited. Sitting in the sun is clearly not a priority for this family, nor is charter a fixation. This is, and will remain, a private yacht.

The real master cabin is on the main deck, close to the family action, but there is an alternative on the lower deck of the centre hull for passages. It’s a strange feeling walking down to this level – almost like going underwater. Hull windows reveal the tunnel between the centre hull and the starboard outrigger. It’s an unusual view, but also quite an exciting one as water rushes between the hulls at 18 knots. "We decided to make a feature of it," says Blackwell. "All the underwater lights are deliberately in this centre hull so they shine under the outer hulls as well, so you get the benefit of glow here. It creates a different ambience and shows off the trimaran concept." The art subtly plays on this underwater sensation. "On the lower decks the artwork is all scenes from below the water; on the main deck it’s all on the water and then it’s above the water on the upper deck," says Sorgiovanni.

The 30 guests are served by a crew of 32, who get plum real estate forward on the main deck in the shape of a huge cafeteria-like mess and crew lounge. "The boat is on call 24/7, so the owner wanted very specifically to have the crew in a very comfortable space on the main deck, with large windows," says Sorgiovanni. In an alternative universe, this might be reserved for a vast, full-beam owner’s cabin, with crew moved to the lower deck, or voluminous guest cabins. In the same universe, those rear VIP cabins in the centre hull would become a wellness and spa area, with direct access to the water through a folding transom door. Maybe in that universe, trimarans are the norm and everyone’s cruising the world using a lot less fuel than in this one. I’m not saying trimarans are the answer for everyone – obviously berthing is a key factor and some people just might not like the look of them – but the benefits definitely deserve closer attention.

It’s something the owner of  White Rabbit  has learned through long experience. He started out in a monohull Feadship in 1989, built another in 1995 before experimenting with a catamaran in 2001. Then came the first trimaran in 2005, and, finally, the 84-metre  White Rabbit . He’s a true convert. As is Mark Stothard, the Echo Yachts boss: "If anyone is serious about building a yacht this size and they didn’t make the time to come and have a look at this boat, they’d be mad. I’ve been in this game since the early 1980s and I’ve been on some really impressive yachts in that time and this thing blows my mind. Regardless of whether we build it or not, it is unequivocally doing everything that we said it was going to do... and then some."

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