small trimarans blog

Yachting Monthly

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Astus 20.5: Fast, fun and affordable trailable trimaran

• David Harding
• August 20, 2021

For fast yet undemanding sailing, easy trailing and simple camper-cruising, the Astus 20.5 trimaran is likely to find wide appeal says David Harding

The Astus 20.5 is taut and responsive to sail. Credit: David Harding

Product Overview

• Fast and easy to sail
• Can be trailed behind a small car
• Easy to reduce beam for marina berthing
• Less accommodation than a monohull of similar size
• Rigging process could be simplified
• Slightly stark interior finish

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

Boats that are small and light enough to keep in your driveway and trail to where you want to sail make a lot of sense.

One drawback, however, is that they tend to be slower than bigger boats – especially if they’re of a size and weight that allows them to be easily managed short-hand, both afloat and ashore.

If you want to sail from Poole to Weymouth for the weekend in a 20ft trailer-sailer, for example, it might take a while.

This is where speedy trailable trimarans like the Astus 20.5 come in.

When I sailed its predecessor, the 20.2, about 10 years ago, we regularly hit 15 knots on a reach without breaking sweat and maintained an easy 6.5 knots upwind.

This 20 footer can match 50 footers for speed. Credit: David Harding

You can cover a lot of ground at those sorts of speeds.

I first met the Astus 20.5 at the Düsseldorf Boat Show in 2019. Since it’s a newer boat and designed by no less a design team than VPLP, I had high hopes that it would offer even more than the 20.2.

Quite apart from the sailing potential, the trailing is as simple as can be with a boat like this.

If you choose the resin-infused hull, the Astus 20.5 weighs under 500kg (1,100lb), or just over 500kg with the standard solid laminate.

The lighter weight means you can use an unbraked trailer , saving money, maintenance and yet more weight, so you can trail it behind a normal hatchback vehicle.

Getting somewhere fast under sail is one thing. Having somewhere to sleep when you arrive is another.

The Astus 20.5 is simple to sail for two people. Credit: David Harding

Though its cabin is smaller than on a monohull of similar size, the Astus provides seating, stowage and space for a companionable couple to be able to stretch out.

Then of course you have the trampolines each side on which you can rig a tent for more sleeping space.

The opportunity for a sail on the Astus 20.5 finally came when Hein Kuiper of Boats On Wheels brought his first demonstrator to the UK.

In fact we went out twice – first for a photo session in Poole on a brisk winter’s day and then a few months later in Chichester Harbour.

Since the boat arrived in Poole on its trailer, I was able to see how it went together.

Pulling out the hulls is pretty straightforward: their aluminium beams slide in and out of the fixed beams on the main hull. You can do that ashore or afloat.

There’s nothing complicated about raising the rig, either, and it can all be done singlehanded .

The whole process, from arriving with the trailer to sliding the boat into the water, took Hein a couple of hours or so the first time or two (comparable with a monohull of similar size, he reckons) but would undoubtedly get quicker with practice.

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Dragonfly 28 Sport

Whether you choose the standard or the Sport version, the mast is the same height.

The difference is that the latter comes with a square-top mainsail to give appreciably more sail area.

If you want to save as much weight as possible and make raising and lowering the mast easier, you can have it in carbon. A wing mast is another option.

The rig and hardware don’t appear to be modified in any way as a concession to the boat’s trailer-sailer nature.

Here and there, the odd ready-made loop or strop would save fiddling around with bits of line.

It is basic down below but there’s seating and sleeping space for two people. Credit: David Harding

All that is forgotten as soon as you’re under way.

On our second outing, once the electric outboard had pushed us out of Northney Marina – where the boat proved to be surprisingly manoeuvrable with the centreplate fully down – we headed off on a beam reach at 12.5 knots in 12-15 knots of wind.

In most boats, 12.5 knots would be going some. In this 20-footer, it felt perfectly relaxed.

Over the course of the following couple of hours we covered every point of sail including, of course, reaching under spinnaker.

With the gusts rarely exceeding 16 knots in the flat water of the harbour, we didn’t quite manage to break 15 knots.

It wasn’t a bad speed-to-effort ratio nonetheless.

The boat felt rock solid the whole time, and I knew from the photo session in Poole that she could carry the kite on a beam reach in appreciably more wind than we had in Chichester.

It is easy to reduce the beam of the Astus 20.5 for marina berthing. Credit: David Harding

It’s hard to imagine that 20 knots wouldn’t be perfectly achievable.

Upwind we maintained between 7 and 8.5 knots most of the time.

As you would expect, you need to keep the bow down a little to maintain full power.

You also need the purchase of the 6:1 mainsheet to maintain sufficient tension in the upper leech. It makes a big difference.

You won’t need more than two people to go out and have fun on the Astus 20.5. Credit: David Harding

Tacking was pretty positive provided we had adequate boatspeed going into the tack, and leeway appeared minimal.

All told the Astus 20.5 was great fun to sail and easy to manage two-handed.

There was little for a third person to do except enjoy the ride or contribute to the righting moment by joining the helmsman on the windward trampoline.

If you were racing, you could use a longer tiller extension and fit toe-straps to maximise the advantage.

Beating our way back up the harbour, we demonstrated the windward ability of the Astus 20.5 by sailing straight past a 15m (49ft) monohull.

Creature comforts aboard the Astus 20.5

David Harding has been testing boats for decades and is also a sailing photographer

Above decks the Astus offers a vast amount of sitting and lounging space thanks to the trampolines.

Down below, the hull’s narrow beam makes things cosy but you still find a seat either side, space for a chemical toilet under the aft end of the berth and a fair amount of stowage beneath and to either side of the companionway.

The centreboard is offset to port to leave the middle of the boat clear.

The finish is simple and uncomplicated, largely to save weight. There would be plenty of scope to fit a slide-out galley and devise lightweight stowage solutions to make better use of the space.

Astus 20.5: the test verdict 

More than anything else, this boat is tremendous fun.

She feels taut and responsive to sail. I found that it took an hour or so to begin to find her sweet spots, but after that she just makes you want to sail her.

She inspires confidence and is easy to handle, too. In most conditions you could manage perfectly well single-handed and for cruising you won’t need more than two.

The Astus 20.5 has less accommodation than a monohull of similar size

Then there’s the speed. No matter whether or not you’re in a hurry to get anywhere, it’s easier to slow down in a fast boat than to speed up in a slow one.

Speed is fun in itself, and it’s hard not to enjoy sailing straight past a monohull more than twice your length.

Niggles are relatively few.

I thought the rudder blade could do with a touch more balance and I wasn’t sure that the fixed end of the 2:1 jib sheet was quite far enough aft on deck.

Other than that, it all works.

Hardware is mostly from Harken and the spars are by Sélden, so there’s no skimping in these departments.

Would she suit you and your crew?

The Astus 20.5 will attract attention. Several people stopped for a chat and to admire her back in Northney having seen her on the water.

If you’re a dinghy sailor moving up but not ready to slow down, this is a good choice.

Just as much interest is coming from big-boat sailors moving down or wanting a second, smaller boat that still has a good cruising range. Few boats of this size go so fast with so little effort.

The Astus 20.5 is ideal for exploring harbours, estuaries and rivers

As for the inevitable monohull-versus-multihull debate, there are trailable, family-friendly boats of this size with one hull that sail very nicely.

I have clocked over 12 knots in one or two, but only under spinnaker, with good sailors on board and not for sustained periods.

As long as you’re prepared to accept that sailing regularly at double-figure speeds means sacrificing some interior volume, the Astus could suit you perfectly. And for exploring harbours and estuaries, camper-cruising and nudging into the beach, it’s absolutely ideal.

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Best small cruising trimaran revealed

Oct 22, 2020

less than a min

A trimaran is a boat categorized as a multihull. What it means is that this particular vessel is composed of three hulls that aid the boat during sailing but also provide interior spaces for the crew and guests to enjoy.

Trimarans are very popular in the sailboat market. They are mainly appreciated for their speed but also for their cruising character that can address families’ interests as well. Trimarans allow for leveled sailing, ample deck space, stability, comfort, shallow draft, and most importantly the good old family fun time.

A small cruising trimaran is probably one of the most popular boats nowadays as it provides an affordable but also an interesting way how to spend your free time and enjoy what nature has to offer. Let’s get to the gist of it then. Which is the best small trimaran nowadays?

Most popular small cruising trimaran

The best small cruising trimaran so far remains the F22 . The F22 Trimaran is designed by Ian Farrier and built by Farrier Marine company. It features a swan design and can be purchased in two versions, racing or cruiser form. This is a small trimaran that includes many interesting features within a compact space. It has a slightly offset centerboard trunk that allows for an ample interior.

In addition, it has an ama folding system. This is an advantageous feature as it allows the ama beam strength to remain to a maximum while the interior is free from any structural support structure for the beam. Fly spray is also reduced due to the folding struts being carried higher than before in case of deployment. This feature allows the F22 trimaran to have a greater performance under sail.

This small cruising trimaran comes in two versions, either with a carbon mast or an aluminum one. In addition, it is equipped with a boomless mainsail furling rig which makes sail handling easier. Most importantly, sailing efficiency is not sacrificed in any case.

What makes this boat the best small cruising trimaran is the fact that it can be used as a cruiser due to its interior. The galley has a two-burner Origo stove, a small sink, and a stow for sailing. In addition, the companionway has a pop-top that increases the headroom. Moreover, the F22 is equipped with a small chemical toilet that is quite private due to a roll-up screen and bulkhead that can be folded. All in all, the F22 contains 4 berths and can be used by families as well.

Compare the best small trimaran with other multihulls

You can learn more about the F22 trimaran on TheBoatDB . TheBoatDB provides an organized platform that anyone can use for free with a no time limitation account or what we like to call a “Forever free account”.

You can compare the F22 to other trimarans or even catamarans and single-hull boats and see for yourself whether this boat is up to the challenge for you. In addition, you can shortlist this trimaran or select a few different boats for future references. All in all, you will get your boating life on one platform as we like to say!

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The complete list of trimarans.

There is no single trimaran that is best for everyone. Where some prefer luxury cruisers for long trips with family and friends, others might opt for a high performance racing tri for thrilling rides at breakneck speeds. With the recent spike in trimaran popularity, these days there is a perfect tri for every sailor. So to help prospective trimaran owners decide which boat is just right for them, we here at WindRider have put together a comprehensive list of the best trimarans on the market today! Read through for simple at-a-glance trimaran comparisons of boats both big and small, exhilarating and relaxing, and for all price points.

Jump to a specific sailing trimaran: Neel Weta Corsair WindRider Dragonfly Catri Astus Hobie Sea Pearl Farrier Sea Cart Multi 23 Triak SeaRail Warren Lightcraft Diam Radikal Challenger

Known for their award-winning luxury trimarans,   NEEL   is based in La Rochelle, the capital city of sailing in France. NEEL trimarans are built for fast cruising with an average cruising speed of about 10 knots, and are even configured to facilitate that sustained speed under motor propulsion. The NEEL 45 was notably named Cruising World’s Most Innovative Vessel in 2013, and by all accounts is an easy-to-sail, high performance boat that is just plain fun.

At a glance:

Models: NEEL 45, 65

Length: 45’ – 65’

Cost:   $$$$$

Use: Luxury cruiser

A fan favorite,   Weta trimarans   are fast, stable, and remarkably easy to rig. This single-sailor tri has a capacity of up to three, and the ease with which it can be transported and stored makes this a great, versatile boat for beginners. The Weta was named Sailing World’s 2010 Boat of the Year, and one ride is enough to know why: simply put, the Weta is an absolute ton of fun to sail regardless of skill level.

Models: Weta

Length: 14’5”

Cost:   $$ $$$

The high-end   Corsair trimaran   definitely holds its own in the categories of versatility, performance, and convenience. Boasting a rigging time of 30 minutes from trailer to sailor ,   the Corsair 42 – whose convenient folding amas makes trailering possible – is a simple option even for single sailors, though cabin space is suitable for two adults. These boats are wicked fast, capable of reaching speeds of 20+ knots, and were made for skilled sailors seeking solid construction and high performance vessels, not for beginners.

Models: Pulse 600, Sprint 750 MKII, Dash 750 MKII, Corsair 28, Cruze 970, Corsair 37, Corsair 42

Length: 19’8” – 37’

Cost:   $$$$ $

Use: Sports cruisers

Built for the sailor who wants to maximize the joys of sailing while minimizing any hassle, WindRider trimarans are notoriously fast, very safe, and a blast to sail from start to finish. With several models that can hold between 1 and 6 riders, including adaptive designs to allow participation from sailors of all levels of mobility, there’s something to suit every sailor’s needs. The WindRider 17, an exhilarating ride perfect for families or camper sailors, has been known to reach speeds of up to 20mph. This easy day sailor goes from trailer to sailing in under 30 minutes and is sure to fit in perfectly with whatever adventures you have planned.

Models: WR 16, 17, Tango, Rave V

Length: 10’11” – 18’3”

Cost:   $ $$$$

Use: Day sailor

The Danish-built   Dragonfly   trimarans come in a variety of models ranging from 25’ – 35’, all known for their spry performance, comfortable ride, and ease of use. Every model comes equipped with the unique “SwingWing” feature, a motorized system that can unfold the amas even while the boat is already underway – making it accessible to marinas and slips, and even makes trailering possible. Perfect for those who don’t want to sacrifice their comfort for high performance, the Dragonfly can breeze along at 13 knots while remaining one of the quietest compact cruisers out there.

Models: Dragonfly 25, 28, 32, 35, 1200

Length: 25’ – 39’

Designed for both safe cruising as well as for high speed racing,   Catri trimarans   will make your day. Especially noteworthy is the Catri 25, a stable yet wildly fast foiling trimaran with accommodations for up to 6 people. With profiles optimized for speeds of 25+ knots when foiling, this is no beginner’s sailboat. The special attention paid to stability in the foil design allows the Catri to be a single sailor vessel, even at foiling speed, with no special physical abilities. Whether you’re taking a small crew for longer rides at shuddering speeds or bringing the whole family along for a shorter, but still thrilling sail, the Catri is truly one of a kind.

Models: Catri 25

Length: 25’

Use: Cruiser/racer

A popular brand of trimaran in Europe,   Astus   has recently made its way to the US market to the delight of sailors on this side of the pond. Designed to offer maximum pleasure with minimum hassle, all models of Astus trimarans are fast to set up, quick on the water, inherently stable, and always a joy to sail. Their outriggers are mounted on telescopic tubes for easy stowage and towing, and can even be extended and retracted on the water for access to narrow passageways and monohull slips in marinas. With models in all sizes and price points, Astus trimarans are a great option for any sailor.

Models: Astus 16.5, 18.2, 20.2, 22, 24

Cabin: Some models

Length: 16’ – 24’

Use: Sport cruisers

HOBIE ADVENTURE ISLAND

Great for beginners and adventurers alike, the   Hobie Mirage Adventure Island   series is nothing if not just plain fun. With the option to use as a kayak or as a very basic trimaran, the Hobie is transportable, versatile, unintimidating, lightweight, and wonderfully affordable. The pedal system known as “Mirage Drive” allows a person to pedal the kayak using their legs for an extra kick of movement in slow winds. Amas tuck close to the main hull for docking or car-topping, adding serious ease and convenience to the exhilarating experience of the Hobie.

Models: Hobie Mirage Adventure Island, Mirage Tandem Island

Length: 16’7” – 18’6”

Use: Convertible kayak/trimarans

Best known for its use in camp cruising excursions, the   Sea Pearl   offers a roomy main hull and particular ability to sail in very shallow waters, making beaching and launching a breeze. The lightweight Sea Pearl trimaran is easy to tow, and the larger-than-expected cabin opens this vessel up for overnight adventures with plenty of storage space. The simple design makes the Sea Pearl notoriously low maintenance, and the ease it takes to rig and sail it add to the overall delight of owning this boat.

Models: Sea Pearl

Length: 21’

Use: Camper cruiser

Quick, lightweight, roomy, and trailerable,   Farrier trimarans   are made for versatility to fit every sailor’s needs. Different Farrier models are available in plan or kit boat form for those who appreciate building their boat themselves, but of course, also as the full production sail-away boat for the rest of us. Single-handed rigging and launching takes under 10 minutes from start to finish, minimizing hassle and getting you on the water fast. All non-racing Farrier designs use a minimum wind capsize speed of 30 knots or more to ensure safety for all those aboard. Add the roomy cabin and high speed capabilities to the equation and you’ve got a boat that is great fun for everyone.

Models:   F-22, 24, 25, 82, 27, 28, 31, 9A, 9AX, 9R, 32, 33, 33R, 33ST, 36, 39, 41, 44R

Length: 23’ – 39’4”

Cost:   $$$ $$

Use: Sport cruisers/racers

One of the biggest names in the game,   SeaCart   is internationally noted for its high performance trimarans that far exceed expectations for a production boat of its size. The SeaCart trimaran performs as brilliantly off the water as it does on with its super-light and efficient harbor folding system, making light work of trailering. Notoriously easy to manage and maintain, the SeaCart 26 One Design is the ultimate day racing trimaran, designed for both course and inshore/coastal distance racing. Absolutely worth the international buzz it has garnered, the SeaCart is a thrill from beginning to end.

Models:   SeaCart 26

Length: 26’

A high performance racer class, the   Multi 23   is a lightweight, powerful trimaran known for its wicked speed of up to 25 knots. Multi trimarans of both available configurations were designed to give beach cat thrills and speed without any of the stability or seaworthy concerns. Open ocean sailing is no issue for the Multi’s big bows, which do their job to keep her stable. Built for sailors with a need for speed, the Multi makes a perfect weekend boat for racers, especially those with a taste for boat camping.

Models:   Multi 23

Length: 23’

Another dual outrigger sailing kayak/canoe design,   the Triak trimaran   was designed to be effortless and fun, especially for beginners. Paddle the kayak with sails furled, use the foot pedals for an extra kick of momentum, or sail with just the mainsail – the only boat in its class to feature an asymmetrical spinnaker – for exhilarating speeds and a blast on the water. Car-top the Triak anywhere for a quick sail or plan for a week long expedition, but always count on having a great time on this easy little boat.

Models:   Triak

Length: 18’

Use: Convertible kayak/trimaran

SeaRail trimarans   are known for being affordable, light weight, trailerable trimarans that offer the perfect combination of exciting and relaxing experiences to a wide range of sailors. Whether it’s day sailing with your family, resort or camper sailing, SeaRail trimarans are ideal leisure vessels. Leave the hassle to the other boats – the SeaRail takes you from trailer to sailor in 15 minutes. But don’t let its reputation as a leisure tri fool you: if speed is what you want, rest assured that the SeaRail can deliver that as well.

Models:   SeaRail 19

WARREN LIGHTCRAFT

Warren Lightcraft trimarans , another example of a convertible kayak-to-sailboat option, are known for their aesthetically pleasing designs that are also, as the name implies, very light for simple transportation and ease of use. Convert the kayak into a fast, high performance sailboat in just minutes, fly around on the waves all day long, then simply car-top the 68lb Warren for a maximum enjoyment, low-hassle day on the water. Perfect for sailors and paddlers of all skill levels, the Warren Lightcraft is the best of both worlds and an absolute joy to sail.

Models:   Warren Lightcraft

Length: 15’6”

Built strictly with racing in mind,   the Diam 24   is a light, powerful one-design class trimaran and a notoriously exceptional performer. Boasting blistering speeds of up to 30 knots, Diam trimarans are not intended for beginners. For racers who crave the very best in terms of intense speeds, smooth handling and impeccable performance, the Diam is the red-hot one-design racing tri for you.

Models:   Diam 24

Length: 24’

For the sailor who prefers the finer things in life, the   Radikal 26   delivers. Perfect for bringing the whole family out for a day on the water, this high performance, trailerable sailing trimaran strikes the most luxurious balance between quicksilver speeds and a smooth, comfortable ride. The Radikal 26 trimaran is as convenient to transport and set up as it is pleasant to sail, with a folding system that minimizes rigging hassle and also makes this a trailerable tri. Built for a fast and comfortable sail rather than a hold-onto-your-seats thrill, one-the-water safety and overall pleasure makes the Radikal 26 what it is.

Models:   Radikal 26

Use: Sport cruiser

A solidly-built, single-handed trimaran, the Challenger also doubles as an adaptive design – meaning it is made to accommodate sailors of all levels of physical mobility. Best suited to lakes, the Challenger is a very safe, seaworthy boat for sailors of all ages and experience levels. Add to this the ease of owning, transporting and maintaining the Challenger trimaran and what you get is a simple, fun sailboat perfect both for beginners and those seeking a cheap thrill alike.

Models:   Challenger

At a glance comparison:

Did we miss one? Let us know. Tell us what you sail and what you like about each boat in the comments below.

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Small trimarans under 20'

Discussion in ' Multihulls ' started by Doug Lord , Jun 24, 2012 .

Doug Lord Flight Ready

Small trimarans 20' and under Note thread title should have been : "Small tris 20' and under" but I didn't catch it soon enough- it's what I originally had in mind..... ========================== There seem to be more and more. So I'll try to put them in this thread so we'll all have a place to look for the latest tri designs-I'll add everyone that is actually sailing that I can find. But it seems like more and more of the same thing: a trimaran that looks nice but simply doesn't have the power possible with a trimaran platform. And oh yeah: lets see A class cats, C class cats, Nacra 20, Nacra 17 Olympic and more all make use of lifting foils but-not one single trimaran under 20'!! Why is that?? -------- Here is a nice looking new tri from San Diego-just discovered on the "multihulls" forum at SA: •Length of hull: 5800mm (19') •Beam unfold: 4455mm (14' 6") •Beam fold: 1800mm (6' 11") •Mast length: 9115mm (29' 10") •Weight: Under 300kg (650 lb) http://www.searail19.com/p/images.html  

Attached Files:

Trimarans-sea rail 19.jpg, trimarans-sea rail 19-2.jpg.

Corley epoxy coated

Looks like an interesting boat and more capable than a hot beachcat of taking a small family on a daysail in comfort. I guess not every boat has to be a race boat as keen as I am on my performance multis there might well be a place for a small multi daysailor like this. http://www.searail19.com/p/about-us.html We also have to define the meaning of performance to some degree, would this boat be faster than a slew of performance monohull daysailors? Well almost certainly, so it is a performance sailboat by the standards of daysailors and would still be fun to sail. Apparently the Magnum trimarans sell quite well and they are far from a flat out racing boat. If anything a lot of racing equipment would be more offputting to many recreational sailors than a selling point and there are far more recreational sailors than racing sailors. I think this is one area where monohull sailors are much more mature they accept that performance in terms of speed is only one factor that defines a boat and have more of an acceptance of a variety of different boat designs and how they can integrate into mixed racing fleets. They in general have more of an appreciation of all types of boats and their uses. It's also a different pitch with this boat they are not touting it directly as a performance/racing boat like the Motive trimarans but more as a balanced multihull with good performance. I agree that it would be nice to see some more focussed performance small trimaran designs and it would be great if they could go all out and really pull out the stops but really as far as I'm concerned the more multis out on the water fitting well into different market niches the better.  

Small trimarans My frustration stems from the fact that ALL the existing small tri's are daysailer types. No performance tris at all. By "performance" I mean like a A cat is to a Hobie 16 or a Nacra 20 is to an F18. Seems to me that its not too much to wonder why this state of affairs exists.... A design that uses all that a trimaran platform has to offer would be real exciting, for once.....  

warwick Senior Member

I think the problem is that every one has a different idea, as to a high performance. Which influences the prospective use. I my self would prefer effortless speed, easily driven.  

Ian Farrier said it best when he said there is a limited demand for boats that are single purpose racing designs. He has designed a lot of cruiser/racer style boats before designing any race only designs. My feeling is that the more trimarans that get out and are experienced and enjoyed as daysailors and in multihull mixed race fleets the more interest by a limited group of people there will be in dedicated racing designs. Look how few monohulls are genuine performance boats in a racing sense (and the compromises it brings) it must be less than 10% of the whole? I'd also argue that most racing dinghies are far from top performance boats they are just fun to sail and race in close quarters. Marinas and mooring grounds are full of larger monohulls and yes cruising multis that would exhibit slow to moderate performance under ideal conditions they "perform" the task of being good boats to liveaboard and cruise. As an example most people who join MYCV are not dedicated racers and most that step up to higher performance designs only do so after catching the racing bug at a club level and wanting to be faster and more competitive. Embracing all types of multihulls from flat out racers to cruisers is crucial to growth and continued success something that I think we ignored in the past it's all too easy to get bogged down running regattas and forget about being encouraging and inclusive and yes even having fun activities for families.  

I think fast "daysailing" in a foil assisted oversquare tri while sitting on the side of a comfortable cockpit and not having to run side to side with every tack or gybe while you pass the beachcats would be a blast. I'm just not sure some people think that is even possible......  

gypsy28 Senior Member

Doug Lord said: ↑ By "performance" I mean like a A cat is to a Hobie 16 Click to expand...

gypsy28 said: ↑ Oi, I'll take no bad words against the Legendary Hobie 16 DAVE Click to expand...

HASYB Senior Member

Quite a few are mentioned here; http://www.nauticaltrek.com/35-trimarans  

salglesser Junior Member

Good topic Doug. Thanx for the link HASYB. sal  

upchurchmr Senior Member

I really am impressed with the low $27,990 price with only $3000 in extras, without the trailer base. 650# for a 19' multihull with no cabin also seams reasonable. 100# Amas seem like they will be a real hit when folding. Just from looking it seems the amas will be less displacement than the boat and crew? So no flying the main hull - this is a question. Pity the advertisement doesn't discuss this important issue. What I can't understand is why it is DOUBLE the weight of a Tornado. Additionally old Classic Tornado hulls (20' and much deeper than the ama) only weight about 60# each. Probably I am just too old all of a sudden, but $30K is more than I have ever paid for a car. A home built Kurt Hughes Trikala 19 will probably be more my speed at 100# lighter. Looks to me like a good highpowered homebuilt daysailor design is really needed. Perhaps "mosquito" from the Florida Ultimate Challenge could be released as plans. I wonder what that could be built for. I would like to see everything you collect around 20'. Great idea for a thread.  

Speaking of flying the main hull-from another thread: ( Note that it is about the Sea Cart 26 and not about the "Wild *** 18 Super Tri"-why? because the WA18ST just does not exist.........) Doug Lord said: ↑ This is the Company guy(Sea Cart 26) talking about flying the main hull on a trimaran on SA: ================== Tim Shuwalow Member Group: Members Posts: 38 Joined: 08-September 10 Location:Stockholm, Sweden Interests:High Performance Sailing Posted Today, 12:04 PM The 32SR a nice looking boat that's for sure. You don't have to be on large tri to fly the main hull, all it takes is good volume in the float. To go 'wild' (to fly the main hull under gennaker) a curved foil helps a lot and a flat gennaker so you can get high enough initially. And why would you want to do it? Because it's the most fun you can have on a trimaran!!!! Trust me! Click to expand...

Jetboy Senior Member

Does it need to be a production boat? I'm building one of these - should be on the water this fall if I can get some time to work on it... http://www.teamscarab.com.au/scarab18/design.html  

Jetboy said: ↑ Does it need to be a production boat? I'm building one of these - should be on the water this fall if I can get some time to work on it... http://www.teamscarab.com.au/scarab18/design.html Click to expand...

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The Cross 18 is another small homebuild tri. Kinda dated in design, but still probably a fun sailer. I've sailed around the same lake as guy locally who owns one. Seemed like a nice little daysailer tri. Certainly not a race boat. I kinda think it's the trimaran version of an i550. Should be simply and very quick to build and offer pretty solid performance.  

Heeling Angles for Small Trimarans Under 20’ 0” LOA

Storm tactics, small trimarans & parachute anchor.

Veal heel for small trimarans.

Which one out of these small multi-hull designs will be the best for my needs?

Small cat crossbeam questions

Cross Beam thoughts for small Tri

Unstayed mast build for small canoe based trimaran.

stabiliser Ama for small power tri

Looking for a small coastal cruising catamaran

Rudder mount design for small outrigger

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Lunada Design

Creative Boats for Home Builders

Tag archives: small trimarans, back bay sit on top kayak, a modular system approach to sot kayak sailing, paddling  and mirage drive propulsion.

Sit-On-Top (SOT) kayaks are easy boats on which to learn to paddle. They have none of the “get in the coffin and you are about to drown” psychological identity that one finds in the Sit-Inside boats and they’re amazingly adaptable to a wide range of paddling activities. It also doesn’t hurt that they are pretty straightforward boats to rotomold, which makes them very cheap to produce in large numbers.

I didn’t envision just one boat for this niche in the home-built kayak market. Instead, it came to me that there would need to be at least three models that could address the wide-ranging styles of boating interests in this area of the kayak world. The result was a couple of very clean, SOT models at 14’ and 16’ called the Corona and the Back Bay, respectively. The third model was going to be called the Wahoo, as it was specifically designed for the folks who spend a lot of time fishing with their SOT’s. I’ll get to the Wahoo in the next article.

As a canoe and kayak sailor and a guy who had just been out for a test drive on the Hobie Adventure Island, which is based on their 16’ SOT Adventure model, I wanted to offer my own take on what makes for a truly fun and stylish, sailing SOT kayak. The result was that a fully integrated system of component parts was designed for the basic Back Bay. This modular approach allows the Back Bay to go sailing by simply adding a system of light-weight, easily built elements that quickly convert the SOT to a single aka sailing boat called the Scorpion, OR, to a double aka sailing boat with slightly larger ama volume, called the Doubloon. Of the two configurations, the Doubloon is most like the well-known and highly respected, Hobie Adventure Island.

The Corona and the Back Bay are virtually identical models, save for their respective lengths. For the purposes of this article, I’ll focus on the Back Bay version and all the potential add-on systems I’ve incorporated in the design.

THE BACK BAY SOT KAYAK

Specifications: Length overall – 16′ Beam overall main hull – 28″ Depth of hull max – 12” Weight – 48 lbs. or less Displacement – 335 lbs.

This boat is built in the S&G style of construction in 4mm marine ply with 6 oz. plain weave fiberglass set in epoxy on the inside and outside of the hull for full laminate sandwich strength. The build process uses external cradles as building supports, ensuring that the hull goes together with minimum hassle when handling the rather slender and longish hull panels. The boat is bulkheaded internally at three key points. These bulkheads create not only integrated strength in the design, but they also cleanly separate the hull cavity into four unique volumes for gear storage and watertight flotation.

The Back Bay can be configured with a large, open tankwell set aft of the cockpit, or built with a watertight, aft hatch cover for internal storage in a conventional kayak style.

Specifications: Beam overall – 10′ Weight (est.) – 90 lbs. Sail Area – 56 sq. ft. Displacement – 350 lbs. Draft (board down) – 28″

The Scorpion variant is a Sit-On-Top design for fun sailing, paddling, or Mirage peddling… or all three, as the builder desires. There will be a design for a leeboard mount included in the plans for those who are going to build the boat for sailing. Having the aka gull wing form set well forward permits a full paddle swing arc.  The aka beam connectives to the amas is split into a pair of mounting elements. I did this to make for a stronger, single beam mounting struture. With a single beam design, there is a tendency for the am to want to rotate around the beam, making for a very stressed component that could lead to early failure. By splitting the beam and spreading the mounting points, I have given the structure more resistance to this rotational force, making for a more rigid boat in use. This setup will allow the owner to power sail in light air with both the paddle and the sail providing thrust. With the leeboard swung down for sailing, the owner can do some “power sailing” and utilize the Mirage drive, as well as the sail, in light conditions. The Mirage is capable of boosting boat speed enough that it creates apparent wind over the sail, adding power where there really isn’t enough for sailing alone.

The amas are positioned to optimize capsize resistance when sailing off the wind. The amas do not touch the surface of the water at rest in stable trim and provide only minimal wetted surface drag when underway by paddle or peddle. As soon as the sail is loaded by the breeze, though, the ama on the lee side begins to immerse, firming-up the boat and resisting the heeling moments being generated.

The aft deck can be configured as a watertight hatch with full access to the aft sections of the hull, OR a large, diving tank well with self-draining ports. The cockpit is fitted with self-drain ports under the seat as well as forward, in addition to the daggerboard slot. There is a watertight deck plate just forward of the seat, between the knees of the sailor/paddler to provide secure storage for critical items that may be needed on a routine basis. The foredeck has a watertight hatch cover for bow storage needs.

The rig is a fully battened Dacron sail with two reef points and a multi-section, self-supporting mast which steps into a sealed mast socket in the hull. The mast and boom sections can be aluminum or carbon, as budget permits. The sail choice is open for the customer as long as it can be balanced with the fixed positions for the mast and dagger board. The Cunningham is run to the deck of the gull wing aka to keep the rig on the boat in the event of a capsize.

With 56-sq. ft. of sail on a 90-pound boat, this will be a decently speedy boat without being in over its head all the time in a stiff breeze. I suggest two reef points in the sail to allow for sailing in a wide variety of conditions.

This will be a wet boat at speed, yet there are no worries at all for flooding and sinking, save for a truly nasty trip over a reef that shreds the entire underside of the craft. The bow, cockpit and aft hull volumes are all independent, sealed compartments, as are the ama volumes.

Reentry from a swimming session will be easy with a simple, sling, or rope ladder much like those used by rock climbers, called etriers.

The boat is constructed in a multichine, marine plywood style with epoxy glass laminates inside and out in a stitch and glue style. Stainless T-Nuts are embedded in the hull deck surface from below to provide a secure set of mounting points for the aka wing. The amas are held in place on the aka tips by large bungees and a notched lock system. This system provides for quick setups on the beach.

You just fit the aka to the foredeck, insert four, 1/4″ threaded stainless screws with comfortable, knobbed grips and screw down the aka wing. The amas slip onto the ends of the aka and you lift the pair of 3/8″ bungees up and over two raised hooks on the aka ends to secure the ama in place. Simple, easily maintained and near foolproof in operation.

DOUBLOON SAILING SOT

The Doubloon is the second variation on the central SOT theme of this group of boats. In this design, I am looking to provide a more expansive utility application for the base, Back Bay SOT version. The Doubloon is essentially a solo craft and it carries the same, 56 sq. ft. sail, but the overall potential of the boat is expanded through the use of dual akas and full trampolines on both sides of the Back Bay hull. The rendering of the Doubloon shows a daggerboard inserted down through the Mirage Drive trunk, but in use, I would prefer to have the board mounted outside the Back Bay hull as a leeboard. Plans will be supplied with the leeboard solution.

The akas on the Doubloon are spaced to allow for a full paddle stroke with the boat setup as a trimaran. There are two sections of tubing that span the opening fore and aft between the akas from which the tramp is mounted. The trampolines are designed to roll-up on the outer tube section, much like a window shade and they are deployed by an endless loop of light halyard line. With the tramps fully deployed, the inner tube section lifts up and over a holding pin in the aka and the sailor applies as much tension to the tramp as he feels he needs by hauling-in the endless loop line and cleating it off. If a paddling session is desired, he simply pops the jam cleat and pulls the line to roll-up the tramp on the outer tube section. This procedure applies for both port and starboard tramps.

Like the Scorpion, the Doubloon can be built to utilize a Mirage drive in the center well and the need to roll-up the tramps for paddling is essentially negated, (though it is nice to have the option once in awhile as Mirage drives can be difficult to maneuver in tight places)

The aka beams are held to the deck of the Back Bay hull with the same, threaded knob strategy for quick setup and takedown times. Similarly, the amas are held to the aka ends with hefty bungee cords for the simplicity of use. There’s another, rather invisible, benefit to using the bungee cords for ama mounting. Because they are being held in place through a fairly dynamic hold-down system, the amas can move about, ever so slightly, while underway. This allows the amas to have some structural “give” and the result is that the banging and thrashing that is typically experienced by the ama, is somewhat dissipated through the flex of the joining system.

All in all, I think the Back Bay SOT should be a really fun boat to own for warm water/warm weather boating adventures. It has the capacity to carry enough gear for several days out on the water. When rigged with a sailing system of your choice, it can also cover some pretty good distances if the winds are favorable. Plans for this boat and all its variations will be available from this site and Duckworks Magazine.

Chris Ostlind

Lunada Design Chris@Wedgesail.com

Solo 12 and 14.

Another Trimaran/Skiff … Bigger, With More Power

Well, you had to know this would happen…

When the Montage Skiff/Trimaran was introduced, the Lunada Design website was absolutely flooded with an ocean of page hits every day right after the article was posted. I received several dozen personal query letters regarding the boat and sizeable slice of them were directed at the potential of a bigger version of the Montage.

The concept of being able to build your own boat and rig it with a used mast and possibly even used sails, (if they are in good enough condition) had struck a chord with the homebuilding community. The creation of a larger version of the Montage would take the specified rig choices up into the much more commonly found beach cat rig sizes and make the business of finding a used rig in great shape, a whole lot easier. After pencilling a collection of thoughts and running some rough numbers on the potential, the idea came into focus as the 18′ Collage.

The ama shapes, especially on the smooth hulled variation, borrow other design cues from the modern performance dedicated French designs of VPLP, as well as the very cool work of Nigel Irens. The transoms are nudged in the direction of a triangular shape, while retaining some of the typical beach cat, flat-topped U-form feeling. The volume concentration is well-forward, with the foredecks being much more rounded to provide rapid shedding of water. These shapes will help to reduce the tendency of multihulls to pitchpole when sailed hard.

Breaking away to some degree, from the single, build style of the Montage offering, the Collage is presented as a fully strip built, smooth hulled version, as well as a multichine plywood version. These choices will give builders the ability to work with the material choices and aesthetics they prefer. I am also looking at the potential for a foam cored sandwich laminate boat using the vertical strip technique, though that iteration will probably come around a little later in the process.

Collage Specs

LOA 18′  ( 5.48 m ) BOA 14′  ( 4.26 m ) BOA main hull 41″ ( 1.04 m )

Sail Area Main 163 sq. ft. (15.14 sq, m.) Jib 55 sq. ft. ( 5.12 sq. m. ) Spinnaker 161.5 sq. ft. ( 15 sq. m. )

Displacement 1000 lbs. ( 454.5 kg. ) Weight 380 lbs. ( 172.7 kg. )

The Collage meets all the same design criteria as does the Montage, except it’s longer and wider, has more sail area, carries more crew weight and yes, it’s going to be faster in the right hands. Faster… sometimes this term can be kinda self-defeating when speed claims are made compared to another boat. When it comes to recreational boats, I’m of the opinion that speed is a relative thing based on the overall design brief of the boat in question. In the case of the Montage and Collage designs, speed is one of the attractive elements as long as it is kept in perspective with  just what the use application will be from day to day. From where I sit, this will be primarily recreational purposes.

The Sail Area to Displacement ratio ( SA/D ) for each of the boats is as follows: The Montage is 31.56 and the Collage is 34.88 With both of these boats being sailed at near max displacement, I give the nod to the Collage, based on waterline length, as well as the ability to punch through wave conditions that will toss the Montage around to some degree.

I would like to see this pair of boats ( Montage and Collage ) blasting around in the hands of skilled sailors. There’s nothing quite like the feel of a performance boat and the way it can deliver the exhilaration of a spirited ride. But… I’d also like to see this boat out on the water being used by families while they have a really fun day on the water with, maybe, a somewhat toned-down speed blast tossed into the mix every now and then to get the kids chirping.

I’m looking at the potential for the Collage to create a new beach and/or lake sailing culture in which energetic hot shoe dudes, as well as young sporting families, can all mingle on the beach, out on the water and share a communal BBQ after the day of sailing. I grew to maturity on the beaches of SoCal watching the brand new Hobie Fleets do this very thing and it was a lifestyle that perfectly fit my beach kid way of thinking. It would be great to see that happen once again. Could this take place in 2009? Hey, I don’t know the answer to that one, but it is fun to think of the boat and its owners in those terms.

There’s a lot going for the Montage/Collage design approach to support such a social event concept. Both boats are affordable to build, they are easily trailered by even sub-compact cars, they make use of “experienced” parts that can be had on the open market for pennies on the dollar when compared to new parts and they are boats that are easily sailed on the first day. This last part is important, as the boat will attract more enthusiasts when they see that they can be sailed with what pretty much passes for beginner’s skills. Just because it can go fast, does not mean it has to be sailed that way. As the owner’s skills grow, the boat’s potential will be there waiting for him.

As a way of introducing the Montage and the Collage designs to the homebuilder market, I’d like to offer free plans to one person. This builder should be able to show me that they have a very strong interest in either design and are willing to build the boat as I supply the plans in accordance with their progress from the previous plan set delivery.

If interested in this offer, you can write me at: Chris@Wedgesail.com or at lunadadesign@gmail.com and make your pitch. The one chosen to receive the free plans will be willing to provide construction photos of their progress and a brief written description as to how things are going. The personal accounts will be published on this website, Lunadadesign.net so that the readers of the site can follow the projects.

Chris Ostlind Lunada Design

This boat created immediate appeal to beginning and intermediate sailors. It offers much of the speed experience of a high performance skiff in a stable and predictable platform that is really tough to capsize. The Weta is one of the first boats to encourage family participation and reintroduces the waterborne fun of the beach sailing culture, established way back in the late 60’s with the intro of the Hobie catamaran.

A brand new, factory built Weta goes out the door for USD $11K. Realistically speaking, this isn’t an in surmountable amount of money for a factory produced, brand new carbon trimaran. It is, however, quite a lot of money for most casual recreational enthusiasts and the folks who like to build their own boats… especially when you consider the rugged economic conditions we all face these days.

The estimated $5600 figure represents a boat with a whole host of brand new parts. For the clever builders out there, the Montage could be even less expensive if they can find a used 470 rig, perhaps a used small craft, or beach cat trailer that could be modified to fit the hull design and even a collection of hardware in good condition. The Montage is a very light boat at right around 235 lbs., so you do not need to buy a heavy duty trailer.

I went back to the drawing table and reconfigured everything so that the longest hull panel was going to just fit on a couple of sheets of marine ply laid end to end. The main hull also got just a bit wider in the process of lengthening the boat. Where the factory boat uses carbon fiber on foam cores for its structure, the Montage will be a 4mm marine plywood design with full fiberglass/epoxy sandwich laminates inside and out. The foredeck and the cockpit seating transitions are strip-built in Red Cedar to give the overall appearance of the boat a smoother, more organic feel than straight plywood panels.

The amas for Montage came from a 16′ trimaran design that I had already done and required minimal re-design to work with this boat. The amas are also designed as multichine ply forms with pretty high volume shapes well forward and a water shedding deck form that will helps to keep them riding high even when driven hard. Ama displacement is 100% of the all-up boat weight when sailing.

Montage Specifications

LOA                                   15′ 6″ BOA                                   12′ BOA main hull                  41″

Main                               110 sq. ft. Jib                                      38 sq. ft. Screacher                      102 sq. ft.

Displacement                 650 lbs. Weight                             235 lbs.

The aka beams are anodized aluminum instead of carbon tubing. The inboard ends fit into fairly burly sockets in the hull and are held in place with quick release pins. Flat deck flanges on the ama ends are welded in place and bolted to the amas. The amas are removable from the aka tubes for repair or maintenance, but otherwise stay mounted, along with the trampolines, as complete units.

The mast is also anodized aluminum. The boat uses the same mast section as the 470 dinghy, which is a Proctor Cumulus section. This mast is available on the used market with a little bit of hunting around. If you want it all and have the money, then there’s a very cool, filament wound Forte carbon spar available with very close specs to the Proctor that will rock your world. http://fortecarbon.com/

Making these two changes from the benchmark, all-carbon Weta to an aluminum spar and tubing keep the costs down, with but a slight weight penalty over all-carbon parts. If you find a used mast, the savings will be even more substantial.

I have found that the more expensive sailcloth laminates are capable of driving the boat just a bit faster, but for the average recreational sailor, they will hardly ever make a difference compared to more forgiving sails in Dacron. Dacron is much easier to maintain, lasts longer, is a lot more tolerant of UV exposure and can be repaired by any sail loft wherever you go. If the builder of the Montage really wanted to, they could buy a set of sails in something like Pentex laminate instead and they’d have that hot, performance boat look that some desire along with just a bit more zip under sail.

The aluminum aka tubes will be sold pre-bent and ready to install on the amas. If the builder has access to a good mandrel bending facility that can handle the OD/ID specifications of the tubing, they can fabricate their own tubes to supplied specs.

The Montage is designed to be a really fun day sailing machine that can generate near performance skiff sailing speeds while offering a hugely stable platform for recreational sailing. Construction of the boat is very straightforward in marine plywood with glass/epoxy laminates and can be easily built by any sailing enthusiast who has household handyman skills with tools. The Montage has been created to offer homebuilders an opportunity to enjoy this style of family sport boat at a completed cost that is far less expensive than the manufactured version.

CHRIS OSTLIND

Fresh take on the solo16 s, a safe, speedy solo cruising craft for adventurous souls.

After a lot of input from readers of this site, I have completed the modifications to the Solo16 S design that reflect many of their expressed interests.

The Solo16 S now has a bit more displacement as a direct response to suggestions for the use of a small 2 hp outboard and some spare fuel. At the same time, the vaka hull was given additional beam above the waterline and the shear was raised some to allow for mods to the amas.

The amas, themselves, were made slimmer and taller, while retaining the same volume. They now have a slight vee section which gives the boat a progressive resistance increase as the amas are pressed heavily in a gust.

To complete the changes, a sporty all-weather soft cabin has been designed to allow the owner a chance to sail in a wide spectrum of conditions. The new cabin is modular in its approach with the ability to address a multitude of sailing situations.

All panels except the Bimini have generous window areas which are backed by micro mesh screen that is small enough to keep out the No-See-Ums. The PVC windows are zip-out removable and the screens can be rolled-up for maximum airflow through the cockpit. The complete enclosure system allows the owner to mix and match the panels as needed for the best protection from the elements.

When setting up the boat for sailing while on the trailer, the owner simply lifts the ama assembly, rotates and places the ends of the aka tubes into the matching vaka openings and slides the ama into place. The akas are fully seated when their internal, spring loaded snap-buttons click into place. The entire ama assembly is easily handled by one adult with modest physical strength.

In the trailering mode, the complete boat does not exceed 68″ (1.7 m) in width, falling well under every trailer width limit in the world.

I TRI’D – A Self-Designed 18-foot DIY Trimaran

by Small Tri Guy | Oct 4, 2013 | Self-built Small Trimarans , Small Tri Info - All , Small Trimaran Videos | 4 comments

I TRI’D is a self-designed 18-foot DIY trimaran by sailor Mick Milne. He built this sailboat himself after researching lots of small tris and then using using “HULLS” software to produce dimensions for the panels.

The building technique is “stitch and glue” plywood — with the main hull oversheathed with two layers of fiberglass and epoxy. And the outriggers slide in on aluminum beams to allow trailering . It looks pretty good.

Mick learned all this stuff as he went along. But the best part is that he thinks it sails just fine.

Mick said the build took about 16 months in his spare time. This time frame was mainly driven by the weather, however, as the building took place outdoors in the UK, which, according to Mick, had one of wettest winters in years.

The first launch of Mick’s DIY trimaran was last October. What a day that must have been for him.

Great job Mick …. terrific! Thanks so much for sharing the story of your project (and photos) with us here. ( PS – Love the name of your boat too :-)

………………………….

I TRI’D – 18-foot DIY Trimaran by Mick Milne I have sailed for many years, mainly dinghies and small cats, though also a limited amount of coastal sailing in UK and around Denmark. I have never really lived on the coast so sailing as regularly as I would wish has always been a challenge.

Drawing plan for the I TRID Trimaran

A bit more research led me to view that a Tri fitted all the requirements I was looking for:

• Sailing reasonably flat
• Shallow draft
• Reasonable pace
• Trailerable – as long as it folds somehow

The more I looked, the more I got hooked, and I am one of those guys who once something gets under my skin I have to do it.

I spent a lot of time looking at designs and think there are some great Tri’s out there, but I like the problem solving aspect of designing something. I bought and read your book, “ More Small Trimarans, ” and noted the variety of different approaches, ranging from fully qualified and experienced designers to those who “just learnt as they went along”; that was enough inspiration for me to start my own.

First ama hull being built

The only real frustration was the weather. All the build was outside and I spend too much time removing and recovering the boat. If I build another (I suspect I will) it will definitely be under cover.

Main trimaran hull with crossbeam fittings

The small trimaran begins taking shape

First sail fitting with mainsail and jib from a Fireball Dinghy

I definitely expect to do some more modifications in the future. I am not a boat designer and there are things that are not right first time. The seating areas slide in, which I thought would help with the trailing width, but it all increases the setup time. I am going to raise them by about 1 inch , which will allow the outriggers to slide underneath without unlocking various pins etc. Also, I never really designed in an adequate system for mounting an outboard, currently fitted to the sliders it is secure but poorly positioned. I will change this when I amend the seats.

Blue deck paint on this small tri

Launch Day!

Sailing Cardiff Bay

To date, I’ve primarily sailed I TRI’D mainly around Cardiff in Wales. There were also a couple of trips into the Bristol Channel when conditions were favourable. The boat was planned for relatively calm coastal waters, with the expectation that in a few years we will move to the South Coast of England, near Poole, which has a very large natural harbour, with lots only accessible with a shallow draft, and easy access to get further along the coast.

Under sail with her tramps

Smaller trimaran moored with the big boats

Update 10-07-13: Mick sent me the following YouTube video featuring I TRI’D …

___________________________________________________________

Fantastic job Mick!

I’d love to see some more photos, or video of you sailing. I’m also fascinated by the reasons for people’s design choices. Why did you decide to design your own? Why 18 foot? Do you stand on the hull, or is there a floor? What sort of lee-board did you build? Is there a photo? What’s wrong with the outboard position? How long does it take to rig and launch?

Robin, thanks for your interest.

I have a video but am having problems uploading it, not my area of expertise but I will persevere, hopefully I will have that complete in the next couple of days, I will also provide more photos.

Why my own design – I think I covered that partially in the notes but in essence I think I just like to understand how things work and also I like doing things to see if they do work, and I suppose experience has shown me you can do most things if you try.

Why 18ft – I certainly wanted something I sat in rather than sat on, but had also read in many places the advice not to build a boat bigger than you need. Once I started designing 18ft provided enough space to seat two easily, four at a push, and provided enough displacement. I did sketch out some 16ft designs but they just seemed to be too small.

There is a floor, simply 18mm plywood , raised about 4-6 in from the hull base, this seemed to make sense rather than walking on the hull. Surprisingly there are no pictures but I will take some and post them.

The leeboard is simply plywood sheet shaped, but is already showing signs of stress. I am busy reinforcing a hardwood centreboard (with epoxy and fibreglass)which I will use to replace the plywood. I got most of the ideas for the leeboard from Frank Smoot’s excellent website which has featured several times on this blog. His explanations and points, such as that shifting a leeboard to change the CLR, really helped. There are some photos showing the leeboard which I will post.

The issue with the outboard position is the mounting bracket, not the outboard itself. As the slider mountings are round, and close together, I have had to modify the outboard bracket, the bracket obscures access to the slider locking pin and also applies enough pressure to the mounts to restrict free movement of the sliders. This means I am continually slackening or tightening the bracket , or removing it. It is just not a good piece of work. If I was designing the same boat again I would fix a wooden square bar 4-6 inches behind the slider mounts to provide easy location of a standard outboard bracket.

Rigging and launch takes around an hour though part of that is due to the launch site I use. Good launch sites are rare in UK and it is a busy site. I have to rig the mast, the jib , outboard, and seats at a trailer area, and then having reversed onto the ramp extend the outriggers and tighten the tramps, then launch. I then normally rig the main on the water. Part of the work to modify seats, outboard mount and a few other small tweaks is to reduce this time, though I do think rigging the boat is part of the experience so I would not want to have no rigging to undertake.

I hope all that that helps answer your queries and I will put together some more photographs showing some of the detail, and hopefully that video.

Love it, Mick. I’m always excited when any bold venture sets out to, not only build, but design their own trimaran. I’m on maybe my 10th “home brew” tri now, and each one has been not only a blast to build and sail, but a real education as well. My latest (a 19-footer) is probably my best so far. Set-up time was always an issue for me, too, which is why I ended up with a folding design and an unstayed mast with the 128 sf sail furled around it. My designs are shaped by the places I sail (shallow) and by the fact that I always beach launch. 18′ is probably the perfect length for a tri you can launch, rig, and sail alone. Your boat looks great, and I’m delighted that my leeboard info was helpful. Couple of questions, if I may: What does she weigh in at, all up? How much sail are you carrying? Have you had a chance to speed test with a GPS yet? All my boats have hit 14 mph (white knuckling it, for sure!), but I haven’t hit 15 yet. I think I will, though, with my new vertical batten sail. I’d be happy to email you some photos, if you like. Also, I now use solid lumber for my rudder and leeboards, covered in 4 oz glass. They last much better that way (I got tired of having to constantly repair them). Again, excellent job! And I liked the video as well – mainly because you kept the camera moving and we got to see most all of the boat. Cheers, “Trimaran” Frank

Hello Mick,

Congratulations for your boat ! I’m very interested in your 18 ft trimaran because i have the same project. I have some questions : Is there any drift ? where it is ? The seats are fixed under the tubes, that ‘s it ? is it a self draining background in the cockpit or not ? Did you purchase specific sails or you pick up them from an other boat, witch one ? what is the the mainsail area ? what is the weight of your boat ? You designed your boat with what software ?

Thank you for your reply Best regards x.lemaire

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Small Trimarans are Taking Off!

By bob gleason.

The daysailing trimaran market has grown tremendously in the last few years. This is largely because the three-hull platform certainly makes more sense for the way many people want to sail.

Compared to either a monohull or a catamaran, a trimaran is amazingly stable. This can be attributed to its length to beam ratio. Compared to other small boats, a trimaran will heel less and have more deck space. There are some trimarans that are as beamy as they are long and, of course there are trade-offs to consider. The added beam does add more stability and deck space, but how much is too much? The added beam does add weight, and may make a boat less maneuverable. The stability makes for a less athletic boat to sail, which allows for lounging around comfortably. Additionally, there is no need for a trapeze wire or hiking off the rail. Here is a very brief explanation of each of the small trimarans handled by The Multihull Source in Wareham, MA.

© WindRider.com

WindRider 17 WindRider  trimarans have been around since 1996. They are great recreational boats that are extremely durable, thanks to the rotomolded polyethylene construction. They are a little unusual to sail in that all the models have helm seats facing forward and you steer with foot pedals. The WindRider 17 is perhaps the most versatile in that it can take more weight and therefore more people, and it has a rotating rig with both main and roller furling jib. It is hard to hurt a boat that is almost impossible to capsize and can be sailed in knee-deep water. The smaller Tango (W10) and original WindRider 16 have simple freestanding masts with only a mainsail. Visit  WindRider.com .

Weta 4.4 Perhaps the fastest growing class of trimarans is the  Weta 4.4  (14’ 5”). The first ever Weta National Championships was held in Ft. Walton Beach, FL in March 2013 and it attracted a fleet of 16 boats. This class is great fun! The Weta sports all-carbon components (mast, beams, sprit, daggerboard, rudder and rudderhead; the rig is boomless) and a sail plan that is powerful yet easy to manage. The nylon reacher is roller furling and the jib and main are fully battened. At 220 pounds all up, this is an easy boat to rig and push around the beach singlehanded. The Weta was originally designed as a kids’ training boat but is now mostly used as a single or doublehanded daysailer. Wetas are primarily raced singlehanded, but the winning boat at this year’s Nationals was doublehanded. Visit  WetaMarine.com .

© Peter McGowan

SeaRail 19 New for 2014 is the  SeaRail 19 . Designed by Nigel Irens, it’s a pretty, graceful, daysailer that has enough room in the cabin that you could sleep there, although the space will be primarily used for sails and gear for either trailering or in-water storage. The cabin can be locked to keep gear safe. This boat is fun for singlehanding or with a group of three or four. The tiller is in front of the mainsheet and traveler, and the roller furling jib is self-tacking. This combination makes the SeaRail 19 a pleasure for relaxed sailing, and to it’s very easy to sail because you can tack and jibe without touching the sheets. The roller furling reacher adds the power many will like for screaming reaches. Visit  SeaRail19.com .

© smalltrimarans.com

UltraLight 20 The  UltraLight 20  from Warren Light Craft is pure sailing joy! Lightweight, state-of-the-art construction combined with a modern design allows for a fast yet stable ride. Each boat is built to order, allowing you to create a boat tailored to your preferences. The UltraLight 20 comes completely apart in minutes and can be car-topped or trailered. This boat is the brainchild of Ted Warren, who has made a name for himself in both kayaks and performance trimarans. Visit WarrenLightCraft.com .

© CorsairMarine.com

Corsair 750 The  Corsair 750  comes in both a daysailer version called the SPRINT and a cabin cruiser version called the DASH. These 750s (7.5 meters; 24’ 5” LOA) are a recent update from the earlier Corsair 24s. The added mast height and higher volume floats have made this a rocketship for a boat its size. The 750 rates closer to the Corsair 28 than either the Corsair 27 or 24. It is so much faster than the earlier 24s that it owes them over a minute a mile on the racecourse! As with all Corsair boats, the 750s are easy to trailer and easy to launch. Visit  CorsairMarine.com .

© MotiveTrimarans.com

Motive 25R Of all the smaller trimarans on the market today, the  Motive 25R  is truly a unique daysailer that can go much faster than the wind while seating a bunch of friends comfortably. If you have the money to spend on the latest, greatest, sexiest, all-carbon rocketship, the Motive 25R has to be considered. It may not be quite as quick at the launching ramp (the boat is actually easy to trailer and launch, but with only one built to date the systems are not refined yet), but on the water…watch out! Visit  MotiveTrimarans.com . Bob Gleason is the President of The Multihull Source in Wareham, MA. For more information, visit themultihullsource.com.

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The new "Mini Trimaran" as it is being called (for now) is an evolution of our work in small multihulls over the years. It combines elements of the successful  Expedition Sailing Canoe  and the " kayak trimaran " named 'Spongebob' into a new vessel. Hull #1 was cut out as a CNC kit in July 2020 and is now in the process of going through sea trials. Click here for Construction  Photos of hull #1   You can get a sneak peak of the builders guide here .

Features of hull #1 included a roller furling mainsail and headsail for easy reefing and a boom for superior sail control. For Hull #2 we went back to a non rotating mast with slab reefing and single line reefing instead. The amas retract into the center crossbeams to reduce the overall beam for trailering without having to demount the amas. A stern cockpit with a large kayak style cockpit coaming can be used with a spray skirt. Steering is accomplished with foot pedal controls or a tiller. The boat can also be sailed from the center cockpit and there is optional space to install a hobie mirage drive in the center cockpit. Ample storage for a full expedition load. The center cockpit is flanked by a pair of "wing decks" which are large enough for sleeping aboard with a bivy or cockpit tent. A leeboard is controlled with lines running to the aft cockpit. The hull incorporates an integral spray chine above the water line to increase cockpit comfort while maintaining a narrow waterline beam of 19 1/2" 

Length: 18’ 6” Sailing Beam: 11’ Trailering Beam: 6’ 8-3/4” Working Sail: 100 sqft Optional Spinnaker: 80 sqft Empty weight: ~290lbs Gear/water capacity: 150lbs Full Load Displacement: 620lbs (solo) PPI: 117lbs (pounds per 1” immersion Ama buoyancy: 275lbs 

Above: Hull #1 freshly painted. April 2021

Latest News: Plans and a CNC kit for this design are coming soon. Hull #1 and 2 are currently in testing and prototyping phases and we look forward to improving the design of the rigging and kit for future builders. 

Video from first Sea Trials in Jan. 2021. We were very pleased with the performance and look forward to further testing the rigging and design in preparation for releasing plans and kits for this design. You can note in the video that the boat is being sailed totally empty so the bow rides a bit high. 

Hull #1 made the trip to the 2021 B&B Messabout and we had a chance to test here out. 

Hull #2 was completed and launched in January 2022. Changes to the design include adding some legroom to the aft cabin, and including space for a hobie mirage drive well in the center cockpit. Hull #2 does not have a roller furling mainsail but instead more traditional slab reefing. A Core Sound 17 mainsail is now the primary working sail and a furling code zero is again used for light air and an off the wind boost. 

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Andre Cocquyt is now blasting around in his 34′ KHSD power trimaran.

Halwea Sea Trials

I just found this video of the USCG observed sea trials.

48′ Daycharter Hawea Arrives in Hawaii

After sea trials at Raymond, WA, my 48′ daycharter cat Hawea sailed to Oahu.

12′ Trimaran Goes To Small Boat Festival

In late July I took my 12′ trimaran design to the small boat festival. It was the only yellow boat there. And the lightest. It wasn’t really my crowd. All the other boats were heavy timber classics. While there I learned that small monohull guru, John Wellsford would be there.

loaded on the ferry in my F150

at the show

Hawea Launched

My 48′ daycharter catamaran built by Pedigree Cats was launched June 6th 2024 at Raymond WA. The boat was built for Woody Brown, son of the inventor of the Hawaiian beach cat. After sea trials it will sail to Hawaii. It will be operating on Waikiki beach.

Alii Nui, my favorite daycharter catamaran. 65′

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My 32′ Cruising Trimaran

Sailing in Puget Sound.

My 46′ Performance Trimaran

My 46′ Performance Trimaran, now Pipeline 3.

A Whole Raft Of Pictures

These pictures came up in my memories. Most were on my previous phone, when the cloud only saved the camera library and none of the others. Some might have been posted here before, but you would have to go back a lot to find them. Good memories.

My 30′ cruising catamaran.

Remember the Time

This great picture of my 30′ cruising cat just came up in my feed. James and Emily sailed it extensively. CM developed plywood construction.

Catamarans and Trimarans with Kurt Hughes

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3 Small, Sporty Trimarans

• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: March 5, 2009

When it comes to cruising multihulls, the trimaran often plays second fiddle. The main reason is the sheer popularity and growth of cruising catamarans, thanks in no small part to the charter trade. But trimaran sailors have come up with a rather amusing handle for their beloved vessels: a cat-and-a-half. There’s some truth to the name.

If part of the reason one goes cruising is for a quality sailing experience, it’s hard to beat a well-executed tri. With shallow draft, they can easily poke into the shallows or up on a beach away from the madding crowd. And many midsize trimarans can be folded up and trailered for a cruise to Maine or the Florida Keys. As one tri sailor put it, “It’s sweet to go to windward at 65 miles per hour.”

I had the opportunity to sail a trio of cruising trimarans over a variety of waters and with an array of avid sailors and builders. Interestingly, the respective boats and venues-the Telstar 28 on Chesapeake Bay, the Corsair 31 on Massachusetts’ Buzzards Bay, and the Dragonfly 35 in the U.S. Virgin Islands-seemed especially well suited for one another. All boats are compromises, and trimarans are no different: Unlike cruising cats, which can handle those hefty payloads and multiple staterooms, tris are limited in space and accommodations by the parameters of their layout. But when all was said and done, I came away with a fresh appreciation for the viability of a relatively compact tri as a terrific, even exhilarating, coastal cruiser. Here’s what I discovered.

Telstar 28: Bred on Chesapeake Bay

The result of an exacting evolutionary process, the Telstar 28 is the proud creation of expatriate British multihull designer Tony Smith, who’s been testing and refining his notion of what makes an appealing triple-hulled pocket cruiser for almost four decades. His Chesapeake Bay-based business, Performance Cruising Inc., is very much a family affair, with his wife, kids, and son-in-law all prominently involved.

Smith launched the first incarnation of the Telstar, a 26-footer, in England in the early 1970s, eventually building 300 of them before relocating to this side of the Atlantic. A 1981 fire put the Telstar on hold while Smith shifted his emphasis to producing the Gemini line of cruising cats. But earlier this decade, he brought the trimaran out of mothballs and began to fine-tune his original vision, going through more than half a dozen prototypes before he was satisfied that he had a boat worthy of the marketplace.

For Smith, a hard-core multihull racer in his youth, the tug toward performance has always been strong. But with the Telstar 28, he wanted a boat that would be fun and fast under both sail and power but that could also serve for weeks at a time as a floating home, possessing features and systems that are foolproof and strongly engineered but dead simple to apply. A foldable, trailerable cruising boat sounds good, but it’s much less so if operating it is a chore for the owner.

And so Smith and his son, Neil, went to work, experimenting with rig size, outrigger shapes, and engine horsepower. They fussed with float deployment, steering systems, construction techniques, and numerous ways to raise and lower the mast. The goal was straightforward: a boat that sailed simply and well and that a couple or small family could enjoy. When he had everything just so, Smith made a couple of trips to Florida, by himself, trailering a Telstar. He launched and retrieved the boat, put the mast up and took it down, and went sailing, all alone. Only then was the reincarnated boat ready for prime time.

The revamped Telstar, now 28 feet long, has been in production for several years, and nearly 70 new boats have been built. On a visit last August to the boatyard on the Chesapeake’s Back Creek, Will Hershfeld, Smith’s son-in-law, gave me the tour.

Smith is especially proud of the arrangements for folding and deploying the outriggers and for stepping and striking the deck-stepped spar, both of which a lone sailor can do almost effortlessly in no time flat. The outriggers can be deployed or retracted on the trailer or in the water utilizing an ingenious rotary-pivot joint that reduces the maxed-out 18-foot beam to a mere 8 feet 6 inches in collapsed mode. The mast can be winched up (or lowered) from the cockpit via a set of four A-frames that work in tandem to support the stick during the evolution. Neither the sails nor the boom need to be removed for the mast’s raising or lowering, which maximizes the efficiency of the task.

Somewhat less heralded but also extremely clever is the tiller/outboard connection. With a single pin in place, the tiller and engine operate in tandem for optimum steering control under power. Under sail, the pin can be removed and the engine raised, thus linking the tiller directly to the rudder. The standard engine, incidentally, is a 20-horsepower Honda that scoots the boat along at a tidy 7 to 8 knots. A 50-horsepower Honda that will reportedly deliver 15 knots of boat speed is an option to form a sail/power version of the boat.

Belowdecks, the immediate and biggest surprise is the spaciousness of the central hull, particularly the 6-foot standing headroom. A large head compartment is forward of the saloon, which includes a pair of 6-foot-long settees flanking a folding dinette. With a series of slats in place down the main thoroughfare, one of the settees can be converted to a generous double berth. On either side of the companionway, a small galley with a two-burner stove and a simple navigation area addresses the essentials for dining and piloting.

Thanks to vacuum-bagged infusion for the outrigger assembly and a foam-core laminate in the main hull, the Telstar 28 weighs in at an almost unbelievable 3,000 pounds. The working sail area, augmented by the mainsail’s generous roach, measures 524 square feet. The power-to-weight ratio seemed promising, and I was eager to see how it translated to speed under sail.

The Chesapeake was in a cooperative mood as we powered out of Back Creek and set the main and 150-percent genoa in 12 to 15 knots of true wind. Sailing closehauled at about 30 degrees apparent, the boat slid along respectably at 6 to 7 knots with a well-balanced, fingertip touch to the tiller. We threw in a few tacks, and a couple of things were quickly apparent. First, the combination of formidable side decks along the main hull and fabric trampolines (not nets) between the outriggers made for an extremely dry ride, something I wasn’t expecting. But the 50-horsepower outboard on our test boat was a slight burden, dragging a bit, even when raised, on starboard tack. Our performance spiked when we flipped over to port and the propeller completely cleared the water.

The Telstar really came alive when we set the 400-square-foot screacher off the sprit. At 50 degrees apparent, we bettered 10 knots, and when we fell off to a beam reach, we topped off at a very lively 13.2 knots. A small chop was building on the bay, however, and it definitely slowed us down slightly, as the light boat just didn’t have the inertia to muscle through the wavelets. It’s a small quibble: I was already impressed. This child of the Chesapeake-an ideal cruising ground for this quick, shallow-draft trimaran-had displayed plenty of gumption on its home waters.

Dragonfly 35: A Trade-Wind Rocket

The marvelous Danish-built Dragonfly 35 stands apart from the other pair of trimarans in this roundup on multiple fronts, the most notable of which are size, cost, and accommodations.

In the protected harbor of Great Cruz Bay, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I met Dr. James Clayton, the proud owner of hull number 11 in the Dragonfly 35 run. Looking for a bit faster ride, with roomier accommodations and better sun protection, Clayton had moved up to the 35-footer from the 33-foot Dragonfly 1000, a boat that he loved and which is no longer in production. The 35 comes in two versions, Touring and Ultimate, the latter, which Clayton owns, boasting a slightly taller carbon-fiber mast with exotic, high-tech Vectran/Technora sails and strong, lightweight standing and running rigging.

Clayton obviously enjoys a boat that performs well, but he also likes creature comforts, and he’s loaded the boat with a variety of options, including an Andersen 46ST electric winch for mainsail hoisting, a watermaker, a three-bladed folding prop (instead of the standard two-bladed version), a diesel heater, and even a bow thruster, which is employed via a “garage door” that lies flush to the hull when not in use.

It seemed odd to choose the high-tech version of the boat and then load it up (and weigh it down) with such a long list of amenities. But Clayton had good reasons for his choices. The bow thruster proves very handy in controlling the fine, light bow in close quarters on windy days, and the heater was welcome during a cruise through Nova Scotia.

The Dragonfly 35 employs the builder’s Swing Wing system to fold the amas, but with a 12-foot-10-inch beam when the outriggers are retracted (down from a graceful, sweeping 26 feet 11 inches in sailing mode), trailering isn’t an option. Still, the folded boat will fit into a standard marina slip.

The accommodation plan doesn’t enjoy the interior volume of a contemporary 35-foot monohull, but it’s a clean, modern design that makes excellent use of the space. There are generous double berths on either end: a V-berth in a dedicated cabin forward, and another double beneath the cockpit. An enclosed head is situated forward of the main cabin, which has 6-foot-4-inch headroom and features a long settee to port, a cozy but handy navigation station at the foot of the companionway, and a lengthwise galley to starboard, with an abundance of counter space and good storage. The Volvo diesel, with saildrive, is located in a dedicated aft compartment.

The deck layout and corresponding sailhandling systems are also extremely well executed. A retractable carbon sprit in a sealed, dedicated tube is just forward of the recessed Facnor headsail-furling gear. Four flexible 9.5-amp Sunware solar panels do a fine job of topping off the house batteries. The single-line reefing system is led aft to the cockpit, an extremely comfortable space with a large bimini overhead and a rounded helmsman’s backrest aft. The traveler is mounted on a central beam just forward of the helmsman, while the double-ended mainsheet is close at hand.

There’s good visibility for the wind and speed instruments mounted over the companionway, and clear sight lines exist to the Raymarine chart plotter mounted on the rear of the coachroof. A portable beam can be removed to provide walk-through access to the transom and the aft deck shower. Finally, each of the amas is equipped with a rear hatch, through which can be stashed a pair of 17-foot sea kayaks. The Dragonfly 35 can most definitely be classified as a sport utility vehicle.

We sailed the boat on a day of moderate easterlies blowing at 12 to 14 knots. Upwind, at roughly 30 degrees apparent, the boat made anywhere from 7.9 to 8.4 knots, and as we eased sheets and bore off, the speed ratcheted up accordingly, to 8.5 to 9 knots. Frankly, I was somewhat disappointed in the sheer speed (Clayton has made more than 18 knots in breeze ranging in the 20s), but as I mentioned, we were carrying a boatload of extras. It was a choppy day, but the Dragonfly was in no way hampered by the seaway. The V-sectioned central hull cleaved nicely through the waves without hobbyhorsing, providing a smooth, purposeful motion and leaving the smallest of wakes. And steering the boat was a real joy, with the Jefa rack-and-pinion steering system offering true fingertip control. I’d love to sail a 35 in big breeze.

Corsair 31CC: Island Cruiser

The final stop on my Magical Trimaran Mystery Tour was Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, the site of last summer’s annual Corsair Trimaran Nationals. That event was a fun, lively occasion with lots of action on the water and fun off it. No sailors, it seemed, were more excited about their boat than Charles and Hilary Badoian, who were spending the New England summer living aboard and cruising their Corsair 31, Ship o’ Fools.

The Corsair 31, originally designed by Ian Farrier and updated in recent times by Corsair Marine, has been in production now for well over a decade, with nearly 300 of them built. Originally produced in Australia, today they’re built in Vietnam. The 31 has been tweaked considerably from its inception, and it’s now available in four different models: the 31UC (Ultimate Cruiser), the 31AC (Aft Cockpit), the 31CC (Center Cockpit), and the 31-1D (One Design).

The One Design version comes with streamlined accommodations and a carbon-fiber rig with a retractable bowsprit as well as racing sails and modified foils, but it should be noted that every new Corsair 31-all of which now feature rotating masts-can be ordered with carbon rigs and retractable sprits.

The Badoians had been wandering through the Elizabeth Islands, southeastern Massachusetts, and Cape Cod for several months, and while they enjoyed the liveaboard lifestyle, they were also conducting, from their compact underway home, their full-time business as event planners. They’d come to the rendezvous to meet like-minded sailors, compare notes, and enjoy watching the racing from the deck of their own 31CC. Former owners of a Catalina 30, they’d made the switch to multihulls and were certain of one thing: After the easy speed and shoal draft of their trimaran, they weren’t going back.

Their 31-footer was actually an older model, built in 1996, but there are many similarities that have carried on through time. The most important was the basic layout of the center-cockpit version, which still features a V-berth forward, an enclosed head in the central cabin-along with a settee, a small dinette, and a surprisingly workable galley-and a second separate cabin aft, which is ideal for guests or storage.

The deck layout is also conducive to efficient shorthanded sailing, with the traveler and mainsheet well aft, easily within reach of the helmsman yet behind the tiller, making tacking and jibing a hassle-free maneuver. (In the Aft Cockpit version, the traveler is forward of the tiller.) The Badoians also were enamored of the roller-furling boom, another item that’s been passed down the line. Reefing, they said, was a snap.

The couple said they regularly enjoyed boat speeds ranging from 9 to 12 knots on Ship o’ Fools, which isn’t equipped with a bowsprit or a screacher. Unfortunately, on the day I sailed with them, the wind hovered between 5 to 8 knots, with only an occasional puff of around 10 knots. Still, under main and genoa, when it blew 5 knots, we made 5 knots. And when it topped 10 or so, we eased along at an effortless 7.5. In the flat water, steering from well outboard to get a clear view of the telltales, the sensation was almost more akin to flying than to sailing.

Corsair dealer Bob Gleason, whose Massachusetts brokerage firm, The Multihull Source, was hosting the Corsair Nationals, said that newer models far exceed the performance potential of older boats, thanks to a slightly taller rig, the aforementioned standard rotating mast, and the addition of a screacher mounted on a pole that retracts into a tube mounted in the forward cabin.

Gleason said the rotating masts also aid in raising and lowering the spar, as the outboard shrouds aren’t connected to the main hull; a pair of temporary shrouds are used to facilitate the operation. The amas of the Corsair 31 are also easily retracted and deployed via the longstanding Farrier Folding System, which hinges on just four bolts. The boat can be set up or put away by an experienced sailor in about half an hour.

The Badoians at some point may upgrade to a larger trimaran, but for now, they couldn’t be happier with their Corsair 31.

One of my fondest sailing dreams is to someday hop aboard a fast, zippy multihull, skip across the Gulf Stream from Florida to the Bahamas, and spend a long winter poking into every nook and cranny I can find. Without reservation, I’d happily take the Telstar, Dragonfly, or Corsair on such an adventure. That said, my time aboard left me with several observations about each boat.

The Telstar 28 is an extremely well-reasoned boat, but it was also first conceived in the 1970s, and unless you find beauty in utility, the profile is a bit boxy and certainly not as sexy as the other boats in this roundup. But with a price tag well under $100K, especially considering its portability in these days when moorage is at a premium, it’s also a good bargain.

The Dragonfly 35 is the gold standard in this collection, and given its $370K cost, it certainly should be. It’s foldable, yes, but not trailerable, and for some sailors in well-populated locales, finding a place to permanently moor it may be an issue. However, it’s also a solid, superbly crafted vessel that with its systems and potential for extended sailing, will take one anywhere in high style.

The Corsair 31 tilts toward the high-performance end of the spectrum, and for some sailors, it may be a handful. But there are options galore in the four respective versions, and other sailors will relish the competitive opportunities with a vessel that also provides more than reasonable accommodations for coastal forays. It may be the most versatile boat of the three.

In short, when buying any boat, it’s ideal to have choices. And if you’re in the market for a small multihull-no matter what your budget or intended plans-with this segment of midsize trimarans, there’s an excellent selection.

Herb McCormick is a Cruising World editor at large.

LOA 27′ 6″ (8.38 m.) LWL 26′ 3″ (8.00 m.) Beam (amas out/in) 18′ 0″/8′ 6″ (5.49/2.59 m.) Draft (board up/down) 1′ 0″/4′ 3″ (0.30/1.30 m.) Sail Area (100%) 524 sq. ft. (48.7 sq. m.) Displacement 3,000 lb. (1,361 kg.) Water 30 gal. (113.5 l.) Fuel 12 gal. (45.4 l.) Engine Honda 20-hp. outboard (Honda 50-hp. optional) Designer Tony Smith Price $89,500 Performance Cruising (410) 626-2720 www.performancecruising.com

Dragonfly 35 Touring

LOA 35′ 0″ (10.68 m.) LWL 34′ 5″ (10.50 m.) Beam (amas out/in) 26′ 11″/12′ 10″ (8.20/3.90 m.) Draft (board up/down) 1′ 10″/6′ 3″ (0.55/1.90 m.) Sail Area 904 sq. ft. (84 sq. m.) Displacement 8,598 lb. (3,900 kg.) Water 37 gal. (140 l.) Fuel 21.1 gal. (80 l.) Engine Volvo 30-hp. diesel Designers Borge and Jens Quorning Price $370,600/$404,700 Dragonfly Sailboats USA (908) 232-7890 www.trimarans.com

LOA 30′ 10″ (9.40 m.) LWL 30′ 0″ (9.15 m) Beam (amas out/in) 22′ 5″/8′ 2″ (6.84/2.5 m.) Draft (board up/down) 1′ 4″/5′ 6″ (0.41/1.68 m.) Sail Area (100%) 647 sq. ft. (59.9 sq. m.) Displacement 3,850 lb. (1,747 kg.) Water 25 gal. (94 l.) Engine 9.9-hp. outboard Designer Ian Farrier/Corsair Marine Price $151,000

Corsair Marine (619) 585-3005 www.corsairmarine.com

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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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Background on W22 Design (book article)

As published in new book "More Small Trimarans" by BookSpec Publishing 2010

Target of article was to answer six questions posed by publisher Joe Farinaccio:

• What is my background?
• How did I get into multihulls?
• What is my design approach?
• What new designs am I working on?
• What are my thoughts on storage?
• What is special or unique about my designs?

I already feel sad that inspirations like Norm Cross and Lock Crowther are not still around. They both contributed SO much to the modern multihull ... as also has Dick Newick, Derek Kelsall, Jim Brown, John Marples and others; even James Wharram with his minimalist designs that still managed some amazing voyages on a shoe-string. I am pleased to hear that at least a couple of these will be contributing to this book and also, therefore honored to share my thoughts within the same pages.

Today we have some wonderful boats from the likes of John Shuttleworth, the Quorning Bros, Chris White, Richard Wood, Ian Farrier, Hughes, Tennant etc. (and forgive me if I've forgotten someone important), but it's 'the pioneers' that had to be especially effective and convincing, as today's young sailors have NO idea how resistant the sailing public was to ANY sort of multihull — and how the press made it especially hard to get the message across that they were safe enough for long voyages when well designed and intelligently sailed. As others have said before, one glance at an overturned multihull was all the press needed to jump on the concept, without any word of how effective the boat then was as a liferaft! A sinking monohull left no trace and so was largely ignored as the press had nothing to show. But with ALL the important cross-ocean and round-the-globe records now being held by multihulls, there is no longer that huge hill to climb when presenting a new boat design to the sailing public. Multihulls are now here to stay and if it were not for marina space and multihull cost, might even put pressure on monohull survival!

MY CONVERSION Let me share a little of how I personally got involved. Although I was working towards a career in music at the time in the UK, a casual sailing trip in a 14' gunter sloop when I was 10, led me to reading Arthur Ransome's great adventure stories about 2 intrepid sailing families from the Lake District. After reading 'Swallows and Amazons' at the age of 11, a chum and I each built a small 10' dinghy and yes, like a thousand other small boats in the UK at the time, they were inevitably named 'Swallow' and 'Amazon' and our own adventures followed. By the time I was 18, the decision was cast in stone and I gave up dreams of being a concert pianist to study naval architecture and have since created a plethora of designs from an 8' pram dinghy to 600' cargo liners.

I left England after graduating from what is now one of the most highly acknowledged boat-design institutes in the world (Southampton Technical University) but then spent 40 years designing ships of all types for a major shipyard in Canada. But small boats were always prominent in my life and I first toyed with a cruising catamaran design in the mid 70s—and rather uniquely at the time, my 'Flying Wing' concept featured a lower hull solepiece of fibreglass that was combined with topsides of ply for easy fairing. I mention this as, rather interestingly, this feature has returned in the design of my latest W22 trimaran.

As well, as my career as a naval architect for a large Canadian shipyard involving many interesting trips overseas to meet potential owners, I started three small boat companies and later, a consulting firm called Interface Marine Inc. Now retired (though not from sailing or designing) I am happy to share over 60 years of diverse boat experience (about half that time with multihulls) through my website and various consulting activity. (see www.smalltrimarandesign.com)

One may well ask, with a grounding in 'conventional' naval architecture etc, how come I was drawn to multihulls along the way? Well, although I can still enjoy to sail almost anything that uses the wind to propel it (and still love my Div-ll sailboard), it was the technical aspects that ultimately led me to accept that multihulls 'just made so much sense'. While looking at the monohull concept, it started to bother me that they only reached maximum stability when laid flat over with sails in the water. Once there, they were all too easily flooded and then would sink. Further, for all the other times when there was a good sailing breeze, this lump of steel or lead on the bottom did little to resist the heeling until it was well inclined off center — so it was doomed to sail at large angles with a greatly distorted underwater hull shape virtually all the time there was a decent breeze. Then there was the additional fact that the boat had to be significantly larger below the water merely to support and float this keel weight, even when it was doing virtually nothing until the boat inclined. And finally, this larger underwater volume made it hard to design a really fine hull shape for higher speeds, unless the boat was also very long. [Mind you, since those days things have changed a bit too. New, higher strength materials have permitted monohulls to sail more like huge dinghies with much greater basic stability than ever before, thereby pushing ultimate speeds up towards the realm of multihulls, though at very high cost and physical demands.]

I had read Multihull Magazine since its first issue and also subscribed early on to the UK-published AYRS Bulletins on Yacht Research that provoked new ideas and thoughts about boat design. I also attended the first World Symposium on Multihulls (in Toronto, Canada) and enjoyed listening to and meeting many of the well known designers of that time who were of my generation.

So as a result, my interest in multihulls just grew and grew and I have to admit that I was drawn to trimarans even more than catamarans, although both have their place 'et raison d'être' . [For me, a trimaran sails as 'a perfect catamaran' ;-) It always has the heaviest hull to windward and even more, there's an airborne outrigger out beyond that, like the sliding seat on an International Canoe!]

The smaller, 'potentially ownable' boats really caught my imagination though, as for all boats, the fun is frequently inversely proportional to their size.

More recently I have often been asked, what is the biggest appeal of sailing small trimarans as opposed to sailing other types of small sailboats? To this I would reply that a good trimaran design offers the thoroughbred feel of handling a finely-balanced racing dinghy with the added attributes of efficiency, power, space, speed and great stability. In many cases, it's drier and more comfortable too!

SO WHAT IS MY TYPICAL DESIGN PROCESS? Personally, the first thing I do is to identify the target user and attributes that I want the boat to excel in. Exactly what these are and how to achieve them is based on my experience with sailing other designs and also what I have learnt from many others in the multihull design field whom I have had the pleasure to know and who have shared their accumulated and diverse knowledge. All this is tempered and put in perspective by my own technical studies and acquired knowledge, something that I have indeed found quite valuable, as every design is ultimately a collection of difficult compromises, all tailored towards the target attributes and user.

Being someone who graduated in the late 50s, most of my design work has been done using manual methods rather than computers. While the new generation may find this antiquated, my defense would be that to work as we did, we really needed to fully understand all the calculations, what was meant by the figures and how we got there. Most of the great trimaran designers of the past (Brown, Cross, Crowther, Harris, Kelsall, Newick, etc.) doubtless also worked the same way. Today's younger computer-savvy generation can readily create wonderful 3D renditions of some dream concept, but it's not always apparent that the important calculations and detailed engineering are handled better by any software—the workings and formulae of which, are now often blind to the user. Having said that however, I did spend 20 years with a large CAD/CAM department under my wing and still use a computer where I feel it can actually add something significant to my work. One thing all good designers know is that computers are working tools and do not do the thinking or critical decision making, so I still always mentally check things in my head for global accuracy and feasibility. It's still far too easy to just accept computer output data that may not be realistic.

I am presently (Dec 2009) in the process of designing two small trimarans—the W22, and a smaller W17 for my personal pleasure. (As I have hinted earlier, 'the smaller the boat, the greater the fun' so there's a little intro on the W17 on Joe's small trimaran blog.) After owning and sailing two trimarans designed by the brilliant Australian Lock Crowther, I was fortunate to become the owner of what I personally consider to be one of the finest small trimarans ever created—the first ever Dragonfly from Quorning Boats in Denmark. She was called 'Magic Hempel' and turned both the monohull and multihull worlds on their heads when she won her class in a very rough Round Britain race in 1985. (She is featured in the header for my website (see below) and also on Joe Farinaccio's newsy Small Trimaran blog, at:    https://smalltrimaran.co.uk/the-original-dragonfly-small-trimaran/#more-254

  [as well as several articles on my website] .)

Though both these designs strive for fine handling and performance with comfort and dryness, the W17 by comparison, will be a comfortable day sailor—a trimaran of 'beach cat' type—quicker to build and lower in cost [than the W22] . She will both beach and fold readily, be great for a couple or single-handed and most importantly—be comfortable and sail well! I guess a small Discovery 20 would be one flattering way to describe her. Basic plans will be ready for early Spring 2010 and building help for first-time builders, as close as your email. More on the W17 under 'New Design Development' on my website.

A preliminary review of the new W22 trimaran design The main target of the W22 design, is for those who want a fast responsive boat that is not only fun and rewarding to sail, but that also offers a drier ride than the average small multihull. Rather than giving up most of the boat volume for an enclosed cabin, the basic design will feature a 7' long cockpit for comfortable day sailing with friends but also have a low cuddy (with sitting headroom) for inside protection during a passing storm or the occasional overnight. The cockpit floor and the under-cuddy area, will be just above the waterline, so that these areas can naturally drain any water back from where it came. The boat will also be easily sailed single-handed. [The W17 also has the 7'-long self-draining cockpit feature.]

The design is being developed to be both easy-to-build and of relatively low cost, keeping in mind that overall performance in the sailing conditions that sailors typically most enjoy, is very high on my list of priorities. And by 'overall' performance, I mean seaworthiness, handling, stability, comfort, dryness, low maintenance, trailability etc., as well as pure speed. All of this was apparent with the original D25R and here is how she looked.

[Note added Dec 2017: While I had always hoped to squeeze the maximum performance from the W17 hull forms, I became more and more convinced over 5 years of extensive testing, that they would not be the compromise that was first anticipated.    While the W17 form has a higher wetted surface and therefore more drag at low speeds (say below 4 kts), the box form is proving to create less wave, actually lowering mid-speed (6k-12k) resistance, making also for a drier boat, plus offering a bonus of improved leeway resistance ... so it can 'give something significant back' for the low speed loss.    This has therefore changed my overall conclusion that the form cannot be justified for larger boats ... so I am now reconsidering it for a larger fast-cruiser of about 10m . where having a shallow, flat bottom could prove useful, as well as being easy and less-expensive to build.  So watch for more development on what will be a very unique and original boat.    The W22 will retain it's round-bilge form in the style of my original Magic Hempel, but will retain the deep forefoot of the W17 and all my trimarans stay away from the 'banana hulls' that tend to aggravate pitching as well as add more wave-making than necessary.] 

In the case of slightly larger boats (like the W22), I think it's worth the extra effort to get the lowest resistance possible, so that the overall performance will better match the expense of their larger rig and all the other equipment, (mast, fittings, trailer etc.) that a boat needs. There are a lot of new boats coming out in the 20+ foot range and having spent a year or more to build one, I think one deserves the best overall performance one can get.  Regardless of whether it's justified or not, round bilge seems to always help resale value for such a boat too, as it's more often associated with professional boatbuilding. All these factors are less pertinent for a beach tri like the W17 and in that case, getting in the water with the least effort and still having a ball of fun, is the reason I intend to build a W17 for myself. Wing masts on both boats will make a difference too. So back to the W22 . The main hull will retain the flare just above the waterline that kept 'Magic' so dry, provided some extra lift, added to the interior space and also, looked good—all without lowering performance. Since 'Magic', many notable designers have adopted this flare and these include UK designers John Shuttleworth and Richard Woods as well as US designer Chris White and French designer Eric Lerouge—all of whose design offerings, I have much admired over the years. The underwater sections of all 3 hulls will be targeting the lowest wetted surface possible combined with a deep forefoot and a straight, somewhat tapered run out to the stern, rather than the approach of some designers who have preferred wider, squarer sections and sterns that give more space but only with higher wetted surface and more low speed drag.   I still much prefer deep U sections rather than Vee'd ones, in order to 1) get the buoyancy as low as possible and 2) keep the sides at the waterline as vertical as practical to keep wave-making at the water surface as low as possible.  While some claim a wider form might offer a planing ability, I am not one who agrees with that line of thought (see my website article on, Can a trimaran Plane? ).   The overall design will be streamlined and attractive, yet also retaining flat working decks that are much safer to move around on. Cockpit seating will also have inclined backs and flat horizontal surfaces for maximum sitting comfort.

Initially, it is proposed that the underwater parts be built using strip-cedar, though the use of  foam core will be a recommended option for the amas. I personally, prefer a denser wood core for the lower body of the main hull as it provides excellent rigidity with lower material cost than a foam composite. Once a prototype has been built (one on each continent perhaps), the initial plan is to create a local master-mold for the lower part of the main hull and possibly make a fiberglass lower 'solepiece' available for future builders.  As this solepiece will also have the important knuckle built-in as well as a substantial vertical centerline girder, it will be extremely stiff and stable in shape and therefore well able to guarantee the successful completion of a good looking and high performing main hull. (Most racers will confirm that stiffness equates closely to high performance.)

Once the lower curved section is built (either with wood strips or glass), then the easy, fun part can get under way. Basically, the sides are created by rolling plywood around and attaching it to the vertical flange of the lower solepiece. Temporary framework is set up on the solepiece to guide the placement of the topside plywood and once in place, temporary gussets will be added to guide the additional extension at the deck level. This is all relatively easy work as offsets will be provided to define the initial plywood shapes. The plywood sides will simply be lapped over the vertical flange of the lower solepiece and temporarily fixed with sheet metal screws while the joint (of FG mat and epoxy) cures. Once cured, the screws will be removed, the holes filled and the lower edge trimmed off flush with the flare to create a fair knuckle line.

Note that the interior of the plywood will all be precoated with one cloth and epoxy. This very easy step (done while flat and horizontal) will not only provide a far better seal against interior water in the future but will add important stiffness to the panel against exterior pressure. The same approach will be used for the deck panels in both the main hull and amas. Typically the undersides of decks are rarely sealed watertight and particularly with amas, are very often the initial cause of failure when water gets into uncoated areas while the amas are stored upside down. For both the W22 and W17, that problem will rarely be an issue.

(The design will also lend itself to the use of 20' catamaran hulls as amas, if that's an option a builder prefers. However, as these may have less buoyancy than those of W22 design, the ultimate performance would likely be compromised.)

The approach of precoating the underside of deck panels will also extend to the amas and make for very rapid assembly as well as one with low future maintenance.

Although a dagger board can always be accommodated, the base W22 design will incorporate a kick-up board below the cockpit floor. This is because many people will be sailing this boat in shallow inland waters and at the speeds likely to be developed, a fixed dagger board could well be the cause of avoidable accidents. [I still remember hitting an uncharted boulder in 8' of water at 6 knots with a nearly vertical dagger board. From the after cockpit, I was thrown totally in the air to land on a cabin-top winch and broke two ribs. After that experience, I now design all my dagger boards with either a sacrificial tip or a slight pivoting ability, to ease the impact].   To solve the resistance issues of centerboard slots, the slot will either be kept as short as possible and or have some form of gasket. Because of the possibility of lifting the main hull significantly and therefore inviting rudder cavitation, the boat has been designed with 2 rudders in mind—one on each ama for maximum control. This also fits with the option of using the hulls from an existing suitable catamaran as then, the rudders will come with the hulls and at the most, might need slightly larger blades. [Twin rudders also free up the center hull for the outboard and/or swim platform.]

One other interesting thing about the W22 design is that it will include the design of a rotating wing mast that can be built at home. Although no guarantees can ever be offered on such designs due to the designer having zero control over both workmanship or the sailing conditions the mast will be subjected to, the design will be of proven heritage and offer significantly improved sailing performance over the more typical rigid, aluminum stick. Ultimately, the boat's performance will depend greatly on the efficiency of the sails chosen and on the skill and experience of the crew. In closing this brief review, I will attach a general deck view and sailplan. Although these were sketched out when the design was first being envisaged, they still generally resemble the final design.

According to the build-time graph included with my Report on Small Trimarans (available through my website www.smalltrimarandesign.com), the 3 hulls should take about 400 hours. Depending on the level of skill, experience, tools available etc, the complete boat should take less than 1000 hours. An experienced worker will likely trim down these figures.

Potential owners have sometimes asked me about storage issues. To keep any boat 'in optimum condition', requires that it be kept under a ventilated cover as long as possible to protect it from rain, snow, wind abrasion and most importantly, the sun. As that is not always possible, at least one needs to cover the boat as often as possible. Whilst in use, the boat should be kept clean by freshwater wash-downs and regularly sponged out to keep all internal areas dry. Interiors should also be ventilated and awnings used to cut UV light whenever weather or circumstances permit.

• Most bang for the buck—assuming 'your bang' matches the chosen design criteria
• Greater dryness and overall sailing comfort
• A proven concept based on a well tested design, and subsequently 'tweaked' by someone with both experience and appropriate knowledge
• Attractive looking
• Excellent performance in the most typical sailing conditions, [aided by a unique wing mast design]

So this boat will be for: Someone who wants to sail fast with a partner or some friends, yet stay dry and comfortable. Someone who really appreciates the feel of a thoroughbred at his fingertips and the feeling of high efficiency, even at low wind speeds. Someone who mostly day sails but occasionally needs protection for camp-aboard trips. Someone who has the skills and place to build their own boat but not the money for more exotic options like the folding F-22. Although future owners will decide this, its eventual popularity could justify a significant following and this would help retain high resale value. Ideas for a class association are already being discussed.

To help potential boat owners understand more about the materials and design of these fascinating craft, I am happy to refer them to my quasi-technical small-tri website, where over 50 articles* are now posted (Dec 2009), with more to come. There's no purchasing hype here—just solid, well researched data, aimed to inform in as unbiased a manner as my experience permits.   (*by 2021, now well over 200 articles posted with an average of a new one added each month)

Through my website, one can also submit specific questions that concern potential small-tri builders and owners and I will do my best to answer them as time permits. Those who decide to build to one of my designs will have direct and reasonable access to me through email, to answer any query they may have. And such builders can be confident that my designs have been well thought out and ultimately, offer above average performance.

Mike Waters, December 2009 www.smalltrimarandesign.com

Originally written Dec 2009, released to Website, July 2010

Footnote: Mike Waters was recently invited to contribute an article to Multihulls Magazine on "Considering a Small Trimaran?". In this article, the author outlines aspects to look for based on his personal knowledge and experience with small tris. You may read this article, published in two parts in the July/August and September/October 2010 issues at the following links: Considering a Small Trimaran? - Part 1 and Considering a Small Trimaran? - Part 2

"Have a question or comment about the W22? If so, feel free to use our Questions & Comments Form to submit them to the designer." —webmaster

"See the Copyright Information & Legal Disclaimer page for copyright info and use of ANY part of this text or article"

Meermark Boats

The best small sailing multihulls fun, simple, safe & affordable sailing for all.

Welcome to Meermark boats where we offer the best small trimarans for the beginner, as well as the experienced sailor.

Whether you are an old salt or just getting started in sailing, if you are looking for the most fun for your money, we would love to show you why a Meermark trimaran is the boat you need.

We are passionate about sailing and we think everyone should have access to this wonderful activity.

Why choose a Trimaran?

Trimarans are a proven ancient design, in use in many parts of the world for well over a thousand years. They offer stability, speed and simplicity. Trimarans sail flat due to their outriggers and they are fast. Did you know that most of the sailing speed world records are held by Trimarans!

Trimarans have 3 hulls, or 1 main hull and their two outriggers, which provide stability. You can't beat a Trimaran for it's combination of fun, performance and stability.

See our blog post that takes a more in-depth look in to the difference between trimarans and catamarans

Why Meermark trimarans are the best choice for you

Easy to sail.

Our easy to sail trimarans can be enjoyed by one or two people at a time, depending on the model. 1 sail, 1 line and a simple way to steer. Anyone can do it!

Build Quality

Rugged rotomolded hulls, which do not suffer damage like fiberglass, providing much better durability, while the kick-up rudder and centerboard allows Meermark trimarans to be pushed right off the beach and into the water.

Not just due to the stability provided by the outriggers, but the ability to paddle back to your starting point when the wind stops.

Once on the water it is easy to enjoy speeds similar to riding a bicycle. Then, simply by releasing the sheet, you can gradually pull to a halt.

Trimarans are much more stable than catamarans, with the outriggers (also called amas) acting like training wheels on a bicycle.

International Patents Granted

Working with an international design team including renowned multi-hull designer Kurt Hughes, a leading modern sail maker and pleasure boat manufacturer, we created a boat that is simple, safe and fun to sail for all

About Meermark

Established 10 years ago, we are passionate sailors who want to help others enjoy this sport.

Our mission is to inspire a love for sailing, connect people to nature, and provide an opportunity for renewal amidst the demands of modern life.

We built a simple, safe, and fun sailboat that makes sailing more accessible, regardless of age, experience or ability. We believe that if people try their hand at sailing and do so in a Meermark trimaran, the beauty, serenity and exhilaration that is sailing will attract many more people to this beautiful sport.

And if you are an experienced sailor who still likes sailing fast but prefers sitting in a comfortable seat with excellent back support over sitting on a trampoline or you just no longer enjoy scurrying from side to side with every tack, Meermark trimarans will keep you on the water, sailing for years to come.

Kind regards, Thomas and Mark

Thomas von Meer - Founder

Lover of all things 'water sports' - sailing, surfing, stand up paddling, swimming and snorkelling. Thomas has been accused of having saltwater in his veins. But then again, having a last name that means 'from the sea' might explain that! Entrepreneur and inventor with 2 patents (so far!) Learn more about Thomas' sailing journey

Mark Storrar - Founder

I've always enjoyed traveling, outdoor sports and working with small businesses. After meeting Thomas we set up Meermark together with the goal of making sailing more accessible to all!

Kurt Hughes - Designer

We are super happy to have worked closely with renowned multi-hull designer Kurt Hughes. Meermark trimarans are designed by Kurt. More about Kurt Hughes

Sail Performance

The Meermark Sails have been designed for optimum performance and ease of use. It’s one sheet rig mechanism allows the sail to self trim giving the sailor maximum control with minimum fuss.

Being fully battened, the sail is stable in design and works in sync with the sailors input to give controlled acceleration and power.

The whole rig has been developed to appeal to every level of user from first time sailors to more experienced racers. It’s as simply as sheet in to go as fast as you like, and ‘if in doubt, sheet out’ to slow down.

Hull Construction

The Meermark specially designed hulls, with their low wetted surface, are easily driven by the wind making for exciting sailing speeds.

Should you find yourself in light winds, then sail-paddling can add to your speed and make even these conditions more enjoyable, with the added benefit of a great workout!

One of the things you’ll appreciate when sailing your Meermark trimaran is the “dry ride”. Being dry means not having to put on a wetsuit, but being warm, comfortable and best of all, enjoying a longer sailing season! Who knows, you might even convince your family and friends to come out and join you!

Recent highlights for Meermark and trimaran sailing

See what exciting things we have been up to! Follow our blog for more articles

Doctors are prescribing Blue Therapy

by Meermark on Apr 4, 2023

We look at the benefits of blue therapy by spending time in the water

The Meermark story

by Meermark on Jun 10, 2022

A personal account from Thomas on the history, ethos and reason for being of Meermark Trimarans

Kurt Hughes Naval Architect and Multihull Designer

by Meermark on Jun 4, 2022

Meermark trimarans are designed by renowned multihull designer Kurt Hughes. We take a look at Kurt's background here.

Our "Sail-Able" model, providing accessible sailing for people with mobility issues

by Meermark on May 15, 2022

Meermark trimaran boats are adaptable and offer accessible sailing for people with disabilities and mobility issues

Meermark trimarans are a perfect addition to your rental fleet

by Meermark on May 11, 2022

From hotels, resorts to sailing schools or camps, the Meermark trimarans fit right in. Their stability, safety and simple enjoyable ride make them the perfect choice for delighting your guests – and boosting your revenue.