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Corsair Cruze 970

  • By Tim Murphy; Photos By Billy Black
  • Updated: August 7, 2014

Since 1985 the Corsair 31 has been a familiar trimaran on the racing and cruising scene. At yards in Australia and California, 303 of that model were built, with subtle design tweaks over the years. This year, the Corsair Cruze 970 replaces the 31 — and it’s all for the better.

Longer amas, as well as bows that are more plumb and hull forms with less rocker, add 20 percent more buoyancy to this boat, while retaining similar beam dimensions. The result is a more stable platform. The keel and rudder for the original 31 had been optimized for boat speeds between 3 and 10 knots. Incorporating the lessons from those 300 boats, today’s 970 features much thinner, higher-aspect-ratio foils that are optimized for speeds in the teens and higher. (A note to those who haven’t sailed Corsairs before: Those boat speeds are real. Try it!)

Living spaces, both inside and out, are improved in the 970. Boat of the Year judge Mark Schrader was a dealer for Corsair years ago and raced the boats many miles. “They’ve added two very comfortable park benches in the cockpit,” he said of the 970. On the 31, he said, “there wasn’t really any place for more than four people to sit, stand or do anything without hugging each other.” The 31 was offered with either an aft cabin or an aft cockpit arrangement; the 970 deftly manages to make space for both, while also adding headroom in the cabin. Using careful building techniques, including vacuum bagging, Corsair has added more furniture in the cabin yet kept the weight the same.

As with other Corsairs, the amas of the 970 can be folded inboard for trailering. The well-refined mechanisms for doing so are the same as in the previous versions.

We sailed the 970 in light air. With the screacher up in 8 to 10 knots of breeze, we posted 6.6 knots just above 60 degrees apparent, then cracked off and made 7.6 knots. Steve Marsh, a Florida-based Corsair dealer, said you can sail 15 degrees closer to the wind with the blade jib. Propulsion on the boat we sailed is a Yamaha 9.9-horsepower outboard on the transom, with a steering arm affixed to the 970’s tiller and remote engine controls in the cockpit. The 970 offers no inboard option.

Several years ago Australia-based Seawind Yachts purchased the Corsair brand. These days both lines are built at a single factory in Vietnam. The construction quality is quite good — better than the California-built 31s, observed Schrader. The company offers a five-year warranty on the structure, as well as manufacturers’ warranties on installed hardware.

Schrader summed up the pleasures of this boat: “You can park it on the beach. You can run around on the trampolines. You can get into a foot and a half of water. It’s your platform to go park in some little lagoon somewhere.”

And yet, all that idyllic parking doesn’t account for even half the fun. Because in getting there, you’ll learn what boat speeds of 20-plus knots feel like.

Click here to see more images of the Corsair Cruze 970.

Tim Murphy, a CW editor at large and a 2014 Boat of the Year judge, is the co-author of Fundamentals of Marine Service Technology (ABYC, 2012).

  • More: 2011+ , 31 - 40 ft , Coastal Cruising , corsair marine , multihull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Trimaran Review Of The Corsair 37CR

Corsair has recently graced Australia with a new design that reflects the best attributes of a catamaran. Corsair has now been bought out by the most predominant catamaran manufacturer in Australia. So this latest design success comes as no surprise. Seawind is the big catamaran builder on the world’s only continent-country and now they’ve acquired this well-known Vietnamese boat building company. The fusion of styles is certainly synergistic!

Cruisers in other parts of the world may think of a folding boat as being flimsy because they aren’t well acquainted with Corsair, which is mainly famous in Australia. Corsairs have circumnavigated the globe in cruise mode, even in the treacherous glacier-laden Southern Ocean, proving they are very durable!

Corsair 37 Trimaran Review

Corsair 37 Trimaran Reviews

The Corsair 37 was designed by Ian Farrier, who was well known for the clean boating designs he made for Kiwi from 1985 through 2000. Farrier has since departed from Kiwi and has been very successful in using his artistic genius to create his own boats.

His signature “F” and “C” displays his signature branding and an estimated seventy Australian boats are floating in the water, showcasing his trademark.

The Corsair 37 appeals have peaked high in trimaran Reviews because of the unique features that make it ideal for cruising as well as make it a good pick for sailors seeking a nautical performance vehicle. This thirty-seven-foot trimaran is on the market for a little over three hundred twenty-five thousand dollars.

Included in this price is its outboard motor. For boaters with a need for speed, there’s another version made entirely of carbon to be significantly lighter. Since carbon is expensive to cut and assemble, it drives the boat’s price up by around sixty-five thousand more dollars.

Corsair 37 Specifications

Specs Trimaran Reviews

The Corsair 37 CR is rapidly growing in popularity based on trimaran Reviews. Part of the reason why buyers are so quick to recommend the 37CR is due to the specs that are hard to find in similar style boats. The LOA is thirty-seven feet. Its LWL is thirty-five feet.

The beam is twenty-five feet and seven inches when in use; when it is folded it measures nine foot ten inches. The hull portion of the draft comes out to be one foot eight inches. The entire draft measures seven feet and seven inches. The mast length is a whopping fifty-one feet and two inches. It weighs sixth thousand seven hundred pounds, and its maximum recommended auxiliary is twenty horsepower.

The entire draft measures seven feet and seven inches. The mast length is a whopping fifty-one feet and two inches. It weighs sixth thousand seven hundred pounds, and its maximum recommended auxiliary is twenty horsepower.

Standard Features

Features Corsair 37 Trimaran Reviews

Based on trimaran Reviews the Corsair 37CR has some of the best features one could find in a trimaran. Some of the things worth mentioning are the standard version is a cruising main and mainsail lazy cradle. A North Sails brand roller furling jib also is included. There is a folding mechanism made of trustworthy aluminum to be both durable and lightweight.

A North Sails brand roller furling jib also is included. There is a folding mechanism made of trustworthy aluminum to be both durable and lightweight.

There is a jib spinnaker . Screecher halyards come with the trimaran to make boating easier. A pivoting carbon fiber wing area mast with a main is also weather-resistant and light. The boom and bowsprit are also made of carbon. The boom has internal outhaul land-in boom fixtures specially designed for slab reefing. There are man-made shrouds and a stainless steel head stay.

The winches are amazing too. They are one of the most talked-about features of the Corsair 37CR in trimaran Reviews. The 37CR has two Harken b40.2 self-tailing central winches on top of the cabin with two 10 inch handles. Then there’re two Harken b32.2 self-tailing halyard winches positioned on the mast with 4 Spinlock XCS Clutches for the ropes, but it doesn’t stop there.

There’s also two Harken a42.2 primary sheet winches and two Harken a42.2 coaming winches. Harken is one of the leaders in high-quality winches worldwide, something most experienced boaters will appreciate. Owners will also receive a Harken traveler control, two jib sheets, and a Harken big boat traveler car with their purchase of the 37CR.

Then there’re two Harken b32.2 self-tailing halyard winches positioned on the mast with 4 Spinlock XCS Clutches for the ropes, but it doesn’t stop there. There’s also two Harken a42.2 primary sheet winches and two Harken a42.2 coaming winches. Harken is one of the leaders in high-quality winches worldwide, something most experienced boaters will appreciate. Owners will also receive a Harken traveler control, two jib sheets, and a Harken big boat traveler car with their purchase of the 37CR.

Harken is one of the leaders in high-quality winches worldwide, something most experienced boaters will appreciate. Owners will also receive a Harken traveler control, two jib sheets, and a Harken big boat traveler car with their purchase of the 37CR.

The bowsprit comes with deck fixtures for the screecher and the spinnaker. The jib further included is also made by Harken. There are two 10 X 10 hatches in the main cabin area. One is located in the head, and one is directly inside the main cabin.

There is one hatch in the foredeck, and each float has its hatch. There is an escape hatch in the cabin of the aft, and there are three portlights with one last aft accessible hatch. All hatch boards are made from tinted polycarbonate for a style that blends in with the rest of the trimaran.

The self-draining anchor locker that comes with every Corsair 37CR will save those on board a lot of work. The electrical system is simple to understand, and troubleshooting should never prove tedious as it comes with a test meter. It is a simple system with a breaker panel, double battery selector switch, and a twelve Volt accessory outlet. This will supply power to the navigation system and the foredeck and cabin lights. The only things that are not included are the batteries.

It is a simple system with a breaker panel, double battery selector switch, and a twelve Volt accessory outlet. This will supply power to the navigation system and the foredeck and cabin lights. The only things that are not included are the batteries.

Some other great features of the 37CR are the VHF masthead antenna and the compass. Tinted polycarbonate cabin windows match the hatch boards and keep the sun from being unbearable while looking outside at the fantastic view passengers can only get from being on the water.

Two storage compartments are located inside the cockpits. The seating areas are designed to be comfortable and stern, and pulpit rails are available nearby in case things get a little bumpy at sea. There’s a twelve Volt refrigerator built into the boat, and the main cabin galley has pressured cold water and a stainless steel sink.

There is also a two-burner stove for cooking on board. Passengers will also be delighted by the transom shower and the enclosed head compartment with a shower, vanity, and pump-out system.

Sailing can be performed manually, which is something most experienced captains prefer. Getting in and out of the trimaran is a breeze thanks to the boarding ladder with transom mounting.

The Corsair Trimaran 37 CR is also getting good trimaran Reviews because it was built to meet all CE International standards as well as ISO standards. A sailing manual is included with the boat at the time of purchase.

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Corsair 36, Fast Cruising Tri

  • By John Burnham
  • Updated: June 7, 2005

corsair trimaran review

What I thought was the weirdest thing about the boat at first turned out to be one of its outstanding features. The Corsair 36 has a stern deck at the back of the cockpit with two large bench seats made of mesh and stainless steel tubes, and they looked bizarre. But after a day or two of cruising with my wife and three daughters, I looked at those seats with complete appreciation. They were the most coveted, comfortable places from which our crew would sunbathe, snooze, and read. If I was lucky, sometimes I even got to sit in one to steer.

I’d been looking forward to cruising on Corsair’s new flagship and comparing it to our experience on the 31 a few years earlier ( “It’s Not All About Speed,” March ’01 ). Like the 31, the 36 is built with a vacuum-bagged foam/glass sandwich laminate, plus carbon and Kevlar reinforcing. The beams are made entirely with carbon, and the overall weight is a little over 2,000 pounds more than the 31. With 817 square feet of upwind sail area, the tri was fast-roughly as fast as the 31, but without the same twitch in the gut when it accelerated. Under main alone we broad-reached across a windy Vineyard Sound doing a relaxed 12 knots. Later, on a beam reach in about 12 knots on Narragansett Bay, with my 12-year-old daughter steering (one hand on the tiller extension, one hand holding a book), our speed jumped from 11 knots to 15.3 as I trimmed in the main and the sprit-mounted genoa (known as a screacher). And when I crewed in a local race with Multihull Source dealer Bob Gleason, we saw 17 knots on a tight reach. I’m told that reaching speeds in the low 20s are common, but what impressed me most was the light-air trip we made from Martha’s Vineyard, to Jamestown, R.I., in seven hours-40 miles upwind. To me that’s the big benefit of a boat like the 36; you can sail it quickly and quietly, eating up the miles while others are going no faster under iron genoa.

Because of its larger accommodations, compared to the 31, the 36 got the thumbs-up from my daughters. But it’s still a trimaran with a relatively skinny main hull; that’s the price you pay for speed. The narrow waterline reduces storage, but the hull flares outboard above the waterline, which provides room for an enclosed head on one side of the daggerboard trunk, as well as the dinette, which converts to a small double berth. There’s also a small galley area to starboard with a sink and two-burner alcohol stove.

On our boat, the fridge had been removed and an Igloo cooler was used in place of the bottom companionway step; but the standard configuration has a 12-volt fridge to port, just forward of the dinette area. An option is available for a propane-fired stove and propane on-demand hot water. There were five of us aboard, with two girls in the forward cabin, one in the dinette double, and the adults in the aft double, which is reached by lifting part or all of the stern deck at the back of the cockpit. We loved sleeping in that wide aft berth, although getting in and out required agility, and changing clothes in there was like dressing inside a tent. We decided if there were a follow-up cruise, we’d claim the forward cabin and move the girls aft.

Despite the constraints of the interior, the on-deck living spaces are expansive. With amas and trampolines to port and starboard, a small foredeck, plus the stern seats, any of the five of us could escape the others when we felt like it. We could easily carry our tenders-single and double kayaks lashed between the forward and aft beam on one side-and the large-volume outer hulls had plenty of room for storing anchors, paddles, even garbage. On the foredeck and forward beam, we found plenty of room to take solar showers and/or have some fun by dashing outboard and swinging off the spinnaker halyard. Speaking of solar devices, a flexible solar panel lived on the cabintop or port netting and provided an all-day trickle charge to our batteries.

The 36 we sailed was one of the first built, and while we were racing in hard reaching conditions, we heard a crack at theinboard end of the forward beam. Installed under the beam’sinboard end was a fiberglass block that gives a tight fit for the beam after it’s unfolded and bolted to the main hull. “The block we made,” says Paul Koch, Corsair’s president and design team member, “wasn’t up to the job. We’ve replaced it on all boats with a stronger aluminum casting.” Hull No. 8 is under construction at press time.

Overall, I liked the boat’s sailhandling systems-a full-length traveler across the stern deck and pairs of winches for main, jib, and screacher or spinnaker. While racing, I went forward to help with the asymmetric spinnaker and found that it was too big for me to take down to windward unless the skipper was willing to bear off. (For some reason he wanted to keep sailing toward the mark, so we dropped it to leeward instead.) But while cruising, the combination of the roller-furling headsails (jib and screacher) and a mainsail equipped with lazy jacks and jiffy reefing made sailhandling easy.

It was tough to balance on the boom to remove the full-length batten in the square-top mainsail, and I figured that was another small price to pay for performance. I learned later from sailmaker Dave Calvert that a quick-pin on a new Tides Marine batten-car design now releases the head so the batten can lie flat along the boom. Under power, with a 15-hp, long-shaft, four-stroke Honda, the 36 moved well and steered easily thanks to a small bar that is dropped into place to link the top of the engine and the outboard, kick-up rudder. An electric starter and power tilt made getting underway simple.

Compared to other Corsairs, which go on and off their trailers quickly, the 36 is a much more substantial boat. It’s considered a “transportable,” not a “trailerable” boat, in the sense that it’s not the type of boat you’ll launch for a quick afternoon sail. Except when traveling to new sailing areas, it will probably live on the end of a dock or a mooring-or in about five minutes it can also be folded up to fit in a slip. Manufacturer estimates for stepping the mast and launching are about two hours.

If your kids like to read and swim and you like to sail from harbor to harbor-whether at 17 knots in a breeze or 6 knots in light airs, go for a test sail . With a few agile, fit crewmembers to manage the spinnaker, you can race it hard as well. Whatever you do, don’t let the funky bench seats put you off.

Corsair 36 LOA 36’0″ LWL 35’0″ Beam (overall) 25’7″ Beam (folded) 9’10” DSPL 5,500 lbs. Draft (hull only) 1’8″ Draft (daggerboard down) 6’0″ Mast length 47’6″ Sail area 817 sq. ft. (1,084 w/screacher) Base price $208,000 www.corsairmarine.com

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The new Corsair is a fast cruising platform, light and bright belowdecks, but with a bit less elbow room than you'd find on a 36-foot monohull, and pricy. For many, these are worthy trade-offs.

corsair trimaran review

Twenty years ago, when Corsair Marine first entered the U.S. market with the F-27 trimaran (which PS reviewed in September, 1990), “family” multihulls were not generally thought to have stellar sailing characteristics. They were difficult to tack. They did not sail well to weather. They required large parking places. In ensuing years, Corsair’s 24- to 31-footers have helped change the perception in the marketplace. These boats are fast, sail well, and are easily trailerable since they fold to 8′ 6″. The major shortcoming has been accommodations that are one cut above camping. The introduction of the Corsair 36 has allowed the company to step into the real world of “cruising comfort.”

Company History Corsair Marine was founded in 1983 by John Walton (of the Wal-Mart family), who envisioned production of a fast, easily trailerable trimaran. A compromise would be accommodations limited by the narrow beam of the main hull.

Walton convinced Ian Farrier, a talented multihull designer, to abandon a thriving practice in Australia, move to California, and execute his vision.

Corsair 36

In a morning-long session with PS, Farrier, who sees the world only through multihull lenses, elaborated on the many reasons he considers multis preferable to monohulls, not the least of which is that, “Corsair boats are unsinkable. They have watertight compartments, so even if they pitchpole the crew can crawl inside a capsized hull and have air to breathe and protection from the elements. In a monohull, the crew will most likely be adrift in a liferaft.”

Walton and co-owner Paul Koch, also an Aussie, succeeded, despite the complicated, people-intensive construction process necessary to produce foldable boats capable of withstanding loads endured at sea and on the highway. A by-product was pricing that ratcheted the boat to the very high end of the market when measured on a cost-per-foot basis.

Prior to introduction of the Corsair 36 in February, 2003, the company’s line included the 24-, 27-, and 31-foot models. Boats were built primarily in Chula Vista, California, though the first six F-31s, introduced in 1992, were built at Tillotson-Pearson (TPI) in Rhode Island.

In 1994, Koch purchased Walton’s share and consolidated all of the manufacturing operations at the California plant, where boats are now built.

In its first two decades, Corsair has produced 1,260 boats; annual production is typically 72-75 boats, Koch says.

The 36-footer has been well-received; seven have been ordered since its introduction.

Design Though Ian Farrier is credited with the design of the first three models, and influenced the 36-footer, his affiliation with Corsair ended in the mid-’90s. Paul Koch says that a team of in-house engineers and outside consultants are responsible for the design of the 36.

All of the boat’s design elements— hull, deck, and sailplan—bear a strong resemblance to its predecessors, but the extra LOA allows more graceful lines. Her long, low profile is accented by a downward-sloping cabintop and long, narrow, dark windows. Viewed from the bow, the hull presents a fine entry. The amas also have a fine entry, and near-flat sheerline offset by very round shapes and downward curving bottoms.

However, the new model adds enough load-carrying capability to provide creature comforts suitable for extended cruising. She’s only 900 pounds heavier than the F-31, and performs as well under sail.

All of the Corsair boats, when folded, have the appearance of a giant Daddy Longlegs. The 36-footer also features a tilt-up rudder and shallow draft that allows her to anchor in less than two feet of water, or sail onto a beach. In tight quarters, she can be folded when at anchor.

With a folded beam of 9′ 10″ she’s wider than other models, so owners may be required to secure wide-load permits in some states. To assist owners in avoiding the expense of acquiring a trailer ($7,638), and, perhaps, more powerful tow vehicle, the company has organized fleets of truckers that transport the boats for $1.50 mile, including the cost of a driver.

After the introduction of hull #1 (the boat we tested), input from dealers and consumers at two boat shows brought about a few design modifications and refinements.

Deck and Rig Layout The organization of spaces and layout of gear on the C-36 is almost a carbon copy of its predecessors.

The cockpit is as big as those on monohulls of about the same LOA—wide enough to seat a crew of 4-6 comfortably, and narrow enough to allow a shorthanded crew to work large headsails. The regular cockpit seats are well-proportioned, and there’s additional seating set into both sides of the stern pulpit. These mesh-bottomed seats are good places to be while underway, since they’re elevated, clear of the action, and softer to sit on than fiberglass.

The cockpit is enclosed by a pulpit, and the path forward is atop the cabin or on the trampolines, so a certain amount of agility is required to move forward when necessary. Because of the narrowness of the main hull, shrouds are located on the amas, not close at hand, and the deck is devoid of handrails and lifelines. The trampolines fitted between the hull and amas provide a sturdy, though bouncy, platform.

Corsair outfits boats with high-quality hardware. On the 36, all of the deck gear, including winches, is supplied by Harken or Spinlock.

In its standard configuration she is fitted with Harken B40 self-tailing winches on the cabin top, two Harken B42.2 winches in the cockpit, and two Harken B32.2 self-tailing halyard winches on the mast. Working halyards at the mast instead of leading them aft to the cockpit makes sense, according to multihull sailors, because multihulls sail flatter, and a walk to the mast and back doesn’t present as much of a challenge as it does on a heeling monohull. It also reduces cockpit clutter and friction.

The mainsheet is located at the end of the boom and led to a Harken traveler track that spans the stern, an arrangement that produces excellent sail shape, allows the helmsman to trim the sail, and also reduces the amount of clutter in the cockpit. The system is fitted with a Harken Big Boat Series double-block and tackle led to cockpit winches.

To maximize performance off the breeze, a spinnaker control kit ($3,720) adds two winches in the cockpit, carbon fiber bowsprit , and sheets, blocks, control lines, and cleats necessary to complete the installation.

Corsair is constructing aluminum masts at its factory from extrusions produced by Sparcraft. Our test boat was equipped with a double-spreader rig with swept spreaders and stainless steel wire rigging. At the time of our test, Koch was considering replacing the double spreaders with singles, because, “the second set was redundant.” He has since made that change.

The standard rig is a 3/4 fractional. With the addition of spinnaker gear and bowsprit, a second stay is attached to the mast approximately one foot higher and terminated near the end of the sprit.

The rotating mast is deck-stepped on a ball atop a Delrin bearing that allows it to rotate 45 degrees. Its movement is controlled by a block and tackle arrangement and stainless steel ring on the aft side of the mast. The result is a significantly more aerodynamic presentation of the mainsail to the breeze, which translates to acceleration and speed when sailing to weather or on a reach.

Two steps on the stern provide access for swimmers. Since the rudder is transom-hung, an outboard is located off-center in a hull recess.

Belowdecks When Corsair stretched the F-27 to 31′, owners were rewarded with living spaces large enough to be marginally comfortable on an extended trip. With more stretching, the C-36 still doesn’t have as spacious a main cabin as a 36-foot monohull because of her narrow beam—but she closes the gap significantly.

Corsair 36

The accommodations are an excellent example of what can be accomplished using fiberglass and other weight-saving materials, since virtually all of her components are exposed. In fact, there’s so much exposed white in the fiberglass and headliner that only the red cushions and cabin sole provide some relief from the brightness. In addition to concealing wiring, the headliner also acts as a sound deadener. It’s stuck to the overhead with hook-and-loop fasteners. We were concerned about sagging, but found it difficult to remove. If the glue behind the hook-and-loop tapes fails eventually, it will be easy enough to replace.

The area is well lit by two ports on each side of the cabin, and light entering from the companionway. Our test boat had hatches only over the head and the forward berth. In subsequent boats Koch has added a third in the main cabin.

Given more volume below, designers were able to increase standing headroom to 6′ 6″. The saloon measures nearly 6′ from companionway to the head on the port side. A proper C-shaped, elevated dining area, also to port, converts to a 6-foot berth, tapering in width from 41″ to 30″. The galley is to starboard, aft of a second settee that can double as a berth for a small person, and the V- berth.

Stowage space in the boat is at a premium. Although the amas have large storage areas for light gear, accessing those spaces can be a pain, as is true on all cruising trimarans.

The dining table is constructed of fiberglass, but finished to give the appearance of a shiny wood grain. Similarly, the vinyl sole looks like teak, but is a lightweight composite that comes with a 10-year guarantee. Since the boat has no nav station, the dining table is a likely candidate. Odds are, the VHF radio will be mounted on the companionway bulkhead, and instruments on the companionway hatch, close at hand to a navigator working below.

The galley on our test boat was equipped with an optional stainless steel, two-burner propane stove, and double stainless steel sink. A clever arrangement is a recessed faucet that pops up when needed. All are mounted in a fiberglass cabinet with a tiny storage area below. An insulated ice box is standard; refrigeration and pressure hot and cold water are available as options.

The head is a low-maintenance, smoothly finished fiberglass pan measuring approximately 40″ x 35″, consisting of a molded vanity/sink combination with a medicine cabinet outboard, toilet, and handheld shower. It will prove functional, utilitarian, and just large enough for average-sized adults. It will not be confused with the space on a typical 36-foot cruising monohull. The head shares space with a fiberglass shell housing the daggerboard. The shell is so well finished and fitted in as to be nearly invisible. (The daggerboard is constructed of balsa encapsulated in fiberglass.)

The V-berth offers accommodations for two in an enclosed area that has a hatch overhead and Halogen lights and ports on each side. The berth measures 6′ 4″ long on the centerline. It’s 5′ wide at the head, and fitted with 4″ thick cushions. The hull liner is a combination of fabric and shiny fiberglass. Storage and a holding tank are under the berth.

A second berth with a queen-sized mattress is located below the cockpit sole. It’s accessed via two hatches aft of the cockpit, in what would be called the lazarette area, or by removing companionway steps. Two ports provide ventilation at anchor. This is the most spacious sleeping area, and will be fun for kids to climb in and out of (especially since it also hosts the transparent escape hatch). However, the mattress will be ruined quickly if people climb down there with dirty or wet deck shoes, and the space will be noisy if used while underway.

A large storage area under the steps provides a bed for an optional diesel engine. In our view, the 20-hp outboard and a solar panel or two will be the better choice. Don’t overburden a butterfly.

Construction The high cost of Corsair’s boats is attributed to several factors, not the least of which are tooling costs associated with a boat that has more than 30 different moldings, including 10 in the deck and hull, and 11 in the areas belowdecks, as well as two amas, four akas (crossbeams), and all the precision-engineered parts that allow the whole thing to be folded up.

In addition, the company uses high-tech raw materials, including vinylester resins, carbon fiber, double-bias fabrics with Kevlar, and a vacuum-bagging and curing process that relies on precise blends of fiberglass, resin, and catalysts.

Since light weight and high performance are closely related, Koch says hull #1 was built to within 200 pounds of her design weight. Subsequent boats have been further reduced by 100 pounds, mostly by eliminating a set of spreaders and their related parts.

The lamination schedule consists of a layer of NPG gelcoat, a skin layer impregnated with vinylester resin to prevent blistering, and multiple layers of uni- and bi-directional fiberglass. Kevlar is laid in high-stress areas on the bottom, daggerboard trunk, and at bulkheads.

Akas are constructed of layers of fiberglass, carbon fiber, and foam, which increases stiffness. Additional strength and buoyancy in the amas is afforded by watertight bulkheads.

Performance PS editors have sailed most of the Corsair boats over the years, often in racing conditions, and can attest to their speed under sail and their strong construction. This time, we wanted to see if the company could add creature comforts without compromising performance.

Koch’s hopes were for a 15-knot cruiser. “I was surprised,” he told us, “when she sailed at 20 knots during early testing of a prototype in Australia.”

Aside from the long waterline and low wetted surface of the main hull, and the light overall weight of the boat, the biggest contributor to performance is the rotating mast, which supports a square-topped, full-battened mainsail with oversized roach. The advantage of the rotating mast is that it presents a clean, aerodynamic shape to the wind, as opposed to the slab of aluminum of a fixed spar. As we learned during our day-long test sail, trimming the main involves driver and trimmer coordinating their point of sail and mast position. In heavier air, “de- rotating” the mast brings it closer to the apparent wind, flattening the mainsail, and spilling wind to prevent heeling.

We sailed on Biscayne Bay in winds that built from 5 to 15 knots. We had a crew of six—one crewmember stretched out on the V- berth, another snoozing on the trampoline, and four of us trimming sails.

Several manufacturers were testing their new products to see how they performed, using a two-year-old Corsair F-31 as the rabbit. Koch’s goal was to compare the performance of the old and new boats.

From a mechanical standpoint, the boat is easily managed from the cockpit, except that the main is hoisted at the mast. The genoa is on a furler, and main and jib sheets are close at hand.

Corsair 36

With Steve Marsh of the Finish Line, a dealer in Stuart, at the helm, we sailed close-hauled in 8-12 knots of wind with boatspeed consistently registering 8-10 knots. She sailed higher and tacked faster than other boats in the fleet, and as quickly as the F-31. She seems to pivot on her daggerboard, and tacked through 95-100°.

When the wind angle moved deeper than 35°, we hoisted a “screacher,” essentially a high-clewed, 180% drifter, and speed increased to 12-15 knots. She heeled 5-10°, carving through a modest chop on the surface. Performance in these conditions was as good or better than the F-31.

The sheeting angle of the headsail is adjusted via a canvas strap attached to the hull beams. It allows the clew position to be moved in and out, much like a barberhauler.

As the wind backed, we punched through small swells by elevating the height of the screacher tack, easing the tack line from the cockpit.

A big difference between monohulls and multihulls is that when a puff hits, most monohulls will use up some of that force by heeling to it, while a good multihull will stay firmly on its feet and use the force for acceleration. The C-36 does this admirably.

Steering through a jibe with a screacher on the sprit-equipped boat is challenging, since the screacher moves between forestay and furler. Once the boat is headed dead downwind and the boom centered, the jibe is completed by quickly turning to weather to fill the sail while the crew tensions the new sheet and the mainsail is eased.

The boat moved easily through the harbor at 5-7 knots with the quiet 20-hp. four-stroke outboard.

Price The current base price for the Corsair 36 is $199,000, including the 20-hp. motor, FOB Chula Vista. In reality, a well-equipped boat will cost closer to $215,000-$225,000, including sails and trailer ($7,638) but without race gear or spinnaker. Options include the propane stove with hot water system, ($875); pressure water ($2,275); Standard Eclipse VHF radio and antenna ($645); spinnaker control kit ($3,720), and screacher controls ($1,969), which require the spinnaker controls.

Conclusion When we first examined Corsair boats years ago, it was with a skeptical eye. While sailing characteristics weren’t questioned, folding tris are complex. We worried about the lightweight construction methods and durability; the toughness of the ama-aka combination; viability as a trailerable vessel, and high price.

Time has alleviated most of those concerns, even the ones about cost, because, in this case, you’re paying for things that work.

The C-36 is certainly fast. Not many boats this size, even other multihulls, will cruise easily at 12-15 knots. She’s also versatile. Her shallow draft offers opportunites to picnic on the beach, or anchor close to shore, away from the mooring field, and yet her foldability means that she can hover in crowded areas when necessary. And she can be towed down the highway for cruising or racing far afield.

Corsair says the boats can be rigged, unloaded, and ready to sail in an hour. Based on real-life observations, we think the time will vary with the size and physical prowess of the crew.

Cockpit seating is large enough to seat six comfortably underway or at the dock. Down below, it’s bright and clean-looking, but creature comforts don’t compare in size or appointments to a middle-of-the-road 36′ monohull equipped with nav station, wine rack, and entertainment center—if that’s your bag. On this boat, the entertainment is found underway.

The high initial cost for trailerable folding trimarans tends to produce sticker shock, since a similar-sized monohull can be purchased for 25% less. On the upside, well-maintained, newer used tris are selling for 75-85% of their original price.

This new boat will appeal to sailors who prefer sleekness and speed to “cushiness,” which is not the same as “comfort.” Aboard boats, comfort is linked to function, and by that definition she’s comfortable enough.

Contact – 877/FASTTRI, www.corsairmarine.com

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Corsair 880 Trimaran COMPLETE TECHNICAL TOUR

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The F-28 test took us to Saint-Malo (Brittany, France), where we met Guy Albaret, director of La Landriais Marines Services shipyard, which imports the Corsair trimaran line into France. The F-24, F-31, and now the F-28, designed by Ian Farrier, are made near San Diego, California. We may find ourselves, along the French coastlines, crossing, or perhaps being passed by one of the 35 Corsair F-series trimarans sailing there regularly

A Real Trailerable Multihull

In fact, the F-28's true role is to succeed the F-27, 450 of which were built. At first glance, you might not necessarily spot the difference with respect to any other sports cruising trimaran. There is nothing in the boat’s general appearance to suggest it is a trailerable folding trimaran. A closer look and a demonstration shows that it takes one person alone little more than 2 minutes to fold both cross arms holding the amas, almost effortlessly, so that the F-28 can be trailered easily. Three steps prepare an F-28 for trailering: 1. Releasing the shrouds through a lever system at the base of each shroud 2. Disconnecting the four lock bolts on the cross arms 3. Raising the cross-beams to fold the amas against the hulls very easily thanks to a patented system The side trampolines move with the amas to come alongside the central hull. This is a really surprising operation, except for those already familiar with Corsair trimarans. The F-24, F-27 and F-31 have been using this mechanism for ten years now. This goes to show the reliability, robustness and functionality of the folding system. Consequently, this is a 6 meters wide trimaran tha...

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  2. 5 reasons why the Corsair 760 trimaran is your Multihull of the Year

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  3. Corsair 880 Trimaran 2021 Review by SAIL Magazine

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COMMENTS

  1. Boat Review: Corsair 880

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  5. Corsair F-31

    Corsair F-31. Ian Farrier's latest fold-up trimaran is bigger and fasterthan the popular F-27. Construction is generally good, though there havebeen some problems, and the wiring could be neater. Like the blips on a heart monitor, Corsair Marine has experienced several peaks and valleys since our review of the Corsair F-27 (September, 1990 ...

  6. Corsair 880 Trimaran 2021 Review by SAIL Magazine

    However, it recently occurred to me there is an exception to this rule, and that is aboard a performance trimaran like the Corsair 880. - Adam Cort from SAIL Magazine. ... By lucychu | 2021-12-29T15:45:58+07:00 November 16th, 2021 | Uncategorized | Comments Off on Corsair 880 Trimaran 2021 Review by SAIL Magazine. Share This Story, Choose ...

  7. Corsair 880 Trimaran

    Corsair 880 - A brilliant toy for gliding across the water. Corsair 880, a modern and ambitious trimaran that has a reputation to uphold: it is the new variation of the mythical Corsair F27, one of the most popular cruising trimarans in the world. Highly anticipated in 2020, the 880's original launch schedule was hampered by Covid.

  8. REVIEW: Sailing The Corsair 880 Sport Trimaran

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  9. Boat Review by Multihulls World of: Trimaran Corsair 880

    This modern and ambitious trimaran has a reputation to uphold: it is the new variation of the mythical Corsair F27, one of the most popular cruising trimarans in the world. Highly anticipated in 2020, the 880's original launch schedule was hampered by Covid. However, connoisseurs quickly understood that this little steed would not disappoint…

  10. The new Corsair 880 trimaran has something for everyone!

    An all-new Corsair and the legitimate heir to the trimaran revolution started by the Hall-of-Fame anointed F-27 in 1986. The pinnacle of trimaran design, this built from the ground up Corsair has full boat systems - meaning electric lighting, refrigeration, manual or electric toilet, and even air conditioning is available.

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  12. Corsair Sprint 750: Trailerable Sailing Fun

    A fast trimaran brings out the daysailor in all of us. A successful evolution of the Corsair 24, the new Corsair Sprint 750 Mark II is a fast, versatile, trailerable trimaran built for a perfect day of sailing. The Sprint shares the same hull design as its cousin, the Dash 750, with the same large buoyant floats, beams, and folding system.

  13. Corsair 880 review by a Corsair 24 MKII owner

    This was written by one of our owners. He has a Corsair 24 Mk-II that he keeps in Newport, RI. I thought I would share that I headed out to Wareham yesterday to check out the Corsair 880. I did not get to sail on it, my intention was only to see and touch and get a sense of the design and space of the cabin. I have to say I was blown away.

  14. Boat Review: Corsair 760R

    The Corsair 760R's hulls and deck are all vacuum-bagged with a PVC foam core, and the crossbeams are resin-infused with carbon-fiber reinforcements in high-stress areas, like the rudders and rudder cases. A retractable daggerboard makes it possible to sail as close to the wind as any monohull, and the rudder blade is retractable.

  15. Trimaran Reviews Corsair 37CR

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  16. Corsair 36, Fast Cruising Tri

    Draft (daggerboard down) 6'0″. Mast length 47'6″. Sail area 817 sq. ft. (1,084 w/screacher) Base price $208,000. www.corsairmarine.com. More: Corsair, Sailboats, Trimaran. Bench seats ...

  17. Corsair 36

    Price. The current base price for the Corsair 36 is $199,000, including the 20-hp. motor, FOB Chula Vista. In reality, a well-equipped boat will cost closer to $215,000-$225,000, including sails and trailer ($7,638) but without race gear or spinnaker.

  18. Corsair Pulse 600: Fast Company

    Corsair Marine, which revolutionized the production market for cruising trimarans, was founded in 1984 in Chula Vista, Calif., by the late John Walton, a son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. The first model to roll off the assembly line near the Mexican border, the F27 designed by Kiwi Ian Farrier, became an instant success.

  19. Trimaran Interiors Corsair Trimaran sailing www.blog.corsairmarine.com

    This blog is dedicated to showing you the impressive interior design of the Corsair 880, the legitimate heir to the trimaran revolution. Our newest model, the Corsair 880 - A 28'8" Trimaran, was introduced to the sailing community few months ago mostly via video, webinar and other virtual means. Having seen the impressive lines and ...

  20. "Well, the new trimaran by Corsair saved my sailing life anyway

    Here is an honest and fresh review on the Pulse 600 from Bob Webbon and Martin Hamilton from Galveston Bay. Sailboats are either built for comfort or for speed. The new Corsair Marine Pulse 600 Trimaran falls in the latter category. Longtime friends and Galveston Bay sailors Martin Hamilton and Bob Webbon recently purchased a Pulse 600.

  21. Corsair Marine Trimarans

    Some Corsair trimaran models go from trailer to water in 25 minutes, and with practice even the largest boat models can be done in 40 minutes. Corsair 880 Trimaran | 2022 Boat Review by Multihulls World. Read Article. Corsair 880 - Drive Out, Fold Out, Thrill Out, Chill Out.

  22. Boat Review by Multihulls World of: Trimaran Corsair 28

    Discover the boat review of Trimaran Corsair 28, its technical specifications, and all the classified ads for a pre-owned Corsair 28 with Multihulls World. ... France), where we met Guy Albaret, director of La Landriais Marines Services shipyard, which imports the Corsair trimaran line into France. The F-24, F-31, and now the F-28, designed by ...

  23. The Corsair F-24 Used Boat Review

    The Corsair F-24 Used Boat Review. Posted March 28, 2017. ... this month I am going to take a look at Corsair Marine's F-24 trimaran. Corsair Marine was started in Chula Vista, CA, in 1986, to build and market the 27--a trimaran design of New Zealand native Ian Farrier. Farrier, who had previously established a reputation for successful multi ...