60 foot trimaran

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Rapido 60 Trimaran Review | Sailing La Vagabonde

Rapido Trimarans is thrilled to confirm that  Sailing La Vagabonde  (SLV) will sail the world’s oceans aboard a Rapido 60!

In fact, SLV’s video announcing the decision to their 1.59 million subscribers (yes, 1.59m subscribers!) will go live live at 8.30am, Adelaide time in Australia (GMT/UTC +9:30) on 8 June 2021.

See the SLV video embedded below.

Welcome Riley, Elayna, Lenny +1 to the Rapido family!!! It is so good to have you on board!

Who is Sailing La Vagabonde?

SLV comprises an Australian couple, Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu and their son, Lenny. Additionally – and literally – joining the team will be their new-born, any day from now!

Riley and Elayna’s job is to sail the world’s oceans and, each week, bring their adventures to our phones, desktops and iPads via You Tube.

They began documenting their evolving journey on You Tube back in 2014 with a single-hull vessel. After a time, they upgraded to a twin-hulled vessel and, for the last 18-24 months, have been researching which boat would become the future of their sailing story, and proudly wear the title  Sailing La Vagabonde III .

As part of their exhaustive selection process, they travelled to New Zealand in December 2019 for a test sail aboard the Rapido 60,  Romanza . Owners of Romanza Dougall and Jaz Love were there together with co founder of Rapido Trimarans, Paul Koch. Some photos from that trip are posted below.

Eventually, falling out of Riley and Elayna’s exhaustive selection process was a three-hulled 6o’ (18m) trimaran, the Rapido 60.

Riley and Elayna explain why they chose the Rapido 60 (comments from video above)

But now, let’s hear from Riley and Elayna as to why and how the Rapido 60 met their criteria:

Riley – Rapido offers sailing performance and space

I know that the Rapido sails unbelievably well which is the main thrust behind all of our decision making.

(When we went to New Zealand), I knew it was going to sail well. I knew it was beautiful. I knew it was very well made because I’ve got a lot of respect for the boat builders.

The only thing I was worried about was the amount of space on board.

I jumped onboard ( Romanza ), ran around and I was like, “Ahhhhhh!, this is perfectly fine!” (Later in video Riley describes the fore cabin as being “massive” with a “huge” bed. “When you’re standing in the saloon, you’re actually standing in a huge room.)

Elayna  –  Lightning speed at 25.7 knots

She goes at lightning speed. During the test sail, I was at the helm with one hand on the helm and we were going at 25.7 knots! I think I got the top speed for the day!

Riley  –  Maintaining a speed

25.7 knots – that’s extraordinarily fast. (And) that’s maintaining a speed; not surfing down waves.

Elayna – Just slightly heeling over

That was constant 25.7. In fact I think it was 26.7 but just n case, I will say 25. There you go!

It was fast and I was worried it would really heel over. (But) even at that speed, it was just slightly heeling over.

Riley – I want to be able to go at a good pace safely

I’m much more interested in average crossing times. I mean it’s good fun to go fast but that’s the least important on my list of things. I want to be able to go at a good pace safely.

It felt beyond comfortable.

When we were doing 20 knots, It felt like we were only going 10 – and it felt like we had so much more power just sitting there in reserve.

It felt like we were just ticking along and that is a nice feeling.

More Information

• Rapido Trimarans
• Rapido 60 Trimaran 
• Sailing La Vagabonde YouTube Channel

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The Return of l’Hydroptere

• By Ronnie Simpson
• Updated: August 2, 2021

In the sport of sailing in 2021, foiling is all the rage and has completely revolutionized our game. Catamarans have been foiling in the America’s Cup for nearly a decade and have since spawned an entirely new breed of foiling monohull . Partially as a result of these unprecedented investments in foiling technology, the trickle-down has been rapid, widespread and eminently consequential. From the explosion of the foiling Moth dinghy and foiling beach cats and monohulls to the adaptation of hydrofoils on everything from surfboards and SUPs to Vendée Globe solo offshore rockets, kiteboards, and one-design racers—and even some cruising yachts—foiling has touched every aspect of yacht design. However, long before foiling went mainstream, there was one famous French foiling trimaran blazing its own bold path well above the ocean’s surface: l’Hydroptère .

The History

When the 60-foot l’Hydroptère was originally conceived in the 1970s, she more closely resembled a far-fetched futuristic concept of what a racing sailboat might one day look like than an actual boat. Compared with the heavy-displacement keelboats of the day, l’Hydroptère appeared to be something off the TV show The Jetsons . Conceived by the godfather of French offshore racing, Eric Tabarly, the initial concept of l’Hydroptère was simple. With wings riding under the water, the boat could achieve lift and then rise above its surface, thus greatly reducing the boat’s hydrodynamic drag while exponentially increasing its speed potential. Simply put, the idea was to marry sailing and flight; appropriately, l’Hydroptère ’s name is a combination of the Greek word hydros , for water, and the French term, ptère , for wing.

To pioneer the concept of a flying boat isn’t easy, and the many failures—and hard-earned victories—of l’Hydroptère are a testament to this fact. Working in conjunction with the now-dominant design firm VPLP and some of France’s top boatbuilders, project manager Alain Thébault, Tabarly and their collaborators worked through several evolutions of the basic l’Hydroptère concept before building the boat that would eventually crush world sailing speed records, inspire legions of sailors, and become the subject of sailing folklore.

After beginning with a simple wooden version of the concept in 1976 using a Tornado catamaran hull as the main central hull, by the mid-1980s, the team moved on to small, remote-controlled prototypes, followed by a one-man, one-third-scale flying boat by the early 1990s. In 1994, the dream literally took flight when a full-scale prototype was hovering well above the water off the coast of France. But in 1995, while sailing at close to 30 knots of boatspeed, l’Hydroptère suffered the structural failure of a port crossbeam and quickly crashed down to the water’s surface. Fortunately, the boat was salvaged and brought back to port.

Half a dozen years later, in 2001, the fourth and final iteration of l’Hydroptère was launched. Almost immediately after hitting the water, its increased speed potential was evident. In 2005, l’Hydroptère sailed across the English Channel at a sustained average speed of nearly 40 knots, eclipsing Louis Blériot’s first record for flying across the English Channel in an airplane in 1909. Two years later, in April 2007, l’Hydroptère sailed into the record books as the fastest sailboat over both 500 meters and 1 nautical mile, earning its first (but not last) World Sailing Speed Record.

To pioneer the concept of a flying boat isn’t easy, as the many ­early failures proved.

In December 2008, Thébault and his men peaked at more than 56 knots, ­briefly, before breaching l’Hydroptère ’s foils and then immediately pitchpoling into a capsize. Undaunted, the team came back in 2009 stronger than ever and set another World Sailing Speed Record, this time covering 500 meters at an average speed of more than 51.3 knots of boatspeed with a peak of nearly 59 knots; it was an incredible achievement, and marked the first time a boat officially crossed the near-mythical 50-knot barrier for a sustained period of time. Coincidentally, this 50-knot barrier represents the current speed limit for the America’s Cup and Sail GP catamarans. Any faster, and foil ventilation and cavitation begins to rear its ugly head.

Highs and Lows

Entering a new decade in 2010, Thébault and his men secured another injection of funding for an entirely new adventure. With one World Sailing Speed Record firmly in hand, tri now aimed toward an infinitely larger racetrack: the Pacific Ocean. In May 2012, the boat arrived in the port of Long Beach, California, on a container ship to undergo further optimization before embarking on an ambitious record attempt to sail some 2,215 miles to Honolulu, Hawaii. With consistent trade winds and the long, groomed swells of the Pacific, the Transpac Race course was identified as the best potential venue to prove the concept of flying across an ocean—a goal that l’Hydroptère ’s visionary, Tabarly, who had since passed away, had been pursuing since before the early 1980s when he sailed one of the world’s first ocean foilers, Paul Ricard , across the Atlantic and into the record books.

With a crew that included Vendée Globe legends Yves Parlier and Jean le Cam, as well as round-the-world multihull ace Jacques Vincent, l’Hydroptère was well-primed to fly to Hawaii in record time. Unfortunately, the 2012 record attempt was scrapped, and l’Hydroptère was instead moved to the San Francisco Bay area. On the hunt for sponsorship dollars there and in nearby Silicon Valley, l’Hydroptère began preparing for another assault on the Transpac course record the following year in 2013. The record, held by Frenchman Olivier de Kersauson and his crew on board the maxi-trimaran Geronimo, was set at just 4 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes, 37 seconds—certainly a very quick time to cover over 2,000 nautical miles, but it was well within the scope of a big, modern foiling trimaran.

However, the 2013 record attempt was also aborted. Perpetually strapped for cash and seemingly swimming against the tide in many respects, l’Hydroptère wouldn’t set sail for Hawaii until 2015. That year, with meager funds and their high-profile, rock-star sailors back in France, l’Hydroptère crossed the starting line with a crew of lesser-known, less-­experienced sailors. Both the team and the weather window proved suboptimal. Attempting to run downwind in light air, this hydrofoiling reaching monster was relegated to drifting toward the islands at a relative snail’s pace, firmly stuck to the surface of the water. No foiling equals no fun. And certainly no speed record.

After an unsuccessful and embarrassingly slow Transpacific record attempt that took nearly 11 days—well over twice their goal— l’Hydroptère was left unceremoniously tied alongside a dock in Honolulu’s Kewalo Basin. The French program, already severely underfunded, eventually abandoned the tri in Hawaii. After a prolonged spell at Kewalo Basin, she was eventually moved to a state mooring ball in Keehi Lagoon. For most boats, this is akin to receiving a slowly implemented death sentence featuring no shortage of cruel and unusual punishment along the way.

Of all the seedy harbors in the state, perhaps no place is worse than the Keehi Lagoon mooring field. Located right ­beneath the flight path to the ­international airport, Keehi is loud, dusty, smelly and incessantly windy. Notorious for its derelict boats, floating meth labs and gross mismanagement, it’s a place where once-great boats go to die. Way in the back, just astern of the two submerged rigs of a sunken ketch, lay one of the fastest sailboats the world had ever seen, on its own downward spiral toward an ignominious death. To a passionate racing and cruising sailor like me, this was about as sad as it gets

No doubt about it, l’Hydroptère had hit rock bottom. Which meant there was only one way to go: up.

The Dream Renewed

For l’Hydroptère to be rescued and resurrected at this juncture, a savior was required. Luckily for the ­down-and-out vessel, not one but two such souls ­miraculously appeared.

“I had first seen l’Hydroptère several years earlier in Southern California while preparing for a Transpac race, and she certainly piqued my curiosity,” says Chris Welsh of Point Richmond, California. In June 2019, the abandoned l’Hydroptère went up for public auction, and Welsh was on an airplane to Honolulu to look her over more closely and place a bid on the boat. Owner of the Spencer 65 Ragtime— a veteran of more Transpacs than any other boat in history, and not coincidentally purchased from a police auction—Welsh had some history with massive multihulls as well. He owned Steve Fossett’s old maxi-catamaran Playstation , which had been converted to a powerboat named Cheyenne . Welsh clearly wasn’t afraid to take on an ambitious project with a famous and historic old boat. A prominent West Coast yachtsman who also owns Point Richmond’s commercial Sugar Dock ­marina, Welsh had both the resources and the vision to bring a boat like ­ l’Hydroptère back to life.

But he wasn’t the only one.

“It was always in my heart to follow this boat,” Frenchman Gabriel Terrasse says. “I had discovered l’Hydroptère at the Paris Boat Show in 1998, and then I went on the internet to learn more and I could not find anything, so I built a website about the boat. A few months later, the l’Hydroptère team had me build their official web page.” Fast-forward nearly two decades, and Gabriel’s interest in the boat had not dwindled. “In 2016, when the boat was first abandoned and for sale in Honolulu, I thought to buy her, but I was not quick enough. I knew l’Hydroptère had more inside her, more to accomplish, so when I heard that the boat was up for auction in 2019, I flew to Honolulu to buy her.”

The big tri was ­abandoned in a seedy ­harbor, on a sad, downward ­spiral toward death.

The two competing bidders met the night before the auction. “That is when I first met Gabriel,” Welsh says. “We were both there to buy l’Hydroptère . After talking, we shook hands and decided to team up.” This would prove to be the beginning of a very special, if unlikely, friendship. Welsh says, “With my yard in the Bay Area, it would just be so much easier and cheaper to refit the boat there, so we figured out what she needed to make the trip, hired a delivery captain, and then spent most of the summer getting the boat ready to sail back to San Francisco.”

A professional racing sailor on the West Coast, Hawaii and Asia, Mike Price was the delivery skipper tasked with getting l’Hydroptère back across the Pacific. “ At its worst, l’Hydroptère was in very poor shape,” he recalls. “The coffee grinders had been stripped, the clutches and winches were removed, and the steering system, which was hydraulic, was ripped apart on one side but left intact on the other. Someone had bashed in the entry hatch and stolen the chart plotter, GPS and electronics. They left in place most of the hydraulics for the flight-control systems, but the sails and everything else were gone.”

A lesser sailor might’ve walked away, but even in her dilapidated condition, for Price, the sheer brilliance of l’Hydroptère shone through. “Structurally, the boat was very well-intact,” he says. “The hull was built a long time ago, and it was uncharacteristically overbuilt out of carbon. There were no breaks or cracks in the laminate or between structures. Being made completely out of carbon and titanium, everything seemed very solid. The mast and the standing rigging looked fine.”

Even so, before embarking on the trip to California, l’Hydroptère underwent a Honolulu refit that included a new diesel engine, some cobbled-together delivery sails, fresh deck hardware and winches, new backstays, and a lot of new lashings for the sail controls and rigging.

Then, Price says, “we brought a ton of diesel fuel, lashed it down everywhere we could find room, and left on the most benign weather window that presented itself. We had very flat seas and light air for the first 800 miles. We motored for six days at 5 to 6 knots, and it was nice for most of the passage. But it’s a very wet boat! At some point, every piece of electronics crapped out and had to be rewired at sea. The most wind that we ever saw was 25 knots, and we sailed the boat super conservatively with the foils all the way decambered to keep l’Hydroptère firmly in nonfoiling mode. We cruised under jib only when it was windy and made the passage in good shape. But it was something like science fiction, man. What a cool boat!”

Shortly after the boat returned to California, the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of the world to a halt, though this would prove to be a blessing in disguise for the newly reassembled l’Hydroptère team. “It was strangely good fortune that we ended up with five people all stuck together for 90 days,” Welsh says. “We got a lot done because we didn’t have a lot of distractions, so we just made the most of it. We cleaned up the boat and got everything out of it. It needed to be disassembled in a way that you could inventory the condition of things and restore them before putting it back together. In doing so, we were pleasantly surprised that the boat had survived the sun in Hawaii better than we expected.” Unfortunately, due to visa restrictions, Terrasse had to return to France, where he’s pursued new technical partners.

“ L’Hydroptère is a big, tough boat,” Welsh says of the vessel he’s still learning about. “She is not some delicate wallflower that takes 25 guys to run. She was solidly constructed out of carbon and titanium, and is built for real sailing. She’s strong enough to try other foils, and there are some clear pathways to making her lighter. And l’Hydroptère is an interesting platform to move forward with, and there is still potential for some record breaking, particularly with point-to-point passages.”

Likewise, Terrasse insists that there is a lot more left in l’Hydroptère ’s tank and that there remains a world of possibility. “We want to make her fly again,” he says. “To improve her. I’m working on the R&D to make her faster, with new technology. L’Hydroptère was built with 20-year-old technology. With rigid sails (a wing), with new foils for higher speeds, with more weight reduction…. There is a long list of possibilities. We have a big wish list. It is a nice and crazy project!”

Sailors are, by nature, dreamers. It’s one of the qualities that makes this sport so beautiful and keeps us all coming back. As well, the boats themselves, and the adventures that those vessels have inspired, have an uncanny ability to bring people together. From the forward-thinking sailors and engineers who first dreamed up this magnificent flying boat nearly 50 years ago to the unlikely cast of characters who are today bringing it back to life in Northern California and in France, ­ l’Hydroptère has inspired legions of sailing fans for decades and continues to do so to this day. In a world in need of some good news right now, the unlikely renaissance of the world’s first famous flying boat—and the new bridges that have been built as a result—continue to remind us that anything is possible. What will ­ l’Hydroptère ’s next chapter bring? We don’t know. But we can’t wait to find out.

Offshore cruiser and racer Ronnie Simpson is a CW contributing editor.

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Meet Donald Lawson, the Ambitious Sailor Who Aims to Break 15 World Records in the Next 5 Years

Lawson also plans to become the first american to solo circumnavigate the globe in 70 days aboard his fast ocean trimaran, defiant., jaclyn trop, jaclyn trop's most recent stories.

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At nine years old, Captain Donald Lawson recalls walking the marinas in Annapolis, asking anyone on the docks if he could give them a hand—cleaning boats, folding sails, or carrying gear back to the boathouse.

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“The captain of the Lady Maryland allowed me to steer the boat,” Lawson recalls. “I asked him how far I could take it, and he said, ‘Technically, you could sail it around the world.’ It was a real lightbulb, life-changing moment for me, and I started working toward that goal.”

More than three decades later, Lawson, 41, is gearing up to break from 15 to 18 world sailing records by 2028. “When you compete for a record, you are competing with the past, present and future,” he says. “For me, the only way I can show who I am and what I am is to succeed in these voyages.”

This fall, he’ll set out to become the first American—and, by extension, the first African-American—sailor to circumnavigate the globe solo in 70 days on a trimaran. He will be the fifth person to attempt such a feat—a groundbreaking goal for a sailor who had few African-American role models to look up to.

Sailing was not diverse in the 1990s. By the time Lawson set foot on his first schooner, only one African-American sailor, Teddy Seymour, had sailed the globe solo, completing a 16-month journey via the world’s canals in 1987.

“People took me in because they could see my passion and drive,” he says. “I had to learn to do everything on board just to get the opportunity to help out on the docks and sail.”

After high school, Lawson taught sailing to children at the Downtown Sailing Center in Baltimore. At the same time, he earned his racing chops crewing on raceboats in events like the Governor’s Cup in the Chesapeake Bay as well as local regattas. In the winter of 2005, Bruce Schwab, who had circumnavigated the world the previous year in his 60-foot yacht, Ocean Planet , invited Lawson out of the blue to come sailing with him in Portland, Maine.

The first night on the water, the pair were caught in a snowstorm. Ever the competitor, Schwab wanted to use the storm’s winds to increase boat speed, rather than seeking shelter in port. Lawson clearly liked that idea. “The boat could sail perfectly fine under autopilot,” Schwab told Outside Online . “But Donald was so thrilled to be there that he refused to come below, preferring to sit outside and drive the boat for hours, upwind, in the snow.”

It was that kind of mettle that is prompting Lawson to go after successive solo-speed records. But he has more than just glory in mind. Last year, he founded the Dark Seas Initiative, a non-profit organization with the aim to increase diversity in the sport by inspiring the next generation of sailors. Lawson also chairs the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for US Sailing, the sport’s national governing body.

As part of its outreach, the Dark Seas Initiative will be broadcast into hundreds of classrooms as Lawson attempts to break his records. The cameras will record the often-grueling conditions to give a sense of the reality of offshore sailing. The goal is to reach young people who might never have considered sailing as a hobby, much less a profession.

“Sailing requires a boat, and when you are struggling to live, a boat is the last thing on your mind,” Lawson says. “Yacht Clubs have historically not been very inclusive to women or minorities, so what you have is an uncomfortable scenario where individuals are afraid to ask and the clubs don’t know how to be inclusive.”

Lawson acquired his pedigreed trimaran, Defiant, in April, likening it to the Formula 1 of boats for its speed and performance. Having started life as Groupama 2 , the French-built trimaran was launched in 2004, using the most advanced materials of that time. It was the last ORMA 60 produced, but won multiple races, including three years of Grand Prix titles and the 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre. The multihull got its new name from Lawson’s commitment to “defying the odds” and his favorite show, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Lawson spent the first months along the California coast, visiting different yacht clubs and sailing centers, and even sailing into San Francisco Bay. He is now based in Acapulco, having put 6,000 nautical miles on Defiant.

“He’s an adventurer,” says Rich Jepsen, a board member of US Sailing. “Nobody does that much work without having an inner drive to do it—like the saying about summiting Everest, he’s doing it because it’s there. But he’s also turning his personal ambition into a proven model for doing good by inspiring the school children who watch him.”

Those first 6,000 miles have taken a toll. Recent images of Defiant in Acapulco show it looking the worse for wear, with visible hull and sail damage. Some sailing websites report the boat lost its engines. Lawson says the boat is being repaired locally and he plans to soon sail through the Panama Canal, up the Atlantic coast to his home port of Baltimore, where it will be hauled out. “It will undergo testing, modifications and upgrades for the upcoming record season,” he says.

The record-breaking attempts could start as early as next fall, with the Newport-Bermuda race. Lawson is going after the record held by his mentor Steve Fossett, who sailed the route in 1 day, 16 hours in 1999. “If time doesn’t allow for that, then the next record attempt would be the Around the World Voyage in October,” he says.

The campaign is then planned to continue through 2028.

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2022 Sailing Special Buyer's Guide - From 60 to 70 feet

Article published on 26/11/2021

By Emmanuel van Deth

published in n°181 jan. / feb.

Thanks to their habitable volume and deck space far superior to those of an equivalent-length monohull, multihulls in this category offer most of the attributes of serious yachts. Beyond a length of 60 feet, here we are at the gates of Superyachting... Exceptional machines that nevertheless require one or more professionals on board.

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MC60 - Style and performance

Since first being presented at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival, the MC60 has seen three units built. Not a bad commercial performance for such an exclusive catamaran. The nacelle is designed ‘open space’ in line with current trends, but as for the rest, the MC60 is nothing like the others: a very specific topside form, high-tech mast support strut to distribute the loads, tempered glass panes, sliding side windows, no forward beam, sail-trimming flybridge set aft... it’s impossible to remain indifferent! In the hulls, the cabins offer volume and comfort without compromising performance thanks to a generous sail plan and superb centerboards.

Builder: McConaghy Boats  Architect: Ker Yacht Design Length: 60’1” (18.30 m) Beam: 28’2” (8.58 m) Draft: 4’7”/12’4” (1.40/3.75 m) Upwind sail area: 2,260 sq ft (210 m²) Cabins: 3/4 Water: 148 US gal (560 l) Fuel: 148 US gal (560 l) Motors: 2 x 57 HP Price: US$ 2,148,000 ex-tax

www.mcconaghyboats.com  

SUNREEF 60 - Welcome to the world of luxury

The Sunreef 60 is undoubtedly reminiscent of her big sistership, the 80 - this model of the same generation is in a way the best-seller of the range. The exterior lines bear close resemblance, as does the flybridge, the vertical side windows and the coachroof-bimini shape. The interior (2,420 sq ft/ 225 m²), the saloon and the cockpit merge into the hydraulic platform, which extends them into a terrace. The cabinetwork is remarkable. The in-house design team has considerable experience in listening to customers: each unit is different. High rigid bulwarks, and forward interior helm station with panoramic view also characterize this model.

Builder: Sunreef Yachts Length: 60’ (18.30 m) Beam: 33’6” (10.20 m) Draft: 6’3” (1.90 m) Mainsail: 1,022 sq ft (95 m²) Genoa: 915 sq ft (85 m²) Spinnaker: 3,230 sq ft (300 m²) Cabins: 4/6 Water: 211 US gal (800 l) Fuel: 264/462 US gal (1,000/1,750 l) Motors: 2 x 75/110 HP

www.sunreef-yachts.com  

MOON YACHT 60 - Loads of volume - made to measure

While this imposing 60-foot catamaran discovered at the Cannes Yachting Festival may lack finesse in the design of its superstructure, it does offer exceptional overall volume for its size. The same goes for the sunbathing areas, which are absolutely gigantic. In this category, only the Sunreef 60 is able to compete with this new model unveiled at the Cannes show. This isn’t a totally insignificant comparison, because Moon Yachts also happen to be built in Gdańsk, like Sunreef... The interior layout can be planned according to the Owner’s wishes. An 80-foot sailing version and powercats have also been announced by the manufacturer.

Builder: Moon Yacht  Length: 60’1” (18.32 m) Beam: 31’8” (9.64 m) Draft: 5’7” (1.70 m) Mainsail: 1,140 sq ft (106 m²) Genoa: 689 sq ft (64 m²) Displacement: 54,250 lbs (24.6 t) Water: 2 x 163 US gal (2 x 620 l)  Fuel: 395 US gal (1,500 l) Motors: 2 x 57 HP CE certification: A

www.moonyacht.com

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R60 Power Trimaran

This power (or sail) trimaran will have your pax posting non stop on social media.

• ENQUIRE NOW

Specifications

General Specifications

A comprehensive list of specifications can be found by downloading the pdf document,  R60 Power Trimaran specs .

• Length: 18.1m
• Beam: 11.7m
• Draft: 0.75m
• Displacement: 11,000kg (max load)
• Max. No. of pax: Approx. 43 (depending upon country’s regulations)
• No. of heads: 2
• No. of showers: 1
• No. of galleys/bars: 1

General Specifications (cont.)

• No. of permanent bunks for a crew member: 1 (can sleep more)
• Headroom: 2.1m average
• Motor: 240hp Yanmar, 20 knots
• Windlass, chain and anchor
• Retractable bow thruster
• Diesel: 400L (option for 2nd tank)
• Freshwater: 400L
• Blackwater: 120L
• Night time navigation lights
• General 12V LED cabin lights
• Download the Rapido 60 Power Trimaran brochure by  clicking here .

General Information

The Rapido 60 is the ultimate charter yacht to differentiate your company – whether it’s in a sailing configuration or as a power trimaran. Or it can be adapted for private use.

There’s acres of space in separate zones for guests to chill instead of being jammed in like sardines.

• Download the Rapido 60 Power Trimaran brochure by clicking here .

The Rapido 60 PowerTri offers an amazing “selfie platform” on the water for Instagrammars and Facebookers to send their number of “Likes” – and your company’s “Likes” – skywards.

This exclusive one-off Power Trimaran can be sold as either a power tri or as a sailing boat. There is also opportunity to make additional modifications subject to technical and pricing constraints.

Just tell us what you need the boat to do and we will advise if that is possible!

The boat can be completed in as little as 4 weeks so if you are interested, please read on!

Which businesses would be well suited to owning the R60 Power Trimaran?

• Snorkelling and fishing
• Sunset cocktail cruises
• Private parties
• Team building
• Other private events
• It is also  The Ultimate Dive Boat! (This boat was originally destined to be a dive boat. Ask us for detailed information as to why it is so well suited for this purpose!)

For additional information

• WhatsApp (Paul Koch): +84 93 904 02 01
• Email:  [email protected]
• W. Click here .
• Download the full and complete list of specifications by clicking onto R60 Day Charter Power specs .
• Download the brochure by clicking onto  Rapido 60 Charter brochure .

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com/

Safety at sea is the No. 1 priority and this thinking is reflected throughout the design and construction of the R60 Day Charter.

The R60 Day Charter has “acres of space in separate zones".

stable and comfortable

Trimarans are very comfortable because they are so stable. As a party platform, dive boat ( ask us about this one!) or sunset cruise, its unrivalled.

The combination of safety and comfort put the Rapido in a league of its own. The enormous trampoline nets add fun and excitement as you watch the blue water rush underneath you – or as you lounge on the nets while gently floating over a reef. You will be instantly hooked. If giving pax pics for social media is important, this is the boat!

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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The 60' Power Trimaran 'Penny Wise' Larger Profile | Deck Plan & Interior Sketch Larger Perspective Aft | Larger Perspective Fwd Copyright 2000 - 2006 Michael Kasten The Concept The client stated the following: "I seek a marine mobile home primarily for long-term island/harbor hopping in the Western Pacific and the rivers of China, but capable of occasional long ocean passages.

My wife has three requirements:

• A lounge / house with a view
• Galley with a view
• Emergency sailing capability

Layout: I have few pre-conceived notions about layout but I have done a lot of sketching. The trimaran configuration is so narrow that there are really not all that many options for layout unless it has a wide topside blister or the length exceeds 60 feet, and 60 feet is already a hard boat to manage in port. Too much beam hanging out above the waterline looks funny, and may preclude trucking. I am open to all suggestions including a catamaran that does not break the budget.

The galley should be large enough for everyday living, the head (one is enough) should have a separate shower, not a grate below the toilet. My list includes lots of storage, a well equipped shop, and an office/computer/study area. It would be good if settees were long enough to serve as guest berths in port.

Appearance: I actually like 'spaceships' that look like the ILAN Voyager and Cable & Wireless, but for this vessel I prefer a more traditional looking boat in order to find better acceptance in third world ports. Except for the local fishing boats however, it is not clear what "traditional looking" will actually be for such a craft as this, given that the concept is most certainly not traditional...!"

Sails: There is no need to think too hard about an emergency sail. Indonesian trimarans routinely use rectangular sails on near-vertical yards hung from short masts. They could be awnings with the necessary fittings added. I prefer simple mechanical systems that I can fix myself, except for communications and navigation gear.

Materials: I like unpainted aluminum a la Northwest fishing boats, but given that construction will be in the Philippines, I think materials are confined by cost to sheathed strip planking and/or ply. At a minimum, the boat should be designed to accept routine bashing about in rough ports.  

On the face of it, a somewhat bizarre request; a tough assignment, at best: Come up with a "traditional looking" trimaran...?

Well, the result is certainly that. It would fit in well in any Asian port, and also would not be out of place among trawler yachts in a Western port. It is perhaps somewhat in the Wharram "tradition" though the hull form is quite different from those craft, and is combined with a pilot house that any trawler would be proud of.

Is the result strange? I think not -- it is instead quite a neat little ship!

To fit a sail rig would be quite easy, and if primarily used as an "emergency" get-home affair, it could easily be a Chinese Junk type of schooner to keep the rig low.

For 'get-home' sailing, one might want to have dagger-boards or centerboards arranged to not interfere with the accommodations. Mast placement is always problematic to the interior of a vessel, so in this case, they would probably be deck stepped, and in that way could be made to easily be lowered.

The "Sitting room with a view" is accomplished in the Pilot House, with a wide settee facing forward. A table forward of the settee allows meals to be taken there for a good view of the harbor. Another larger settee and table arrangement below provides privacy for evening dining as well.

The requirement for "a galley with a view" is well met in my view, since the galley is located centrally below the fore deck, and is of a generous size. As for the view, it would be quite good. The galley is forward of the amas, so they would not be an interference. The fore-deck spans the full width of the ship, extending from bulwark to bulwark athwartships, and from the pilot house, all the way forward until the anchor well is reached at the bow. With generous ports within the bulwark outboard of the galley, plus several good sky lights, all requirements are met.

An alternate location for the galley would of course be to lengthen the pilot house, and place the galley within it. In spite of the excellent view from there, this arrangement has multiple disadvantages. It would raise the center of gravity of the main hull due to the longer pilot house; it would locate more weight aft (already pushing the limits); it would place a lot of activity in the piloting area, always a disadvantage; and it would make food preparation underway during the night watch somewhat of a risk to the helmsman's night vision. For a true voyaging vessel, the piloting area is best reserved for just that, and for comfortable lounging while at sea or in harbor.

Below, forward of the settee are a pair of office-like desks with swivel chairs. Below aft, there is a generous shower to starb'd, and a large head to port. Right forward is a very spacious double berth with a big shelf / locker forward of that. Farther forward yet is the fo'c's'l locker to house the anchor rode.

In order to achieve any sort of meaningful 'shop-space' the vessel would either have to become longer, or one of the interior spaces would have to serve multiple purposes. For example, if it could be tolerated to locate the shower within the head compartment to port, one could then dedicate the starb'd compartment to being a shop-space, or possibly an office, or even an extra guest cabin...

Naturally, in such a long and narrow living space, the width of sole is very restricted. One can raise up the sole in the outboard areas if it is needed, and then arrange for comfortable seating for whatever task is contemplated, whether this be a shop area, shower, office, or what have you.

On the Exterior, one could arrange a nice wrap around seat at the stern and maybe a BBQ / bar on the aft face of the pilot house on either side of the 'stack.' There is plenty of foredeck area for sun bathing, and with a mast and boom there, one can easily arrange an awning for a bit of shade...

Though not illustrated in the above-linked drawings, there could be a 'trampoline' net arranged between the main hull and the amas, extending from the forward beam to the aft beam... a great place to hang out under way...

The amas themselves are quite small, and should be kept water tight with a secure hatch. Each could become a small 'kid's cabin' and they would have their own 'private vessel' to command... Alternately, though it is best to keep them as light as possible, they could be used for light weight storage, say for fenders, lines, sails, etc.  

Materials of Construction

Given the type of vessel in question we can definitively say a few things about the materials of construction:

• Building a vessel of this type in steel would be completely out of the question.
• Aluminum alloy would be an excellent choice for the hulls, the decks, the pilot house structures, and for the cross beams. If built in aluminum and NC cut, the building of the hulls would be very quickly achieved.
• Plywood is certainly a quick method of construction, and if covered using a composite resin / laminate, there would be very good strength, lightness of structure, and ease of general maintenance.
• Cored FRP construction does offer several advantages, among them strength, longevity and freedom from general maintenance. Naturally, FRP construction of any type will be much more costly in terms of materials than any other type, particularly if construction were to be in a remote part of the world.
• In order to achieve the best laminate quality, we prefer vinyl ester resin or epoxy resin. With these, the logical fabric would be Kevlar or another high strength fiber such as E-glass or S-glass. There is little point with a cruising vessel to use high-cost exotic fibers however such as carbon fiber. While light and stiff, carbon fiber is quite expensive, thus it is ordinarily ruled out for this kind of boat.

A very light weight interior would be quite important as well. For this, we specify the use of honeycomb panels for the joinery flats wherever it is practical and easy to do so. One such material brand is Nida-Core, possibly the most cost effective among the HC panels. Nida Core panels have thin plywood skins bonded to a phenolic resin honeycomb core. This produces very stiff and light weight interior joinery with more or less the same labor cost as with standard plywood construction.

Ideally the struts / cross-beams would be laminated wood, and would be tapered. If the hulls were all plywood, construction would be very fast. In that case we could detail all the sheets for NC Cutting by a 2-axis router. For maximum construction speed and the least number of man-hours we could make use of the "stitch and glue" method of hull construction. This would allow eliminating many of the heavy carlins and chine logs common to traditional plywood construction. Each hull could be quickly built upside down until the deck is reached, then turned over.

If built in cored glass, the mould would be simple to build using flat pressed board panels, and would of course be built upright. To detail the mould for NC cutting would be quite easy... we would simply put the 'structure' of the mould on the outside of the hull surfaces rather than on the inside...! The result would be a 'mould kit' which would quickly snap together.  

The hull is a simple single chine type in order to provide the ultimate flexibility in choice of construction materials. The general shape is a V-bottom on all hulls, using a shape somewhat reminiscent of the US east coast sharpies. The transoms are all arranged to be similar to the sharpie's fantail stern, and with a brief little "kick" upward at the stern. The prominent bow is a tribute to the possibility that this may be an Asian built vessel. With a junk rig, all the more fitting.

Of course the amas (the outer hulls) would not be deep in the water. Opinion varies quite widely on this, with some even advocating that amas be completely clear of the water with the vessel upright. In my view, the amas' hulls should just "kiss" the water when at rest with the vessel in an average load condition. This would immerse the keels on each ama, so they would never be entirely free of the water unless a sail rig were provided and the vessel were under a press of sail.

A monohull or a power catamaran can be designed to carry enormous cargo, however a trimaran cannot tolerate being overly burdened with the accretion of extra weight (most cruising vessels seem to suffer from this...!). Vigilance will therefore be required in order to preserve the inherently excellent performance that such a vessel has to offer.

Opinion is also divided on the best fore and aft location for the amas. In this case, the amas have been located quite far aft so that they can provide added buoyancy where it is needed most, due to the weight of engines and PH, etc. The aft location will help minimize any tendency to trip, and will provide the maximum in terms of tracking ability. In the aft location, the amas will also help the stern of the vessel resist squatting at speed.

Naturally, if sailing ability were to receive greater emphasis the amas would be located farther forward. The amas would not be moved beyond amidships however, as that would introduce the potential for tripping as well as possible steering anomalies.

The amas need to be as light as possible, so fuel and water can not be located there. Still, the amas need not be empty... The amas are 26' long by 3' 9" wide, so a perfectly comfortable berth could be placed into each ama with room to spare, making each one a little microcosm for young sailors... A little water tight combo house-companionway for observing the ocean... very nice indeed!

I have modeled the hull and house as drawn, and I've also modeled the house with considerably less "saddle" shape. Please see the links above for images of the hull model.  

Power & Range

The trimaran allows the use of an efficient single engine and there is no need for roll attenuation devices. A long slender hull is the very ultimate in terms of efficiency.

Power would be via a diesel engine located below the Pilot House in the main hull. Overall, all systems must be kept as light as possible. Therefore, one can presume there would be a single engine of modest size to adequately drive the boat; that there would be no generator per se, and instead a very adequate 12v DC system would serve electrical needs; that tankage would be kept to the minimum; and that construction materials would be as light as possible.

If very long range were a requirement, then emphasis could be placed on the vessel's sailing ability, for which purpose as mentioned the Chinese Junk rig would be an ideal choice. If that were chosen, the rig would likely be similar to that shown on our 50' Renegade . A sail rig would offer the ultimate in terms of range, get-home power, and the fun of sailing...

For the Penny Wise, if built very lightly as intended (around 26k to 28k lb. total in the light load condition), power could be in the range of around 65 - 70 hp, and that would attain a speed of around 10 knots depending on the load condition.

However due to being very light, narrow and long the hull is capable of exceeding that speed by quite a lot. In optimum conditions 15 knots would be possible, but ... that would require 165 hp...! On a more rational note, we'd prefer a maximum of around 95 - 100 hp total, sufficient for 12 knots depending on load condition.

With 400 USG and a 15% reserve, range would be around 3,000 NM at 8 knots. That's enough to reach Hawaii from any West Coast port - and then some.

Now that's what I call economy and good speed...!  

The 'design-study' budget for this vessel was limited in the extreme, therefore the vessel's name (and its implied meaning). As a result, the 'Penny Wise' remains 'Pound Foolish.' In other words, the concept design presently awaits a more qualified owner to pursue the remaining drawings, design calcs, propulsion and resistance calcs, etc.

Even so, I believe the concept of the Penny Wise has excellent merit, especially for long range cruising. A few of the reasons for that opinion are as follows:

Monohull power passagemakers expend terrific expense on roll damping, which in this case would just not be an issue. Relative to active stabies, the amas would be silent and efficient. Relative to paravanes, the amas would be very simple, would require no tending, would provide extra space and extra buoyancy, and would not present nearly the amount of drag induced by paravanes.

There have been some very impressive voyages in power trimarans of late. The whole concept has engendered a completely new vessel type: the ILAN (Incredibly Long And Narrow). An internet search for ILAN will turn up quite a few interesting precedents for such a vessel, and should illustrate the practicality of the concept. With an ILAN type however, the hull materials must be light weight in the extreme, thus they require quite an extreme budget to build...!

The adventure with this particular assignment has been:

• To create the best combination of economy and efficiency
• To somehow nail down a style that gives the vessel a "traditional" aspect
• To create a type that lends itself to alternate building methods
• To provide an aesthetic that will have the best chance to "fit-in" regardless of where the vessel may be found, whether that may be in the South China Sea, or the South of France...

All of those design requests have been admirably met in the Penny Wise...

Similar Designs...?

We have developed various prototype designs for multi-hull craft, including catamarans and proas. We have also developed a series of mono-hull vessels which are quite similar to the Penny Wise. They share quite a lot of design traits with the Penny Wise ...

Other designs in the "Peregrine / Renegade / Moxie" Family:

36' Molly | 43' Moxie | 49' Quinn | 50' Renegade 61' Peregrine | 82' Peregrine | 100' Amazon | 164' Peregrine 60' Pennywise Trimaran | 70' Peregrine-on-Thames

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