60 foot trimaran

Rapido 60, A Bold Gamechanger For Performance Bluewater Cruising, reports Yacht World

September 26, 2021

Yacht World has just published an article, Rapido 60 Trimaran Boat Review: A Bold Gamechanger For Performance Bluewater Cruising , by Zuzana Prochazka, dated 23 September, 2021.

The original article, in full can be viewed by clicking here . Five quotes are reproduced below .

…the Rapido 60… has been touted as a couple’s boat for people who want to sail fast but still want to be comfortable and safe even when sailing with fewer crew aboard.
To design this otherworldly machine (the designers of the Rapido 60, Morrelli & Melvin )…, pulled out all the high-tech design tools at their disposal including Finite Element Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Fluid Structure Interaction and the GOMBOC Velocity Prediction Program which they have a license to use. (It was developed for America’s Cup boat design.)
All three hulls have watertight bulkheads. Critical areas where high load stress is expected (like cockpit door frames) are reinforced with carbon that adds strength but not at the expense of weight since an overbuilt boat is a slow boat. Interior furniture is constructed of a lightweight core and composite panels.
The Rapido 60 is approximately half the weight of a 60-foot performance catamaran…
For couple’s cruising, it’s a gamechanger.

To read the original article in Yacht World, click here .

Note! The author of this article, Zuzana Prochazka has just done an extensive interview with Morrelli & Melvin about Rapido Trimarans. Her article is expected to be published in the US in six weeks’ time, in November 2021. Look forward to a fascinating and detailed insight into the design and engineering that is built into the Rapidos!

Multihulls World Australia, Harnessing the wind , by Kevin Green. September / October 2021 issue, 6 page spread on Rapido Trimarans.
Sailing La Vagabonde choose Rapido 60 to sail world’s oceans , video announcement to its 1.59 million subscribers, You Tube, 8 June 2021
Rapido 60, THE ULTIMATE RACER-CRUISER; Clients on Romanza are turning heads on the racetrack when they’re not cruising at high speed , North Sails website, May 2021
Making Short-handed Short Work – Onboard Rapido 60 , Sail-World, February 2021
Also, scroll through the News section of our website and you will see numerous stories about the Rapido 60 in New Zealand which showcase its performance.

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For Real Sailors. The Rapido 60 is the world’s fastest cruising trimaran. The Rapido 60 offers a spacious and luxurious experience with safe, cutting edge, on-water performance.

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About Rapido 60

Billed as the World’s Ultimate Ocean Cruising Trimaran, the Rapido 60 really is the Queen of the Oceans. It offers speed, safety, performance – and luxury.

The inspiration behind the Rapido 60 comes from Paul Koch (co founder of Rapido Trimarans), arguably, the man who has built more production trimarans than anyone else on the planet.

The design is by world renowned naval architects, Morelli & Melvin Design and Engineering and the construction is by Triac Composites.

The foam sandwich and carbon construction provides an extremely strong and rigid structure that is relatively light and designed to withstand the might of the oceans and offer speed in friendlier conditions. The foam sandwich construction also offers a high degree of insulation making the Rapido cooler when the sun beats down.

Just how tough are the composites on the Rapido?

An ocean-crossing trimaran must be strong. Very strong.

As big as a 60′ trimaran is, it is but a floating cork on a boundless ocean.

Morelli & Melvin enjoy a very strong international reputation which includes designing entries for the America’s Cup. Their computer modelling said that the boat was very strong. And so we tested it.

We bolted the centre hull of the Rapido to the factory floor in HCMC. We then brought in two mobile cranes – each took a diagonal corner of the two outer hulls. With one diagonal corner each, the two cranes began to lift while the trimaran’s centre hull remained bolted to the floor, causing it to twist. One tonne of lifting pressure… Two tonnes… Three tonnes…

As the trimaran twisted it began to creak and groan. But the sensitive electronic equipment we had measuring every move and twist remained unphased. Everything was within design parameters.

Seven tonnes… Eight tonnes… Nine tonnes…

The pressure was eased and the Rapido spring back into its original condition – totally unaffected by the enormous twisting pressure that had been placed upon it.

The computer modelling had accurately predicted the enormous structural strength of the composites used in the Rapido. The Rapido is built to take on the oceans. Rapido is, simply, the Queen of the Oceans.

A stunning success for the Rapido and another milestone for composites.

Why Rapido 60

FAST AND POWERFUL Trimarans are safe, powerful and fast as demonstrated by the fact that they consistently win races and hold the solo speed record for circumnavigating the world.

SAFE Safety at sea is the No. 1 priority and this thinking is reflected throughout the design and construction of the Rapido.

SPACIOUS The Rapido 60 has some truly amazing living spaces which provide more open, private and intimate areas than monohulls or catamarans.

STABLE AND COMFORTABLE Trimarans are comfortable on all points of sail.

FUN The combination of safety, performance 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..