trimaran folding system

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Specifications

(For more photos of the Rapido 50, visit our photo gallery .

General Details

• Length overall (LOA): 15.24m (50 ft)
• Length of waterline (LWL): 15.2m (49.9 ft)
• Beam overall (BOA): 10.24m (33.6 ft)
• BOA (folded): 5.8m (19.0 ft)
• BOA (float to float CL): 9.29m (30.5 ft)
• Average light displacement (subject to final options): 8,550kgs (18,850 lbs)
• Freeboard: 1.67m (5.5 ft)
• Daggerboard up: 0.67m (2.2 ft)
• Daggerboard down: 3.52m (11.5 ft)
• Mast Height above DWL: 24.98m (82 ft)
• Headroom in cockpit area (no ceiling liner): 2.01m
• Headroom in saloon (ceiling liner): 2.0m
• Headroom in forward cabin and head area (ceiling liner): 1.91m
• Storage volume of floats (at greatest dim.): (L) 4.6m x (W) 1.1m x (H) 1.5m
• Storage volume under cockpit (at greatest dim.): (L) 1.7m x (W) 2.4m x (H) 1.0m
• Download the Rapido 50 General Specifications (10 January 2022)
• SA Main: 97m2 (1,044sqf)
• SA Solent: 57.5m2 (619sqf)
• SA Staysail: 27.9m2 (300sqf)
• SA Reacher: 150m2 (1,615sqf)
• SA Asym Spin: 230m2 (2,476sqf)

General Information

360 degree virtual tour.

Click here to watch 360 degree tour of the Rapido 50.

The Rapido 50 – The World’s Ultimate  Folding  Cruising Trimarans

Every exceptional product needs a source of inspiration. For the all-new Rapido 50, that source has been the Rapido 60 which has proven herself to be an exceptional trimaran for:

• Podium performances
• Fast passage-making
• Classic cruising
• Couples; and

Critically, the Rapido 60's DNA can be found throughout the Rapido 50. But where the Rapido 50 sharply differentiates herself is that she has the ability to fold the floats to slip into single berths at marinas.

Video above: Multihulls World magazine has announced that the Rapido 50 has won the Multihull of the Year Award for 2022 in the 45'-55' category. The award was announced at the Multihull Show at La Grande Motte on 20 April 2022.

Advantages of the Rapido 50’s folding system

Folding floats :

• Access to single marina berths
• Access to all marinas
• Reduced marina, hard stand and shipping costs
• Keeps floats in upright position (no barnacles or algae on sides)
• Maintains stability of trimaran in folding position and during folding

Folding mechanism :

• High tech design by world-acclaimed multihull designers, Morrelli & Melvin
• Patented Design (concept by Paul Koch, Australia Patent Application No. 2019902014)

Summary of Rapido 50

The Rapido 50 sets a new standard in the market place. Upon its launch in October 2020, it will generate an enormous amount of interest and attention. Its benefits include it being:

• Easier and safer to handle with self-tacking jib, roller furler head sails and spreaderless mast
• CE A Certification for safer ocean crossings
• Better weight distribution with heavy items (eg engine) in the middle of the boat
• Functional interior finished to Rapido 60 standards
• High tech, infused carbon foam sandwich construction with beams, daggerboards, ruddercase and blade made from prepreg carbon and cured in autoclave
• Folding floats (reduced fees for marina, hard stand and shipping)

Download these pdf files

• Rapido 50  Interior Arrangement (24 July 2018)
• Rapido 50  Sail Plan (29 August 2019)
• Rapdio 50 General Specifications (5 November 2020)
• Rapido 50  General Arrangement ,  click here (24 July 2018).

Further details – Rapido 50

• Email Paul Koch
• Contact your nearest Rapido Trimarans' Dealer

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.

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

The Rapido 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.

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.

look inside the   50

50 in action.

See more Rapido Trimarans videos (You Tube)

View all Rapido 50 photos

– in the media

Below is a list of articles which have appeared in various publications regarding Rapido Trimarans.

• C-foils on a fast cruising trimaran? This looks rapid!, Rapido 40 tour, Yachting World magazine video by Toby Hodges, 8 September 2023
• Rapido 40: The Alternative Trimaran , by François-Xavier de Crécy with photos by Ludovic Fruchaud, LE MONDE DU MULTICOQUE #24 by Voile Magazine. July, 2024.
• The Rapido 40 is a 20 knot cruising tri , George Day, Cruising Compass, 24 May, 2023
• Boat Review of Rapido 40, Zuzana Prochazka, Sail Magazine, 4 May 2023
• Rapido 40: ultra fast cruising in complete safety on three hulls , Maxime Leriche , SailboatNews.com, 25 April 2023
• Boat anomaly: Rapido 40 Trimaran , No Frills Sailing, 19 April 2023
• Rapido 40 – Fast, foldable and worry free!,  Multihulls World magazine, No. 189, May-July 2023
• Shipyard Focus: Rapido Trimarans , by Kevin Green, Multihulls World, August / September 2022.
• Rapido, changing the game , by Zuzana Prochazka, Sail Magazine, 23 March, 2022
• Rapido 40: A livable sailboat for cruising on 3 hulls , Briag Merlet, Sailboat News, 23 February 2022.
• Rapido, changing the game , (takes a detailed look at the cutting edge design and technology of Morrelli & Melvin) by Zuzana Prochazka, Multihull Sailor, December 2021
• Boat Review: Rapido 50 , Kevin Green, Boating New Zealand, November 2021
• Harnessing Speed , by Kevin Green, Boating New Zealand, November 2021
• Rapido 60 Trimaran Boat Review: A Bold Gamechanger For Performance Bluewater Cruising , by Zuzana Prochazka, Yacht World, 23 September, 2021.
• Harnessing the wind , by Kevin Green, Multihulls World, September / October 2021 issue, 6 page spread on Rapido Trimarans.
• Sailing La Vagabonde choose Rapido 60 to sail world’s oceans , video announcement by SLV to their 1.59 million subscribers, You Tube, 8 June 2021
• The Ultimate Racer-Cruiser: Clients on Romanza are turning heads on the racetrack when they're not cruising at high speed , North Sails, 19 April, 2021
• Making Short-handed Short Work – Onboard Rapido 60 , Anna Merchant, Sail-World, 11 February 2021
• Rapido 50 News from the Shipyards , Multihulls World, 2 February 2021
• Buyers' Guide 2021, Rapido 50 , Multihulls World, 18 December 2020
• “New breed” Rapido 40 & 50 , Yachting World magazine, November 2020
• Cruising Helmsman reviews Rapido 60 , October 2020
• Romanza takes top spot in Yates Cup , SEA Yachting magazine, September 2020
• Rapido Trimarans relocates production arm into Vietnam ,  SEA Yachting  magazine, Nov/Dec 2019.
• Rapido Trimarans, On the March, Seahorse Magazine , October 2019.
• (French)  Rapido 40, un trimaran repliable de 12 m , Bateaux.com, 29 August 2019.
• Rapido 60 – The most exciting production multihull in the world?  (or  click here  for selection of quotes), Multihulls Magazine, Summer (July) 2019.
• Rapido , Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, June 2019 (pp23-24)
• Ineffable’s Steve Bourne: I’m a nutter for sailing , Daily Herald, 26 February 2019.
• Rapido 60′ the fastest production multihull in the world? , International Multihulls World, December 2017
• RAPIDO 60’ : Le multicoque de série habitable le plus rapide du monde? , Multihulls World, 23 November 2017
• Finding Mrs Right , Boating New Zealand, August 2016
• Blue Water Cruising Trimaran , Australian Multihulls World, August 2016
• Rapido 60 , Cruising World, 25 August, 2016
• Rapido 60 , by Emma Bamford, Sailing Today.

Why You Should Buy A Corsair Cruze 970 Trimaran?

Why the corsair cruze 970 is the perfect triamaran for you.

The combination of performance from the award winning Corsair C31 and the spacious comfort of the Corsair 37 ! The new Cruze 970 is an exciting new trimaran model with excellent sailing pedigree and packed with fantastic new features as the latest trimaran model from the design team at Corsair Marine Trimarans.

Corsair Marine Trimarans built over three hundred C31s delivering to locations all around the world where our customers have sailed this tough, proven performer in a wide range of conditions. In 2010, a C31 Ultimate Cruiser owner even sailed around the Arctic Circle and, in the process, became the world’s first sailing vessel to pass through the North West and North East Passages, in a single season. We’re not bluffing, Corsair trimarans really can go anywhere!

With the increased demand to modernize the C31, the Cruze 970 trimaran is an evolution taking key trimaran sailboat design aspects from the C31 and responding to customer need for greater comfort and amenities, more in line with the C37. We have achieved this with a great new compact model and at a very competitive price. With nearly 30 years of continuous trimaran production totalling over 2,000 boats launched through our global dealer network, you can be assured your decision to choose a Corsair trimaran will be backed up by a proven warranty and service package.

The New Corsair CRUZE 970

Speed, performance, safety, reliability and ease of trailering are all features the Corsair Marine Triamarans is widely famous for and naturally these are integral to the Cruze 970 . However, the design also now focuses on people and families as it is far more accommodating for the needs of partners, guests and children on board whilst still retaining good sailing performance.

The 970 is slightly longer than the C31 and the deck has been raised creating approximately 15 per cent additional space inside. Most importantly, there is full standing headroom in the saloon area. The saloon area is nished with a clean, white GRP liner. The galley area is larger with additional drawers and ample storage. The forward and aft bunks are longer and wider than the C31 giving more generous accommodation area for crew. The Cruze 970 also caters for privacy with a full enclosed head. The more functional cockpit has been extended and a transom mainsheet track facilitates free movement within the cockpit. The raised, side seating increases both comfort and visibility (a great design feature taken from highly successful C37).

For sailing performance, the oats have been designed with additional buoyancy giving the Cruze 970 trimaran greater stability and comfort for all her passengers. As always, Corsair Marine’s exclusive and trusted folding system ensures that trailering remains easy. The retractable daggerboard and rudder enable the boat to be pushed up onto the beach when enjoying cruising adventures with family and friends.

Learn more: Corsair Marine’s trimaran folding system

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Corsair 880 Trimaran COMPLETE TECHNICAL TOUR

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Corsair 880 Interior

More Trimaran Folding Systems — Part 3

Hinge and latch system   (gull-wing).

This system works well on small trimarans and is employed on the Cross 18, Discovery 20/21 and the W17 .     

The Discovery 20 has large vertical reinforced plywood palms, the full height of its very deep beams, held in place with large bolts.   Very strong, because the beams are large and deep.   But as initially designed, the amas rose high in the air when folded, and as this created considerable windage on the highway, most Discovery owner/builders have since dispensed with the original hinging and they now remove the amas completely at the bolted joint.   This permits them to be stowed much lower on a custom trailer and while this solves the windage issue, the craft should now more correctly be designated as a ‘ demountable trimaran’ , rather than folding (see photo). 

Added 2022 .   Due to greater ama weight on larger boats and the resulting difficulty to then lift them ‘up and over’, this system was initially limited to trimarans of 18ft or less,  However, by building amas lighter (foam cored) and using a portable lifting derrick  designed in 2022. the system can now be used for tris up to 20ft. 

So, as long as 1) the ama lifting height is within practical range;  2) one has a wide enough place to open the amas before launching and 3), you either have a helper with you, or the above noted lifting derrick to lift the ama when alone, then this Gull Wing system  will be tough to beat for boats under 16ft beam.      It’s lightweight, inexpensive, strong, rigid, noiseless, fast to deploy, compact, good looking and creates no spray .    What is not to like about that ?

New 2022:   For boats under 20ft, the basic W17 system can also be used as a demountable if the hinges and latches are reversed * .   This would allow the amas to drop-down about 30 deg. to a low support (or down 45 deg to the ground), on each side. Once both the upper and lower pins are pulled, the ama (with its fixed outer akas) can be brought in close to the main hull to sit on supports built out (or telescoping out) from the trailer, yet still not exceeding the original trailing width (7'-3 or 2.21m for the W17).  With this arrangement, the mast could be left up and even used for lifting the amas up again to allow the latch bolts (now on top) to be slipped in place. As these hinge and latch bolts only work in shear. they do not need tools to hard-tighten them as just hand-tightened nyloc nuts serve very well.   This adds yet another option to the use of this design that does not change the strength or sailing appearance of the boat in any way.

*   2023 NOTE  to existing W17 owner s.   As the fore and aft beams have a slightly different depth, this reversal would theoretically require that the hinge alignment now be made on the UNDERSIDE of the beams instead of the upper side, so a Gull-Wing W17 cannot be fully converted to this 'demountable system only' without that change first being made.  However , if prior to lowering, the lower pins were temporarily replaced with smaller ones of just 1/4" dia, this would create enough slack to offset the underbeam misalignment, allowing the ama to drop down to at least the height of the trailer bed, when all pins would be removed.       This may prove to be a useful way to remove an ama for maintenance, with the main hull still on the trailer.      (See more in Part 4 of these articles on Folding Systems)

Telescoping Beams

A few designs use telescoping beams, such as the French Astus, the L7 by Mike Leneman (no longer being offered). and some boats designed by Kurt Hughes and a few small kayak-based craft like the Windriders etc.

While theoretically quick and neat to use, common characteristics and issues are, .............

1) that unless the beams are very short, the two sides cannot be symmetric and identical.  If one telescoping set must be behind the other, the beams are not in line Port and Starboard.   This adds complexity to the building of both the main hull and amas, and arguably, creates a less attractive boat. 

3) that many (and to different degrees) historically have a tendency to jamb in operation, as keeping them perfectly in line and free of sand, is a constant issue.   Giving the tubes (or boxes) added clearance is sometimes the solution used, but then there can be constant movement while sailing, which, while generally acceptable technically, can be very annoying and disconcerting.  Teflon sleeves can help.   

4) that the overall expanded beam is geometrically limited by the arrangement, as each aka tube length cannot exceed the permissible road width without a complete dismantling.

For these reasons, this system is generally limited to relatively inexpensive small trimarans under 7m.

Finally, a WRAP-UP re cost, complexity and value  (2022)

At the lower cost end, it’s hard to beat having no folding system at all, but with any trimaran over 8ft sailing beam, it has to be at least demountable.  But there are at least two systems that can cost no more than a demountable one.  These are the simple flat plate swing arm solution devised by Jim Brown and the up-and-over Gull Wing that I developed for the W17.   Both can be set up to eliminate all annoying noise, with the raised height and greater physical depth of the Gull Wing making it more suitable for sea conditions requiring both strength and wave clearance.   The swing arm is physically easier to fold by one person, whereas the Gull Wing takes less beam on a trailer (or in a garage) and if there are not 2 persons handy (when it’s an easy 2 minute task), a derrick can be made to fold each ama with only one person.  See here.

Other systems like the telescopic one could be 10-15% of the cost and have potential friction issues and offer less attractive appearance, while a more developed swing arm with folding nets etc, could be in the 10-20% range.    The 'king of cost' has to be the original Farrier system that could be 20-25%.  This is also so complex to set up to work correctly, that Ian finally sold it as modules, pre-assembled, that could be built into the hulls, but even 20 years ago, this was a $6000 kit.    The other option is to work from plans and build it piece by piece.  Ray Kendrick offers this for the Scarab, but it’s also expensive and time consuming to build and set up, and there is no guarantee it will work as smoothly as a factory Farrier.  I once saw a photo of the nearly 100 parts for a Scarab folding system that is similar, and despite being assembled by a fine engineer who works on helicopters, it still did not work 100%. 

The Farrier system is quite a masterpiece and when properly built and installed works great … but the downside is its cost, the amas fouling in the water and the spray these braced systems create as they can go fairly low to the waterlevel.   Neither of the lowest cost systems have these issues, but not all have the strength to match the Farrier system for say ocean sailing plus the easy of in-water folding.   Clearly, you need to match your boats operational needs with the most suitable system.   I'd personally recommend adding fairings around the Farrier brackets to drive the wave tops down.

POSTSCRIPT (2019) for the Farrier System.

Having a good friend with a folding Farrier, I was encouraged to look at whether anything could be done to solve the main negative issue of the otherwise brilliant design …  the issue of the side-turning ama when folded.  This not only removes the relatively flat deck of the ama that is so useful and safer for docking and boarding on the Swing-Arm boats, but there's also the issue of side fouling when left afloat for long periods while folded – as in a marina (see Header photo above).

A review of the geometry shows that IF the ama could be left free to pivot while the arm is folded, it would take up a fairly level position and could readily be held there with a simple retaining line.  (A possible solution is now entry #126 in an Ideas & Inventions Record Book I started back in 1952 ... with this one being 'just an idea'.  Even a documented 'idea' needs to have a prototype built and proven to become an 'invention' ;)

To achieve this, several modifications would be required.  While much easier to build-in during initial construction, it could be possible to retrofit an existing Farrier with some effort and ama surgery.

Here is what I am suggesting, though test experience could expect to bring about a few tweaks.  

• The installation of two heavily reinforced bulkheads or webs under the deck, both forward and after of each hole and added longitudinal reinforcements to compensate for the hole 
• The attachment of a solid, strong foot-shaped part at the outer end of each aka .. solidly made of aluminum, fiberglass or carbon fiber and well integrated into the aka beam end.   This foot would fit snuggly between the two new bulkheads and be drilled to take strong bolts through the heel and toe of the end piece.  (see photo)
• The heel would have a semi-permanently installed pivot bolt, while the toe would take a locking bolt that would only be installed after the aka was lowered to the horizontal sailing position
• Naturally, hinged covers would cover the deck holes once securely bolted down, but if the area was created as a watertight well (like an anchor locker) with a drainage hole to the inboard side, that deck cover would not need to be 100% watertight.
• Detailed design would need to take care of bolt access and also of all loads typically expected on the ama.

It could be expected that initially, it would take about 20 mins. to attach each ama for sailing, but that this time could be cut in half with practice and planning, making the whole operation one of about 10 mins. for 2 persons.    Probably worth it for the convenience of a flat deck in most cases and if fouling is not an issue, one may decide to turn only one side, purely for easier boarding.    Just some thoughts to chew on ;)  m/

Click here for Part 1 of this article  - comparing basic types

Click here for Part 2 of this article  - comparing with demountables

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Trimaran folding system attachment

Discussion in ' Multihulls ' started by Will001 , May 13, 2019 .

Will001 Junior Member

Hi, i just joined the forum, hoping you guys could help me out. I recently bought a custom (home built) 21 foot trimaran based on a Mystere 6.0 catamaran (very similar to a tornado i believe). 9.5m mast, 5.2m beam. The main hull and folding mech is about 7yrs old. It's in need of a fair bit of tlc, but one thing which concerns me is the folding mechanism attachment to the main hull. It looks like the main forward attachment points are not in great condition. The lower side is compressing the hull laminate and the top is separating from the hull with some minor cracking. It is thru bolted to aluminium backing plates on the inside of the hull. There are small struts bolted onto the lower backing plate to transfer load to the opposite side of the hull. The upper backing plate is unsupported.. Is this a normal way to distribute load in a folding trimaran? I was thinking about replacing the internal struts and backing plates with a single rigid beam which both upper and lower bolts are attached to? The hull is made from polycore, a polypropylene honeycomb, with epoxy/glass inside and out.  

trip the light fandango Senior Member

Yes it is strange, it is like the work was done reasonably well but missed 50% of the point of having the internal brace, very odd, probably just wanted to use it, sick of working on it.. Be careful with your stainless/ aluminium, delrin washers and marine grease/lanolin help.  

W17 designer Senior Member

Seems that Fandango has understood your arrangement better than I Would you have a photo looking from forward back on to the folding system with the ama out? Then we can determine how the loads are applied. For sure, you cannot securely attach something bolted through a honeycomb without making the core solid at that point. If this is a Farrier-style linkage, the inner upper aka will be working mostly in tension or compression and the deck can be designed to take this with some form of beam at the connection point. Under the most critical condition, the lower arm will try to pull ou t from the shell on the leeward (in the water) side, based on the maximum buoyancy* that the ama has, while that same lower arm on the windward side, will press into the shell based on a maximum load of the weight of the ama plus all the crew weight that you may add on that ama. While the sail load will help to support this (via the tight windward shroud), its best to calculate the strength needed by the arms and their connections from the full max. loading I've noted. Outboard of the linkage, the aka will act in bending as a cantilever .. again based on the maximum loads indicated above. The lower link will generally need a solid cross connection through the main hull, from side to side ... again with any core material replaced with something solid. Even for a small boat like this, I would add extra strength with a safety factor of around 2, with more for a larger boat. *As noted in this article, I design using 100% of the total ama buoyancy on the forward beam with about 75% generally being ok for the rear one. https://smalltridesign.com/Trimaran-Articles/design/crossbeam.html Hope this helps, but a photo or sketch will help if not. mike www.smalltridesign.com  

SolGato Senior Member

I think the rigid beam mod would be wise. I’d also increase the surface area of the outer plate to the hull to help spread the load over that area which has probably been weakened. On the Farrier boats the connection points for the folding system have a lot of shape built into them for strength. They don’t just connect to a flat surface, the hull has been molded to accommodate the mounting so as to not create a stress point.  

Thanks for the replies guys. trip the light fandango said: ↑ Yes it is strange, it is like the work was done reasonably well but missed 50% of the point of having the internal brace, very odd, probably just wanted to use it, sick of working on it.. Be careful with your stainless/ aluminium, delrin washers and marine grease/lanolin help. Click to expand...

A word of caution if you decide to add bunks to your trailer to support the amas- Your center hull supports should do all the work and the outers only helping to keep the boat upright when loading, otherwise you risk damaging the outer hull skins if the outer bunks are supporting any of the boats weight. The folding mechanism isn’t really designed for this when folded and unless your Amas were laid up with reinforcements along the inside outer skins, you risk damaging them, especially if you have a flexible bunk board, or if you lose a tie down or main hull bunk board while towing. And I agree part of the distortion is probably due to using those connecting points at tie down points. You might want to come up with a removable fixture that can be placed in the slots that the beams unfold into that can be used for tie down instead.  

Although trailers are often responsible for damage to main hull bottoms when rollers are used instead of bunk boards, I rather doubt this is the case for the amas, unless they are suspended loose and are free to jump around on bumps. The folding arms should be more than amply strong enough to carry dry ama weight in any position. But amas should be lashed to avoid shock loads from jumping around loose while on the road. Heavy duty shockcords are better than chains IMHO if attached to your folding arm brackets when on the trailer as the main hull should have its own separate lashing straps. My first concern would be to check to see that the honeycomb was removed in way of any bolted attachment, as otherwise loads (both sailing and trailing) could have damaged that area and permit movement that should not be there. As I pointed out in my earlier post, the forward beam takes a high proportion of the load at sea, so this might explain why the forward one is more in need of repair than the aft one. It's good to consider all the load options to figure out the real cause of the problem as then you can personally find the best solution. Good luck with this.  

As a Farrier Tramp owner I can speak from experience that asking an Ama to support more than its weight with only a narrow board resting against the outer skin of the hull, or improperly tying down the boat so as to allow it to bump or rest heavily against it, or if one of the main hull bunks gives or any of the boards are mis-adjusted so as to allow an ama bunk board to do more work than it should, will likely result in outer skin hull damage. One of my hulls was seriously damaged due to some of these issues, and on some photos of other boats you can see impressions on the outer skins from bunk boards. I removed my ama bunks for this reason and use the 4 lower arm supports as tie downs points running down and out to strategically placed D-rings on the trailer. The only tricky issue is when loading on an unlevel surface like a sandbar or crappy boat ramp as it sometimes takes a try or two to get the boat to sit flat on the rollers and bunks before strapping it down. From the Tramp sailing manual, “The supports for the floats are not intended for bearing their weight but to provide lateral stability on the highway and enhance the overall ride. The weight of the floats is carried by the folding arm mechanism and the main hull”. Just mentioning this especially because the OP’s lower folding arm supports already don’t seem to be very well anchored and one might assume the ama bunks of a folding Trimaran should be doing their share of work to support the boat when on trailer, when in-fact they should not with a Farrier design. I do not know if this is the case with the Corsair models but would guess they are no different.  

That sounds like good advise from both W17 and SolGato to me, I probably jumped the gun in partially assuming what I can see . W17 's point about checking the honey comb or the state of the holes in the skin for the bolts is sensible. If they did rush getting it in the water they may not have put in matt or rovings/re enforced the drilled holes . It looks like the bottom transverse bracket is holding in place the top of the folding mechanism via vertical rods and the lower plate against the skin for the struts is unsupported internally. I've never looked close at a farrier in the flesh but this mechanism looks weak and more vulnerable folded. On the water it it is probably strong enough I'm guessing, but I think the trailer tie down points could easily be an issue as SolGato and the OP are suspicious of, sharp jolts from bumps with a lot hanging if I understand correctly. Not a bad looking boat though. PS, unrelated but I'd be really interested in W17designers opinion on camber on amas/floats at some stage, regards .  

One of the major differences about this boats folding mechanism that likely isn’t Farrier designed is how and where the system mounts to the hull. The rest of the mechanism looks very similar to a Tramp. But on the tramp hull, the large cabin with its bench seats extends wider than the rest of the hull above the water line to create a wide cockpit beam. So on a Tramp, that lower attachment bracket is actually up under the wing coming off at a right angle and not bolted flush to the side of a hull, so it acts more as a guide during extension and articulation where as on the OP boat, the lower mount may be pulling and pushing on the skin of the hull as it’s forced to support weight until the Akas are bolted. Don’t get me wrong, your boat looks like a lot of fun and I think with a little fabrication work you’ll get it sorted. After all, I am kinda biased about Farrier’s folding system. When you think about it from a mechanical design point of view, it’s pretty incredible how easy and strong the system is, but what is more amazing is that boats like mine are now 35+ years old and have been folded and unfolded countless times over the decades, and most of them have probably never had the system serviced. How many other mechanical systems can you say have stood that kind of test of time on a boat? When I first got my Tramp, I went through the whole system cleaned the pivot axles, rebushed the arms, greased and reassembled with new hardware, and I was wowed. I thought it folded and unfolded incredibly easy before, but after the rebuild it was pretty amazing. The other thing I’ll say about the system is how incredibly strong it is on a Tramp. I believe he overbuilt the system during the Tramp production due to multihull fear and then during later use and development with Corsair started streamlining it. I sail my boat in some pretty crazy swell and probably push my boat harder than most, certainly not sailing in the kind of conditions the boat was originally designed and marketed toward, and I can tell you launching off/riding and sailing fast through swell in my boat is incredibly thrilling but never has it not felt like one solid member. The beams are so overbuilt you forget your sailing three hulls connected together.  

Farrier is is the standard others try to reach from my reading,, an impressive longevity, this one's mechanism/beams look a little more delicate. Boy there's been some serious money and time spent on folding mechanisms. I just saw the better pictures on SA and the old holes look a little suspicious, as one of the blokes on SA said the main beams should be taking most of the load,..that advise on checking flex on the land was good.  

Fandango PS, unrelated but I'd be really interested in W17 designer's opinion on camber on amas/floats at some stage. Rather than invade this thread, why not write me your question via this questionnaire and perhaps elaborate your needs. (and do you mean deck camber?) Design Questions: https://smalltridesign.com/Trimaran-Design-Questions.html cheers  

Fandango: "...as one of the blokes on SA said, the main beams should be taking most of the load". I've not read the SA posts but not sure I can fully agree with this in the case of a Farrier folding system. As I've said earlier, the lower arm (and its connection to (and across) the hull) will take major loads; in tension on the leeward side and possibly less so, in compression on the windward side (depending on how many crew jump around on the rail!). As far as the horizontal top beam is concerned .. the part outboard of the pivot will be subject to bending, while the part inboard, subject mostly to compression or tension. At the outer pivot, where the load transfers from compression load down the lower arm, to bending of the outer beam, the loads will be highest so that becomes a critical part re beam strength and should be regularly checked for cracks around that pivot. But I too can say that IF built as per the Farrier design, this has proven a solid, reliable system and I have a close friend with a 25 yr old F25A on which the system still works very well. Another friend with a Scarab 22 is not so happy as the geometry was not perfect. It's really not such an easy mechanism to get right, and is one reason Ian wanted to manufacture all these under his own eyes. It's clear to me that the mounting of this present system (under review) to the hull is sub-par compared to a full Farrier installation, so some rework of the mounting might be justified. I'd personally like to see the main hull stiffened longitudinally inside in way of the lower attachment (the flair on the Tramp achieves that), or a solid connection added from P to S that is anchored in someway to the hull itself, perhaps near the centerline. The deck should already serve to stiffen the attachment for the upper beam. mike www.smalltridesign.com  

For reference, here are some photos of my Farrier Tramp showing how much structure is molded into the hull and how the lower mounting brackets are wide and mounted to the underside of the cabin wing, not just mounted to the face of a hull skin. Our summer mooring sailing season begins in a few weeks and Trio is waiting patiently on trailer for the last swell to pass through, and for her seasonal detailing.  

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W17 designer said: ↑ Fandango PS, unrelated but I'd be really interested in W17 designer's opinion on camber on amas/floats at some stage. Rather than invade this thread, why not write me your question via this questionnaire and perhaps elaborate your needs. (and do you mean deck camber?) Design Questions: https://smalltridesign.com/Trimaran-Design-Questions.html cheers Click to expand...

Newbie question: would this trimaran folding system work? (parallel hinge)

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Farrier International

a Division of Daedalus

About Farrier

This site is currently under construction. we appreciate your patience as we update..

If thinking of buying or building any multihull then the designer’s background and experience is very important. Has he built or sailed any of his own designs? Do they actually have a race or sailing record to match the claims? Is the designer readily accessible and responsive?

If considering building yourself, are the plans fully detailed with photos, instructions, and easy to follow three dimensional views with step by step instructions? Do they include extensive Full Size Patterns, and a comprehensive materials list?

If considering a production multihull, is the manufacturer experienced, and do they respond to customer questions or concerns? Do they have skilled, knowledgeable staff, with good technical expertise and quality controls? Do they back their product, and, very importantly, who designed or engineered that product, and is that someone prepared to put their name on it ?

There is no university or school that teaches multihull design or construction, nor are there scantling rules, as exist for monohulls. The only teacher has been years of practical building and sailing experience. Only experience will tell the loadings and correct safety factors for the many critical areas of a multihull. A competent engineer may have the skills to design beams that will not break for a given load, but if he doesn’t know what that load is, or in what directions it can act, then even the best engineering skills are of little help.

There are a number of excellent multihull designers and builders, but choose carefully, as this is very important to the safety and security of your family, the ease and cost of construction, and the final resale value.

Multihulls are now one of the fastest growing segments of the sailboat market. They have circumnavigated the globe at record speeds, and are rapidly becoming the family cruising boat of choice as more is learned about their many other advantages. These include level sailing, unmatched stability, deck space, unsinkability, shallow draft, comfort, and just the sheer fun of sailing a fast and responsive cruising boat.

Farrier trimaran and catamaran designs combine all of these advantages, to be the perfect sport cruisers. They are a unique and practical combination of easily handled fun cruisers for families, and exciting performance for racers.

The unique Farrier Folding System™ also provides ‘take-it-anywhere’ trailerability, and the ability to use any marina dock. It has forever eliminated the old problem of what to do with a super wide trimaram

Farrier multihulls are now well proven, having evolved from over 30 years of constant development, hands on building, and sailing. With well over 3000 production and home built versions currently sailing world wide, performance and reliability has been demonstrated beyond doubt.

The basic design philosophy has always been to provide safe, roomy, well engineered multihull cruisers with performance provided by design efficiency and good engineering, not at the expense of accommodation, structure, or safety.

All designs are thus light to medium displacement multihulls, with conservative rigs, while scantlings and safety factors are on the rugged side, for strong, durable, and safe boats. They are also unsinkable, due to construction materials, and NO LEAD or other heavy metals being present.

The roomy interiors have been designed with the cruising sailor in mind, and with heel rarely exceeding 12 degrees, all facilities can be easily used while underway – stoves not even needing gimbals.

On deck, there’s a huge amount of deck space, and this combined with low heel angles make Farrier multihulls one of the safest boats afloat for children. The comfortable wing or bow nets make an ideal spot to relax and sunbathe while the water zips by below.

EASY TRAILERING

With no heavy keel needed, Farrier trimarans sit low on the trailer and are light and easy to tow. This will allow you to discover and explore many previously out of reach cruising grounds, or race in exotic venues far from home. Trailering offers significant savings in slip fees and maintenance that can even cover most of the ownership costs.

Rigging and launching can all be done single-handed in around 30 minutes or just 15 minutes with two – no difficult assembly or heavy lifting is required.

Launching is always done folded, using no more space than a conventional boat. Stability afloat is excellent and the floats are normally extended while motoring away.

Marina docking while folded is as easy as any other craft, and the minor problem with long term docking of growth on the folded float sides has now been eliminated by new ‘HydroHoist’ or dock liner systems. However, the high expense and maintenance involved with keeping a boat in the water can be avoided by the ease of trailering.

EASY AND FUN TO SAIL

Took my first sail last weekend in my new (used) 1990 F-27 “Serafin”. My crew consisted of my wife and 9 month old son. Needless to say I did not have a lot of help. Awesome boat!!! It sets up and launches easier than my Tornado cat, is nearly as quick and handles like a fast dingy and the family was dry and comfortable the whole time. Truly a magnificent craft, Ian has really covered all the bases. After 35 years of sailing I feel like a kid again!!! Steve, Kim, Zachary and Sandy Schulz, F-27 Serafin, S. California, USA

All Farrier multihulls are designed as easily handled, roomy and safe family cruisers, that are fun to sail. They also just happen to be fast, which comes as a no cost extra. It’s even possible to tow a waterskier under sail on some models!

Actually these boats sail back wards really well. We were on a charity race with a couple of mono cruisers, we would get ahead and turn back to meet them when my step son asked if the boat would sail backwards – so I pushed out the main, backwinded the genoa and had him steer and we passed the mono cruisers going backwards. Not much wind but it was fun Rod Tharp, F-9A and now building F-32AX, Olympia, WA, USA

The ‘ease of performance’ is most notable, this being the option to go fast effortlessly, while still maintaining comfort and a feeling of security for the crew. Cruising range is greatly increased making many previously out of reach anchorages a reality.

High averages can be effortlessly maintained, and this was well demonstrated by two F-27s averaging an incredible 17.9 and 18.2 knots for the 44 mile course in the 1993 Miami – Key Largo race, while blitzing the fleet. Not everyone wants to go this fast, but it is easier to slow a fast boat down, for ultra-safe effortless cruising, than trying to make a slow boat go fast.

Helm is always light and responsive at any speed, while tacking is dinghy-like. Even continuous 360 degree turns are possible with trimarans, helm hard over, without touching the sails.

The lack of sailing vices makes any Farrier multihull very suitable for shorthanded sailing with just one or two. There is never a need for a large crew just to keep things upright and under control. They are thus a great practical cruising boat for the family, perfect for the idyllic sail, with a visit to that distant secluded beach for lunch, and trailerables can be safely back on the trailer before nightfall, all with minimal effort.

FARRIER FOLDING SYSTEM™

One key to the success of Farrier trimarans is the easy trailerability made possible by the unique Farrier Folding System ™.

The Farrier system is the most structurally sound trimaran folding system available, with no hinges in the beams or the critical beam to float join, while corrosion prone wires are never used in structurally critical areas. Overall beam can be varied in seconds, by just one person, anywhere.

After 33 years of use world wide the Farrier System is well proven, the most successful folding system, and used by more trimarans than anything else. So to be safe, be sure to insist on the genuine twin strut ‘Farrier Folding System’™. It is significantly different from all the rest, and the many advantages can be summarized as follows:

• Folds for road legal trailering in minutes without any heavy assembly being required.
• The twin strut folding system gives absolute control over movement
• No need for water to support floats while folding – the twin struts make it easy to fold anywhere
• The correct folding strut geometry means folding can be done by one person, anywhere.
• Twin struts mean the float will not fall on the ground if folding out of the water on a trailer
• Absolutely no weak hinge points in the actual beams, with the highly stressed beam to float join being solid
• Absolutely no sliding parts that can bind or jam
• Corrosion prone wires are not used in structurally critical areas where sudden failure could threaten the boat
• The structurally critical lower struts are solid Aluminum 6061 T6 bar, with absolutely no butt welds.
• Custom made reinforced acetal (plastic) bushes insulate aluminum struts from stainless steel pivot pins
• There is no reliance on the rig for structural support should float reverse loading occur
• Beams are structurally sound no matter how loaded, including even after a capsize
• Proven track record, with 33 years development, six Atlantic crossings and race records/wins world wide.
• Now used by over 3000 boats world wide

Ian Farrier

Ian Farrier first started sailing multihulls virtually by accident, being a twenty year old New Zealand engineering student and monohull sailor, looking for a keelboat to do some offshore cruising.

Nothing suitable was available, but then an unfinished 30’ trimaran was advertised, and was purchased after some research. After two years of hard work and rebuilding, his first multihull was launched in 1969.

It was not a perfect multihull, but it was reasonably fast and forgiving. It was also good enough to sail single-handed from his home town Christchurch to Auckland, surviving two mid-winter ‘roaring-forties’ storms on the way. However, some design limitations were apparent, and confidence was lacking for a long ocean voyage, so he jumped ship to a 38’ keelboat bound for Tonga. The contrast in comfort, handling and safety aspects observed during this trip convinced him that a well designed multihull was the way to go.

In 1972 he arrived in Brisbane, Australia, where the growing popularity of the monohull trailer sailer was noted while crewing on a local trimaran. A trailerable trimaran appeared to have many advantages over trailerable monohulls, so he decided to look at what could be done. The Farrier Folding System™ was then invented, patented, and the prototype Trailertri 18 was built and launched in 1974. It worked beautifully and he then built five more Trailertris of various sizes, while trying out many different configurations. Over this period the folding trailerable trimaran slowly began to establish itself as a practical and exciting option, to eventually become one of the fastest growing segments of sailing.

In 1984 Ian and his family moved to Chula Vista (San Diego), where financial backing had been found to set up Corsair Marine. He then designed the F-27, built the prototype, and developed and established Corsair’s full production system and quality controls. With 100 boats being produced every year, and an excellent reputation established, it was time to concentrate on new designs, so he resigned from Corsair in 1991, and moved to Bellevue (Seattle). Corsair was subsequently licensed to build the F-24, F-28 and F-31 designs, in a productive ongoing relationship, though rocky at times, with varying ownership/management at Corsair.

Ian ended all relationship with Corsair in December 2000, finding himself once again working on his own as Farrier Marine, Inc., and concentrating on new projects via other avenues. In 2017, he sold Farrier to Daedalus International.

Sadly, Ian Farrier passed away suddenly in early December 2017. He is survived by wife Alicia and sons Michael and Steven. The multihull world is reeling from Ian’s loss and we are grateful for the hundreds of kind messages of support we have received. The Farrier brand continues as Ian would have wanted in our Christchurch factory. A small team of F-Boat enthusiasts will work to ensure the F-Boat sails well into the future.

Lunada Design

Creative boats for home builders, category archives: folding trimarans, back bay sit on top kayak, a modular system approach to sot kayak sailing, paddling  and mirage drive propulsion.

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

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

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

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

THE BACK BAY SOT KAYAK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOUBLOON SAILING SOT

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

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

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

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

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

Chris Ostlind

Lunada design Chris@wedgesail.com.