modern trimaran design

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2024 Boat of the Year Best Trimaran: Dragonfly 40 Ultimate

• By Dave Reed
• December 20, 2023

“Classy.” That was the first word that came to mind for Boat of the Year judge Mike Ingham when he stepped aboard the formidable 40-foot trimaran from Dragonfly, an unexpected and welcome late entry to the competition in Annapolis. “It almost feels as if the boat is intentionally understated but overdelivered because once you start looking closer at the details and craftsmanship, it just keeps getting more impressive.”

Builder and company owner Jens Quorning, whose family has been building trimarans in southern Denmark since 1967, says the Dragonfly 40 is the biggest boat they now build and a worthy holder of the flagship title. “Building a boat of this scale is complicated,” he says of the folding trimaran. “It takes three years to develop a new design, and this is for owners looking for a bigger boat, with better performance, capable of more long-distance sailing.”

The result is a powerful trimaran aimed at experienced owners who appreciate the sheer pleasure of racing and cruising on three hulls. This is not your average production multihull. It is a powerful and luxurious sailing machine capable of knocking off fast miles in comfort. Slip down below and you’re immediately immersed in a master class of woodwork and joinery. There are berths for four, including a giant master under the cockpit, plenty of standing headroom, and a comfortable salon and galley arrangement that’s monohull-cozy. “We do not offer a big house on the water,” Quorning tells the judges. “But if you really want a fine and elegant yacht with double-digit sailing, this is what we do.”

For our tests, Dragonfly presented its Ultimate edition, the midrange version. An upscaled Performance model is an all-carbon version with a taller mast. And in the lightest wind of the week, sub-10 knots, the trimaran teased the judges with its potential. Still, in the light stuff, the boat delivered a winning experience.

“It was a dream to sail upwind and downwind, almost effortlessly,” Ingham says. “With the gennaker up, at about 100 degrees true, we were going faster than the wind, and with winch pods on each side of the steering wheel, everything was as ergonomic as you could possibly imagine. The electric winches made it a cinch to furl and unfurl the headsails through the tacks and jibes, and the sails trimmed in perfectly every time.”

The feather-light feel of the helm, Ingham adds, was as smooth as a balanced dinghy. “With tiny movements on the wheel, the boat would immediately respond, but I could also walk away from the helm for a few minutes and the boat would stay right on track. Crazy—I think it steered itself better than I did.”

That’s the trait of a good trimaran, Greg Stewart says. The Dragonfly 40 has a lot of buoyancy in the bows, and while the center hull is substantial, the tall trussed rig and square top mainsail provide plenty of power. “The biggest thing that struck me is how easily accessible everything is,” Stewart says. “Clearly, every detail is painstakingly thought out, and I can’t believe how beautifully built the interior is. It’s top-notch, from the glasswork to the paintwork inside and out. Down below, we were all blown away by the finish.”

There’s no denying the boat is expensive at upward of $1 million, but the test boat had quality race sails, a full electric-winch package, and a long list of high-spec extras. At nearly 15,000 pounds light, it’s a substantial boat—not trailerable, but foldable with Dragonfly’s trademark technique that Corning describes as mimicking parallel rules. The floats are 2 feet longer than the center hull, with buoyancy pushed well forward into the reversed bows, and the center hull is narrow at the waterline before sweeping upward to a high and hard chine. This pronounced hull shape allows for the generous amount of headroom, and high bench seats that flank a long centerline table, which can, of course, drop down to create a double-size berth.

Allen noted that the center hull’s wide side decks provide a secure pathway to the bow, rather than across the trampolines. He was also impressed with the ease of sailing the boat and the comfort belowdecks. “When we were doing 9 knots, I went below and there was silence. It’s comfortable and beautiful. It would be a blast to do some long point-to-point racing on it, doublehanded or with like a crew of four, max.”

Stewart agreed, adding that beyond its noteworthy gunkholing attributes, the engine is well aft on the center hull, allowing it to be motored safely into shallow anchorages. The daggerboard is mechanically raised into the trunk, and the rudder kicks up. “I also think it would be great for a distance race or rally type of event,” Stewart says. “Its performance and versatility are what appeal to me, but the build quality is what really sets it apart.”

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Where does the base for most new design work come from?

A reader recently asked, "Are there any rules or formula to follow when starting a new boat design or are they created more by eye and experience? If the former, can you briefly explain what they cover and historically where they came from?"

This is an interesting question but one that could fill several volumes if answered in detail! However, Here is an abridged overview of the situation and where we came from. First, let's take a brief look at the historical base of modern naval architecture.

Ships and boats have been around for LONG time. Their design was then indeed one of eye and limited experience. But a few thinking people tried to learn the effects of various changes in hull shape through model testing—and a couple of famous names come to mind.

Around 1500, Leonardo di Vinci reportedly made 3 models and tested them, while one of the first known Americans was Benjamin Franklin in 1764. But it was a William Froude in England who was the first to discover a way to correctly upscale the model data for full size craft. He was born 200 years ago, on November 28th 1810.

Froude's initial involvement with ships was to study dynamic stability but then he got a commission to try and create more efficient hull shapes. The Admiralty funded the first test tank in his home town of Torquay, UK (1872) and he was soon testing models and devising a way to compare them with the full scale ship—now known as his Law of Comparison and involved the now famous 'Froude Number' or Fn.

In its dimensional form, Fn is also known as the Speed/Length Ratio and is equal to Velocity (in knots), divided by the square root of the Waterline Length (in feet). It's really worth remembering this ratio, as it enables floating boats of vastly different sizes to be compared, as far as many of their characteristics are concerned.

Between 1868 and 1874, Froude went on to test all sorts of hulls and the first 'bible' on ship design was written based on many of his discoveries. Although more recent tests throughout the USA, Europe and now even Asia, have further refined the data, Froude's principles have basically remained intact.

He created numerous Coefficients as ways to compare different shapes and tested displacement forms with varying proportions and ratios. He also did a series of tests on flat planing surfaces with steps in them, spurred by ideas from a Rev. Ramus. He also discovered that hull resistance was primarily made up of two components that varied independently from each other… namely frictional resistance and wave-making resistance and devised ways to calculate each from model tests. For the former, he did an extensive series of tests with surfaces of different types to establish frictional coefficients that are still considered valid today.

Around 1886, a man named D.W. Taylor, a graduate from the US naval academy, went to England to study at the Royal Naval College and learned of Froude's work.

Once back in the US, he had Washington build an even larger test tank (1900) and then conducted a more extensive series of tests with an updated ship form, now known by naval architects world wide as the Taylor Series .

Later, a systematic series for classic planing hulls were conducted in England and called the Series 62 and these covered a fairly wide range of lengths and breadths.

In 1900, there were only 5 known model test tanks in the world. But there are now over 100, so many other Test Series have followed, and each provides a wealth of information for naval architects worldwide, as to what effect various proportions have on resistance, dynamic stability and sea kindliness.

One of the first test series to interest multihull designers was one presented by E.P. Clement in 1961, covering the test results for planing catamaran hulls . Although there is no time or space to discuss any of these tests here, many of them are now available on the web.

As far as modern multihulls are concerned, perhaps no one has used model test data more extensively than the renowned UK designer John Shuttleworth, and his early trimaran Brittany Ferries GB once held the cross-Atlantic record.

Editors note: See Interview with John Shuttleworth in this INTERVIEW section, also available via the HOMEPAGE.

Formulae and Coefficients

As noted above, the Froude Speed/Length ratio is very significant in boat design. Most descriptions and findings re hull resistance are directly related to it. For example it has been shown that a displacement hull creates a wave equal to its length at a S/L ratio of 1.34 and at that point, there's such a hump in the resistant curve that most ships cannot exceed it without a change in shape. Creating a flat planing surface, to give lift and effectively extend the boat's length through a flat wake aft, typically does this, but this can only be achieved with enough continuous power, something a sailboat cannot guarantee.

Other Coefficients of interest to the multihull designer are dimensional ones like the slenderness ration L/b, or the Prismatic Coefficient, (the volume of displacement divided by the product of maximum underwater cross-sectional area × L), which allows a designer to assess and compare the fullness of the boat ends. There are also basic ones like Length to Beam, Sail Area to Displacement and many other useful ways to compare one design with another, for performance, stability and sail balance. But these coefficients and ratios only serve to establish guidelines when designing by comparison and a lot of experience needs to be added-in to adjust these in the right way, as the purpose and size of any new design is considered.

Working from a series of controlled model tests could certainly help create better designs , but sadly, model testing has become very expensive and too few multihull designers avail themselves of the services.

Although a number of very interesting and revealing test series have been conducted in the last 20 years, few of them are out in the public domain. This means, that most multihull designers are tweaking older designs little by little, to hopefully arrive at something better.

It's been a safe way to go, and has produced some really high performing craft, but there is always the possibility that some aspects have been overlooked or that changes are canceling each other out and only very controlled tests can help to identify such issues.

Ships, by comparison, are almost always developed after reference to model tank tests—either through specific ones, or to the standard test series that now exist and are readily available. Even small boat designers could learn more from examining these tests, as through the power of the Speed/Length ratio, data can be readily downsized and anyway, most test models are just 10-20 feet long!!

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Professional BoatBuilder Magazine

Folding multihulls.

By John Marples , Jan 28, 2023

Folding multihulls and their beam-reduction strategies.

A Farrier 33R trimaran with amas folded and secured on a road-legal trailer exem- plifies the advantages of adjustable- beam multihulls, which are easy to trans- port and store out of the water.

“I’ll be surprised if you can find space in the harbor for that thing,” I heard him say as my new 37 ‘ (11.3m) trimaran was about to be launched. I hadn’t given it much thought, but now this legitimate question was raised, and where to moor was the next issue at hand. Space, particularly width of a slip, becomes the limiting requirement. But then, space also is one of the attractive features of multihulls—deck space to move around on, free from the confines of the cockpit.

Step aboard any multihull and it is obvious how much real estate they offer. Even small models seem expansive. The beam of the typical catamaran is half its length, and trimarans are even wider, sometimes as wide as they are long. Aside from increasing space, beam also boosts stability without adding ballast. The early Pacific Islanders created these form-stable craft for fishing and interisland commerce and voyaging where natural island harbors were few, so the boats had to be light enough for crew to carry them up the beach. Today’s modern multihulls are still lighter than contemporary monohulls, but the larger ones preclude the option of dry sailing them from the beach. They require more marina space than monohulls, and the limited number of slips to accommodate them can be a problem. As someone once put to me, “Multihulls have a poor ‘stacking factor.’”

With catamarans and trimarans becoming more popular, they demand mooring solutions. Some marinas offer shallow-water slips to multihulls, typically at the inboard ends of docks, next to the seawall, because multihulls either have shallow keels or retractable boards. Some marinas also designate the end ties as multihull slips in areas not used for transients. Even though these boats protrude farther into the channel than monohulls, the extra space their beam occupies is relatively small. With multihulls crowding waiting lists for marina slips, builders were prompted to consider folding systems to “improve their stacking factor.”

Without ballast, smaller multihulls up to about 30 ‘ (9.1m) can be dry-stored on a trailer, and most launch ramps easily accommodate over-width boats. If the boat’s beam can be reduced to the legal highway width of 8.5 ‘ (2.6m), the owner can store the boat at home. Today, folding trimarans and catamarans are common sights on trailers in storage yards and backyards. Various folding systems have evolved to support this need, especially for the backyard builder. Some beam-reduction systems allow the boats to be folded and stored in the water in conventional-size marina slips, while other systems facilitate efficient storage or provide street-legal trailering.

Folding Systems

Basic folding systems are separated into several categories:

• take-apart akas, the simplest beam-reduction method
• telescoping akas (sliding beams)
• simple horizontal hinge
• complex horizontal hinge systems
• vertical hinges (swing wing)
• complex swing wing

The following overview of folding systems illustrates how these mechanisms work. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of available folding designs. I’ll address two-hull boats (catamarans and proas) first, followed by trimarans. Each type has its challenges and advantages. All are separated into two more categories: transportable boats and trailerable boats. The characteristic distinguishing between them is the time and effort required to launch, starting from an on-the-trailer folded condition. Trailerable implies the possibility of daily launching, requiring less than an hour from trailering to sailing. Transportable denotes a road-legal trailer package but with a longer assembly time to sail away. It might even take more than one trailer load, and considerable assembly time. Legal width in this category could extend to 10 ‘ (3m) wide if OVERSIZE LOAD signs are used (consult local laws). Transportable boats usually require seasonal transport with storage in the water during sailing season and dry storage in the winter. Both categories benefit from the ability to “go to weather at 65 mph” to reach any suitable launching site, even hundreds of miles from home. This opens the possible sailing venue to any water body with a launch ramp and road access, and some trailerable and transportable boats can be delivered anywhere in the world in standard shipping containers.

Catamarans and Proas

The WindRider 17′ trima- ran’s telescoping tubular akas are secured with pins

Hobie Cats and other beach cats are familiar sights around lakes, beaches, and harbors. They are usually built to 8 ‘ (2.4m) beam and do not need folding systems. The 19 ‘ (5.8m) Tornado class catamaran at 10 ‘ wide uses a side tilt-up trailer to reduce beam. Larger catamarans needing folding systems have greater challenges than trimarans of the same length, for a few reasons: The hulls are normally bigger (and heavier) than amas for the same length trimaran; the mast is stepped on the center of an aka, midway between the hulls, which means the aka must be extra strong; and there is no easy means of supporting the hulls while the beam is being expanded to the sailing position, requiring that the trailer have an expanding-beam function. As a result, folding systems are less common on cats and are usually of three types:

• folding akas along the centerline or to a center pod
• telescoping akas
• take-apart akas

On this Wharram cat, the akas are securely lashed into “deck alleys.”

Designers have used telescoping akas, but production boats generally avoid the associated complexity and cost. The mechanically straightforward take-apart feature has successfully been used by many boats, like the 27 ‘ (8.2m) Stiletto Cat and others. Generally, the assembly of these boats takes some time and muscle, which relegates them to the transportable category. Stiletto Cat advertising suggests a four-hour setup time, but in reality, it is much longer. All the James Wharram–designed catamarans up to 63 ‘ (19.2m) are held together with rope lashings and can be dismantled for transport. The required time and effort are generally proportional to the length of the boat.

Note that the Gougeon 32 ‘ (9.7m) sailing catamaran is unique, at 8 ‘ wide, without folding capability but with a water ballast system to make up for the lack of form stability.

The large main hull of a typical smaller trimaran offers a larger interior space than a comparably sized catama ran, a deep footwell in the cockpit for comfortable seating, and a folding system for trailering with the amas connected to a well-supported main hull. In addition, the mast is stepped on the main hull, with the headstay attached to the bow, not to the akas.

Trailerable trimarans come in all sizes to about 32 ‘ long, with transportable designs somewhat longer. The latter types tend to have larger interior spaces and less complex connectives. To a certain extent, manufacturers were willing to add cost to the folding system to reduce setup time. Folding capability on or off the water also adds to the design challenges.

Take-Apart Aka Systems

This is the least expensive method and easiest to achieve for the home builder or the manufacturer. The akas may be built-up wood box beams or tubular metal. Each beam is secured to the hulls by through-bolts, bolted straps, plug-in sockets, or lashings. Tubular aluminum beams are the lightest but most expensive. Regardless of attachment method, the hulls must be supported in their respective positions for the akas to be installed. In small vessels, this can be an abbreviated procedure, but larger vessels will require a special trailer to hold the disconnected amas while on the road.

The Chesapeake Light Craft 15′ single outrigger canoe akas lash into saddles on both hulls.

Telescoping Aka Systems

The telescoping option is limited to boats where the total stack-up width and length dimensions of the hulls and fully retracted akas do not exceed the legal road limits. The WindRider 17 is a good example. The boat is supported on “high bars” on the trailer, leaving the amas free to be moved in or out. The simplicity of the akas and trailer-support system reduces cost and launching time.

In larger vessels, this system has been applied to reduce width for storage in marina slips. For these boats, the sliding system is large and complex, usually requiring some sort of power to make the telescope slide. Because the sliding mechanism requires a small clearance between the sliding members, the akas will move slightly during sailing, which is difficult to avoid.

The 1970s-vintage Telstar 26 features a simple hinge-down system with a bolted con- nection on deck and a bolted strut below.

Simple Horizontal Hinge Systems

Early trailerable trimaran designs often incorporated a simple hinged beam-reduction system to fold both sides down. Boats to about 25 ‘ (7.6m) with a 16 ‘ (4.9m) beam could be made to fold to 8 ‘ . At the ama end, lifting the hull, sometimes with attached wing deck, could require substantial muscle or a mechanical lift. Even for smaller boats this task may be beyond one person’s capability. Normally, bolts and plates between the members secure the hull for sailing. On the Searunner 25 and Constant Camber 26 (7.9m), double-hinged tubes are bolted to tangs on the main hull.

The Searunner 25 trimaran has a hinge mechanism on its metal-tube A-frame akas that secures with bolts at both ends.

Commonly, simple hinge systems require that the main hull be positioned rather high on the trailer so the amas clear the trailer wheels beneath. A disadvantage is that the trailer must be submerged more deeply than usual for the boat to float off. Compared to the Telstar system, the Searunner 25 offered some improvement by positioning the hinge point at the top of the cabinside, raising the folded ama slightly.

Complex Aka Hinge Systems

A complex system for folding multihulls, much like a garage door lift linkage, was developed and patented by Ian Farrier for his trailerable trimaran designs. It allows one person to fold or unfold the boat while it’s afloat. Before launching, the mast is stepped and secured with lower stays. Note that folded storage in the water for long periods is not practical because the immersed ama’s topsides will gather marine fouling. In addition, the arrangement of the support linkage arms has a very shallow angle with the aka, causing them to be highly stressed, which adds significant weight and cost.

Unfolding it requires help from friends.

A complex folding system I developed has only four attachment bolts and a wide-angle strut brace. It is very light but requires folding prior to launching. It relies on a simple roller dolly on a beam attached to the trailer to support the ama during folding and unfolding.

Swing-Wing Systems

In-water storage of folding trimarans is generally limited to swing-wing designs, where the hulls all float on their respective waterlines, either folded or unfolded. Many variations have been used in production boats, and among the most successful is the Quorning-designed Dragonfly. It has hinged arms supported by a “waterstay”— a diagonal cable under the arm to counteract cantilever aka loads. The outer end of the arm, on the ama deck, pivots on a single pin. The waterstay becomes slack when the boat is folded, leaving only the hinge to support the ama in the folded configuration. I’ve seen one folded boat that was damaged while moored at the dock in strong harbor waves when the ama climbed onto the dock. Swing-wing designs stored in the water must provide strong vertical support for the ama in the folded condition

A swing-wing aka system on the Borg Quorning–designed Dragonfly 32 is further supported by a waterstay when rigged for sailing. The akas can be adjusted in and out while in the water and for storage at the dock.

The main challenge of the swing-wing system is to get all the pivot axes parallel because they must rotate about 90° without binding. If there is any depth to the structure, this accuracy is critical, as the pins or pivot axles could be quite long, so even a small inaccuracy will make the system difficult to assemble, let alone pivot smoothly.

Folding Multihulls with Flat Swing-Wing Akas

The most basic swing-wing system is the flat aka configuration developed by Jim Brown. He avoided the need for perfect parallel alignment of all hinge axes because the beams are not very thick, and the pivot-pin holes can have additional clearance. For the swing system to operate without binding, spacing of the pivot points must be identical on all the swing arms. The system’s downside is strength, because the aka must support all the heeling loads in a relatively narrow beam. For some boats, a waterstay may need to be added to increase cantilever strength and reduce deflections when sailing.

The Seaclipper 16 flat swing- wing akas are made from common dimensional lumber and pivot using steel bolts.

A logical improvement in strength for swing arms is to add a truss, with triangulated strength that will easily bear all the heeling loads from the ama. Here again, it is essential that pivot axes be in perfect alignment to avoid binding. To my eye, open trusses in sleek yachts are never beautiful, but they offer higher strength for lower weight.

Complex Swing-Wing Systems

If the akas are not flat along their full length, it is more difficult to achieve a smoothly pivoting system. My latest boat, Syzygy (pronounced, sis-a-gee), is a case in point. Flat akas offer little variation in styling—flat is flat. To add underwing clearance and more attractive aesthetics, many designers favor the arched aka. This configuration allows the aka to approach the ama hull from above and connect through the deck for more usable immersion of the ama buoyancy, and to keep the aka above the wavetops.

This system has arched akas with an upward angle (dihedral) as they extend from the main hull and descend with a smooth curve onto the ama deck. The pivot axis must also be inclined, normal to the surface, to allow it to pivot. To make life simple, the vertical centerline of the ama is inclined inboard at the top by the same amount, which aligns all the pivot axes with the ama vertical centerline. If the beam is level fore-and-aft, when the ama is folded inboard, it is positioned rather low, due to the arch. To compensate, the akas must be given a negative angle of attack to make the folded ama arrive in the same position as a simple flat aka system. It’s a good challenge for any boatbuilder to get it right and a good use of a digital level. The angles in Syzygy were 8° dihedral, and a nega tive 5° angle of attack. The aka pivot surfaces must be perfectly parallel on both ends—at the inboard aka pivots and the ama deck pivot tables.

Jan Gougeon designed and built strings, a 40′ swing-wing catamaran with carbon- tubular-truss swing akas built over foam mandrels.

A late iteration of the Telstar 26 became the Telstar 28 with a vertical-axis swing-wing system. This production boat is no longer manufactured but was unique for its faired wing and attempt to hide the folding system from view. It also featured an electric linear drive to fold/unfold the heavy akas.

For transporting folding multihulls on the highway, road trailers must have some specific attributes to properly support the hulls. Most models use transverse cradle supports under the hull at major interior bulkhead positions. It is important to install bow guides on the trailer to get the hull to settle in exactly the right place when retrieved from the water. Rollers beneath the hull are not recommended, as they tend to distort it and potentially cause damage. The amas require enough support so the folding mechanism is not carrying the load when being towed.

For swing-wing boats, there is a significant change in the center of gravity between folded to unfolded configurations. Normally, the amas swing back when folded and swing forward for the sailing position. If the trailer has the proper tongue weight for towing on the hitch with the boat folded, the weight will increase when unfolded. For trailers with telescoping tongues, tongue design must accomodate that weight; otherwise, the extended tongue may bend severely during launching or retrieval.

Homebuilt wooden trailers are popular for these specialized boats, and some designers provide plans for them. Without much metal in them, they will probably float, which sometimes leads to difficulty at launching. Adding some steel channel to the bunks can solve that. However, floating is not an undesirable feature if a trailer floats level but is submerged enough to maneuver the hull into the bunks, and the hull settles into the right place automatically. Floating trailers also never run off the end of the ramp.

Conclusions

There’s truth in the humorous claim that “the new family yacht has to look good behind your SUV.” But while many of the latest small boats are daysailers, folding multihulls have expanded the trailerable and transportable boat size to include those with weekend cruising capability, up to about 32 ‘ . As we’ve seen, those essential folding or retraction mechanisms are not simple and must be carefully designed and engineered, even by the home builder. But for owners of these boats, seasonal storage and slip availability are no longer problems. And the overall reduction in total cost can bring owning a boat within reach for many more people. What’s not to like about that?

About the Author: John Marples has designed, built, and rigged many sail- ing vessels. His portfolio includes doz- ens of wood-epoxy composite sailing and power multihulls to 110′ (33.5m). He operates Marples Marine , a multihull design and engineering firm in Penobscot, Maine

Dieter Loibner | Professional BoatBuilder Magazine

Nomenclature

Multihull designers have developed some useful, specific names for components, mostly derived from the Pacific Islander language.

Aka (ah-kah) refers to the crossbeam structure of any multihull. Designers used to call them “cross-beams,” but writing that on hand-drawn plans took up too much space and time, so this shorter Polynesian name became the standard.

Ama (ah-mah) is the Polynesian name for the outer hull of a trimaran or proa. They were formerly named “floats” or “outer hulls” (never pontoons), but again, ama is shorter.

Vaka (vah-kah) is the Polynesian name for the main (largest) hull of a trimaran or proa. Since it can be confused with the other names and is not very descriptive, most designers have opted for the term main hull.

Waterstay is a diagonal stay, metal or synthetic rope, below the aka, between the main hull near the waterline and aka near its outboard end. This stay counteracts the upward load from ama buoyancy when the ama is immersed.

—John Marples

The Crossbeam (Aka) Structure 

T he essential function of any crossbeam (aka) system on a multihull is to structurally connect the hulls in a way that resists all the forces generated when sailing. Heeling forces from lift on the sails must be transferred to the leeward hull by the aka structure. The forces on the akas are complex, composed of cantilever bending due to heeling loads, twisting of the structural platform, and horizontal bending caused by drag from the ama’s forward motion through the water. The heeling force, resisted by the buoyancy of the ama, pushes up, causing cantilever bending loads in the akas similar to the forces on an airplane wing. Torsion is created when the sails’ lift pushes the leeward ama bow down, while the shrouds supporting the mast pull the weather-side ama stern up. Drag from the leeward ama tries to bend the akas toward the stern, and forces from the windward shroud tend to pull the aka forward as well as up. These forces all act together at the attachment points on the hulls. In most cases, torsion is resisted by the tubular hull and cabin structure itself. Heeling is countered by the cantilever strength of the aka beams and is sometimes strengthened by diagonal waterstay cables beneath. Drag forces can be resolved by the fore-and-aft strength of the akas or by adding diagonal cables between the akas. Each folding system must accommodate these loads through all the pivoting components in the structure.

Of key interest in aka design are the loads imposed on the ama hulls by the seaway when sailing to windward. These hulls are subject to significant loads on the outboard sides. The windward ama is pummeled by wavetops, and the leeward ama is pushed sideways due to leeway. Since the aka system is characteristically attached through the ama deck, these forces are trying to rotate the ama keel inboard, toward the main hull, in either case. The same is true for catamarans, concerning the aka loads where they emerge at the hull inboard sides. These loads can be calculated to estimate the strength required for any configuration and should be part of the design’s stress analysis. If centerboards or daggerboards are located in the amas, those rotating forces are significantly increased.

Of further interest in swing-wing designs is the clearance between pins and brackets in vertical pivot mechanisms. When sailing, the forces at the hinge pins can change from positive to negative repetitively, creating noise and wear. The wear will eventually elongate the holes, reduce pin diameter, and become a maintenance problem. Designs like the flat wing can be tightened to eliminate movement, which will eliminate wear. Amas with waterstays tend to put the akas in compression and stop the vertical deflection that would be normally carried through the hinge pins. In that case, the pins would be loaded in only one direction and not be subject to cyclic ± loads. —J.M.

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New catamarans: 2021’s most exciting launches

• April 7, 2021

Fast cruising is the theme this year, say Toby Hodges and Sam Fortescue, who look at some of 2021's exciting new multihull launches

2021 looks set to be a bumper year for new catamarans as the trend for fast cruising yachts, which deliver plenty if living space continues. This year there are set to be several new catamarans on the market, here’s our selection of those about which we are most excited.

A group of wild enthusiasts in the landlocked Czech Republic are the force behind the new IC36 from Independent Catamaran. The debut model is a fully race-tuned cat that aims to appeal to speed freaks as well as performance cruisers. Oh, and it unbolts to fit inside a shipping container or on a trailer!

Perhaps closer in design terms to the Extreme 40 than a traditional cat, the IC36 has super narrow hulls, high displacement bows and an optional rotating carbon rig with composite stays.

A sporty-looking carbon beam braces the bows and doubles as a bowsprit for asymmetric sails. Deep daggerboards help windward performance, and there’s a racy dual carbon tiller providing direct rudder control.

“The first time I saw it, I just felt like it was from one of Jules Verne’s adventures,” says co-founder Jaromír Popek.

The boat has been optimised for electric propulsion with twin 6kW Oceanvolt saildrives and up to 15kWh of lithium-ion batteries giving a range of a couple of hours. Powerful hydrogeneration under sail keeps batteries topped up. For longer spells at anchor , there is also a decent 1.15kW array of Solbian solar panel s which folds away when not required.

As much fun as this boat should be to sail in its Raw racing variant, it is also available with more creature comforts.

The Pacer model has a coachroof, cockpit tent, more storage and cooking and freshwater systems. It can accommodate a reported eight people in the hulls, with a fridge and two-burner hob to port and a shower/heads to starboard. Or you can opt for a fridge and hob in the folding cockpit table.

Construction is in epoxy-glass composite with local Kevlar reinforcement and foam core, helping to keep weight down to less than 3 tonnes (key for trailering). And there are three buoyancy chambers in each hull, which underpin the claim that the boat is unsinkable.

For all the variants, the light weight and high-performance rig means you can sail in a breath of wind. In a blow, the sky should be the limit. Expect reaching speeds of 20 knots plus, particularly if you take the high-modulus carbon wing mast from Pauger.

Specifications:

LOA: 11.00m / 36ft 1in Beam: 6.20m / 20ft 4in Draught: 0.85-2.00m / 2ft 9in-6ft 7in Displacement (light): 2,500kg / 5,512lb Price ex VAT: €295,000 (for RAW) Builder: www.independentcatamaran.com

This new launch from the world’s number one catamaran brand is the largest in the range of ‘regular’ boats, before entering the more luxurious world of the Lagoon 65.

It has been drawn by VPLP and Patrick le Quement, whose design nous has done much to make cats more mainstream. Many of the features, therefore, will be familiar from the smaller boats.

However, that extra length creates more volume below, so the Lagoon 55 can be arranged with up to six true double cabins with ensuite heads. “It’s the first time we have six cabins of the same size and function and a larger flybridge,” explains products developments manager Martina Torrini during a premiere virtual tour of the first model to launch in March.

Another first is the curving steps up from the transom skirt to the aft deck, dubbed ‘the stairway to heaven’. “The surfaces of the transom can be used differently,” adds Torrini. “Not just a way to access the boat, they become in themselves a living area.” This feature extends the size of the cockpit to 25m2, and even offers a plancha grill.

There’s more social space on the huge flybridge (with fridge and bar) and a movable sunpad on the forward part of the coachroof. The boat also features Lagoon’s first ever dedicated forward cockpit, connected to the saloon by a drop-down window.

A 107m2 fat-head main provides grunt, but is coupled with a self-tacking jib. As with all Lagoons, the emphasis is on comfort and ease of use rather than speed and windward pointing ability.

LOA: 16.56m / 54ft 4in Beam: 9.00m / 29ft 6in Draught: 1.55m / 5ft 1in Displacement: 26,500kg / 58,433lb Price: €tbc Builder: www.cata-lagoon.com

Fountaine Pajot Samana 59

Replacing the five-year-old Ipanema 58, this luxurious 59-footer integrates many of the new design features of the 45, which boasted longer, wider hulls that nevertheless showed 10% less drag. Chief among the new attractions is an enlarged cockpit, forward lounge and flybridge, for more socialising space.

“We wanted to emphasise her identity by optimising her interior and exterior spaces to make this 59ft catamaran the equivalent of a larger yacht,” explains designer Olivier Racoupeau.

“Whether it’s the flybridge, the cockpit or the saloon, we’ve worked hard to find harmony between all the living spaces on board, to gain every millimetre inside and outside.”

There’s a door forward out of the saloon, and the option of a hydraulic bathing platform, which doubles up for tender storage. Up to six cabins are offered, and the rare option of putting the galley up in the saloon or down to port. Hull number one is joining the World ARC .

Meanwhile, a new 51 is tipped for launch in 2022, which will focus on sustainability and have 2kW of flush solar panels built into the flybridge.

LOA: 18.21m / 59ft 9in Beam: 9.46m / 31ft 1in Draught: 1.40m / 4ft 7in Displacement: 25,500kg / 56,217lb Price ex VAT: €1,302,900 Builder: www.catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com

The new 42 replaces the Leopard 40, and it draws on the latest design thinking from the larger boats in the range. Like the award-winning Leopard 50, it has continuous hull windows, a hardtop, and contrasting coachroof accents. But it also goes further, with plumb bows and long horizontal chines.

That lounging space on the coachroof adds 65% to the exterior entertainment area. “By integrating the geometry of the lounge into the GRP hardtop, we were able to achieve a lightweight area that added less weight to the boat than one average sized crewmember,” explains Michael Robertson, chief designer at builder Robertson & Caine. It has been cleverly engineered so as not to steal headroom from the cockpit.

In contrast to many modern cats, the Leopard 42 makes a virtue of the separate cockpit and saloon, whose seating is focused on the forward galley. There is lots of glazing and a full-height door out onto the foredeck. Every cabin has a third more floor space and twice the glazed area of the old Leopard 40. Each has an island berth and its own heads with shower.

But it’s not all about space. “Performance potential remains one of the top priorities,” says naval architect Alex Simonis of Simonis-Voogd Yacht Design. “We spend a lot of time refining the rig geometry and the sail layout to boost the efficiency of the rig plan. At the same time, the ongoing refinement in hull and appendage design allows us to create a yacht with better sea motion and more agility.

LOA: 12.67m 41ft 7in Beam: 7.04m 23ft 1in Draught: 1.40m 4ft 7in Displacement: 12,460kg 27,469lb Price ex VAT: €399,000 Builder: www.leopardcatamarans.com

The new entry-level yacht from France’s Neel Trimarans is designed to bring the world of three hulls to a new clientele.

Building on the success of the larger Neel 47 and Neel 51, the 43 takes the fight to the catamaran, with a big superstructure that includes two double cabins as well as a galley and saloon.

There’s a further double cabin forward in the central nacelle, and cosy singles in either bow. A sliding door and window allows the saloon and the cockpit seating areas to be socially connected, although they remain two very different spaces.

The bulkhead helmstation to starboard has commanding views out over the huge coachroof. From the drawings, this appears to allow a tight sheeting angle for the genoa, but brings the mainsheet, which is fastened to the transom, close to the davits and skirt of the central hull.

The main is square-topped with two full battens and there is also a high-performance carbon spar option.

Though the lay-up is in standard foam-cored glassfibre, Neel says it is leaning towards more environmentally friendly construction. Interior joinery is from sustainable Alpi wood and recyclable material.

LOA: 13.11m / 43ft 0in Beam: 7.50m / 24ft 7in Draught: 1.50m / 4ft 11in Displacement: 9,000kg /19,841lb Price ex VAT: €329,800 Builder: www.neel-trimarans.com

Marsaudon Composites has quietly built an enthusiastic following for its TS42 and TS50 catamarans since the smaller boat was launched six years ago.

That these have been the first boats to cross the Atlantic in the last two ARC s has also done its reputation no harm.

The yard is based at Lorient La Base, at the heart of the French offshore racing scene, so it’s perhaps no surprise these designs are lightweight and offer plenty of performance.

The direct tiller steering, which gives a responsive feel to the helm, is an example of the thinking that sets these boats apart from other multihulls and makes them sought after models. Yet they also have enough space both on deck and below to offer very comfortable living.

A 57-footer from the board of Marc Lombard will be the third design to join the stable. It shares the same hallmarks as the existing models, although a wheel steering option will also be offered.

In suitable conditions this is a cruising yacht that can be expected to hit speeds of well over 20 knots.

The hull shape is clearly a progression from the earlier models, while following the same light displacement principles with fine hull shapes. Lombard drew a new shape for the bows to increase efficiency and reduce the tendency for bow-down trim. He told us: “The bows are shaped so that, when the boat is powered up and starts to heel, the lee bow will generate extra lift to push the bow up.”

The additional size makes the interior spaces of this boat significantly larger than those of the 50-footer, especially in the hulls. Much thought has also gone into ergonomics and weight saving, stripping out and simplifying anything that is not essential. CEO Damien Cailliau likes to draw on a quote from Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars: “Simplify, then add lightness.”

As an example, there are no hull linings, which saves weight and complication, but requires extremely neat moulding. “A core competency of Marsaudon Composites is that we produce excellent mouldings,” says Cailliau, “so we don’t need to hide our work.”

Article continues below…

Outremer 4X on test – a high-performance liveaboard cruiser that is built to last

It’s a mix of everything you need for cruising and what you want to feel for performance,” Loïck Peyron said…

Seawind 1260: Lightweight catamaran making waves on both sides of the Atlantic

The Seawind 1260 has been well received in the States, where the brand has a strong following, but these multihulls…

As a low volume builder – only 28 of the smaller boats have been built in total – Marsaudon Composites can offer semi-custom interior arrangements, providing they don’t add unnecessary weight. The boat can also be built with varying amounts of carbon to reduce displacement further.

At the same time as announcing this design Marsaudon launched a rebranding of the range, which will now be known as Ocean Rider Catamarans (or ORC). The new name is a better fit with the qualities with which owners identify than the Très Simple concept that led to the original TS designation.

To underscore the difference between these boats and the majority of catamarans in this size range a tiller has been incorporated in the logo.

Tooling for the ORC 57 is under construction and the first boat is scheduled to be unveiled in September 2021.

Base price ex VAT: €1,085,000 Builder: www.marsaudon-composites.com

Current Marine CM46 & CM52

The founder of RS Sailing , Martin Wadhams, is a racing sailor who now spends more and more time cruising.

Martin and his wife, Amanda, enjoy sailing fast boats and have spent some time looking to upgrade from their Pogo 12.50 to a multihull. Their search for a true performance cruising catamaran – and one that wouldn’t cost seven figures – turned out few viable options.

Australian-based designer Jeff Shionning put them onto some fresh designs he has done for Current Marine, a new South African brand formed from an experienced team of composites experts at Knysna, between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on the south coast.

It has been set up to build the new CM46 and CM52 in low-volume semi-custom production. On visiting the yard a year ago, Wadhams was impressed enough with the high tech builds to order the second CM46.

He reports that the joinery is all laminated in, there is plenty of opportunity for layout customisation (in three or four cabins) and, owing to the lower labour costs in South Africa, pricing is keen.

Shionning’s CM designs are lightweight, efficient catamarans that should be able to sail well in light breeze and outrun weather systems in the open ocean.

Key features include daggerboards, fine bows, centralised weight of engines and tanks, and high bridgedeck clearance. The rig is also positioned amidships for optimum weight centralisation, while also helping to create a large foretriangle for flying a range of furling headsails. Aluminium or carbon spars and diesel or hybrid propulsion are offered.

Wadhams says there is good stowage space and payload capacity for comfortable liveaboard cruising. “They’re built using post-cured epoxy, carbon, E-Glass and PVC foam-cored laminates – a level above mainstream brands,” he insists. “This brings the construction found in a few larger, high-end boats into smaller-size catamarans.” The first CM46 is a full carbon racing version destined for an Auckland-based owner and is due to launch early 2021. The second boat (for Wadhams) has a more cruising-oriented spec.

Prices ex VAT: CM46 €635,000, CM52 €787,000 Builder: www.currentmarine.co.za

Seawind 1370

Is this the most popular new design of 2021? Although the first of this new 45ft model is not due to launch until later in the autumn, there has already been a phenomenal uptake in orders.

Publicity has been helped by vloggers Sailing Ruby Rose ordering one of the first boats, but a staggering 55 have been sold already. This has led to the Australian/Vietnamese yard establishing a new technical department that is separate from the production department.

European sales manager Jay Nolan says this 13-strong team is tasked with working up every system on the boat and looking at hybrid solutions.

Price ex VAT: €599,000 Builder: www.seawindcats.com

Outremer 55

A contemporary fast cat set up for short-handed world cruising, Outremer’s exciting new 55 launches this winter.

We previewed this VPLP design in our September issue and hope to test it during the spring. Much focus has been placed on weight and stiffness to help increase performance and ensure the boat can sail in the lightest breezes and therefore rarely need engine power.

Price ex VAT: €1,215,000 Builder: www.catamaran-outremer.com

If you enjoyed this….

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A new one design 20′ Corsair trimaran – more compact and affordable than ever before, to appeal to modern sailors and families who can now join the growing Corsair trimaran community. The Pulse 600 sailboat offers countless hours of fun, excitement and adventure in an easy-to-launch convenient package.

CORSAIR 760

More performance, comfort and safety than any other trimarans of this size, and the greatest 24′ Corsair trimaran yet. This is a beautiful new Corsair sailboat in a legendary size which offers a comfortable new cruising interior to sleep a couple and kids on a weekend getaway with a galley sink and stove. Corsair Marine has launched over 700 trimarans of this size.

CORSAIR 880

This is the legitimate heir to the trimaran revolution started by the Hall-of-Fame Corsair F-27 way back in 1986. The pinnacle of trimaran design, this all-new built from the ground up Corsair trimaran has full boat systems, an aft cabin to sleep 5 in total, enclosed heads and standing headroom.

CORSAIR 970

The “Cruze” – this 32ft trimaran combines the performance of the F-31 and comfort of the 37. While in Sport or Carbon guise, this trimaran sailboat approaches the blistering speed of the Corsair 37.

Overall Length

19'8" / 6 m, 14'9" / 4.5 m, beam folded, 8' / 2.45 m, draft (hull only), 9" / 0.22 m, draft d/b down, 3' 11" / 1.2 m, mast length, 31' 2" / 9.5 m, unladen weight, 992.2 lbs / 450 kg, 24' 3" / 7.39 m, 17' 11" / 5.46 m, 8' 2" / 2.5 m, upwind sail area, draft d/b up, 5' 3" / 1.6 m, 34' 5" / 10.5 m, 2,094 lbs / 950 kg, 28' 8" ft / 8.8 m, 22' 3" / 6.8 m, upwind sail area sq.m, 554.3 sq ft / 51.5 m2, 1' 5" / 0.45 m, 39' 4" / 12 m, 3,659 lbs / 1,660 kg.

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6 Best Trailerable Trimarans For Bluewater and Coastal Sailing

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Having a boat costs a lot of money, even when you are not using it, marina fees, etc. And once it is in the water most sailors never go very far from their “home marina” and sailing will be somewhat restricted. However, what if you could fold your trimaran and put it on a trailer, store it at your house, and go to a new sailing spot the next time?

Here are 6 of the best trailerable trimaran:

• The Dragonfly series
• Corsair Series
• Windrider 17

Choosing the best trailerable trimaran (a multi-hull with three “hulls”) will depend on crucial factors like speed, durability, design, and ease of transportation. This article is here to help you get started with your research and hopefully help you on the way towards your dream boat!

Table of Contents

Cruising Trimarans That Can Be Transported

Cruising boats are made for multiday sailing either on the coast of your favorite sailing area or full-out blue-water ocean crossings. Extended living should be a priority in these designs.

1. The Dragonfly 25 and 28 (Dragon Fly Series)

Dragonfly is in the business of making the “best foldable trimarans on the planet” many would agree with this statement. Dragonfly is known for its commitment to easy trailering and ease of use, shown in designs for the Dragonfly 25 and Dragonfly 28.

The “Swing Wing” system on the linchpins is one of the key features of the dragonfly series. The system’s application makes it possible for the trimaran to narrow its beam as much as 50%.

Attesting to its Scandinavian manufacturing, most parts of the trimaran are made in-house. This guarantees quality and ensures that all used parts are above standard.

You don’t need to look further than the Dragonfly 25. Its centerboard slightly offset to port. Extra space is created in the main hull’s interior with a trunk buried under a settee. Performance-wise, the low drag and narrow hull shape allow the boat to reach blistering speeds.

Dragonfly 28 In Numbers

• Length: 8.75m
• Beam folded: 2.54m
• Max crew: 5-7 people
• Max Speed: 22+knots

Dragonfly 25 In Numbers

• Length: 7.65m
• Beam folded: 2.30m
• Max crew: 4-6 people
• Max Speed: 21+knots

2. Farrier F-22

New Zealand enters the trimaran manufacturing race with this premium sea goer. The vessel comes in two different versions: a performance variation with more horsepower and a full cabin cruising version. 

Compared to the dragon series the F-22 has the biggest allowance for space.

The F-22 is known for being one of the easiest trimarans to fold and load.

The sports version of the F-22 has some really good performance to offer. It has an aggressive spirit: you can mount a sail while leaving plenty of space for the boat’s fine entry and flared forward sections. The build quality is also topnotch—a lasting memorial to a principle that Ian Farrier always worked by: excellence.

Farrier F-22 In Numbers

• Length: 7.0m
• Beam folded: 2.5m
• Max crew: 3-5 people
• Max Speed: 20+knots

3. Corsair Series

This boat series has an exciting history. Farrier created it to promote his trailerable tri concept. However, the series is now independent with a top-class vehicle to its name.

The Corsair 760 is listed as providing some of the best performance and safety benefits to sailors.

Building off the spirit of excellence of the founder, the Corsair 760 has created a boat with comfort and racing potential. The boat can be tricky to handle at first, but it will be a breeze once you get the hang of it.

It is also worth noting that the corsair 37 is the largest trailerable trimaran on the market today.

Daysail Trimarans That Can Be Transported

Boats that are made for dayssailing are usually smaller, cheaper and more easily handled. They are perfect for those looking to enjoy a full day on the water in calm weather, but are usually less suitable for multiday events or rough sea sailing.

4. The Astus Models (20ft, 22.5ft, and 24ft)

If you’re looking for something small but still capable of doing day sailing, 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. 

The Astus brand specializes in transportable trimarans, worth noting is that some models need a specific trailer whilst the smaller boats use a standard trailer.

5. Weta 14.5

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.

The small size makes it more suitable for daysailing in good weather rather than multiday cruising, although more experienced sailors will of course push the limits of this boat.

6. 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. 

What’s the Largest Trailerable Trimaran?

The largest trailerable trimaran is the Corsair 37 , this multihull is built for single-handed cruising while still maintaining the ability to comfortably seat 6 people.

The Corsair 37 provides comfort, speed, and safety. It also contains just enough space to accommodate amenities like a propane stove, a sink, and other equipment.

The vessel is designed to be a performance cruiser. It features an aluminum rotating wing mast, carbon fiber bowsprit, and premium deck hardware. The corsair can still cut through the water with ease despite its size, putting the wind in your sails.

What Is a Catamaran?

A catamaran is a boat with two hulls (a trimaran has three) connected by a bridge deck. Catamarans usually offer more space than both monohulls and trimarans of the same length. The catamaran is usually somewhat slower than a trimaran but faster than a monohull. They are usually made of fiberglass or carbon fiber.

Catamarans come in all shapes and sizes. You can find straightforward sailing catamarans, perfect for those who are only starting their sailing journey. Larger sailing catamarans have become extremely popular for long-distance sailing.

There are also power catamarans, they have huge diesel-powered engines (sometimes electric) and no sails. Also called “power cats”, these boats can reach 30+kts.

Can a Trimaran Be Trailerable?

As discussed above, some trimarans are possible to put on a trailer and move to another sailing area or to be stored at home. This is usually not possible with catamarans but is sometimes possible with the trimarans that are fitted with foldable amas (the two outer “floats” or “hulls”).

Some trimarans can be trailerable, this is mainly due to the ability to drastically decrease the vessels beam, sometimes as much as 50%. This allows the trailer plus trimaran to be below the legal requirements of the road.

Final Thoughts

It has proven difficult to beat the trimaran in terms of speed. Through the ages, this type of vessel has proven to be immensely enjoyable in all kinds of sailing activities. These can range from sea adventures to waterborne relaxation in your free time.

Trimarans come in various types, foldable, for cruising or racing, etc. However, there is a common factor: many of the small ones are trailerable. This makes them easier to move than most other types of boats.

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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Derek Kelsall, the naval architect who invented the modern trimaran

The world of ocean racing has lost one of its pioneers. Architect Derek Kelsall passed away at the age of 89 on December 11, 2022. He will be remembered as the man who designed the first modern racing trimaran and developed sandwich construction. A look back at the history and career of an ocean racing pioneer.

Rural origins

Derek Kelsall was born into a modest family in Wales on May 15, 1933. His father, a farm worker, and his mother, a teacher, instilled in him traditional values. As a student, he entered the University of Bristol, but was unable to complete his studies due to lack of funds.

As part of his military service, he was deployed for a full year in Kenya. Upon his return, he entered the oil industry and was hired by BP.

After starting his career in the Persian Gulf countries, he was sent to an operation in Texas.

A transatlantic race with his first multihull

It was during this period, in the Caribbean Sea, that Derek learned how to build and sail multihulls. For the first time in his life, he had the money to become a skipper and built a 35-foot plywood trimaran which he named Crazy . Designed by Arthur Piver, this trimaran is rigged as a ketch and is not equipped with ballast, which was the norm at the time.

Then on a whim, and supported by his young wife Clare, Derek signs up for the 2 e edition of the English Transat in 1964 and took the start of the famous transatlantic race between Plymouth and Newport. He found himself alongside competitors such as Francis Chichester and Eric Tabarly , who mentions him in his memoirs as a " an attractive engineer, whose trimaran can create a surprise downwind through the trade winds.

Thanks to favorable conditions, Folâtre got off to a good start, but broke his rudder after five days of racing. After repairing in Plymouth, Kelsall took to the sea again and completed the journey in 34 days, while Tabarly crossed the finish line as the winner after 27 days at sea.

The pioneer of the oceanic trimaran

Convinced of the merits and potential of a multihull in an ocean race, Kelsall used his engineering background to design Toria a 45-foot trimaran. A visionary, Derek brought to his multihull a plethora of innovations that would inspire ocean racing for decades.

Built in a sandwich construction on an Airex foam base, Toria has long, bulky floats, connected to the central hull by two parallel arms. Its wetted surface is reduced, as it sails on two hulls when under sail. The microcosm of ocean racers was skeptical at the launch of Toria the monohull is still preferred in European culture.

Tabarly is invited by Derek to sail on Toria during a delivery trip to the south of England. On his return to France, Tabarly was amazed by the performance of the English trimaran and began designing Pen Duick 4. But for reasons of culture and cost, he turned to the French architect André Allègre to design this 68-foot aluminum trimaran. Kelsall will regret for a long time not to have been solicited for this innovative project.

The foam sandwich construction technology developed by Kelsall interested Sir Thomas Lipton, who asked him to build a 60-foot monohull to compete in the 1968 Ostar. Due to several breakdowns, Derek finished in 5th place e place in this edition, which was won by Sir Thomas Lipton. Tabarly and his Pen Duick 4, victim of a collision with a cargo ship, had to turn back.

1970-1980: the rise of the racing trimaran

In the early 1970s, Derek had further success in trimaran design, with the launches of Toria Triffle , Three Legs of Mann and Trumpeter who shine in Anglo-Saxon regattas. In 1973, he built for Chay Blyth the Great Britain 2 which is the largest composite boat of its time.

In the 1980s, all ocean racers turned to the trimaran. The projects flowed in this race for innovation, mostly taken over by Breton skippers.

Faced with the control of the "froggies", Kelsall designed a 52-foot trimaran , VSD with which Eugène Riguidel and Gilles Gahinet won the double-handed Transat Lorient-Les Bermudes-Lorient in 1979, ahead of Marc Pajot and �ric Tabarly.

On the strength of this success, Riguidel maintained his confidence in the English architect by ordering a giant 93-foot trimaran from him, William Saurin, which is the largest trimaran in the world at its launch.

A career in yachting

Afterwards, Derek Kelsall left the microcosm of ocean racing to concentrate on the design of pleasure boats. He designs numerous cruising yachts and multihulls.

He developed a shipbuilding technique, KSS for Kelsall Swiftsure Sandwich, which consists of cutting flat composite panels instead of shaping them, thus improving shipyard productivity. This technique has been used to build small ferries and cruising yachts , as well as mass-produced models such as the Space 55, Suncat 40 and Islander 39, and larger models such as the 70-foot My Way.

An active retirement at the kiwi's

After the death of his wife Clare, Derek travels to New Zealand in the 90's to follow the construction of a 72 foot catamaran . Falling in love with the country, he decided to settle there and continue his activity as a ship designer. He will give his last strokes of the pencil there before disappearing at 89 years old on December 11, 2022.

• Breaking Tradition
• Restoring a Classic

Piver Mariner Hull Number One

Arthur Piver's 25 Cruizer Racer restored and resting comfortably on it's custom trailer. One of Arthur's most successful and famous designs. Legendary as the largest trailer capable tri-vessel without special size restrictions or wide load requirements. It provides a balance of portablity and Ocean fairing capability.

Piver Mariner: Maritime History Museum

Considered the Fathers of the Modern Trimaran, Arthur Piver is a star attraction in the National Maritime History Museum. His designs and concepts changed the course of modern sailboats; multi-hulls sailed in the face of traditional ship building and battled against prejudice of yacht culture. The performance was undeniable and the achievements the stuff of legends.

  The fastest boats on the planet owe their heritage to these two pioneers of boat design.

History of the Modern Trimaran

The Modern Sea Fairing Trimaran is surpisingly recent addition to a very long history of human aquatic navigation. In less than 70 years (a blink of the eye in shipbuilding history) the Trimaran was born against overwhelming criticism to become the fastest sailing craft the world has ever seen. Under the power of water and wind the modern multihull acheive speeds that even the most powerful combustion engined vessels in the world stuggle to compare.

Dedicated to preserving the history and lore of the Multihull History. We will continue to preserve the past for future generations.

Thanks, Kent

A Happy Slide Production!

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Featured Reviews for Home & House Stagers in Elektrostal'

• Reach out to the pro(s) you want, then share your vision to get the ball rolling.
• Request and compare quotes, then hire the Home Stager that perfectly fits your project and budget limits.

A home stager is a professional who prepares a house for sale, aiming to attract more buyers and potentially secure a higher selling price. They achieve this through the following techniques:

• Rearranging furniture to optimize space and functionality.
• Decluttering to create a clean and spacious look.
• Making repairs to address visible issues.
• Enhancing aesthetics with artwork, accessories, and lighting.
• Introducing new furnishings to update the style.

Their goal is to present the house in the best light. Home stagers in Elektrostal' help buyers envision themselves living there, increasing the chances of a successful sale.

• Home Staging
• Decluttering
• Furniture Selection
• Space Planning
• Art Selection
• Accessory Selection

Benefits of the home staging in Elektrostal':

• Attractive and inviting: Staging creates a welcoming atmosphere for potential buyers.
• Faster sale: Homes sell more quickly, reducing time on the market.
• Higher sale price: Staging can lead to higher offers and appeal to a wider range of buyers.
• Showcasing best features: Strategic arrangement highlights positives and minimizes flaws.
• Stand out online: Staged homes capture attention in online listings.
• Emotional connection: Staging creates a positive impression that resonates with buyers.
• Easy visualization: Buyers can easily picture themselves living in a staged home.
• Competitive advantage: Staging sets your home apart from others on the market.
• Affordable investment: Cost-effective way to maximize selling potential and ROI.
• Professional expertise: Experienced stagers ensure optimal presentation for attracting buyers.

What does an Elektrostal' home stager do?

What should i consider before hiring an interior staging company, questions to ask potential real estate staging companies in elektrostal', moscow oblast, russia:, business services, connect with us.