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The complete list of trimarans.

There is no single trimaran that is best for everyone. Where some prefer luxury cruisers for long trips with family and friends, others might opt for a high performance racing tri for thrilling rides at breakneck speeds. With the recent spike in trimaran popularity, these days there is a perfect tri for every sailor. So to help prospective trimaran owners decide which boat is just right for them, we here at WindRider have put together a comprehensive list of the best trimarans on the market today! Read through for simple at-a-glance trimaran comparisons of boats both big and small, exhilarating and relaxing, and for all price points.

Jump to a specific sailing trimaran: Neel Weta Corsair WindRider Dragonfly Catri Astus Hobie Sea Pearl Farrier Sea Cart Multi 23 Triak SeaRail Warren Lightcraft Diam Radikal Challenger

Known for their award-winning luxury trimarans,   NEEL   is based in La Rochelle, the capital city of sailing in France. NEEL trimarans are built for fast cruising with an average cruising speed of about 10 knots, and are even configured to facilitate that sustained speed under motor propulsion. The NEEL 45 was notably named Cruising World’s Most Innovative Vessel in 2013, and by all accounts is an easy-to-sail, high performance boat that is just plain fun.

At a glance:

Models: NEEL 45, 65

Length: 45’ – 65’

Cost:   $$$$$

Use: Luxury cruiser

A fan favorite,   Weta trimarans   are fast, stable, and remarkably easy to rig. This single-sailor tri has a capacity of up to three, and the ease with which it can be transported and stored makes this a great, versatile boat for beginners. The Weta was named Sailing World’s 2010 Boat of the Year, and one ride is enough to know why: simply put, the Weta is an absolute ton of fun to sail regardless of skill level.

Models: Weta

Length: 14’5”

Cost:   $$ $$$

The high-end   Corsair trimaran   definitely holds its own in the categories of versatility, performance, and convenience. Boasting a rigging time of 30 minutes from trailer to sailor ,   the Corsair 42 – whose convenient folding amas makes trailering possible – is a simple option even for single sailors, though cabin space is suitable for two adults. These boats are wicked fast, capable of reaching speeds of 20+ knots, and were made for skilled sailors seeking solid construction and high performance vessels, not for beginners.

Models: Pulse 600, Sprint 750 MKII, Dash 750 MKII, Corsair 28, Cruze 970, Corsair 37, Corsair 42

Length: 19’8” – 37’

Cost:   $$$$ $

Use: Sports cruisers

Built for the sailor who wants to maximize the joys of sailing while minimizing any hassle, WindRider trimarans are notoriously fast, very safe, and a blast to sail from start to finish. With several models that can hold between 1 and 6 riders, including adaptive designs to allow participation from sailors of all levels of mobility, there’s something to suit every sailor’s needs. The WindRider 17, an exhilarating ride perfect for families or camper sailors, has been known to reach speeds of up to 20mph. This easy day sailor goes from trailer to sailing in under 30 minutes and is sure to fit in perfectly with whatever adventures you have planned.

Models: WR 16, 17, Tango, Rave V

Length: 10’11” – 18’3”

Cost:   $ $$$$

Use: Day sailor

The Danish-built   Dragonfly   trimarans come in a variety of models ranging from 25’ – 35’, all known for their spry performance, comfortable ride, and ease of use. Every model comes equipped with the unique “SwingWing” feature, a motorized system that can unfold the amas even while the boat is already underway – making it accessible to marinas and slips, and even makes trailering possible. Perfect for those who don’t want to sacrifice their comfort for high performance, the Dragonfly can breeze along at 13 knots while remaining one of the quietest compact cruisers out there.

Models: Dragonfly 25, 28, 32, 35, 1200

Length: 25’ – 39’

Designed for both safe cruising as well as for high speed racing,   Catri trimarans   will make your day. Especially noteworthy is the Catri 25, a stable yet wildly fast foiling trimaran with accommodations for up to 6 people. With profiles optimized for speeds of 25+ knots when foiling, this is no beginner’s sailboat. The special attention paid to stability in the foil design allows the Catri to be a single sailor vessel, even at foiling speed, with no special physical abilities. Whether you’re taking a small crew for longer rides at shuddering speeds or bringing the whole family along for a shorter, but still thrilling sail, the Catri is truly one of a kind.

Models: Catri 25

Length: 25’

Use: Cruiser/racer

A popular brand of trimaran in Europe,   Astus   has recently made its way to the US market to the delight of sailors on this side of the pond. Designed to offer maximum pleasure with minimum hassle, all models of Astus trimarans are fast to set up, quick on the water, inherently stable, and always a joy to sail. Their outriggers are mounted on telescopic tubes for easy stowage and towing, and can even be extended and retracted on the water for access to narrow passageways and monohull slips in marinas. With models in all sizes and price points, Astus trimarans are a great option for any sailor.

Models: Astus 16.5, 18.2, 20.2, 22, 24

Cabin: Some models

Length: 16’ – 24’

Use: Sport cruisers

HOBIE ADVENTURE ISLAND

Great for beginners and adventurers alike, the   Hobie Mirage Adventure Island   series is nothing if not just plain fun. With the option to use as a kayak or as a very basic trimaran, the Hobie is transportable, versatile, unintimidating, lightweight, and wonderfully affordable. The pedal system known as “Mirage Drive” allows a person to pedal the kayak using their legs for an extra kick of movement in slow winds. Amas tuck close to the main hull for docking or car-topping, adding serious ease and convenience to the exhilarating experience of the Hobie.

Models: Hobie Mirage Adventure Island, Mirage Tandem Island

Length: 16’7” – 18’6”

Use: Convertible kayak/trimarans

Best known for its use in camp cruising excursions, the   Sea Pearl   offers a roomy main hull and particular ability to sail in very shallow waters, making beaching and launching a breeze. The lightweight Sea Pearl trimaran is easy to tow, and the larger-than-expected cabin opens this vessel up for overnight adventures with plenty of storage space. The simple design makes the Sea Pearl notoriously low maintenance, and the ease it takes to rig and sail it add to the overall delight of owning this boat.

Models: Sea Pearl

Length: 21’

Use: Camper cruiser

Quick, lightweight, roomy, and trailerable,   Farrier trimarans   are made for versatility to fit every sailor’s needs. Different Farrier models are available in plan or kit boat form for those who appreciate building their boat themselves, but of course, also as the full production sail-away boat for the rest of us. Single-handed rigging and launching takes under 10 minutes from start to finish, minimizing hassle and getting you on the water fast. All non-racing Farrier designs use a minimum wind capsize speed of 30 knots or more to ensure safety for all those aboard. Add the roomy cabin and high speed capabilities to the equation and you’ve got a boat that is great fun for everyone.

Models:   F-22, 24, 25, 82, 27, 28, 31, 9A, 9AX, 9R, 32, 33, 33R, 33ST, 36, 39, 41, 44R

Length: 23’ – 39’4”

Cost:   $$$ $$

Use: Sport cruisers/racers

One of the biggest names in the game,   SeaCart   is internationally noted for its high performance trimarans that far exceed expectations for a production boat of its size. The SeaCart trimaran performs as brilliantly off the water as it does on with its super-light and efficient harbor folding system, making light work of trailering. Notoriously easy to manage and maintain, the SeaCart 26 One Design is the ultimate day racing trimaran, designed for both course and inshore/coastal distance racing. Absolutely worth the international buzz it has garnered, the SeaCart is a thrill from beginning to end.

Models:   SeaCart 26

Length: 26’

A high performance racer class, the   Multi 23   is a lightweight, powerful trimaran known for its wicked speed of up to 25 knots. Multi trimarans of both available configurations were designed to give beach cat thrills and speed without any of the stability or seaworthy concerns. Open ocean sailing is no issue for the Multi’s big bows, which do their job to keep her stable. Built for sailors with a need for speed, the Multi makes a perfect weekend boat for racers, especially those with a taste for boat camping.

Models:   Multi 23

Length: 23’

Another dual outrigger sailing kayak/canoe design,   the Triak trimaran   was designed to be effortless and fun, especially for beginners. Paddle the kayak with sails furled, use the foot pedals for an extra kick of momentum, or sail with just the mainsail – the only boat in its class to feature an asymmetrical spinnaker – for exhilarating speeds and a blast on the water. Car-top the Triak anywhere for a quick sail or plan for a week long expedition, but always count on having a great time on this easy little boat.

Models:   Triak

Length: 18’

Use: Convertible kayak/trimaran

SeaRail trimarans   are known for being affordable, light weight, trailerable trimarans that offer the perfect combination of exciting and relaxing experiences to a wide range of sailors. Whether it’s day sailing with your family, resort or camper sailing, SeaRail trimarans are ideal leisure vessels. Leave the hassle to the other boats – the SeaRail takes you from trailer to sailor in 15 minutes. But don’t let its reputation as a leisure tri fool you: if speed is what you want, rest assured that the SeaRail can deliver that as well.

Models:   SeaRail 19

WARREN LIGHTCRAFT

Warren Lightcraft trimarans , another example of a convertible kayak-to-sailboat option, are known for their aesthetically pleasing designs that are also, as the name implies, very light for simple transportation and ease of use. Convert the kayak into a fast, high performance sailboat in just minutes, fly around on the waves all day long, then simply car-top the 68lb Warren for a maximum enjoyment, low-hassle day on the water. Perfect for sailors and paddlers of all skill levels, the Warren Lightcraft is the best of both worlds and an absolute joy to sail.

Models:   Warren Lightcraft

Length: 15’6”

Built strictly with racing in mind,   the Diam 24   is a light, powerful one-design class trimaran and a notoriously exceptional performer. Boasting blistering speeds of up to 30 knots, Diam trimarans are not intended for beginners. For racers who crave the very best in terms of intense speeds, smooth handling and impeccable performance, the Diam is the red-hot one-design racing tri for you.

Models:   Diam 24

Length: 24’

For the sailor who prefers the finer things in life, the   Radikal 26   delivers. Perfect for bringing the whole family out for a day on the water, this high performance, trailerable sailing trimaran strikes the most luxurious balance between quicksilver speeds and a smooth, comfortable ride. The Radikal 26 trimaran is as convenient to transport and set up as it is pleasant to sail, with a folding system that minimizes rigging hassle and also makes this a trailerable tri. Built for a fast and comfortable sail rather than a hold-onto-your-seats thrill, one-the-water safety and overall pleasure makes the Radikal 26 what it is.

Models:   Radikal 26

Use: Sport cruiser

A solidly-built, single-handed trimaran, the Challenger also doubles as an adaptive design – meaning it is made to accommodate sailors of all levels of physical mobility. Best suited to lakes, the Challenger is a very safe, seaworthy boat for sailors of all ages and experience levels. Add to this the ease of owning, transporting and maintaining the Challenger trimaran and what you get is a simple, fun sailboat perfect both for beginners and those seeking a cheap thrill alike.

Models:   Challenger

At a glance comparison:

Did we miss one? Let us know. Tell us what you sail and what you like about each boat in the comments below.

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16 Best Trimarans For Sailing Around The World (And a Few For Daysailing)

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Trimarans are growing in popularity worldwide, due to their light construction and high stability these multihulls are even faster than catamarans. Trimarans are still one of the lesser-known boat types so in this article ill be checking out some of the most popular models.

The best trimarans include: 

• The Neel 43 
• The Neel 47 
• Dragonfly 28 
• The Pulse 600 
• Corsair 37 

These tris are built with your safety in mind while also packing powerful speed and a wide array of comfort features to optimize your sailing experience , some are even foldable making them possible to load on a trailer and transport to the sailing destination of your choosing.

In this article, I have created a list of the 16 best trimarans in the market and their unique features. You’ll also learn the best options for different purposes such as circumnavigation, weekend sailing, racing, and more. 

Table of Contents

What Is a Trimaran?

A trimaran is a multi hulled sailboat with three individual hulls; the main hull ( vaka ) and a pair of outrigger hulls ( amas ). These smaller outrigger hulls are attached to the main hull using beams. 

While trimarans have a rich history dating back nearly four millennia, these types of sailboats have only gained popularity in the late 1900s and early 2000s. 

Trimarans are primarily used as personal boats for sailing enthusiasts or racing. These sailboats draw their versatility from their lightweight design, making them faster and easier to handle at sea when compared to single-hulled boats (monohulls). Additionally, the three hulls also contribute to better stability, making it very hard to capsize (although more likely than a cat according to this study)

Trimarans come in various sizes, and some can be as small as 19 feet (5.8 meters) in length, while others go up to 60 feet (18meters). They’re also used for different purposes. Most trimarans are used for racing and recreational purposes, although some units are still used as ferries.

As with all things, to find out which is the best we need to understand what it will be used for. There is a big difference in requirements between a boat used for day sailing compared to offshore around the world sailing.

The list below highlights the best trimarans for different purposes.

Best Trimarans For Cruising, Liveaboard and Sailing Around The World

The Neel 43 is a French trimaran best suited for cruising. Its key features include: 

• Easy maneuverability on the open sea by only a small number of crew members 

This unit is also built for comfort, ideal for more extended travels. This 43-feet (13-meter) trimaran is also made with recyclable and bio-sourced materials, highlighting the manufacturer’s commitment to environmental consciousness. 

This trimaran has a base price of  €329,000 excluding VAT. This translates to approximately $370,138. 

2.Neel 47 Possibly The Best

Named the best full-size multihull for 2020, the Neel 47 is a strong contender for one of the best trimarans in the market. This 47-foot (14.3-meter) long trimaran features optimized exterior and interior ergonomics for a unique design and look. 

Still on design, the Neel 47 is ideal for couples looking to take a weekend off or spend some time as liveaboard. It has a spacious owner’s cabin and two bedrooms. It also features a spacious living room and kitchen and is optimized to ensure comfort for a couple. 

The Neel 47 also has two basic guest cabins so your friends or children can tag along on your sailing adventure. Accordingly, this unit is ideal for those looking to explore the sea for the sheer joy of sailing. 

The Neel 47 comes at a 571,139 euro ( $643,600 ) price tag, excluding VAT. 

3. Rapido 60 The Fast and Comfortable Circumnavigator

The Rapido 60 offers a blend of performance, safety, and luxury, making it one of the best options for bluewater sailing. Measuring 59.3 feet (18 meters) in length, the Rapido 60 is an imposing unit. It’s made from lightweight sandwiches and carbon materials that provide speed and strength, allowing it to stand up to strong ocean currents. 

The Rapido 60 also has spacious living spaces and is built for comfort at all points of the sail. Its design also optimizes safety. While it’s an ideal option for circumnavigating, it’s also an excellent choice for racing due to its speed. 

This is also the same boat that The Youtube channel La Vagabond just purchased.

The Rapido 60 retails at $1,400,000 . 

4. Rapido 40

The Rapido 40 measures 39.4 feet (12 meters) in length and is ideal for cruising around the world. The Rapido 40 features twin “C” foils, which provide added lift, enhancing its speed and performance whether you are sailing downwind or upwind. 

Because it has C foils, this trimaran doesn’t have a central daggerboard, increasing interior space. Accordingly, it’s an excellent option for couples looking to cruise and enjoy great performances .

The Rapido 40 is made from high-tech all-carbon materials for a lightweight yet sturdy design. This material is also used for the countertops and furniture, and the cork flooring adds a touch of style.

This trimaran retails for $595,000 , making it a cheaper option than the Rapido 60. 

5. Dragonfly 40

The Dragonfly 40 measures 40 feet (12 meters) in length. It features high-comfort standards, making it one of the best trimarans in the market for taking your family for a cruise. Because of its larger size, it has a better capacity, being capable of accommodating six to eight people, so you can bring your family and friends along. 

It’s easy to navigate and extremely safe. With a maximum speed of 24 knots (44.5 km/h), this trimaran also provides fast speeds to make your cruise even more exhilarating. 

The Dragonfly 40 retails from €509,000 exclusive of VAT, which rounds up to $572,000 . 

6. Dragonfly 32

The Dragonfly 32 is a high-performance cruiser. Like the Dragonfly 28, this unit features a contemporary design for racing. This trimaran can accommodate five to seven crew members. 

Although slightly longer than the Dragonfly 28 with its 32-foot (9.8-meter) length, the Dragonfly 32 has a max speed of 23+ knots (42.6+ km/h), making it one of the fastest trimarans for racing. This unit also has comfortable accommodation, which makes it an ideal option for a weekend cruise with family and friends. 

The Dragonfly 32 has a base price of $350,000 . 

7. Corsair 37

Thanks to a variable draft with a retractable rudder, the Corsair 37 is an ideal choice for shallow water exploration. This 37-foot (11.3-meter) long trimaran features advanced foam-cored construction designed for safety, making it virtually unsinkable. 

The carbon hulls minimize weight, this makes for a lightweight ocean exploration sailboat with blistering speeds. One of its selling points is that this trimaran has previously been used for Arctic expeditions, possibly marking it as one of the better options for circumnavigation and offshore sailing in the northern waters. 

This trimaran has a base price of $189,000 but can go up to $204,125 .

Best Trimarans For Day/Weekend Sailing

8. dragonfly 28.

The Dragonfly 28 is a 28-feet (8.75-meter) long sailboat that can accommodate up to five people. It comes in two versions: 

• Touring version: This version is ideal for families.  
• Performance version: This is built to provide optimal performance for the sports enthusiast within you. 

It clocks a maximum speed of 22+ knots (22+ km/h) and is beam-folded. It’s an excellent option if you want a high-performance, comfortable yet smaller unit for your day or weekend cruise. 

The Dragonfly 28 starts at  €188,280 inclusive of VAT, which comes to around $211,600. 

9. Dragonfly 25

Like other trimarans under the Dragonfly brand, this 25-foot (7.62-meter) trimaran is great for both racing and short term cruising. However, this high-performance boat delivers easy handling, making it perfect for couples looking to take a ride out over the weekend and seasoned sailors looking for an exhilarating racing adventure. 

The Touring version features a lightweight build and offers comfort and accommodation to keep you, and the few guests you can fit, comfortable during the ride. This trimaran also has a Sport version, which is optimized for racing. 

The Dragonfly 25 retails from EUR 86,800 . 

10. Pulse 600

The Pulse 600 trimaran is a compact sailboat. It’s made from lightweight, carbon-reinforced construction and vacuum-formed materials for optimal speed. This trimaran is an ideal option if you are looking for speed. 

It also features ample deck space, greater stability, and volume than most trimarans of similar size and build. 

This trimaran measures 19.8 feet (6 meters) in length and can be sailed single-handedly by one person with minimal effort. The Pulse 600 has a base price of $38,800 , which places it in the lower price range. 

The F-22 is one of the smaller trimarans in the market. Developed in New Zealand, the F-22 is a folding trimaran built for speed. The hulls are made from narrow fiberglass tied together using fiberglass beams and aluminum, minimizing bulk while optimizing speed. 

The F-22 is roomy and is not as pricey as other models in the market. This trimaran has two main versions: 

12. 2019 Weta Trimaran

The 2019 Weta trimaran is a 14.5-foot (4.4-meter) trimaran featuring a carbon frame, centerboard, rudder foil, and rudder shock. The hull is made from fiberglass and foam. The Weta is built for strength and speed based on these lightweight materials. 

The 2019 Weta trimaran is easy to sail and is worth considering whether you want to take a quiet sail, race with your friends, or take kids to a sailing lesson. It has a simple design and is easy to set up independently. Thanks to its collapsible design, this trimaran is easily stored away with minimal space demands. 

13. WindRider 17

The 17.4-foot (5.3-meter) WindRider 17 is one of the more versatile trimarans in the market. It packs high performance for a low cost. This trimaran has a light rotating mast to boost performance, and a full-battened mainsail optimizes visibility. 

This sailboat is made from rotomolded polyethylene, which is more durable than fiberglass and demands less maintenance.

The WindRider 17 has a comfortable interior and can fit six adults. This is an ideal choice for social sailing for a couple or a family and friends. It’s easy to ride, and a shallow draft allows easy maneuverability. 

14. Astus 22.5

If you’re looking for something small but still comfortable, this 22.5-foot trimaran is for you. Built for speed and maneuverability, the Astus 22.5 has optional foils to optimize speed. The modern design, coupled with the spacious interior, can fit up to four beds. Accordingly, this trimaran is suited for family outings. 

This trimaran also has a foldable design, collapsing to only 16 feet (4.9 meters) for easy storage. 

15. Multi 23 Trimaran 

The Multi 23 trimaran has a contemporary design, featuring a vinyl ester and PVC foam core construction. The section below the waterline is made of solid glass for a sturdy base.

The beams are made of lightweight carbon, and the trimaran features a 33-foot (10-meter) aluminum rotating wing mast for optimal harnessing of the wind. While ideal for weekend excursions with family, once rigged with the asymmetrical spinnaker will get your heart pumping.

This trimaran packs high performance at a lower cost than most other options in the market. It’s a good choice if you are looking for a high-performing unit without spending an arm and a leg. 

16. Challenger Class Trimaran

The Challenger Trimaran 15 is the best choice for persons with disabilities. It’s designed to provide disabled sailors an opportunity to explore their passion for sailing without worrying about aspects like safety or operation. 

A man named Geoff Hold circumnavigated the British Isles in 2007, becoming the first disabled person to achieve this feat. He had quadriplegia. 

Living up to its name, the Challenger can withstand harsh weather conditions while blending performance with speed. 

Final Thoughts 

Admittedly, no trimaran is best for everyone. But whether you are looking to race with your friends, take your loved ones or friends for a cruise over the weekend, or circumnavigate the ocean, you can rest assured that these lightweight trimarans will deliver speed, safety, and comfort to make it worth your while. 

These brands are innovatively designed and feature intricate safety mechanisms that make them virtually unsinkable. Give them a shot and begin your ocean adventure. 

• Basco Boating: A Comprehensive Guide & Introduction to Trimaran Yachts
• TheBoatAPP: New Trumarans: Which are the Best Ones
• Corsair Marine: Corsair 37
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 28
• Rapido Trimarans: Rapido 60
• Neel Trimarans: Neel 43
• Yachting World: World’s Collect Yachts: Maxi Trimaran MACIF
• Yachting Monthly: Dragonfly 28 Performance
• Rapido Trimarans: Rapido 40
• Dragonfly: Dragon 32
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 40
• Yachting World: Dragonfly 40 yacht tour: This cruising trimaran can do 24 knots
• Dragonfly: Dragonfly 25
• NauticExpo: Dragonfly 25
• Yachtworld: Corsair 37 boats for sale
• Cruising World: Neel 47 Trimaran: Best Full-Size Multihull0
• Neel Trimaran: Neel 47
• Multihull Solutions: NEEL 47 Boat Review | Cruising World
• Yacht World: 2022 Neel 47 for sale
• Farrier International: F-22
• Weta Marine: The Boat
• WindRider: WindRider 17 Trimaran Sailboat 
• Astus Boats: Astus 22.5
• Boat-specs: Multi 23
• National Maritime Museum Cornwall: Challenger Trimaran #1 – BC26

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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The Supreme Soloists of the Ultimes

• By James Boyd
• January 9, 2024

On January 7, ocean racing will take another evolutionary step with the mind-boggling feat of six brave Frenchmen who will set off from Brest in northwest France on board their giant 105-by-75-foot foiling trimarans—around the world, nonstop. Singlehanded. The new event is the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest, a sprint marathon that is expected to take 45 days or less at an ­average of 20 knots.

The present record for a solo lap of the planet stands at 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes, 35 seconds, but when this was set in 2018, skipper François Gabart had the luxury of departing with an optimal 10-day forecast (covering the first quarter of his voyage all the way down to the Southern Ocean). Competitors in the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest will have to leave on the designated start date and make the best of whatever Mother Nature offers them. However, while Gabart’s MACIF trimaran is going again (in new livery as Anthony Marchand’s Actual Ultim 3 ), it is now one of the older of the six trimarans that will set out. The newest Ultims, which harness the latest offshore foiling technology, are much, much faster.

Two of the biggest names in solo round-the-world ­record-breaking will be missing from the lineup; Gabart has passed over the helm of his Ultim to “the next generation” in Tom Laperche. Francis Joyon, who demolished the record for the solo lap on two occasions, bringing it down from 125 days to 72 days in 2005 and from 71 days to 57 days four years later, is now 67. While all six starting skippers are highly experienced, they range in age from 55-year-old Thomas Coville, skipper of Sodebo Ultim 3 , to 26-year-old Laperche.

Coville is the race titan. When it comes to racing large trimarans around the world singlehanded, his experience is unprecedented. He’s been attempting circumnavigation records on large trimarans since 1997 and as a skipper since 2008. On his fifth attempt in 2016, he finally set a new record only for it to be broken a year later by Gabart. He also has raced in the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race (winning it with Franck Cammas on Groupama in 2011-12) and was twice part of crews claiming the Jules Verne Trophy (fully crewed, nonstop around-the-world record). He has completed circumnavigations eight times—four times solo and six times on trimarans.

The most hotly tipped skippers, however, are Armel le Cléac’h, 46, on Maxi Banque Populaire XI, and Charles Caudrelier, 49, on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild . While Caudrelier is best known for being a two-time Volvo Ocean Race winner (with Groupama , then as skipper of Dongfeng Race Team in 2017-18), both cut their teeth solo racing in the French one-design Figaro circuit. But when it comes to solo offshore credentials, Le Cléac’h knocks it out of the park. He’s won La Solitaire three times, most recently in 2020, and crucially for the upcoming Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest has also raced in three Vendée Globe races, finishing on the podium in all and winning in 2016-17.

Le Cléac’h’s trimaran was launched in 2021 as a replacement for his ­previous Banque Populaire-backed Ultim, which broke up terminally in the 2018 Route du Rhum. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is unique in the race for being designed by Guillaume Verdier, while the rest are from VPLP (although in every case, the team itself offers substantial input). While Caudrelier has won most Ultim silverware in recent seasons, including the singlehanded Route du Rhum trans-Atlantic race in 2022, Le Cléac’h ended his run by winning this fall’s Transat Jacques Vabre race between Le Havre in northern France and the French Caribbean island of Martinique.

Tom Laperche has taken over as skipper of Francois Gabart’s SVR-Lazartigue for solo races. This is Gabart’s second Ultim trimaran and is considered the most advanced of the six. Laperche won La Solitaire du Figaro in 2022 and has raced with Gabart on the Ultim ever since the boat was launched. He gained his round-the-world experience on the IMOCA Holcim in The Ocean Race.

Also inheriting his Ultim campaign is Anthony Marchand, who took over the helm of Actual Ultim 3 from Yves le Blevec in January. Launched in 2015, Actual Ultim 3 is Gabart’s former MACIF ­trimaran, which is the present holder of the solo round-the-world record. Marchand, 38, sets off with vast experience on ORMA 60 trimarans, in the Figaro class, the Volvo Ocean Race (competing in 2015-16 on MAPFRE ) and in the IMOCA.

Fundamentally, the rule limits length to 32 meters and width to 23 meters, and the complex foil configuration on all six Ultims is fairly similar. 

Éric Péron, 42, is the race’s last-minute entry, and as a newcomer to the Ultim class, he will likely back marker. Péron has a strong background in the Figaro and Ocean 50 trimaran classes, and his trimaran Adagio was previously Sodebo Ultim , on which Coville set both his solo round-the-world and west-to-east trans-Atlantic records.

While there is an Ultim 32/23 rule, the design parameters of these incredible machines is a work in progress. Fundamentally, the rule limits length to 32 meters and width to 23 meters. The complex foil configuration on all six Ultims is fairly similar. Each of the boats has six appendages, including the giant, retracting rake-adjustable J-foils (of varying shapes) in the floats. The latest-generation foils have grown larger, enabling the trimarans to fly both downwind and upwind in less wind. Among the three front-runners, the most recent edition of the Transat Jacques Vabre demonstrated that SVR-Lazartigue has the lowest take-off speed, while Maxi Banque Populaire XI ’s foils work best in waves. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild lies somewhere between these two positions.

Unique to the Ultims is the T-foil pioneered by Caudrelier’s team on their MOD70 (now Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati ). Located in the center hull, this is effectively a daggerboard with a trim tab (to aid pointing ability upwind) and an elevator. This foil is used in a similar fashion to how AC50 catamaran crews negatively raked their windward rudder elevator to produce downforce, sucking the weather hull down. When a gust hits an Ultim, the crew can drop the traveler, but a more energy efficient response is to increase pitch on the T-foil’s elevator to create additional downforce. Then there are three rudders (one on each hull), each with an elevator. The rudders in the floats can be raised (typically the windward one) to reduce drag.

Aside from the significant developments to the foils, especially to reduce cavitation at high speed, teams have been focusing on improving aerodynamic efficiency. The Ultims now have low-drag vinyl fairings for the aft side of their crossbeams, and on some boats, the deck itself forms an endplate for the foot of sails. Living quarters have improved dramatically and, like modern IMOCAs, are becoming increasingly enclosed. The most extreme among them is Sodebo Ultim 3 , where the front of Coville’s “bridge” is forward of the mast step.

Autopilots have transcended beyond being able to steer to course, apparent wind angle or even true wind angle. Depending on the point of sail, the pilot will now automatically head up or bear away when a gust hits. 

The rigs are the same as those that have been fitted to French multihulls for the past 30 years—a rotating wing mast with each shroud terminating in a giant hydraulic ram, permitting the rig (and its center of effort) to be canted to weather. This reduces the downward force on the leeward bow, which can cause multihulls to pitchpole. Whether this is still required is a moot point because today’s foils effectively keep the leeward bow from immersing.

Due to the sheer physics of an Ultim, aided by the canting rig and the mast being stepped so far aft, the risk of capsize is almost ­nonexistent, Caudrelier says: “The Ultims are the safest multihulls because they fly, because they are big, but also because we have made huge improvements to the pilots with safety functions, and also we have a nice automatic ­system to ease the sails. It is quite safe. I don’t worry too much about capsizing, but I have in the back of my mind that it can happen.”

Thanks to teams working with such companies as B&G and Pixel sur Mer, Ultim autopilots have transcended beyond being able to steer to course, apparent wind angle or even true wind angle. Depending on the point of sail, the pilot (using what’s referred to as its “safety overlay”) will now automatically head up or bear away when a gust hits, which it can detect by the wind instruments or an inclinometer. In extreme circumstances, they have systems to dump the sheets, although these too seem to be near-redundant. 

An interesting point of dispute between the Ultim teams is how much automation should be permitted. Caudrelier’s team is pro automation, while other teams are less so. As a result, the autopilot can perform these functions but cannot, for example, adjust the boat’s flying mechanism, to automatically set ride height, pitch, etc.

If capsize is less of a concern, then the skipper’s biggest worries are technical failures on their giant boats, as well as collisions. They have tried to overcome the former through sheer time at sea, testing and failing to improve reliability. Le Cléac’h, for example, says that in the past year, he has sailed Maxi Banque Populaire XI some 20,000 miles, or half a circumnavigation. This has been solo and crewed, in a mix of races, private sea trials and the Ultim fleet training en masse. To avoid collisions, the Ultims have all available kit from radar to AIS alarms to the latest tech such as SEA.AI, which uses a masthead-mounted camera array to see objects—floating or semisubmerged—in the water ahead of the boat. These are compared in real time with the SEA.AI’s huge and ever-growing database of objects to identify them as threats.

In the recent Transat Jacques Vabre, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild suffered rudder issues soon after the start (later found to be a delaminating starboard rudder) and then damage to its port J-foil, but it still finished the race. It seems, therefore, very likely that this level of attrition can be expected in the Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest. Caudrelier says that this proved to be a wake-up call for his team as well as valuable practice for how to deal with midrace technical issues. For example, the J-foil damage occurred after a small impact. “But while we were sailing, the damage increased,” he says. Perhaps it would have been faster in the long term to stop, fix the issue, and then continue, he muses. For bigger issues, race’s sailing instructions permit skippers to pitstop where their teams can join them to effect repairs, but in this case, they are obliged to spend a minimum of 24 hours in port as a penalty.

To help reduce risks, OC Sport Pen Duick, the race’s organizers, are ­imposing a movable virtual ice barrier as we have seen in other round-the-world races. Competitors must stay north of this, regardless of whether it drives them into high pressure or storms. Interestingly, they are also imposing exclusion zones around known breeding grounds for whales (yet to be defined at the time of writing).

The Arkea Ultim Challenge-Brest may be a solo race, but each campaign is genuinely a team affair. Ultim teams today are giant, some the scale of America’s Cup teams two or three decades ago, with their own in-house designers, engineers, hydro and aerodynamic specialists, and electronic and hydraulic experts. In the event of a technical issue during the race, skippers can now get immediate support using reliable satellite communications. The most consistent remote support each skipper gets is with their routing. In the Ultim class, shore-based routing is permitted. Le Cleac’h, for example, is using Dutch legend Marcel van Triest and French skipper/navigator Nicolas Lunven to provide round-the-clock routing assistance.

Ultims are fast—50 knots is very possible—but skippers are less interested in top speed and entirely focused on maintaining high averages of 30 to 35 knots. They don’t need much wind to achieve such a pace, however. An Ultim’s optimal conditions are broad-reaching in 20 to 25 knots. Any more wind than that, and the sea state gets too large to foil safely. Even in optimal wind conditions, skippers must back off if sea state and wave direction is not ideal. Understanding this is vital to the routing process.

The Ultims are potentially so fast that their routing team can go a long way in ensuring that they stay in optimal conditions. For example, in the Southern Ocean, if they can get into the optimal reaching conditions in flat water ahead of a front, they can potentially ride this for days. But the biggest limitation is the solo skipper. The Ultims typically carry a mainsail and four headsails, including two gennakers and a permanently hoisted J2, all set on furlers. Tacking and jibing requires the sails to be released and sheeted in, the mast to be canted and tacked, and foils and rudders to be raised and lowered. It’s a process that typically takes 20 to 30 minutes. Le Cleac’h says that the most time-consuming sail change is going from the J0 to the J1 because the sails are heavy (around 120 kg), and this can take up to an hour. Factoring all this into the routing is vital because the skipper on his own can do only so much.

“If reaching 95 percent of the boat’s potential requires making three jibes and four tacks and to change two sails, it will be difficult to do that if you are tired,” Le Cleac’h says. His routers offer him three options—from the one offering optimal performance to the easiest for him to achieve—which can be decided based on his energy level and capabilities.

One positive for the skippers is that the required endurance is comparably short compared with a Vendée Globe effort, but still, so much remains unknown as they embark on this extreme test of man and machine. 

“It is a bit like the first Vendée Globe,” Caudrelier says. “It is not quite the same because we know where we are going, but it is the first one, so it is a bit of an adventure. Usually you push to the maximum constantly, but for me, this is the first time I can’t do that. We will have to find the good balance between good performance and safety of the boat. That is an interesting exercise.”

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Six solo skippers ready to race 100ft foiling multihulls around the world

• January 4, 2024

Is this the most audacious race ever? Six skippers are getting ready to race 100ft foiling maxi trimarans solo around the world – James Boyd looks forward to the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest

There are very few ‘firsts’ left in the world of sailing, but one such remaining barrier could be smashed when the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest sets off from north-west France on 7 January 2024.

Since the Sunday Times Golden Globe in 1968/69 – the ‘impossible feat’ – there have been all manner of non-stop laps of the planet, from fully crewed Jules Verne Trophy and solo records, to races such as the single-handed Vendée Globe , and The Race in 2000 for fully crewed maxi-multihulls. This January sees a new pinnacle-of-pinnacles event: the first solo, non-stop, round the world race in Ultim trimarans. Six brave French skippers on their 100ft multihulls are entered.

The advancement in human endeavour and technology in this cutting edge area of sailing has been extraordinary. Thirty years ago we were in Brest for the first tentative Jules Verne Trophy attempts. Back then no one knew if sailing around the world in under 80 days was even possible: three boats set off and only one made it – Bruno Peyron’s maxi-catamaran Commodore Explorer in 79 days 6 hours.

Since then the record has been reduced by titans such as Peter Blake/Robin Knox-Johnston, Olivier de Kersauson, Loïck Peyron, Franck Cammas and, ultimately, Francis Joyon . In a quarter of a century, the record has halved with Joyon’s 105ft IDEC Sport setting the present benchmark of 40d 23h 30m 30s (at 26.85 knots average) five years ago.

You might assume that a solo around the world would be much slower, but Joyon destroyed this notion. In 2004, when the Jules Verne Trophy record was 63 days, he completed a lap in just under 73 days alone on his 90ft trimaran IDEC (also the first successful solo non-stop circumnavigation by a trimaran). The following year the UK ground to a halt for an afternoon, television dominated by live coverage of Ellen MacArthur’s arrival into Falmouth after she’d taken more than a day off Joyon’s time.

Gabart on his previous Macif Ultime. Photo: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Thomas Coville took the time below 50 days in 2016 with 49d 3h, broken the following year by François Gabart ’s 100ft Macif , establishing the present solo non-stop record: 42d 16h 40m 3s (just 4% slower than Joyon’s fully crewed).

While these times are impressive, they are records set in optimum, carefully selected conditions (for the first two weeks at least), whereas the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest is a race. The solo sailors will have onshore routers, but their departure day is set, and pace likely dictated by their opponents. It’s a very different test of man and machine.

“It is something new,” says Gitana’s Charles Caudrelier . “The first time racing around the world with these big flying boats. It is a bit like the first Vendée Globe – not quite the same because we know where we are going! But it is a bit of an adventure, and I’m happy about that.”

Armel le Cléac’h in solo mode on Maxi Banque Populaire XI. Photo: Benoît Stichelbaut

The contenders

Surprisingly, skippers at all stages of their careers are competing. Amiable sea-dog Thomas Coville will be 55 when the race sets off. There is almost no major event Coville hasn’t done, from the America’s Cup to winning the Volvo Ocean Race.

Having sailed ORMA 60s, Coville moved into the record breaking business on maxi trimarans and is now on his third, Sodebo having backed him continuously. Of the six skippers Coville is the most experienced racing Ultims single-handed and is laudable for his sheer tenacity – he finally set a solo round the world record on his fifth attempt, after 11 years of trying.

At the other end of the scale, it was a surprise to learn that SVR-Lazartigue will not be raced by François Gabart, the single-handed round the world record holder and the blue trimaran’s initial skipper. Instead, taking over for solo races will be 26-year-old Tom Laperche. An engineer and highly talented sailor, Laperche is a graduate of the classic French offshore racing pathway; and has been involved with SVR-Lazartigue since its launch, racing as Gabart’s co-skipper in the last two Transat Jacques Vabre .

Anthony Marchand, 38, has also newly taken on a campaign, replacing Yves le Blevec on Actual Ultim 3 (ex-Macif) in early 2023. Meanwhile an 11th hour entry is Eric Péron on Adagio , the previous Sodebo Ultim. The boat is something of a ‘Frankenstein’ creation – recycling the 2001 maxi-tri Geronimo with appendages from 2010 America’s Cup winner USA17 – but a fast one.

Thomas Coville, on Sodebo Ultime 3. Photo: Vincent Curutchet/Team Sodebo

“I’ve been preparing for this kind of thing for years now,” said Péron. I haven’t done much preparation on the boat, but for everything else, the boxes are ticked. So, in the short time I’ve got left before the start, I hope to become at one with the machine. What motivates me most of all is the fact that it’s an extreme race, and that’s why I want to take up the challenge. Obviously, I’m not leaving totally confident. But I’m not going to give up.”

In the absence of Gabart, the two favourites are likely to be Armel le Cléac’h on Maxi Banque Populaire XI and Charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17) . Theirs are two of the best funded and oldest teams.

Banque Populaire first sponsored Joyon’s ORMA 60 in 1989 and has campaigned seven trimarans since, including building two Ultims. The team’s first Ultim had a disastrous 2018, before a final crash left it utterly destroyed during the Route du Rhum . Undeterred, the French bank set about building a replacement. Now, alongside SVR-Lazartigue, their two-year-old Maxi Banque Populaire XI is one of the newest Ultims.

SVR-Lazartigue and Banque Populaire XI are essentially VPLP designs (Ultim teams have their own in-house designers, engineers, aero- and hydrodynamists, foil and hydraulics experts), while Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is from Guillaume Verdier – Emirates Team New Zealand’s long term naval architect who has applied much of his Cup experience to the offshore trimaran .

Adagio, the previous Sodebo Ultim. Photo: Yvan Zedda

Impressive statistics

An Ultim’s length can be anything from 24-32m (78ft 8in-105ft) with a maximum beam of 23m (75ft), though in practice all six are trimarans built to, or near to the rule’s maximum. Overall mast height is less than 120% of length of the longest hull, so 38.4m (126ft). Additional rules cover minimum air draught below the beams and float volume. Water ballast, autopilots and automatic anti-capsize systems are permitted, but stored energy (produced by the crew) or the creation of inertial energy and computer or electromechanical assistance for adjusting any of the appendages is forbidden.

As with all things yachting, their quantum performance leap has come since going airborne. Today all six use a similar, complex foil configuration: on each hull is a rudder with an elevator where lift can be adjusted via a flap on its trailing edge. Midships in each float is a giant J-foil, which can be raised, lowered and its rake adjusted. Unique to the Ultims (apart from Adagio) is the daggerboard, which is fitted not only with a trim tab on its trailing edge to prevent leeway, but an elevator.

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17). Photo: Yann Riou/Gitana

The foils and elevators are adjusted hydraulically in combination to alter, for example, fore and aft trim and ride height, depending upon the point of sail and sea state. Generally the aim is for the platform to have zero heel/pitch. Thanks to the rudder elevators the ride is very stable in pitch (unlike IMOCA 60s ), the foils effectively ‘locking’ the boat to the water.

Just as America’s Cup catamarans that raked their windward rudder elevator to produce downforce (like crew on the rail), so Ultims can produce downforce with their daggerboard elevator. According to Gabart this is vital: racing an Ultim solo is about maximising efficiency so, when a gust hits, the rake on the daggerboard elevator is increased, sucking the trimaran’s main hull down. “If you release the hydraulic main sheet, it takes five minutes to pump it in again,” explains Gabart. “With this, when you are sailing at 40 knots you can add two tonnes [of down force] in one second using minimal energy.”

With their latest substantially larger foils, Ultims can fly in less wind. Originally it required 15-20 knots of wind or 26-27 knots boat speed for Macif to fly, this is now down to 12-14 knots of wind and 21-23 boat speed for SVR-Lazartigue – remarkable considering an Ultim’s 15-17 tonne displacement.

It’s similar on Banque Populaire XI, says Armel le Cléac’h. “We fly in 12-13 knots of wind or 22-23 knots of boat speed. In 15-17 knots of wind we fly upwind at 27-30 knots – that is the big step. Compared to older Ultims like IDEC in the last Route du Rhum, it’s an 8-9 knot improvement.”

Actual Ultim 3, formerly Gabart’s Macif. Photo: Thierry Martinez

Such speeds permit Ultims to become ‘masters of the weather’ – to some extent at least – often travelling so fast that their skippers can choose the weather system they can sail in. Optimum conditions for an Ultim are 15-25 knots (more than this and the sea state becomes too choppy for foiling), so they aim at the sweet spot of weather systems (flat water ahead of a warm front), which they then ride, like a surfer on a wave.

Le Cléac’h says their top speed has been 47 knots, “But that is not an objective. We want to have a good average speed: 40-42 knots for one or two hours is very good. 35-37 knots for 24 hours is very good too.”

Riding a rocketship

So how can skippers handle such a monster-sized boat that is foiling single-handed? Autopilot technology has improved to extraordinary levels of accuracy. According to Gabart, once set up, speed sailing in a straight line is not much different between solo and crewed. “Upwind or downwind VMG you are a little bit better if you are steering and others are trimming. At 65-70° TWA it is no different.”

Naturally manoeuvres are slower alone. Gabart says that going from reefed to full main might take two minutes fully crewed, but at least 10 solo. Some technology helps, like Harken’s latest generation Air 900 winches and pedestal grinders with bespoke gearing for single-person operation.

The newest of the Ultims, SVR-Lazartigue is perhaps the most advanced design. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait

While foils and many sail controls are hydraulic (SVR-Lazartigue has 23 rams), the pedestals are able to drive twin hydraulic pumps – though it requires serious manpower: “80% of the grinding is for the hydraulics,” says Gabart. SVR-Lazartigue will race with just five sails, including main and J0-J3, two permanently rigged on furlers.

Sailing at such high speeds has several effects. With apparent wind factored in, on deck there is constantly storm force, or at best gale force, winds. Human beings cannot operate for long in this and so cockpit protection has drastically increased with some Ultims now fully enclosed.

On the latest Sodebo and SVR-Lazartigue these have moved forward. On the former, the ‘bridge’ is forward of the mast, USS Enterprise-style, while on the latter it is just aft of the mast, with jet fighter-style steering cockpits each side, complete with sliding canopies. The end result is that an Ultim’s crew rarely ventures outside, viewing the world via CCTV.

While foiling reduces hydrodynamic drag, all the teams have been focussed on reducing aero-drag. Crossbeams now have trailing edge fairings made from robust vinyl, while on SVR-Lazartigue, moving their ‘cockpit’ forward has enabled them to have an AC-style ‘deck sweeper’ boom where the deck creates an endplate for the foot of the mainsail (improving efficiency).

Tom Laperche steering, jet fighter-style, on SVR-Lazartigue. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait

To finish first…

For the teams, the principal hurdle of the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest will be finishing. The major worry on such a long race is reliability. To prevent structural failures Ultims have load cells, the output from which is monitored in real time. Otherwise teams have simply been racing and sea trialling as often as possible in all conditions.

This year’s Transat Jacques Vabre’s heavier conditions were ideal, enabling the double-handed teams to really push the boats harder. While all the Ultims finished, some were in better shape than others, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild suffering rudder and foil issues while Sodebo Ultim’s starboard rudder sheared off after a collision with an underwater object.

“The main problem will be to have all of the boats finishing the race in good shape,” says Caudrelier, who says it will take a new approach from his previous crewed around the world races. “Always you push to the maximum, but this time you can’t do that and we will have to find a good balance between performance and safety for the boat. That is quite an interesting exercise and also managing a boat like this alone for 45 days.”

Éric Péron explains: “On these boats, a small incident can immediately put us out of the race, because nothing can be replaced on our own. The boat is so big that there’s not much we can do to fix it with what we’ve got on board.”

Antoine Gautier, head of the design office at Mer Concept (behind SVR-Lazartigue) adds that their enormously complex boat will be simplified: “We are going to have less systems on board to make it simpler and more reliable. There are some things which won’t make much difference on a round the world race.”

Armel le Cléac’h at Banque Populaire’s mission control/protected pod. Photo: Vincent Curutchet/ Hublot Sailing team

Capsize was once a major concern, but for Ultims today is – apparently – almost a non-issue. The multihulls are simply huge, and their rigs are now stepped almost two thirds of the way back from the bow, to prevent pitchpoling. As Gautier explains: “The boats are definitely safer than any multihulls before. There are no more pitchpoling issues and in terms of heel stability, you almost can’t heel because the leeward foil is pushing up so much. That is why they are able to sail so fast, even short-handed – because the boats are very safe and you don’t feel in danger.”

Nonetheless they do still have inclinometers which can automatically dump hydraulics (eg mainsheet) or mechanically release headsail sheets if heel is excessive.

Of greater concern are elements beyond the skipper’s control: collision. AIS and radar target alarms substantially reduce the chance of an Ultim hitting another vessel, but the threat of a ‘UFO’ (unidentified floating object) remains. As Gautier says: “Collision is the biggest fear for all of us. If you hit something at 30-plus knots it is the end of your race. The boat which is going to win will be the one which has all its appendages at the finish. It is Russian roulette and you can’t do anything about it. This is not a fun part of the sport, but it is the same for any race like this.”

To help prevent such collisions Ultims are all fitted with SEA.AI (previously known as OSCAR) a camera mounted at the masthead that can ‘see’ ahead both in daylight and at night, using infra-red. Images are compared in real time with a giant database to establish whether something ahead represents a collision threat.

Ultims raced each other double-handed in the November 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre – won by Armel le Cléac’h/Sébastien Josse in Banque Populaire XI. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Alea

There are other factors too that will come into play: a good deal of luck, undoubtedly, but also the skill, experience and motivation of the skippers. Caudrelier has perhaps the most experience in his boat and over the last three years has won most races, but he has never raced solo around the world. “This is my Vendée Globe” he acknowledges.

By contrast Le Cléac’h has completed three Vendées, on the podium every time. However his recent victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre was his first in an Ultim. For Coville, this might be his last lap? While for Laperche this will be his first big Ultim event and proving himself is a key objective.

What is certain is that this will be the ultimate contest between some of the world’s most talented offshore sailors. How many will make it round? And for those that do, it could be the fastest ever round the world race, so all the action will unfold quickly. Follow at arkeaultimchallengebrest.com

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Closeup: The Arkema 4 Racing Trimaran

• September 2nd, 2021
• Sailing Yacht

During my transfer cruise of an Excess 11 catamaran from Les Sables to Le Havre we´ve had to make a stopover in Brest due to bad weather and a case of serious sea sickness within my crew. It was there when, on one day, wind was easing a bit for a tiny time frame of some 30 minutes and I was able to cast off from the fuel station where I found refuge (and a free berth) to land the cat vis-à-vis at a proper berth alongside, not blocking the fuel station anymore. When we got up the other day, looking out of the saloon windows, I saw a huge trimaran berthed right behind us. ARKEMA 4!

And it was not just limited to this one trimaran as over the day more and more of these racing machines began to dock alongside in Brest marina, which was fascinating and a great occasion to take a look at cutting edge sailing machinery. Now that I was acting captain of a multihull myself, doing my first miles on a twin-hulled boat , I found it very intriguing to see how far this concept can be pushed and where possible differences might be.

Meet ARKEMA 4, a 50 feet racing trimaran

After drinking my morning coffee and getting dressed finally, I swung out to the pontoon and strolled around the boat. There was buzzling activity as apparently the crew having arrived so late in the night left the boat and a new crew stored their luggage on the jetty to take over. It was a fascinating look.

The trimaran is very, very sleek. Measuring 50 feet in length, which is little more than 15 metres and a width of little less than 15 metres. A racing square. This cat has been built over a period of two full years which shows the determination and care that goes into a boat like this. ARKEMA 4 is skippered by Quentin Vlamynk, once the youngest skipper (28 years of age) in this sailing series, but a serious salt by himself. He is head of a pro-team consisting of a technical crew, staff, co-skippers and care takers as well as a media crew. ARKEMA 4 is part of the Ocean Fifty Pro-Sailing Series, formerly known as Multi50.

It´s a fascinating sight and so much to see. This is what I love about sailing in French waters: You can meet so many interesting people, see so many special boats and yachts and can start so exciting conversations with the guys sailing them. No matter if they are private circumnavigators doing their own business or the stars of sailing, like these guys. So I went over and asked if I could take pictures: “Be our guest!”, the boat captain told me and smiled. Now, let´s go!

Built for maximum speed

ARKEMA 4 is kind of a brand-new trimaran incorporating some nice new ideas which make it different to most of the other boats. What can be seen immediately are the two foils in the floats and a huge forward removable daggerboard. Both are retractable for reducing unwanted drag when necessary. I reckon these are made of carbon of course.

The ARKEMA 4 sports a classy rigging. I couldn´t spot any lines or blocks which would indicate a rotating mast-system but I guess a racing trimaran in this class would have one. Everything was faired in sleek, aerodynamic panels trying to even further reduce every bit of drag created by vortexes in high speed sailing mode. Look at the cockpit: It´s as low as possible to allow a low boom and increase mainsail area. Speaking of which this trimaran has plenty of.

I checked their website and there it is said that the cockpit glass is made of a new material, Shield up Flex PMMA glazing that can withstand even hardest pounding by hard hitting waves. Thinking back to the standard acrylic glazing of my old OLIVIA this is clearly is rocket science. The ARKEMA 4 also sports a quite interesting energy management system, which consists of photovoltaic modules allocated all over the trimaran and latest technology Lithium-Ion batteries, this boat can increase energy storage of up to 50% to a prior version making it self-sustainable and not emitting one gram of CO2.

High speed tri-racing: How is this feeling like?

That these behemoths are going fast like hell cannot just be seen by looking at the space-fighter design and sleek form of the boat. You can see the effects of high speed all over the boat: The foil covering the trimaran in their sponsor´s colors is peeling off at all frontal edges of the outrigger beams, large chunky of thick wrapping is simply torn off.

Well, no wonder: These trimarans go fast even in the slightest of puffs. High speed racing with up to 30 knots SOG are possible, at one occasion, as skipper Vlamynck tells, they clocked in at whopping 39 knots upwind (!) leaving Toulon. This is absolutely incredible! As generally speaking upwind performance in multihulls is considered being inferior to a mono, this figure is absolutely exciting showing the potential of such a boat.

Asking if I could come inside and take a few pics, the crew was very friendly, but refused. I knew that this answer would be coming before I asked, of course, as competition is tight and all crews want to protect their tiny secrets and tricks. It would have been very interesting to see the berths for the off-crew, the galley and the WC-arrangement as this is always very interesting. (You may browse this article on ILLBRUCK racing yacht and see how they did it back in the day)

Fighter-Jet technology meets Viking-sailing

Anyway, what fascinates me most is the fact that sailing itself is a very old, almost ancient, technology. Man has been on the seas since he came into being and seafaring was, still is, the motor of our civilization. In this, one can still see the old Papyros-rafts of the Egyptians, the Latin-sail of the Venetians or the sleek lines of the Clipper Ships even in a high tech carbon-monster like ARKEMA 4.

It is still a crew of dedicated men and women working with their bare hands, pulling lines and ropes, running through pulleys and blocks. Ancient technology beamed to the 21 st century. Although I wasn´t allowed to get onboard and take pics from the inside, I managed to sneek into ARKEMA´s cockpit standing high up on the jetty (during falling tide). Thanks to the great zoom of my Huawei´s great camera I got a peak onto the large winches and the keyboard of the running rigging.

Amazing how I as a very, very ordinary sailor can almost instantly determine which line works which sail and where to pull and veer to trim the sails. Also something that fascinates me about sailing, this universal language, no words needed, just a look onto a rope, following its path up the mast to understand which function it has. In theory, anyone who can sail, would be sailing this trimaran too. Well … in theory. We all fly in planes regularly (well, not so much anymore apoparently …) but I reckon only a tiny percentage of us won´t be lost in the cockpit of an A350. Different in boats though.

We strolled over to the other trimarans of which the whole fleet was now mooring in Brest to try and spot some differences, like the steering positions which have sometimes been solved nicely (and quite protected from aggressive spray, sometimes not so much) and tried to figure out which of them trimarans would be our favourite.

Ocean Fifty Pro-Sailing Tour in Brest

Now back in Germany for some weeks I followed the Ocean Fifty Sailing Series and I am amazed seeing Skipper Vlamynck and his ARKEMA 4 team finishing the overall series in second place. Congratulations for that, quite a nice success for a young man like him, standing his ground in high seas high speed racing against a wolfpack of such names as Erwan Le Roux or Armel Tripon.

There is of course one name that turned out unbeatable, at last in this year´s edition of Ocean Fifty Pro Sailing Series and that is Sam Goodchild. The mastermind of LEYTON trimaran managed to outpace even ARKEMA 4 and is the overall winner. I had the pleasure of talking to Sam Goodchild some years ago about the Solitaire du Figaro , a fascinating legendary race and cradle of so many pro sailing stars in France and the world.

All of those seven teams I guess will now return to their sheds. Boats will be repaired, maintained and brought up to the next level with tweaks and new equipment to be ready for 2022 edition of the Ocean Fifty Pro Sailing Series. Now that I have seen these great machines with my own eyes, spoke to their crews (although just short, but nevertheless …) I will have an eye on this fascinating niche of the sailing sport for sure.

Inspirational …

Thinking back to this encounter with the three-hulled Formula 1-racers of the oceans I can remember that they inspired me in sailing “my” own catamaran which I was taking from the Les Sables d´Olonne to Germany. The next day it seemed that weather would be good enough to get out into the English Channel with a cruising catamaran and so we decided to take off. Looking on this picture and remembering that fateful early morning, still dark, 14-17 knots wind in the marina, rain pouring down … gives me shiver still!

This manoeuvre was and still is the most exciting, the worst in terms of tension, the most complicated in terms of wind, pressure and drift of my whole sailing career. In front of me a trimaran, behind me a trimaran, next no me vis-à-vis boats moored in second row, further minimizing space to steer my boat through. I cannot imagine the catastrophe if I would have hit one of these …

You may also be interested in reading these articles:

Maxi Trimaran Edmond de Rothschild in Lorient

At Multiplast-Carboman in Vannes

Carbon Fibres simply don´t like slamming: Commentary on Vendeé Globe high tech boats

Published on April 8th, 2014 | by Editor

Spindrift: World’s largest racing trimaran

Published on April 8th, 2014 by Editor -->

After three months of ambitious boatbuilding, the 40-meter trimaran Spindrift 2 was re-launched this month in Lorient, France. As the largest racing trimaran in the world, it has been optimised for the demanding program that is planned for 2014.

The Spindrift Racing team, led by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard, will be on standby in the United States from the start of June, waiting in Newport for a good window to tackle two prominent crewed records the boat had previously set (as Banque Populaire V) by Pascal Bidegorry in August 2009.

Spindrift 2 will seek to better the 2880nm Transatlantic Record (New York City to Lizard Point) of 3d 15h 25 min 48s (32.94 knots) and the 24 hour distance record of 908 miles (37.84 knots).

To appreciate this maxi trimaran, acclaimed sailing writer G. Bruce Knecht joined the team prior to the refit. Here is his report…

Sunrise was still an hour away when I arrived in the port of Lorient. At first, it was difficult to see much of anything. Three 131-foot-long hulls and a towering mast were jet black, as were the uniforms of the crewmen, who moved about with the help of head-mounted flashlights.

“Welcome to the world’s largest racing trimaran,” Bertarelli said as I stepped aboard.

Named for the spray of water launched by the hulls as they charge through the sea at speeds that were, until recently inconceivable for a large sail-powered vessel, Spindrift 2, is as fast as the catamarans that began racing for the America’s Cup the same week I was in Lorient. And it has far greater endurance: In 2012, its previous owner and former namesake, French financial institution Banque Populaire, sailed the boat around the world in an astonishing 45 days, breaking another record set by Franck Cammas, who did it in 48 days in 2010.

Bertarelli–whose fortune came from Serono, the Italian pharmaceutical giant founded by her grandfather–caused a stir when she purchased the boat in January 2013, in part because a female owner and co-skipper would be rarity in the male-dominated world of yacht racing. And there was her familial connection to the sport: Her billionaire brother Ernesto founded and led the Swiss team that won the America’s Cup in 2003 and 2007.

“I ended up getting really excited about competitive sailing,” she told me of her brother’s influence,” and being a spectator wasn’t enough.”

The story also has a romantic dimension. Bertarelli’s co-skipper would be her partner, French yachtsman Yann Guichard. Their relationship began a few years earlier when Bertarelli hired Guichard to serve as coach for a catamaran she raced with an all-female crew on Lake Geneva.

“Yann and I wanted to have a common project,” Bertarelli said in explaining her decision to buy Spindrift 2. “It would take a year and a half to design something like this one and another year and a half to build it. This boat was launched in 2008 and it’s still very competitive. If we can find ways to improve its performance, we believe we have a window of four to five years to break some records.”

The goal for the day was to perfect various techniques and enhance the crew’s cohesiveness. First, though, they had to get the boat away from the dock. With its 75-foot width, Spindrift 2 is an awkward best, something like a sumo wrestler in a teashop, which is why we had to assemble so early. The forecast called for heavy wind later in the day, which would not be a problem except for the need to exit a narrow waterway beforehand.

As a trio of tenders–each powered by an engine with at least 150 horsepower–worked like little tugboats to guide Spindrift 2 away from the dock, Guichard was standing at one of the two large steering wheels. They are positioned at opposite sides of the boat so that the helmsman can always steer from the windward hull, the one that lifts out of the water when the breeze is good.

Once we cleared the harbor, when the wind speed was 12 knots, Guichard asked the 14-person crew to raise the 4,800-square-foot mainsail and a smaller headsail. As the sails filled, the port hull levitated from the water and we accelerated rapidly. We were soon moving at twice the speed of the wind. If that’s a concept that’s difficult to grasp, another fact of super-fast sailing was all too apparent: You do not want to fall off the boat. “After two minutes in the water, it would be impossible to see the person in the water,” Bertarelli told me. “After five, that person wouldn’t be able to see the boat.”

As we sailed away from the coast, we were moving so quickly that seagulls could not begin to keep pace, and before long, we had lost sight of land. When we were 28 miles off the coast, Guichard turned the helm over to me.

I have loved sailing ever since my grandfather launched me in a dinghy in Edgartown Harbor when I was nine years old. Since then, I have sailed relatively small–and slow–boats whenever I got the chance. I have some experience on larger boats. My first book, The Proving Ground, was about the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race, the tragic competition in which several boats sank and six sailors died. When I was researching the book, I sailed on Brindabella, the 75-footer that played a central role in the story, during short races in Sydney Harbor. In 2005, I was aboard the large single-hull sailboat Mari-Cha IV when it broke the 100-year-old transatlantic race record. But most of my sailing is on a 28-foot sloop, which rarely leaves the protected waters of Long Island Sound. Going fast means seven knots.

The basic task of steering Spindrift 2–maintaining a course that took us generally where we wanted to go while taking maximum advantage of the wine–was fundamentally no different than on my boat, but the extraordinary speed meant that I had to rely on a digital readout of the wind’s direction rather than how it felt as it crossed my face. Spindrift 2’s speed was intoxicating–though it inevitably led to a desire for even more. I could not resist making frequent checks of another digital indicator, the one showing our speed. I was able to keep it close to 30 knots, and at one point I got it up to 35.4–or 41 miles per hour–which turned out, to my great surprise, to be our top speed of the day.

The speed produced a cacophony of sound. The shrouds were not just whistling but also were causing sections of the boat’s carbon-fiber structure to vibrate. The deck on which I was standing made an audible thumbing noise every few seconds, which I also felt through the soles of my shoes. A particularly arresting sound came from the rudder mounted on the back of the hull nearest to me. When I was doing my job well, this hull and the entire length of the rudder flew above the water. When I slipped up, the hull dropped down a bit and the rudder pierced the surface of the water to produce a loud hiss that sounded like that of an angry cat. It was a sound I enjoyed–more dramatically than the speed indicator, it gave proof to our remarkable pace–but it also seemed a bit like chastisement, or perhaps a warning.

There is no getting around the fact that Spindrift 2’s speed carries risks. Things could go wrong, in seconds. Structural elements could break. Was that thumping at my feet an indication of trouble? And then there is the ultimate fear: The boat could capsize.

Last June, Guichard was racing another boat owned by Bertarelli, a MOD70 trimaran, off the coast of Ireland when a sudden gust caused it to overturn. The mast crumbled and a member of the crew, Guichard’s brother Jacques, suffered a broken pelvis.

We had a close call as we sped off the coast of France. It came after the wind gusted from 18 knots to 33, which caused the windward hull to rise much too far out of the water. The crewman who should have released the headsail was slow in doing so, so the boat tipped further and further until the mast was 21 degrees beyond vertical. By then, Guichard, who was at the wheel, was unable to steer. Turning the wheel had no effect. Spindrift 2 was out of control. Guichard has a reputation for never losing his cool, but he was clearly worried as he shouted instructions and pulled at the wheel in a futile attempt to turn toward the source of the wind.

Eventually, when the headsail was eased, the hulls fell back toward the water, averting catastrophe. Nobody talked about the incident until later, when we were back at the dock and Guichard spoke about the day’s lessons learned, but it was a haunting moment.

It was impossible not to think about how the dangers would compound with even stronger gusts and at night during an ocean crossing. As we headed back to shore, I asked Bertarelli, who has three children with her former husband, plus a multibillion-dollar fortune, why she chose to risk it all rather than spending her time on a luxurious yacht or at her home in Gstaad, the gilded Swiss mountain village where she owns the elegant Grand Hotel Park. Her answer, predictably, was all about speed.

“On this boat, you can actually feel the acceleration–there’s a kind of kick–and that’s something you just don’t get on a traditional monohull sailboat,” she said. “When you’re on a multihull, you actually have the sense of flight.”

Republished from Rhapsody , the United Airlines inflight magazine

Editor’s note: Following Bruce’s excursion with the team, Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard led the maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 to beat the 3885-mile Discovery Route record, setting a new time of 6 days, 14 hours, 29 minutes and 21 seconds at an average speed of 24.5 knots. The route extends from Cadiz, Spain to San Salvador in the Bahamas, but must pass through the Canary Islands. Full report .

Tags: Bruce Knecht , Dona Bertarelli , records , Spindrift 2 , Yann Guichard

Related Posts

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Record setting day on a monohull →

Curb the enthusiasm for records →

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Arkema Sailing

New ocean fifty arkema  trimaran:  a genuine ocean racing racer.

The construction of the Ocean Fifty Arkema  started in September 2018, and launched in September 2020. This shipyard of almost two years gave birth to a trimaran with an innovative design, particularly powerful and ergonomic, for both crewed and single-handed offshore races.

2022: improvements and new design

“We laid the boat bare,” Quentin Vlamynck explains. “This enabled us to check all its structural components. In particular, we rectified a small weak point at the junction of the link arm. The roof was modified to make the living area better protected from the elements and more comfortable, though comfort remains quite a relative thing! Rather than sleeping on the floor of the deck, we fitted a small slightly raised bunk outside. This will really improve living conditions on board.”

The most visible change on the trimaran concerns its graphic design . In November 2021, the Arkema Group confirmed its positioning as an expert in innovative materials at the service of a sustainable world, with a new visual identity. “The boat looks very smart in its new colors, with warmer tones and a softer feel to it. I look forward to seeing the first visuals of the boat at sea!" Quentin continues.

More information

Season 2021: an initiatory first season

For this first season of the Pro Sailing Tour, the new Arkema  and its crew led by Quentin Vlamynck finished 2nd in the general ranking . A very good result for the first season of the circuit.

Quentin also took away a great deal from the Transat Jacques Vabre, as the youngest skipper in the Ocean Fifty class. He has now completed his first crossing of the Atlantic in a multihull , running against great, highly professional skippers.

Christening of  Arkema

Quentin Vlamynck's Ocean Fifty  Arkema   was christened in Bordeaux on Monday 27 September 2021, one year to the day after its launch , and just a few weeks before its first Transat Jacques Vabre – Normandie – Le Havre race.

In the presence of Arkema employees involved in the construction of this innovative trimaran, and with the support of the boat’s honorary patron Pauline Déroulède , French Wheelchair Tennis Champion, emotions were running high in the splendid Capital of Wine.

A new philosophy in boat design

Designed by marine architect Romaric Neyhousser, Arkema is the result of a new rationale, shared with Lalou and Quentin, which transpires in the boat’s design.

Thanks to feedback from the former Arkema 1 , Lalou Multi and his sponsor-partner Arkema have laid down a new framework. The first trimaran built by Lalou Multi was based on a short-handed crew at sea. This new boat Arkema  has less typical features, is more versatile and more efficient for the crew as well as inshore. This has guided the choices regarding the platform, in particular for the “X” crossbeams (not parallel beams) used to optimize the ergonomics in crew sailing.

Versatility, the watchword for  Arkema

Lalou Roucayrol sums up this versatility perfectly: “Our aim was to build a more versatile boat than the previous one, in other words just as effective in in-shore crew events as in solo ocean racing. We have put much thought into the masses and improved the aerodynamic brakes. It’s going to be a powerful boat!”

Romaric Neyhousser, the boat’s architect, details the work that has gone into aerodynamics to enhance this versatility : “The idea is to reduce the aerodynamic drag as much as possible, even more than on the other Multi 50. The objective is to profile all the shapes that produce drag, in particular for the crossbeams, but also to work on the sheet effect of the sails. The fairing adds weight, but we believe that the resulting gain will offset this additional weight.”

Skipper-focused ergonomics

Here too, there are many differences with the previous Arkema 1. The boat’s design makes it more versatile, but it must also enable the sailors to keep up the pace in all types of events , whether in crew sailing, solo sailing, in-shore or on the ocean. The cockpit offers greater protection in particular.

As Quentin Vlamynck, the skipper of Arkema , explains , “ It’s vital to keep up the pace more easily sailing as a pair or solo, and to be able to go fast over a sustained period of time, including in challenging conditions.”

Performance : The inside story

As in the past, this new Ocean Fifty is the result of intense technical collaboration between Arkema and Lalou Multi. With recyclable resins, new materials, 3D printing of technical parts, clean energy, many features are indeed driven by innovation, and others will remain flexible throughout the sporting life of Arkema .

Signed Incidence, clsely involved with the Arkema  project since Pierre-Antoine Morvan, Match Racing European Champion and Technical Manager for Incidence sailmakers, will be the tactician for the Grand Prix. The gennakers, J2 and J3, are cable-less, therefore do not have any tension cable: the leading edge is thinner and the void better distributed. The fixture points are made of Elium ® /carbon composite rather than aluminium, with the added benefits of lower weight and recyclability.

2. Deckhouse / Cockpit

Completely recyclable and made entirely of composite based on the recycled Elium ®  resin. Approximately 80 cm lower than on the other Ocean Fiftys, the cockpit allows for sheltered maneuvering. For superior visibility whatever the sea conditions, cockpit and deckhouse are fitted with ShieldUp ®  Flex ®  PMMA glazing, the world’s first flexible sheet recently developed. This material’s flexibility makes it easy to install without thermoforming over substantial contours. This ”acrylic glass” is 5 times more impact-resistant than traditional PMMA. It also has an anti-scratch and water-repellent coating. The result: a remarkable and durable optical quality, even in challenging conditions, as well as a weight reduction of the order of 50%!

Latest-generation lithium batteries using Arkema’s Kynar ®  technology were selected. Developed by the young French company Powertech, they help increase energy  storage capacity by 50%, with no increase in weight compared to  Arkema 1 . Combined with a larger surface of photovoltaic panels installed on the front outrigger arm, the system delivers fully autonomous energy supply to on-board equipment, without emitting a single gram of CO 2 .

The floats feature raised sections, but their volume is smaller than on its forerunner since the foil gives the necessary support. The dihedral angle (between outrigger and horizontal plane) has been increased to prevent the windward float from dragging in the water in light winds.

5. Central hull

Validated by many digital simulations (CFD), this hull is wide at the bridge to increase the sheet effect on the front sails. Below the waterline, it is deep with V sections for less bumpy sailing. The clear forefoot allows for more efficient rotations. As with the floats and the outriggers, the structure and bulkheads were assembled by structural bonding using methacrylate products from the Arkema subsidiary Bostik.

The construction of Arkema

Lalou Roucayrol and Quentin Vlamynck heavily involved in the construction

Both Lalou Roucayrol and Quentin Vlamynck were naturally heavily involved in the construction of  Arkema , the former being in charge of running the project and an expert in Arkema materials, and the latter as the skipper of the boat.

I know it’s vital to be as close as possible to the construction work and be able to incorporate my technical choices in consultation with Lalou, Nicolas Coudrais from the design office, and Romaric Neyhousser, the architect. The philosophy of Lalou Multi is precisely to keep the skipper involved in the strategic choices.

The construction  in pictures

Lalou Roucayrol oversees the design

The design phase of the Ocean Fifty  Arkema

Quentin Vlamynck follows closely the construction of the Ocean Fifty  Arkema

Arkema materials have pride of place

Already present on the previous Ocean Fifty and the Mini 6.50, the Group's materials have pride of place on the new Ocean Fifty Arkema .

The Elium ® thermoplastic resin , for example, has been used to manufacture a number of components, including the crossbeam mold that, recycled when construction was over. Other applications include an even greater use of the wide range of Bostik adhesives, the production of parts using 3D printing, and work on the batteries. 

Bostik structural adhesives used on the Ocean Fifty Arkema  make a major contribution in terms of lightweighting, toughness and durability.

“The work undertaken with the Elium ®  resin has been extensive and complements developments in other markets such as wind power. And the construction of Arkema  was an opportunity for us to demonstrate the recyclability of composites made from this thermoplastic resin. This latest trimaran is also a superb showcase for other products from our Group, including Bostik’s structural glues that make a major contribution in terms of lightweighting, toughness and durability. We had R&D teams dedicated to this construction project to identify materials already applicable and others potentially so in the longer term. A racing boat like this new trimaran is a tremendous driver of brand image, but above all it’s a full scale laboratory that enables us to show and test the performance of our materials in real-life sailing conditions. A “materials demonstrator” that can be transferred to other application sectors.” Gilles Galinier, Communication Vice President for the Arkema Group

New generation sails

Lalou Roucayrol has been testing equipment for sailmakers Incidence for years. The boat was fitted with a test sail – a Strong Luff gennaker – in the Grands Prix of the 2019 season and during the training sessions. The trials were clearly conclusive , as explains Pierre-Antoine Morvan, Head of R&D at Incidence Group: “It’s a sail without halyard, in DFi ® , with many novel features. The major asset of the Strong Luff, as its name suggests, is the performance of the luff, but also a significant improvement in overall performance. It’s lighter, more versatile and more dynamic.”

In order to extend the innovation of this new sail, Lalou Multi has decided to go ahead with manufacturing various fittings for these sails from the Elium ®  resin developed by Arkema. César Dohy, Master Sailmaker at Incidence, explains:  “To hold these sails, there are two highly specific fittings called lugs. These are triangular aluminum parts measuring about 10 cm² with head and tack that literally secure the sail. Made from the Elium ®  resin, they are therefore lighter, with softer contours, and are now recyclable. Quentin and Lalou tested them in the Canary Islands, and the initial feedback was convincing.”

As partners since 2013, Arkema and Lalou Multi decided in 2019 to give a new dimension to their collaboration, still anchored on the common values of innovation and a quest for performance.

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CORSAIR PULSE 600

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., unfold your freedom, on the pulse 600 trimaran.

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 trimaran offers countless hours of fun, excitement and adventure in an easy to launch convenient package.

get your pulse racing

In even the lightest of winds.

The Pulse 600 trimaran is a compact big sailboat, not an oversized small boat. Featuring lightweight carbon reinforced construction, and the same vacuum-formed materials as the rest of the trimaran range, this sailing trimaran will get your pulse racing in event the lightest of winds. The Pulse 600 is a sport trimaran that is about pure fun.

on a Pulse 600 trimaran

Designed for convenient, easy trailering, easy rigging and setup, the Pulse 600 trimaran can be quickly launched, unfolded, and get out on the water. With modern reverse bows and high volume floats, even the most performance-oriented sailors have plenty to get hooked on with our smallest addition to the Corsair trimaran range.

The open cockpit is designed for a crew of up to four but can equally be sailed single or double handed. Versatility is a key feature of this trimaran and the forward area provides enough storage and cover for day sailing / weekend adventures or can simply be left empty for go-fast racing. Family, crew mates or friends, it doesn’t matter with whom you sail, unfold your freedom on a Pulse 600 trimaran.

A FAST, FUN AND EASY TRIMARAN

A FAST, FUN AND EASY TRIMARAN "It was heartening to see a whole crop of new daysailers at this year’s fall shows, including sailboats with one, two or three hulls. But in the end, the judges decided the real standout in the group was the Corsair Pulse 600 trimaran." - SAIL Magazine

A FAST, FUN AND EASY TRIMARAN "Another great weekend test sailing the Pulse 600 sailing trimaran, although the breeze was a little shifty, we were able to test the carbon bowsprit. Until the bigger spinnaker arrives, the flying head sail had to do. But don't worry, we still managed to have plenty of fun! Some great reaching runs saw the leeward floats pressed at times and speeds in the high teens." - Mike Rees, General Manager at Corsair Marine Trimarans

A FAST, FUN AND EASY TRIMARAN "The Pulse 600 trimaran indeed makes it easy for sailors of different skill and experience levels to satisfy the need for speed while offering more deck space, more hull volume and stability than catamarans of the same size. And all of that without requiring circus acts on a trapeze wire. If a mellower pace is desired, it doesn’t put the Pulse 600 trimaran on the spot, because it has the necessary volume to accommodate guests. Regatta aficionados will be satisfied to learn that this little trimaran will be organized as a one-design class." - Reviewed by Dieter Loibner on boats.com

A FAST, FUN AND EASY TRIMARAN "Hitting 12+ knots of boat speed, the Pulse 600 trimaran just started to fly along and hum beautifully off the breeze and started to feel closer to an F18 than a Dash or Sprint... it was getting real fun at this stage. We started to drive it pretty hard downwind for the conditions as the apparent wind continued to increase. The float design just continued to impress as we flew through some chop and you could just see the buoyancy on those babies keeping the boat planning." - Brent Vaughan, Director at Multihull Central

A FAST, FUN AND EASY TRIMARAN "Three words suffice to describe the Pulse 600 trimaran's performance: IT'S. A. BLAST. Not only does this trimaran have superb sailing performance but it's the most comfortable small sailboat we have ever sailed on. The modern hull shapes created by Francois Perus means that we have yet to bury the leeward float bow even when reaching in 25 knots of wind with full main up." - Don Wigston, Windcraft

SPECIFICATIONS

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, recommended options.

DUAL TILLER EXTENSIONS

These tiller extensions transmit subtle boat and rudder movements, allowing you to steer by the feel of the helm. The simple and lightweight design has no unnecessary frills—every aspect contributes to its strength, stiffness, or comfort.

OUTBOARD BRACKET

A reinforced composite bracket for the Pulse 600 which helps you to mount the outboard engine quickly and easily.

If you are planning to install a spinnaker head sail on your Pulse you will need to have this bowsprit option and the associated deck hardware installed (See options 17371 and 17480, or 17143) the downwind sheeting and tack line control or a top-down spinnaker furler.

DOWN WIND SHEETING

This kit will include all hardware needed for the full functioning of the carbon bowsprit. If you plan to have a spinnaker or screacher this is a required option

TOP DOWN SPINNAKER FURLER

The Ronstan continuous furling system delivers proven performance and reliability, within the reach of cruising budgeted sailors, and racing sailors alike.

SPECIAL NOTES: Advanced drum technology Maintenance-Free Bearing System Top-down models for soft luff sails Secure & flexible attachment options Rotation stop accessory

MATERIALS: Grade 17-4PH forged stainless steel shackles Grade 316 stainless steel fastners Grade 2205 stainless steel shaft & pins Aluminium drum, swivel jaws & line guide PTFE perimeter strip

• Folding Corsair Trimarans: Legendary Ability, Unbeatable Reliability
• 5 Reasons Why The Corsair 760 Trimaran Won Multihull Of The Year
• Corsair Range Brochure
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• Sails of change
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Sails of Change suffers damage

On course in an attempt to set a new North Atlantic record, Sails of Change collided with an unidentified floating […]

23.07.28 Maxi-trimaran

23.07.27 Maxi-trimaran

Sails of Change takes on the North Atlantic record

23.06.17 TF 35

In celebration of a slower pace : a look back at the Bol d’Or Mirabaud 2023

This month’s media.

Media : Video Duration : 00:00

Behind the scenes at the Bol d'Or Mirabaud 2023 !

Weight: 1200kg

Number of crew aboard: 6

Maximum speed: 68 KM/HR

Maxi-trimaran

Weight: 21 tonnes

Number of crew aboard: 11

Maximum speed: 90 km/h

Notre équipe

Maxi-trimaran.

Yann Guichard

President, co-founder.

Dona Bertarelli

Benjamin Schwartz

Jacques Guichard

Xavier Revil

Grégory Gendron

Julien Villion

Thierry Chabagny

Pierre Leboucher

Clément Giraud

Christopher Pratt

Best performance

Sails of Change

Sharing our values

True to its name which conjures up images of spray blown from the crests of waves by the breeze, the open ocean and human adventures, the Spindrift team is writing a new chapter in its history. Targeting performance naturally remains central to this ambition, guided by the commitment displayed by its owners Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard.

Born from their shared passion for the ocean, the Spindrift epic continues today for its preservation.

A unique platform

Our survival depends on nature. Indeed, humanity’s fate is inextricably linked to the balance of the natural world, and the health of the oceans in particular, which cover two-thirds of our planet.

Inspired by the beauty of our planet and its biodiversity, Sails of Change is a platform which shines a spotlight on how important it is to restore a lasting balance between humanity and its environment.

Our partners

Environnement.

Our message

RACING YACHTS FOR SALE

We offer the fastest multihulls for offshore, coastal, inshore and lake racing worldwide. Proven formulas for winning great and legendary races at the most nicest locations. Or breaking records worldwide. If you have racing blood in your veins and you like the ultimative speed experience, we have the right boats and management for it. You can count on our experience and expertise. Just contact us. We arrange a test sail for you......

ULTIM MULTIHULL

The "Ultim" Sailracing Multihulls are the fastest offshore sailing vessels of the World.

Max speed 50kts. Above and beyond. 70-130ft long.

They race around the World in 40 days or crossing the Atlantic in 3 days.

500k - 8m EUR

The MOD 70 is a 70ft one design offshore trimaran for coastal and transocean racing/records.

1.0 m - 1.8m EUR.

The ORMA 60 is a 60ft design offshore trimaran for coastal and transocean racing. 

200k - 600k EUR.

The MULTI 50 is a new 50ft offshore trimaran class for coastal and transocean racing.

150k - 1.800k EUR.

45ft foiling one design catamaran from the America´s Cup for inshore, lake and costal racing.

100k - 250k EUR.

32ft foiling one design catamaran for the Extreme Sailing Series, the GC32 Tour and for open inshore and lake racing events.

150k - 400k EUR.

40ft one design catamaran from the past Extreme Sailing Series. For coastal, inshore and lake racing.

50k - 150k EUR

DECISION 35 (M1)

35ft one design catamaran from the Suisse DC Tour. Very fast in light to medium winds. For lake and inshore racing.

125k - 250k EUR

32ft one design catamaran for the M32 Tour in Europe and America. For coastal, inshore and lake racing. 

150k - 250k EUR

VENTILO 28 (M2)

28ft one design catamaran for the M2 Tour and open inshore and lake racing. Very fast in light in medium winds. Easy to handle and maintain.

40k - 150k EUR

BLACK MARLIN

30ft full carbon trimaran "Black Marlin". Winner of all open races in the western Baltic Sea. Perfect for shorthanded sailing. Comes with an superb interior.  

FIREFLY 850

The Firefly 850 One Design (27ft) is a stylish, fast, exciting coastal racing or weekend cruising catamaran. There is fleet in Asia and Australia with great events. 

40k - 80k EUR

Roland Gaebler

Strassburger Str. 32 

28211 Bremen / Germany

Mobil/WhatsApp:  +49-172-4543074

Email:  [email protected]

Skype: r. gaebler

www.teamgaebler.de 

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