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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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Yachting Monthly

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Wow, that was fast! Why trimarans are SO much fun to sail – and how to do it

• Theo Stocker
• February 13, 2024

For their size, trimarans can punch well above their weight in speed, cruising potential and fun. Monohull sailor Theo Stocker gets to grips with how to handle one

Humans tend to gravitate into tribes of like-minded enthusiasts, enjoying the encouragement, support and sense of identity, while often looking askance at others; sailors at motorboaters, cruising sailors at racers, monohull sailors at raft, I mean, multihull sailors, and everyone looks askance at jet-skiers.

Large cruising catamarans (40ft now counts as a small one) are a world apart from monohull sailing, but there’s a sub-tribe of sailors dedicated to life on three hulls and builders such as Dragonfly, Corsair, Farrier, and Astus give them plenty of choice.

I’ve been sailing a 22ft (7m) Astus 22.5 this season, with just enough space for a family of four and a minimum of creature comforts. Thanks to her VPLP-designed hulls and 650kg all-up weight, we can sail upwind at 7-plus knots and downwind at over 10 knots with ease, all on a roughly even keel, while the kids play Duplo down below. It can also be beached and is towable behind a car.

Having, it seems, caught the trimaran bug, I wanted to get better at sailing and handling the boat, but my monohull sailing experience and habits were proving something of a hindrance, so we sought advice from some existing trimaran owners, and well as the UK’s top multihull sailors.

Much of the advice will apply to all multihulls , whether two or three-hulled, while other parts are just for small trimarans. I also found that brushing-up some of my rusty dinghy sailing skills helped get my head around what we were trying to do.

To try out our expert tips we went out sailing to see what difference they made. On the day, we got a solid Force 4-5 southwesterly, averaging 16 knots, but fluctuating between 12 and 20 knots true.

Blasting about on a sporty trimaran is a whole world of fun, but is much calmer than it looks

Trimaran sail trim

One of the biggest differences between a cruising monohull and a multihull is how the mainsail is trimmed. Leech tension on a yacht is often largely controlled by the kicker and the backstay, while the mainsheet sheets the mainsail in and out, predominantly controlling the angle of the boom to the centreline, and there may be a short traveller.

On a mulithull, however, there’s more than enough space for a good, wide traveller. Those who sail on performance monohulls will also be used to this. The sail shape is mainly controlled by the mainsheet, and the traveller then moves the boom towards or away from the centreline.

This is exaggerated on a multihull which has wide shrouds, swept well aft with no backstay, making space for a powerful square-top mainsail with full-length battens. There’s no backstay to bend the mast and flatten what is anyway a pretty rigid mainsail.

The mainsheet purchase creates enough power to control the leech of the square-top mainsail

Depowering a trimaran

Sailing on a monohull, heel and weatherhelm and eventually a broach give loads of warning that you’re pushing too hard. With straight hulls and little heel, those warning signs don’t really apply to multihulls.

In reality, however, there are a host of warning signals that it’s time to back-off; they’re just a bit different. Even then, there’s still a large safety margin before you get close to danger.

By way of reassurance, with the boat powered up on a beat, Hein, from Boats on Wheels, the boat’s owner, stood on the leeward hull and lent on the shrouds. Even as his feet got wet and the wind gusted at the top of Force 4, the boat didn’t bat an eyelid, thanks to the huge buoyancy of the floats.

Even with a person on the leeward float the boat was extremely stable

On the water – sail trim

My first inclination was to point the boat as high upwind as possible, pin the sails in and go for height. Doing that resulted in a not-terrible boat speed of 5-6 knots and a good pointing angle.

Free off by a handful of degrees however, and ease the sails just a smidge, and the speed leapt up to 8-9 knots – over 50% more; a huge increase. So, don’t pinch. If you had a decent chartplotter on board, you could find your optimum speed to angle using velocity made good (VMG).

I was also tempted to pinch in the gusts, but it’s better to hold your course and let the speed increase until the main needs easing.

On the wind, it’s time to get the boat fully powered up

If that’s the case, drop the main down the traveller an inch or two or ease some twist into the mainsail and it makes all the difference in the world, but not so far that the top battens fall away and invert – that really isn’t fast. Push too hard and the boat will slow down, largely from the drag of submerging the leeward float and crossbeams. If you’re still overpowered and the main is luffing, it’s time to reef. Downwind is different, but we’ll get onto that later.

After we put a reef in the main, our boat speeds upwind remained largely the same, and the boat was much happier. I came away feeling reassured that even a little trimaran like this would be pretty difficult to capsize, and there were always plenty of warning signs telling me to take my foot off the pedal a little.

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Tacking and gybing a trimaran

Everyone knows that multihulls don’t tack as well as monohulls. Straight hulls and wide beam don’t lend themselves to turning, especially when coupled with the displacement and fixed keels of big cats. Trimarans are a little easier, with a single central daggerboard to act as a pivot, and one or other of the floats will generally be clear of the water. On the downside, light displacement means that there isn’t much momentum to keep you going through the turn and plenty of windage to stop you.

On a trimaran the central daggerboard helps the boat to turn by providing a central pivot point that catamarans lack

Speed is your friend. Build speed up before the tack to give you as much momentum as possible. The helm needs to steer positively into and through the turn, and if necessary, keep the jib backed on the new windward side to help the bow through the wind. Don’t worry about scrubbing speed off, but you don’t want to get stuck in irons.

When it comes to gybing, speed is again key. The turning bit isn’t going to be an issue as you’ll be scooting along, but the faster you’re going, the less load there will be on the sails. The more you slow down, the more the true wind will pile up.

Trimaran sailing skills

Tacks took a bit of practice. It felt plain wrong to jab the tiller across the boat, slamming a big break on in the water but I ended up putting us through the tacks far too slowly, losing a lot of speed. A more aggressive approach worked better. On the Astus, the traveller was between me and the tiller, so the tiller extension needed to be swung around the stern behind the mainsheet onto the new side.

Similarly, old habits of controlling a gybe needed to be modified. With the asymmetric set, we were planing at well over 10 knots, and the ideal is to stay on the plane. Heading dead downwind and centring the main lead to a more violent manoeuvre than flying into the gybe as fast as possible and, as the boom was never that far out thanks to the apparent wind angle, it didn’t need much extra controlling.

Coming up onto the wind after the gybe helped the asymmetric around the front of the jib and to fill on the new side. Stay too deep and it’ll get blanketed by the main. Once we had built up some apparent wind, we could bear away again.

You’ll be on a course deep downwind before you know it, hitting speeds in the double digits

Downwind in a trimaran

Upwind cruising may be fun in a multihull, but bearing away and going with the wind is what it’s all about. Easily-driven hulls, a generous sailplan and light weight mean you can be up and planing, leaving displacement boats wallowing in your wake.

The big difference comes from apparent wind. If you’re in a boat that can do 15 knots downwind in 20 knots of true wind, the resulting wind angles can really mess with your head.

To get going then, says Brian Thompson, ‘Use those leech tell-tales again when sailing downwind and reaching to set the correct twist through the mainsheet, and use the traveller to set the correct angle of the whole sail to the wind.’

As the wind and your speed builds, bear away and trim the main accordingly.

In theory, you shouldn’t need to ease the traveller at all, but you may need to if you want to sail deep downwind. As the gust fades, you’ll find the boat slows down, so you can come back up towards the wind a little to pick up some more breeze, and then bear away as you accelerate again.

Bear away as the boat accelerates. Your course will be something of a slalom as you look to keep a consistent wind angle

This results in something of a ‘slalom’ course, and will also be accentuated if you’re sailing down waves, but that’s all quite normal for apparent wind sailing. Ultimately, you’re looking for a consistent apparent wind angle, even if the resulting wake isn’t straight.

It’s worth remembering that apparent wind reduces the felt effect of the wind, so you need a sailplan to suit the true, not apparent wind speed.

I found that the boat was more sensitive to having a balanced sailplan and trim downwind than upwind, largely because you’ve got almost double the canvas up, with the bowsprit as an extra lever. When weather helm built, I needed to ease the mainsheet to increase twist to depower so that I could bear away. I must admit, getting the boat balanced, sailing fast and light on the helm at 15 knots was something I came away feeling I needed more practice at.

Reviewing the images, I suspect the asymmetric was sheeted in too hard, with too much twist in the main.

Getting a float fully submerged is when it’s time to back off

On the water

Unfurling the gennaker worked best on a beam reach, giving plenty of airflow over the sail to help it fully unfurl. This was also roughly the fastest point of sail, ideal for getting up some speed for apparent wind sailing. We mostly had the sails set for a close reach, even when we were beyond 120º off the true wind on a broad reach.

It was possible to soak deeper downwind, but lose the apparent wind benefit downwind and our speed dropped off dramatically, prompting us to point a bit higher to find some more speed.

As the boat powered up, it paid to hold a slightly higher angle than I would have done in a monohull for the boat to properly take off and get up into double digit speeds – topping out at 15 knots. Lymington to Cowes would have taken us just half an hour at that speed. It’s easy to give yourself a heck of a beat back!

We were sailing on a pretty flat day, so didn’t have to contend with any waves to speak of. On the recent RTI this is what caused the capsizes of at least two multis, a sobering reminder that you need to sail much more conservatively in lumpier conditions.

The bows want to point downwind, so a stern-first approach works with rather than against the boat

Coming alongside

A 650kg boat with no draught and plenty of windage feels dreadfully skittish when manoeuvring in confined spaces. Straight hulls with no forgiving curves and fragile-looking sharp bows make berthing tricky. You’ve got a couple of advantages on your side, however. In the Astus, the floats are at pontoon height making stepping off easy.

Whether you have an engine in each hull of a cat, or one in the central hull of a tri, there’s also a lot more leverage to play with to turn the boat and drive her on or off the pontoon. A steerable outboard gives you even more options.

If the boat has a lifting keel or daggerboards, put them down if there’s enough depth to give you a pivot and to resist drifting. Think about getting corners onto the pontoon, rather than putting the boat alongside. On tris, you won’t be able to get to the bow to fend off as it’s too narrow. You can rig a fender up forwards on a line, and two fenders are enough on the flat sides.

Steering with the outboard towards the pontoon will drive the stern in more; steer away to drive the bow in more

Offshore wind

Coming onto the pontoon with wind blowing off, it worked well coming in stern first. If there’s a tide running, you’ll want to be heading into the tide, so find a spot down wind and down tide to start your approach so you come in at an angle.

On our first attempt we had a bit of tide under us to start with so we came in at a much steeper angle, almost 90º, although this worked out OK in the end.

The crew could then step ashore, taking a line from the stern quarter round a cleat.

Drive forwards against the line and the bow will obediently drive up towards the pontoon, bringing you flat alongside. Getting off was simple, releasing the bowline, and allowing the bow to swing out the before slipping the stern line.

Coming in astern and stopping upwind of the berth meant the bows blew towards the pontoon far to quickly

Onshore wind

Getting onto and off a pontoon with onshore wind proved rather trickier. On our first attempt we came in stern first. The issue was that once we were just upwind of our desired berth and stopped, we lost steerage and the bow immediately blew off with alarming speed towards the pontoon.

Going ahead would only increase the force of the impact, while going astern only increased the bow’s sideways drift. I managed to back out without smashing the bow, but only just, and ended up awkwardly stern to the wind with the bows pointing at the pontoon.

On our second attempt we came in bows first but having aimed at the berth, I had to motor the stern to leeward to stop the bow hitting, making for a rather forceful coming alongside.

On take three, I came in forwards and began ferry gliding towards the berth early, keeping the bows to windward of the stern. Being able to steer with the outboard meant I could go ahead to keep the bow up, and go astern with the engine pulling the stern down toward the pontoon. In this way, it was possible to come in pretty well controlled and parallel to the berth.

To get out, motoring astern against a bow line pulled the entire boat clear before slipping the line

Leaving was a different proposition all together, as I didn’t want to drag the bow along the pontoon, or to drive hard onto it to spring off. Instead, we rigged a slip-line from the forward cross beam. Going astern against this, and then turning the engine towards the wind, I could pull the stern, and the rest of the boat, out and away from the pontoon.

Keeping power on astern, once we’d reached a decent angle, we slipped the line and went astern, finding steerage way almost at once, with the bow following obediently in our wake with more control than I had anticipated.

Whether the wind is blowing onto, or off the pontoon, you want the engine to be driving or pulling the boat off the pontoon with a line on the corner you are going away from. That way you avoid point-loading fine ends where it’s hard to fender.

You’ll want a bridle to reduce swinging, but keep the pick up lines on the bow as backup

Anchoring and mooring a trimaran

While mooring a catamaran is complicated by the lack of a central bow, things should be simpler on a trimaran, and they are, mostly. Picking up a mooring buoy from the main hull bow with a low freeboard and dropping the pick-up line onto a cleat is easier even than a monohull.

The bow may be narrow, but for any lines that pass through a ring on the buoy, you still need to take it back to the same cleat to avoid chafe. That should be it, but windage from the two extra bows and the lack of keel mean the boat can dance merrily around the mooring buoy in a breeze.

Rig the bridle so the buoy sits to one side to stabilise the boat

In practice, we found that a trimaran benefits from a mooring bridle in the same way that a catamaran does. It can’t be rigged from the floats’ bows, as there are no mooring cleats, so a line passed around the outboard ends of the forward beams gave a pretty good angle, again with long lines passed through the mooring and back to the same side. The main pick-up lines stay as a safety backup.

The other trick is to rig the bridle asymmetrically so that the buoy sits to one side or the other, just enough to not be dead head to wind, making it much more stable in the wind.

On the plus side, the lack of draught or keel means that you’ll nearly always be lying head to wind, so the cockpit remains nice and sheltered whatever the tide’s doing.

We ran out of time on the day to try anchoring, but rigging a bridle, effectively a long snubber to a point on the anchor chain in a similar way wouldn’t be tricky.

If you needed not to swing, or to behave more like deeper boats nearby, hanging a bucket over the stern can help, or there’s always anchoring with a kedge, either out ahead in a V, or in line astern.

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Trimaran – The Ultimate Guide

Trimarans have been around for a while, yet racing aside they are not as popular as some other types of boats, especially in the multihull segment largely dominated by catamarans.

It is a shame as sailing a trimaran can be a very thrilling experience, even for the most relaxing yacht trips. Three words define it perfectly: Stability, Speed, and Lightness.

What is a trimaran?

A trimaran is a type of multihull boat composed of three individual hulls.

The center hull is the largest part of the boat, and the other two are floats designed to keep the boat stable by connecting to the center hull through an arm.

A brief history of trimarans

The name trimaran comes from the root word tri, meaning three, and maram, meaning wood or tree.

It is reported that the first trimarans were built by cultures in Asia and the Philippines. It is still the traditional fishing boat today in these parts of the world.

In the 16th century, the first trimaran (and catamaran) prototypes were “Proa” – tiny boats with two parallel hulls. The islanders used these boats in the Pacific Ocean.

Then, the amateur development of the modern sailing trimaran began in 1945 with the efforts of Victor Chetchet, a Ukrainian immigrant to the United States, who built two trimarans out of marine plywood that was later credited with coining the term “trimaran.”

Recreational trimarans grew in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s.

Until the ’90s, the trimaran was mostly chosen by sailors looking for performance.Modern trimarans, however, differ from the popular multihulls of that period in terms of design, speed, and “stuffing.”

In the last 30 years, many Trimarans ranging in length from 19 to 36 feet have been designed and built. Most of these trimarans could be folded and transported in trailers.

Trimarans quickly became a popular mode of transportation. Benchijigua Express, a 127-meter trimaran, was delivered to Spain in 2005. There were 1280 people and 340 automobiles on board! It was the world’s longest aluminum ship at the time, with a peak speed of 40 knots!

Likewise, things have changed in recent years. The cruising multihull market has developed enormously, with trimarans reaching very appreciable cruising levels, such as the new Tricat 30 or, for larger budgets, the Neel 45.

Why choose a trimaran?

Trimarans are faster than monohulls or cruising catamarans of the same size. They are also undoubtedly even more stable and secure than a catamaran.

They are masters of competition and records for a reason. For example, Thomas Coville held the world record of 49 days and 3 hours of the solo round the world race on the trimaran Sodebo Ultim.

Main trimaran characteristics

Thanks to its central hull and two smaller outrigger hulls, its three hulls give the trimaran very high stability. During the navigation, the trimaran goes upwind better than a catamaran, which is more prone to drifting phenomena. Therefore, Trimarans are faster.

The renowned NEEL 65, for example, is an atypical and innovative trimaran. Its capacity has been increased to provide roomy staterooms, and its center hull, which is precisely aligned with the mooring line, ensures stability and comfort when at anchor.

A trimaran is very stable

The wind propels a sailboat ahead and causes it to tilt in one direction. The keel under the hull prevents the boat from drifting and the ballast from capsizing in monohulls. As a result, a monohull will list in heavy winds.

Multihulls, on the other hand, benefit from their floats, which can withstand submersion. The catamaran will cruise quietly and will not heel like a monohull, but it will be unpleasant in rough waves.

In contrast, the trimaran’s three hulls provide excellent stability, similar to the little wheels added to a bicycle. The shape of the floats makes recreational trimarans especially stable and enjoyable to sail even in severe waves.

Sailing a trimaran is a thrilling experience

The trimarans offer a real sailing experience in the heart of the ocean racing world. They also allow you to meet with passionate people that will share their technical knowledge, experiences, and adventures with you.

If you choose a cruising trimaran for a luxurious vacation, your experience will be just as enriching. You will enjoy large living spaces, incomparable stability, relaxing safety, and quality crew service along with true sailing sensations.

The wind and the performance of a trimaran are second to none

When the wind pulls a boat upwind or the side, it is essential to offset the wind’s drive, and the hull and daggerboard provide this compensatory thrust.

As compared to a catamaran, a trimaran is more capable of sailing upwind. Thus, trimarans are quicker than catamarans, and this advantage is especially noticeable while sailing against the wind due to the weight centering in the middle hull, which reduces pitching.

Safety: the trimaran is the safest of all multihulls

Among all the multihulls, the trimaran is the safest because of its three-hull design, comprehensive anti-drift scheme, and weight centering.

There are for instance considerable variances in righting torques between a trimaran and a catamaran. Trimarans have a maximum righting moment of 27° of the heel while catamarans have a maximum righting moment of only 12°. This can be attained in strong winds, even in extremely small seas. The margin is therefore much higher on a trimaran.

Furthermore, even if the trimaran were to capsize, the construction would keep it from sinking, making it an extremely safe watercraft.

That being said, all multihulls, including catamarans are generally safe and easy to maneuver as long as you do it correctly.

Racing: a trimaran is a very popular choice

When it comes to racing, trimarans are more popular than catamarans, especially over the last 10 years.

Racing trimarans provide significant speed and safety benefits in extended offshore races. Even in severe seas, they can be pushed harder and are more forgiving than other racing catamarans. These are the primary reasons why trimarans have become so popular in recent multihull competitions.

Read also : Trimaran VS cataman: What are the differences ?

Who can benefit the most from using a trimaran?

There are many different types of experiences possible with a trimaran, so many people will find a trimaran to their liking.

The racing enthusiast ready to take on the world, the sailor with a thirst for adventure, or the cruising family, will find the trimaran right for their project.

The main trimarans drawbacks

The biggest drawback to trimarans is their living space. Indeed, most of the models on the market have a living space centered only at the level of the central hull, and the other spaces are rather limited. This is especially true for racing trimarans.

The only manufacturer who offers a solution to this problem is NEEL, with trimarans having large and comfortable living spaces.

Trimaran yacht charter: a unique and thrilling experience

If trimarans aren’t the most popular yachts on the charter market (yet!), it doesn’t mean you should refrain from renting one if you want to discover the sailing experience of a boat with three hulls;

Why should you charter a trimaran?

WI Yachts offers you 5 good reasons to charter a trimaran:

• New concept: Trimaran is the boat of the future, combining the best of the monohull and catamaran world.
• Unequaled volume: Trimaran’s layout is unique and original, and the cockpit is extra large.
• Serene navigation: a trimaran is known for its ease of handling, even with a reduced crew, unequaled stability, and guaranteed comfort.
• Complete autonomy: Trimarans are often equipped with watermakers and solar panels, they are self-sufficient in energy and freshwater.
• Environmentally friendly navigation: The sailboat is well known to be the least polluting means of travel; you can enjoy an environmentally friendly vacation.

The best destinations to charter a trimaran

BVI: Between the nearby highly cosmopolitan US Virgin Islands and the pristine British Virgin Islands , there are more than 60 islands. They feature several sheltered anchorages and are ideal sailing grounds for first-time charterers or families. Coral reefs and gorgeous beaches may be found all around the archipelago, offering a variety of water activities.

Martinique: When it comes to variety, Martinique excels. Travel north to enjoy the magnificence of the mountainous landscape. Or sail south to relax on the island’s best white sand beaches. Protected by a coral reef, this is a magical sailing ground for your charter yacht vacation.

Known as the island of flowers, Martinique is a French overseas territory. It is also one of the largest islands in the Lesser Antilles.

Saint Martin: Sint Maarten is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Saint Martin, the northern half of the island, is a French overseas collectivity. A popular stop for Caribbean cruise ships, the island is known for its lagoons, beaches, and colonial-style architecture.

Guadeloupe: Guadeloupe is a small butterfly-shaped island divided into two main islands: Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre. Separated by a narrow channel and connected by a bridge, the two islands are very distinct. This French overseas department lies in the middle of the Eastern Caribbean, between Dominica and Antigua. Charter a yacht in this part of the Lesser Antilles and discover a unique blend of European and tropical cultures.

Seychelles: Seychelles are all varied, and each offers a personal vision of Paradise. You can explore them all during your cruise thanks to the short sailing distances. The Seychelles yacht charter area extends to the islands of Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, and twenty smaller islands. Beautiful lagoons, white sandy beaches, and a wealth of marine life make Seychelles a unique cruising destination.

How much does it cost to charter a trimaran?

It is possible to charter a trimaran no matter what your budget is; a bareboat trimaran NEEL 45 can be chartered from €3 400 per week.

All our trimaran for charter here.

Buying a trimaran

Buying a boat, regardless of the type, depends on the intended navigation. For a cruising-oriented program, we often think of the monohull or the catamaran. The trimaran market seems more naive, yet cruising aboard a trimaran can be an excellent alternative.

However, trimarans are now able to provide all the necessary comfort for each cruising project.

On the other hand, when it comes to determining trimaran costs, most people make a mistake in their value evaluation. Rather than comparing lengths, the underlying value is found in the cost per knot.

Besides, a trimaran will outperform a monohull boat of the same length.

How much does it cost to buy a trimaran?

You can buy a trimaran for about $959,959. With 75 HP engine, fiberglass hull material, this trimaran will have 8.9 meters of the beam and 1.8 meters of draft. It houses 4 guest cabins and 2 crew cabins.

The best trimarans shipyards

Among the best trimaran builders we can find:

Neel: The trimarans of the shipyard are unique thanks to the experience and unequaled know-how. They combine unequaled living comfort with incredible sailing pleasure.

Rapido trimarans: Its creator has always been convinced that there was a missing segment in the sailing market: a cruising trimaran at sea, piloted by its owner, powerful enough to accelerate and avoid any potential problem, and able to be sailed safely by two people. This is how their concept was born: to build the fastest production cruising trimaran in the world.

Dragonfly: The shipyard offers 4 models, from 25 to 40 feet, with different touring, sport, performance, evolution, or ultimate, which allows everyone to find a trimaran to suit his needs.

Corsair marine: Created by a New Zealand architect in California, Corsair has built more than 1,200 folding trimarans between 1984 and 2008, making them the leader in this segment.

The best trimarans currently on the market

There are two types of trimarans that currently stand out on the market — those for coastal raids and those for cruising.

NEEL 43 , 45, 51 , 65 for liveaboard

LEEN 56, motor trimaran for liveaboard

The Tricat 25 for summer cruising or day trips

The Dragonfly 40, for simple offshore cruising

Read also : The 5 best sailing boats under 60 feet

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History of trimaran

A trimaran is a multihull vessel consisting of one main and two auxiliary hulls connected to the main hull by transverse beams. The first prototypes of trimaran (as well as catamarans) were "Proa" - small boats with two parallel hulls (16th century). These boats were used by the islanders in the Pacific Ocean.

The first trimarans were built by the Polynesians about 4 thousand years ago. Most of the terms associated with boats and their components originated from Polynesian names.

Multihull ships  (trimarans and catamarans) became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Naturally, modern trimarans differ from the popular multihulls of those times both in design and speed, and in their "stuffing". 19 - 36 feet long trimarans have been designed and built in the last 30 years. Many of these trimaranes were collapsible for transport on trailers.

Soon, trimarans became a fairly common means of transporting people. In 2005, the 127-meter Benchijigua Express trimaran was delivered to Spain. It accommodated 1280 passengers and 340 cars! With a top speed of 40 knots, it was the longest aluminum ship in the world at that time!

Trimarans have many advantages over monohull boats: wider beam, shallow draft, good stability and the ability to travel long distances. In addition, due to the wider beam, the trimaran does not need a weighted keel, unlike monohulls. As a result, the trimaran offers more options than a single hull boat. He is able to walk in shallower waters and "confidently float" on the water in fairly strong winds and storms. However, the trimaran's wider beam makes it a little awkward when maneuvering, again in comparison to single-float boats.

Another advantage of a trimaran is that it is lighter and faster than a monohull of the same size. Some trimarans have a light lifting keel. Some trimarans can reach excellent speeds in storms and travel through waves. But such an experience can be dangerous for a multihull due to the wide beam. The bow of the boat, often covered with a springboard, acts like a giant paddle. In order to avoid unfortunate outcomes, experienced yachtsmen advise using a springboard with a wide "weave" and a suitable anchor.

The "father" of the modern trimaran is Viktor Chechet, a Ukrainian immigrant from Kiev and an avid adherent of three-hull boats. During World War I, Mr. Chechet was a fighter pilot. He lived in New York from the 1940s until his death. During his life in the United States, he built two Eggnog trimaranes 1 and 2. Both boats were 24 feet long.

Most trimaranes are virtually unsinkable. Even with two "flooded" hulls, the buoyancy of the remaining hull is sufficient to keep the entire vessel afloat. Due to their reliability, trimarans (for example, the Challenger class) have become very popular among sailors around the world.

News and articles

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Boats that made iconic voyages in the last century and the people who boldly steered them have now reached legendary status. We all know their names and achievements, but what fate overtook these boats after their accomplishments and do they sail today?

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Trimaran - 10 Things You Should Know About the Trimaran

• The launch by Austal of the longest multi-hull vessel ever is physical proof that a shipyard has finally found a way to tap the huge potential of a vessel type that was actually invented many centuries ago by the Hawaiians: namely the 'trimaran' or stabilised monohull. We can at last design a vessel for speed and comfort without one (design goal) compromising the other.  
• Austal can make the main (centre) hull long and slender to gain higher speeds with today's engines AND at the same time design the side hulls, which are necessary to make this long hull stable, in a way that means that the roll action of the vessel can be "tuned" for comfort.  
• But the design is complex: of all the shipyards in the world it is only Austal that has proven it has the skills and experience to carry out the development. So many aspects must be taken into account in optimising the design: the number of combinations is almost unlimited.  
• Today catamarans dominate the high speed vessel market around the world: their wide decks, ability to load bow and stern, and their efficiency through the water have meant this very versatile platform accounts for over 70% of all high speed ferries being delivered. Their versatility and economy will mean that catamarans will remain a major part of the market going forward too. But in many cases where a catamaran today plies a route through difficult sea conditions the trimaran will provide a premium service for the discerning operator.  
• The enhanced sea-keeping of the trimaran will help operators offer better service on existing routes plus also begin operations on new routes where, until today, sea conditions had made them too challenging.  

For example, an operator investigating a new route discovers that for sea keeping (passenger comfort) a 100 metre long catamaran is required. This platform has the capacity for 1000 passengers and 250 cars by nature of the large box-style garage deck and superstructure of the catamaran design. The cost of this vessel is proportionate to the volume and power required to operate at high speed (40 knots). Unfortunately the operator does not have the capacity to fill such a vessel so he cannot afford to purchase or operate the 100 metre catamaran. A smaller catamaran i.e. 60-70 metres with the appropriate passenger and car carrying ability will be unable to handle the sea conditions and so will likely lead to the demise of the business through passenger dissatisfaction and cancelled sailings.

With the trimaran design it is now possible to build a 100 metre vessel with the same or better sea keeping as the 100 metre catamaran but without the correspondingly large box-style garage deck and superstructure. The trimaran can effectively be a long slender monohull only with side supports. The car carrying and passenger volume is located only above the centre hull and can be adjusted to equate to that of a 40 to a 100 metre catamaran.

The cost of the vessel therefore becomes proportionate to the desired capacity rather than overall length as the flexible nature of the trimaran design allows construction volume and powering requirements to more closely follow capacity requirements.

The trimaran enables the operator in this example to achieve both the capital investment and sea keeping suited to his particular route.

• Endorsement of the trimaran design has come from the highest possible levels. In the commercial market Fred. Olsen, S.A. is a world leader in developing high speed vessel technologies. It was due to the foresight and determination of Fred. Olsen, S.A. that we see the first (and world's largest) trimaran launched by Austal on September 25, 2004. The 127m long, 30m wide "Benchijigua Express" is a trail-blazing and revolutionary craft.  
• The other major endorsement of the trimaran concept has come from the US Navy who has chosen the Austal trimaran (the team is led by giant US defence contractor, General Dynamics) as one of two vessel types that will go through final design this year and move into production during 2005. The project is the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and ultimately the US Navy sees a need for up to 60 of these vessels.  
• The trimaran has already become the basis of a large high speed vehicle ferry and a surface combatant project. Other applications that are already emerging include passenger-only ferries, patrol vessels and supply vessels. In some of these applications the benefits of the trimaran comfort at zero/low speed will also be utilised. The trimaran also has a very low wake-wash and this is a vital characteristic that can be exploited on ferry services close to communities.  
• May 2005 is a big month in the history of high speed transport. Following the delivery from Austal via the Cape of Good Hope the full promise of this technology is shortly to be realised in service.

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Trimaran Sailboats: Pros and Cons

Sep 22, 2021

less than a min

Trimarans are boats in the multihull category. So let us give you a simple overview. A monohull has just one hull, a catamaran is a boat with two hulls, while a trimaran as the name itself suggests, has three hulls ( one central hull and two side ones that are smaller ).

There are many reasons why people prefer trimarans to other boats. These vessels are very easy to maneuver and quite light compared to catamarans or monohulls. They are often considered as an advanced form of the catamaran. The reason being, trimarans are faster than the average catamaran and obviously faster than monohulls. 

In addition, trimarans are much more stable than the alternative. The three hulls provide extra balance and lower resistance because even if there are three hulls in a trimaran, they are smaller and narrower. Lower resistance also leads to lower fuel consumption. 

Trimarans are very comfortable to sail in as the main hull is stabilized by the two outer hulls . 

Also, if you enjoy spending more time outdoors rather than indoors (which is usually the case for people who like sailing), trimarans offer more deck area that you can utilize. Whether for meditation, or social gatherings, this space offers plenty of breathtaking views and fresh air. 

Let’s not forget that trimarans have smaller gaps in between the hulls which makes them easier to build and therefore less expensive for the public to buy. 

This article however is titled trimarans pros and cons, so it is time to move into some less appealing characteristics of these vessels. 

While they offer plenty of deck space, the area below the main deck is limited, therefore you cannot have as many people on board as you would in a monohull or even a catamaran. 

In addition, trimarans are not appropriate for every type of activity. If you want to use it for recreational sailing then these boats will provide plenty of enjoyment. If your scope is to find something for the military or fishing, trimarans are not often the best choice. 

If you have your mind set on a specific trimaran, search it on TheBoatDB . Our extensive database includes features, pictures, specifications, and more useful information on a variety of boats. What is most interesting however is that you can also compare a couple of models side by side and decide which one is your favorite by getting all your facts straight. 

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Category : Trimarans

Subcategories.

This category has the following 17 subcategories, out of 17 total.

• Armadahan ‎ (1 F)
• Bajamar Express (ship, 2020) ‎ (1 C, 1 F)
• Balacion ‎ (1 F)
• Banca (boat) ‎ (18 C, 58 F)
• Barangayan ‎ (1 F)
• Bañaderos Express (ship, 2021) ‎ (21 F)
• Djenging ‎ (2 F)
• Farrier F-22 ‎ (3 F)
• Guilalo ‎ (3 F)
• Independence-class littoral combat ship ‎ (17 C, 1 F)
• Junkun ‎ (2 F)
• Trimaran motorboats ‎ (25 C, 9 F)
• Queen Beetle (ship, 2020) ‎ (3 C, 1 F)
• HSV-2 Swift (ship, 2003) ‎ (7 C, 190 F)
• Trimaran sailboats ‎ (41 C, 87 F)
• Trimarans with folding arms ‎ (1 C, 1 F)
• Vinta ‎ (24 F)

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Why You Want a Trimaran: Pros and Cons of a Trimaran

Three hulls are better than one!  That would be the adage of the trimaran.  It consists of one central hull with two smaller side hulls, called amas.  The average person conceives of the trimaran as something even more extreme than catamarans.  Lighter weight, higher speed, more specialized.  The opposite is actually true; trimarans fill an excellent transition role between monohulls and catamaran.  Recognize the potential applications by understanding the strengths and weakness of the trimaran hullform.

1.0 What Makes a Trimaran

When you seek trimarans, envision stability.  A conventional monohull must balance conflicting needs of resistance and stability.  You want a narrow skinny hull to reduce resistance (and fuel consumption).  But you need a wide hull to maintain vessel stability and keep the ship upright.  The trimaran separates these two design requirements.

In a trimaran, the central hull provides most of the ship buoyancy (90-95% usually).  It does this with a long, narrow hull.  And then the outer hulls, called amas, provide the stability.  This arrangement allows incredible flexibility in the hull design.  Due to the wide separation between hulls, it requires very little buoyancy in the amas to keep the trimaran stable.  That is why many trimarans barely have their amas in the water.  Compare the relative size of the amas vs the main hull in Figure 1‑1.  The amas are just there for stability.

2.0 Advantages

The trimaran offers several capabilities to bridge the gap between monohulls and catamarans:

• Excellent for high speed
• Moderate weight carrying capacity
• Good seakeeping capability
• Larger available deck area
• Moderate space below the main deck

Another advantage is the design of the cross deck (Figure 2‑1) between the main hull and amas.  On a catamaran, this cross deck bridges a large empty gap.  Large gaps add complexity to the engineering and require stronger structures.  We don’t like that.  Stronger structures mean more weight and higher costs.  But the trimaran’s cross deck is much smaller.  It requires less of a gap between hulls, and it does not extend for the entire ship length.  Longitudinal bending is less of a concern for the cross deck.  This greatly simplifies the design of that cross deck, giving us many advantages:

• Heavier loads can be carried on the cross deck
• Less structural weight required for the cross deck
• Deadweight coefficients closer to monohulls

The long length of the center hull also offers great advantages for seakeeping.  This length greatly reduces pitch motions in a wave, and the narrow center hull reduces chances of slamming.  To improve things even more, the side amas reduce roll motions.  They add stiffness to prevent large roll motions.  But they also act to reduce roll accelerations.  All together, trimarans make for gentle seakeeping.

The trimaran offers major advantages for damage survival.  The side amas provide excellent protection to the center hull, which military designers find especially useful.  But the cross deck also helps with damage survival by containing massive reserve buoyancy.  Imagine a damage situation where the ship sinks down to its cross deck.  On a monohull, that would be game over.  But on a trimaran, the cross deck suddenly becomes a barge, easily supporting the entire ship weight.  This reserve buoyancy provides extra peace of mind in yachting applications.

Speaking of peace of mind, let’s talk about a sudden loss of stability.  In catamarans, you lose stability once a single ama completely leaves the water.  Push a catamaran past that point, and stability is a losing battle.  A fact that scares many vessel operators.  Trimarans do not have this problem.  They get stability mainly from submerging the amas.  The center hull always stays in the water, and the leeward ama continues to submerge.  This creates a predictable increase in righting moment.  In normal cases, trimarans never experience the sudden loss of stability.

3.0 Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage for trimarans is lack of experience.  There are few trimarans in military applications, and even less in commercial use.  That lack of exposure instills wariness in many operators.  I appreciate caution, but don’t let that stop you from realizing the benefits of a trimaran.

Trimarans do have a few genuine detractors.  Due to their complexity, they require some extra design effort.  The cross deck introduces a few extra ways to twist and bend the ship, and the engineers must check each of these extra scenarios.  Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is the ideal tool for this.

Don’t worry about the FEA bill.  You should expect a slight increase, but nothing huge.  FEA was already a part of the design process for normal monohulls.  Most ship designs already require FEA to consider global hull bending.  That means the hard part is already done.  Your engineer already had to build an FEA model of the hull.  With minimal effort, engineers can expand that model to account for the additional design scenarios of a trimaran.

Cost definitely factors into trimaran construction.  The cross deck and extra hulls do add extra steel to the design.  You have to pay for that extra steel as part of the build cost. (Figure 3‑1)  But don’t assume this drastically increases the total build cost.  Adding extra structure is far less expensive than adding extra machinery and power.

Consider the alternative to a trimaran:  an equivalent monohull.  For the monohull, we strip off the side amas and widen the center hull to maintain ship stability.  But bad news.  A wider hull requires a larger engine, and associated support machinery.  In general, the machinery accounts for approximately 50% of the total build cost.  The structure is only around 25-30% of the build cost. [3]  Adding larger machinery costs twice as much as adding extra structure.

4.0 Applications

You see trimarans most often in high speed vessels and the occasional military vessel.

• Car ferries
• Military ships

One of the first experimental military trimarans was the Triton, a steel vessel with a displacement exceeding 1000 MT. [3]  (Figure 4‑1)  These are not little vessels.

Don’t think of trimarans as an expensive hullform.  The prevalence of trimarans with expensive ships is mostly a coincidence.  Imagine if you wanted a high speed ship.  First step is pick a trimaran hullform.  But for high speed, you also build it out of aluminum and load it with powerful engines.  Those are all high priced decisions that get imposed on the trimaran hullform.  The hull shape does not drive the price tag, and trimarans are not limited to high speed.

Aker Arctic even investigated using trimarans as an icebreaking tug. (Figure 4‑2)  Aker found the trimaran configuration especially useful for cutting wide channels through the ice with less power.  Trimarans are just a hull configuration.  How you use the hull is up to you.

5.0 Conclusion

Don’t let the previous trimarans limit your imagination.  The trimaran hullform bridges the gap between monohulls and catamarans.  It offers some advantages of both deadweight capability and larger deck area.  Primarily, trimarans deliver ship stability in a very power efficient package.  What uses can you imagine with that flexibility?

6.0 References

Related posts.

Figure 2-1: Icebreaker Mackinaw in Sea Ice [3]

Ramming the Ice: Icebreaker Propulsion

How to Design a Ship

Stability Letters Explained

Free Surface Moment

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• dragon boat
• rubber dinghy

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Trimaran Neel 43 Review

This review is dedicated to the unique three-hull yacht Neel 43 trimaran , which has collected all possible prizes in its category since its release in 2021 by the Neel Trimarans shipyard. Here's what impressed the selection committees when determining the winner, and what attracts sailing enthusiasts and businessmen to Neel 43.

• FEATURES OF NEEL 43 TRIMARAN
• MAX SPEED NEEL 43

A Bit of Theory at a Glance

Loft is such a loft, always on duty, in the engine compartment, in cabins and forepeak.

• ADVANTAGES OF NEEL 43
• REVIEWS OF NEEL 43 FROM PROFESSIONALS
• VIDEO REVIEWS OF NEEL 43
• PRICE CALCULATOR

Traditionally, in addition to the review from the topRik team, we present the opinion of the leading yachting media, whose journalists participated in testing this unique catamaran. What makes it unique? Find out in our review!

To avoid tormenting the most impatient, we will hint at the main signs by which you can recognize a sought-after Neel 43 at a glance.

This is a loft-style deck - here, on one level, you can find all the main areas where the owner of the trimaran and his guests stay.

This common space without any frills is subject to the main thing: the optimal ratio between the performance of the boat, the ease of management, on the one hand, and the sufficient comfort of life on board, on the other.

TopRik team, before offering the Neel 43 trimaran to you, intends to check all the claims of the shipyard about its advantages on board this three-hull yacht. Follow us on this endeavor!

Features of Neel 43 Trimaran

• Brand: Neel Trimarans
• Hull type: Trimaran
• Overall length, m: 13.1
• Width, m: 7.5
• Displacement, t: 9
• Air draft, m: 19
• Water tanks, l: 500
• Exterior design (Architect): Marc Lombard/Yacht Design Group
• CE Certification: ICNN
• Mainsail type: Fully battened
• Jib type: Furling genoa
• Mainsail area, m²: 58
• Jib area, m²: 43.2
• Engine: diesel sail drive 50 hp
• Fuel tanks l: 300

Max speed Neel 43

The maximum speed of the Neel 43 trimaran depends on various factors such as wind conditions, sea state, sail configuration, and the weight of the vessel, crew, and equipment. However, the manufacturer states that the Neel 43 has a maximum speed of around 20 knots (23 mph or 37 km/h) under ideal conditions.

It's worth noting that cruising trimarans like the Neel 43 are typically designed for comfort and stability rather than speed, so their top speeds are usually lower than those of racing trimarans.

Review Neel 43 by topRik Team

No, no, the photo above is not the topRik team, we do not look so romantic, we do not wear bikinis, and we do not mix yacht testing with cocktails. We just have a good imagination - and we immediately imagined how this transom might look in a "busy" state. Note that a good third of the transom on the starboard side is not even included in this photo. Let's take a closer look at one of the ladders - this is the one where the girl in the blue bathing suit stands, on the port side.

You can see that this is not just a ladder , but at the same time a rather extensive swim platform - this is hinted at by the onboard ladder and common sense. Exactly the same platform, or gangway, is located on the starboard side.

And between these two ladders there is a huge main platform, which can serve as a boathouse for a PVC motorboat, jet ski, folding bikes, kiteboards, windsurfers and other useful things. Especially when you consider that under it you can find a very roomy locker for a life raft.

From the pier, we have a view of the massive roof over the cockpit, low lowered boom, slightly sloping mast and bimini over the helm station. The ribbed contours of the hulls attract attention - this will limit the rocking of the trimaran. A very wide vaka with a normal amas width may indicate that a large amount of equipment is placed in the central body to balance the weight distribution for high performance.

Although, as far as we know, the weight of this trimaran is even less than most catamarans of the same size. This was achieved through the use of technologies that have already proven themselves to be reliable in hull manufacturing process, as well as through innovative technologies used in making non-structural elements. In the first case, sandwiches made of foam and glass reinforced with a polymer fabric are used, in the second, a cork core is used.

The reduction in weight also reduces the wetted surface area, which makes it easier to control the trimaran when maneuvering and tacking under sail.

While there are enough theories, it's time to climb the ladder to the cockpit. While our skipper moved straight from the transom steps to the steps leading to the helm station, the rest of the topRik team decided to test the capacity of the cockpit and, of course, the capabilities of the aft galley.

Let's not forget that the Neel 43 is billed as a 10-passenger boat, which is important not only to those future owners who plan to bring as many friends on the cruise as possible or take the whole extended family on the trip. The maximum capacity of the yachts is also important for entrepreneurs who rent them out.

So, we inform all interested parties: the yacht will freely accommodate 10 passengers, even without the skipper and crew - this ten will have enough space even in the cockpit.

And if suddenly someone does not have enough space, you can always move to the saloon. Moreover, the shipyard has remained true to itself and has retained this deck in the loft style, where the cockpit almost imperceptibly merges with the saloon. Yes, this is the famous “cockloon”, where the cockpit and saloon are separated or, more correctly, united by large sliding doors.

We have already shown the view from the cockpit to the saloon: both tables are practically adjacent, passengers can freely communicate through a large open window. Through it, you can also transfer dishes cooked in the galley.

And in the photo below there’s a good view from the saloon to the cockpit - you can appreciate the galley and its linear arrangement. More than one cook can handle it at the same time, since the approaches and aisles are very open. You see plenty of seating around the table and on the double sofa. What is behind the curtain? Bed? Exactly! It’s the loft.

But wait to be surprised and perplexed. Everything is very logical if you see the rest of the cabin. There is a full-fledged charting table - the second control post after the one our skipper has already taken at the helm. And when he is replaced after the night watch, he can immediately go to rest on this comfortable large bed, taking some time out from the navigation table, marine tools and chartplotter .

And if you are traveling with your family, this is a great place for children to sleep or play – it can always be under the supervision of adults, both day and night.

Some may be surprised by the amount of storage space for food and kitchen utensils, but we were struck by the spaciousness, which seems simply immense due to the large area of glazing. Panoramic views and natural light add to this feeling of freedom on board Neel 43.

The height of the rooms on the test yachts, as usual, was tested by our expert, whose height reaches 2 meters. In the cockpit and saloon, he didn’t even need to bow his head - he walked, proudly straightening up all the way, and there was still a lot of free space above his head.

– What are you doing here?

In our fascination with the “cockloon” and the possibilities of the grill and galley, we somehow forgot about our skipper, who stayed to study the helm station.

– Testing, - the team mumbled indistinctly with their mouths full. - We decided to share the responsibilities: since you are on duty, we’ll cover this area just fine...

After everyone paid tribute to dinner, they went to inspect... no, not the cabins, but the control station in the cockpit. We studied the charting table quite well - nothing unexpected: a large chart plotter, communication equipment, radio, electrical panel, tool indicators that control all the equipment of the trimaran.

Located on a raised platform on the starboard side, the helm station has an entrance from the transom side and from the cockpit side. In front of the helm there is a skipper's chair, where an assistant will comfortably fit.

All lines, except for spinnaker sheets, are brought to the winches located at arm's length or within walking distance. The staysail sheets pass through one fixed hawse. Our trimaran had an electric winch, which makes it much easier to work with the rigging.

The control panel is practically a double of the saloon control panel in terms of the set of instruments. To the right you get your throttle.

From the helmsman's seat there was an excellent view of all three bows of Neel 43’s hulls until the sails were raised. There are some problems here depending on the rig used. Later we found out that the front view is still blocked when the headsail is raised on the starboard tack or an asymmetric spinnaker is raised on both tacks.

Spacious and with a high ceiling - everyone liked this compartment, even the aforementioned crewman, who still had more than 10 centimeters of space left above his head. The compartment is located in the central float, the entrance to it opens from the cabin.

In the photo you can see that the engine and steering gear are shifted to the stern, and in the center there are water and fuel tanks, batteries and other equipment. We liked that most of the equipment is concentrated in one place, and not distributed throughout the yacht. Of course, this was done not so much for our convenience in service, but to achieve the most productive balance of the vessel, and this perfectly coincided with yachtsmen's ideas about serviceability.

On this boat, the forepeaks can be used for more than just storing fenders if the Neel 43 is intended for charters. There is plenty of room for the crew. Ten passengers can be perfectly accommodated in a trimaran if all the options for sleeping places are well utilized.

To visualize these options, let’s take a look at the Neel 43 passenger and crew layouts.

The first schematic shows the bedding option suitable for a cruise with 2-4 people. These can't even be called cabins - just places fenced off for sleeping on the loft deck. One of these places, at the navigator's table, we have already shown - it is fenced off only by a curtain.

The second one can be called the owner's cabin variation – you get a high and roomy space with a large double bed and many windows.

On the second schematic you see how it is possible to equip additional berths in the bow of the central hull and fore peaks.

The first berth is quite spacious, although it narrows somewhat towards the headboard, but the ceilings are high, and natural light is provided through the skylight and side porthole.

Living spaces in the forepeak are reserved for crew members - one berth per one person. And no, we were not mistaken: although there are only 8 beds on the diagrams, do not forget about the folding table in the cabin, which can be transformed into 2 beds.

Since we were examining the forepeak, we could not help but pay attention to the bow of the Neel 43.

This is how you can characterize the bow of this trimaran. Everything here is subject to expediency. The bowsprit is used to shift the center of sail and carry the sail armament forward.

The nets between the noses of the hulls are not for the sake of sunbathing area here. They perform their direct function - they dampen the waves and do not allow the trimaran to bury its nose into the wave.

Advantages of Neel 43

Since we didn’t find much shortcomings, we will immediately announce the main one - there is no signaling equipment whatsoever warning you about the ingress of water into the engine compartment. So, it is necessary to either order such equipment on your own, or simply check the condition of the compartment more often. And here are the pros:

• High performance, excellent maneuverability.
• Obedience to the steering wheel and rudder.
• One rudder and an obedient helm provide a great helmsman's feel to control the sails.
• The quality of the hulls, which ensures the reliability and safety of being on board.
• Enough comfort for a cruise as a couple, as part of a family, with friends or a charter flight.
• Affordable price with great features.

The last point allows you to actively use this boat for commercial purposes.

Another advantage that we have noticed is that an experienced skipper is able to manage this beauty alone.

Reviews of Neel 43 from Professionals

Rupert Holmes and Dave Reed are well-known yachtsmen and journalists, who participated in the testing of the Neel 43 trimaran. And Dave did it as part of the Sailing World Magazine team, which conducted its annual test, seeking out the 2023 Boat of the Year nominees.

From the very first lines of his review Rupert Holmes immediately offers a solution for those who hesitate between a monohull yacht and a catamaran. Cruising trimaran Neel 43, according to the author, can be an ideal option. Rupert goes on to substantiate his claim.

A well-known journalist and yachtsman remembered the trimarans of the 60-70s, which did not quite justify their title of "cruising". In contrast, Rupert picks light and fast three-hull yachts of the last decades, the credit of the revival of which largely belongs to the Neel shipyard from La Rochelle with its cruising models with spacious rooms. Neel 43 trimaran designed by Marc Lombard is the discovery of 2021.

Test team with active participation of Rupert Holmes tested the Neel 43 at La Rochelle in light to moderate seas and 12-16 knots offshore wind.

The journalist specifically noted that despite the spacious deck and massive roof, the Neel 43 is three tons lighter than most 42-foot catamarans. He was surprised by the low wetted area during maneuvers when windward ama rises out of the water. This area is several times smaller than that of a catamaran of the same size. In addition, the Neel 43 has a low displacement. Together, this makes the trimaran remarkably fast.

Then the author described in detail the trials of the boat under sail. The crew turned off the engine, hoisted the mainsail, turned the staysail downwind on the beam, and with a true wind of 14 knots, quickly accelerated the trimaran to a stable speed of 10 knots.

The change in true (65°) and apparent (40°) wind angles reduced the speed by just one knot. Rupert noted that if they had more advanced rigging rather than Dacron sails, it would add a few useful degrees closer to the wind without sacrificing speed.

The helm is connected to one rudder by straight cables. The steering was remarkably responsive during testing. At the same time, the direct sensations from handling it were much brighter compared to a catamaran.

Maneuvering was as easy as navigating a monohull. The trimaran turned deftly into the wind, and the speed rarely dropped below five knots.

Rupert Holmes explained how the developers achieved light and smooth movement of such a seemingly bulky vessel. They did an excellent job with the distribution of heavy equipment in the central building, concentrating it in the middle. Under the central hull of the trimaran, they placed one keel instead of two, as in most cats.

But in order to heel the trimaran at angles of more than 14°, great efforts are required - the boat quickly reaches stability. The high freeboards also provide a large margin of buoyancy in the amas, even with a strong gust of wind or a squall.

A single fin keel makes it impossible to beach the trimaran like most cruising boats.

Since the trimaran was heading towards the wind from the canal into the open sea, we found out how easily controlled underwater elements behave during motor navigation. With one 50 hp engine and 2400 rpm the boat was moving at a speed of 8 knots.

When turning downwind the asymmetric kite was raised, since the speed at a true wind angle of 150° began to decrease. This maneuver made it possible to raise the speed to 9 knots, and the best VMG downwind was 7 knots.

When the wind increased to a true speed of 15-16 knots, the crew deviated from the true wind up to 115°. The boat accelerated to 10.5-11 knots. At the same time, Neel 43 demonstrated excellent stability: no change in roll was noticed.

Concluding his review, the journalist and yachtsman noted that the Neel 43 has become a cruising trimaran concept for the mass market. The popularity of triple-hulled vessels is evidenced by the fact that the shipyard produces at least two trimarans every month.

Test team loved the new concept of Neel's latest trimarans, which consists of one large connected living space that is visible from float to float. Wherever you are on this ship, you feel your involvement in the overall life process, as in any residential family building.

There is only one "sunken" living space for passengers - in the bow of the central float. All other berths are located on the same level as the saloon and cockpit, which distinguishes the Neel 43 from most catamarans and many trimarans from other manufacturers.

Although the trimaran is primarily intended for family sailing, it should be the family of the yachtsman who prefers high performance boats.

It was no coincidence that the gigantic, according to the shipyard, mechanical compartment below was especially noted. It is only necessary to open the hatch in the saloon and descend into a spacious and well-lit area, where free access to all trimaran systems is provided.

Dave Reed quotes Chuck Allen, the senior judge of this competition, who notes that the trimaran is more stable and faster than a catamaran, as a result of which the pleasure of driving it is much higher. Riding a trimaran is a great experience. The adjustment of the amas becomes similar to balancing, which is provided by the rudder, mast and keel in the central hull. At the same time, there is no strong roll, the trimaran is very stable. "It's an adventure platform," Chuck Allen summed up.

He was surprised that a trimaran sails against the wind like a monohull sailboat, and when it glides over a wave, it simply takes off. “I got the impression that you can really sail on the coast with the right selection of sails,” Chuck jokes.

He noted that this trimaran was easily handled by two people at high speed and expressed his confidence that the crew of 4 would be great in a coastal race.

The team of judges noted the good location of the steering wheel on a starboard raised platform, which ensured good visibility. They also liked the fact that all reefs and sail control cables run close to the helm and are folded into special bags.

It was noted separately that the shipyard commits to environment protection technologies through the use of environmentally friendly and recyclable materials, in particular, epoxy resins, foam plastic, and cork. To power the refrigerator and electronic devices, solar panels are provided on the roof of the trimaran.

Video Reviews of Neel 43

Prepare to enjoy the trimarans beauty in video format!

Let’s start with well-known Multihull Solutions – their video review in comprehensive and interesting at the same time:

Moving on to Aeroyacht and their in-depth 22-minute-long review:

Another great yachting test at the sea by Multihull World:

And, if you are not interested in commentary, here’s a silent interior review of this roomy boat:

All of the above information leads us to the following conclusion: Neel 43's affordable price, its excellent seaworthiness, stability and reliability, ease of handling make it desirable for many sailors, including:

• couples who love the speed and challenges of sailing;
• friends ready to strengthen the bonds of friendship in sea trials;
• families with or without children who want to spend time together without the presence of strangers on board;
• lovers of the sea, speed and sails;
• yachtsmen who do not like excessive luxury, but do not want to completely deprive themselves of comfort.

In addition to private ownership, this trimaran is ideal for commercial purposes. It can be successfully rented out both to passengers who never met each other before the charter, and to groups of friends or colleagues.

Price calculator

Where to buy neel 43 at a bargain price.

If you are reading this, you already know the place where you can buy the Neel 43 for a low price without the risk of receiving services or accessories that you do not need.

All marketplace employees topRik have been and regularly go to sea on motor and sailing yachts , monohulls and multihulls. We all know perfectly well what needs to be done so that your boat fully meets your requirements, and also that you do not overpay for imposed options.

If you put your trust in us, then all you have to do is state your requirements, consult our team and wait for us to deliver your yacht to its destination.

We will take on:

• negotiations with the manufacturer;
• control over the package options of the boat;
• trimaran delivery;
• providing the missing equipment and accessories from rigging equipment to a watermaker ;
• further maintenance of the boat.

If you are a novice yachtsman, before going to sea on your own, you can enroll at our skipper school SimpleSail to receive "International Bareboat Skipper" after finishing IYT Yacht Training Course .

Call, send an e-mail or contact our consultants using the website feedback system.

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Weta Wiki Home / Weta Wiki

We recommend reading the Weta Manual and other documents available from the Owners section of the Weta Marine website .

The Weta is a 4.4 meter fibreglass/foam composite trimaran with a boomless main, jib and roller furling gennaker. It can be sailed single handed or with up to three adults. When rigged it has a beam of 3.5m, but when put away on its beach trolley the beam is just 1.7m.

Manufacturing

Initially the boat was manufactured in New Zealand but volume production difficulties and high costs led Weta Marine to move production to Land & Ocean Composite Product Co Ltd. in China.

In August 2014 production was switched again to Xtreme Sailing Products head-quartered in Singapore (although the factory is at nearby Batan, Indonesia) where the 2015 Weta was produced using a new mould with improvements in the manufacturing process and some modifications to the main hull, amas, fittings and a new sail supplier, North Sails.

In 2017, the hull construction was switched to foam core reducing the weight to the original 120Kg. In 2020 the Self Tacking Jib Kit and Twin Tiller Extensions Kit were made available for new and existing boats. In 2021, the supports for the Self Tacking Jib track were built into the deck molding for new boats.

Distribution

As of December 2022, over 1400 boats have been sold worldwide. Approximately 50% of sales have been made in the USA and just under 33% in Europe. Australia, France and the USA have the largest racing fleets with 22 boats at Weta Fest 2014, Ft Walton Yacht Club FL and 26 at the 2014 French Weta Nationals in Carnac . Over 35 boats are expected at the 2022/23 Australian Nationals. The Weta World Map has locations of most of the Weta owners (that wanted to be included) here .

Weta Marine founders Roger and Chris Kitchen saw a gap in the market for a safe, stable, easy to rig, easy to stow, high performance, recreational family boat. Twenty years ago a variety of surf cats were available but there had been little or no development since then and many sailors were looking for a boat that could be easily handled, single handed, both on and off the water. There was no centreboard yacht available that could be used both by kids learning to sail and adults looking for high performance and thrills.

In 2001 on a trip to France, Roger and Chris were really impressed with the way the French used multihulls in their Learn to Sail programs with 3 young children learning together on a 3.5 m cat. On returning to New Zealand they commissioned a multihull designer (Tim Clissold of TC Design) to sketch up some hull forms that fitted their brief.

They built the first Weta using foam/glass construction and launched it early 2003. The boat had potential but it needed a huge amount of development. Over the following 3 years the Weta underwent trials with many design changes with input from some of New Zealand’s top sailors. The Weta created a lot of interest both nationally and internationally, especially from people who saw it as being a truly versatile family yacht that looked so good. Weta Marine was formed in February 2004 and the decision was made to manufacture the Weta.

2006 was spent setting up a top quality production line in China and sourcing world class components for the boat. The first production Weta was sold in New Zealand in October 2006. 2007 was a time of expansion into a number of overseas markets and there is now a great team of enthusiastic hard-working distributors in Australia, China, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand, UK and USA. Weta 1000 was manufactured in July 2014.

There are a number of people/companies/organisations who have made a significant contribution to the success of the Weta Marine design team. These include:

Mike Bullot, David Charlesworth, John Cliffe, Jason Daniels, Gaastra, Harken NZ, Warwick Kitchen, Land & Ocean, Vince Lettice, NZ Trade & Enterprise, Graeme Robbins, TC Design and Markus Winter.

Yachts & Yachting (UK) 2011

SailWorld (AUS) 2010

MySailing (AUS) 2011

SailWorld (USA) 2010

SailingMagazine (USA) 2010

Sail Magazine (USA) 2009

Multihull Review (UK) 2009

In addition, Weta can now match any RAL-code colour or photo with a 25% deposit and additional charge (depending on the colour) – this excluded dark colours with a Luminosity less than 50 which tend to fade quickly due to UV.

All new boats are supplied with a container of Gelcoat pigment which can be mixed with local clear Gelcoat for repairs.

Colours for boats <#1000 are RAL codes available internationally. “Traffic Red” Red 3020 “Zinc Yellow” 1018 “Yellow Green” 6018 “Signal White” 9003

Colour Changes “Blood Red” to ‘Ferrari Red’ – approx hull #56 onwards “Lemon Yellow: to Warm Yellow – approx hull #150 onwards. “Light Grey” (RAL 7035) to White – in 2013 (hull number?)

A fully revised and updated manual is available in Google Docs format here

Definitions: Mods, TIPs and Notes

There are three information categories used in this Wiki

• MOD: Modifications are changes you can make to the boat to make it easier to sail
• TIP: Things you that might help you in caring for your boat or sailing it.
• NOTE: An important issue that owners should be aware of

Please be aware that many of the modifications suggested may be illegal for racing purposes under the International Weta Class Rules which state:

The original rudder was a foil slotted in a cassette

From ??? this was replaced with the Dotan automatically lifting and lowering rudder

From August 2008 this was replaced with the longer and more sophisticated ‘spitfire wing’ spring strut operated rudder with an elliptical bottom edge.

TIP: Always wash off salt water from the rudder fittings after use. Corrosion of the metal components can occur caused by g alvanic c orrosion between the steel and the carbon fibre. Check any stainless steel components, especially if exposed to seawater, for corrosion on a regular basis.

TIP: The rudder pintle rod used on the Spitfire Wing spring strut rudder can easily fall out if you remove it when the boat is in the water. Better to remove it on land.

NOTE If you need to replace the pintle rod, it can be manufactured from 316 Stainless Steel rod, 210mm x 8mm. The holes for the pin that hold it in place are 5mm from each end and 2.5mm wide. It is recommended to use a stainless steel fabricator as stainless steel is difficult to drill without a drill press and carbon drill bit.

MOD: You can dispense with the rod entirely (especially if you sail somewhere with many sand bars, shallow water or floating obstacles – e.g. jellyfish) which might either damage the rudder or cause it to jump up frequently with the subsequent loss of steering. Just wrap 9mm shockcord around the stock 3 TIMES for the Bungee Auto-Kickup System – details here

TIP: To avoid cracks in the tiller stock after beaching the Weta, always clip the rudder in the up position otherwise the waves can cause damage when they hit the rudder.

MOD: The tiller extension is a little short if you are hiking from the Amas. It can be extended by adding a 6-8 inch/15-20cm rod or carbon tube with a slightly smaller outer diameter than inner diameter (22.5mm) of the original extension. Remove the stopper and rubber grip from the end of the tiller extension. Wrap some tape around your new extension piece and insert it into the original tube so that it fits tightly. Wrap more tape around the join between the old and new sections. Replace the rubber grip on the end and wrap some tape around so that it can’t slip off. Add a bung to protect the end.

MOD: Twin Tiller Extension Kit In 2020 Weta Marine produced a twin tiller extension kit which consists of an extra tiller (shipped in two sections and joined with epoxy) and attachments for the tiller to allow both old and new tiller extensions to be attached either side of the tiller. Also included was a steel ring and bungee attachment which kept the free tiller extension from dragging in the water but allowed it to pivot forward in use. Details here

TIP: You may also find the inactive tiller extension catches on the edge of the tramp – one way to resolve this is to tie the loops on the tramp edge down out of the way and also extend the tiller extension to 2m long. Details here .

MOD: Another alternative is to fit a (Laser-style) traveller bridle which allows the tiller to pass under it and therefore you can keep hold of the tiller through the tack – details here .

Daggerboard

The original daggerboard was replaced with the 42cm/18″longer version with an elliptical bottom edge from August 2008

The original Weta often required a shim or lining of the slot with carpet/neoprene to prevent water from squirting up the slot and causing the daggerboard to oscillate and hum. The 2015 Weta has a reworked daggerboard slot providing a tighter more accurate fit with a “fluffy gasket” to hold it steady and prevent water squirting up it (replacement gasket is available from Weta dealers).

MOD: To prevent the daggerboard from sliding down the slot when partially raised and from sliding out if you capsize. Add a 30cm length of bungee shock-cord to the front handle hold so that the bungee can be looped around the mast and clipped onto itself.

TIP: The trailing edge of the daggerboard can easily get damaged against the back of the slot if you hit the bottom with it down. Glue some thin carpet or neoprene at the back in the bottom of the slot to help prevent damage but try never to approach a beach with the daggerboard half down.

In August 2014 the Weta 2015 was announced with sails supplied by North Sails cut to the same dimensions as the original Gaastra sails. In 2018, The Square Top 9.3Sq M (100 Sq ft) mainsail was introduced which improved performance in lighter winds and when sailing with crew but is still useable up to 25 knots. At the same time the cut of both the Square Top (SQ) and original Pin-head (PIN) mainsail was changed to a modern bi-radial shape compared to the tri-radial original. Also the colour of the sail tapes was changed from black to light blue for improved visibility. Dacron sails are still available. In 2019, the gennaker ripstop nylon supply was switched to Contender Sailcloth which allowed additional colours (Lilac, Orange, Pink).

The original sails were white Dacron but were soon replaced by clear Mylar made by Gaastra (best know for windsurfing sails). The North Sails mylar film is light grey.

Optionally, a Dacron furling jib and smaller 6.5 m 2 mainsail are available. This can be used for sailing schools so that they can still teach comfortably in 20 knots of wind and is also great for lighter sailors so that they too can sail in higher winds whilst using the jib. Dacron sails are used in the “Resort” version of the boat.

Screecher (Gennaker)

Screecher furler.

The original screecher furler was a single pull Harken 163 but it could be difficult to furl in strong winds ( a 1:2 ratio helps ) and after a brief switch to the Ronstan RS006400 furler, this was replaced by the KZ RF200 continuous line furler in April 2011 but this had problems with corrosion of the bearings (although some late models have ceramic bearings). In 2016 they switched to the new Harken 1134 continuous furler but due to increasing costs, Weta switched to the the Ronstan RS006000 furler in 2019. In 2020, this was revised to the Ronstan RS006000A with stainless-steel bearings. This resolves an issue with the furler not spinning easily when moisture penetrated the sealed bearing of the original.

TIP: When furling the gennaker (especially in strong winds) always bear away so the gennaker is largely behind the mainsail and, while keeping tension on the sheet, pull on the furling line – this will ensure a tight furl.

TIP: If your furler doesn’t unfurl fully by pulling the gennaker sheet, or won’t furl/unfurl at the top, the bearing may be gone – if you find it cannot spin the drum freely by hand then it’s most likely corroded internally and you should upgrade to the Ronstan RS006000A or Harken 1134.

TIP: The Ronstan furler is designed to throw the line off the reel when releasing the furled sail and therefore should not have any tension in the tail of the furling lines if you want to take advantage of a quick deploy.

NOTE: Wash the furler with fresh water to remove salt/sand and lubricate with dry silicon spray. Never use a greasy lubricant as this will trap sand.

MOD: The Harken drum furler can be improved with a 1:2 furler line system using a small pulley which greatly improves the unit. See photos here . (Note that the Harken drum furler may fail to furl properly in winds over 25 knots).

MOD: The plastic “shackle” used to attach the foot of the screecher to the furler on early boats is prone to failure under continuous use. It can be replaced with a lashing made from 4mm line.

Gennaker Sheets

MOD: Tapered gennaker sheets can be made for the Weta. It is recommended the tapered/core section measures 100 cm from the inside of the loop to the edge of the jacket/outer casing of the line.

TIP: To prevent the clew of the gennaker or the knot from catching on the forestay during a gybe, i t’s better to attach the gennaker sheets by passing the rope through the eye in the gennaker from the “wrong” side (ie. starboard gennaker sheet goes through from the port side) and then tie a figure 8 knot. Repeat the process with the port gennaker so that it also goes through the eye from the opposite side. This means there is no knot or corner of the sail to get caught on the forestay during a gybe.

TIP: Use a white marker or some tape to mark the gennaker blocks so that you always thread them the right side.

Gennaker Additional Block

MOD: If you find the gennaker too much to hold onto, a factory approved modification is to add an additional block at the front of the tramps. This also has the benefit of bringing the gennaker to the front of the cockpit which makes it less likely to be stepped on in a tack or gybe. More info here .

Gennaker Cleats

MOD: If you reverse the hull tie down cleats at the stern of the cockpit, they can be used to cleat the spinnaker (not recommended for tight reaching in strong winds if you want to avoid a capsize!)

Gennaker Sail Care

To lengthen the lifetime of the sail – and help to keep the shape. It’s recommended to remove the sail from the bowsprit after sailing then lay it on a flat surface and flake it from the bottom up, then loose roll it from the end.

MOD: Consider adding telltales to the gennaker about 2m up and 30cm in, one above the other using something you can see through the cloth (e.g. magnetic tape for light colours, white yarn for dark colours).

TIP: If the telltales stick to the sail when wet try spraying them (and the sail) with silicone lubricant when dry or use Scotchguard waterproofing spray. Try also creating a crease (or tying a knot) in them to avoid a flat surface that can stick to the sail.

TIP: Use magnetic tape or flagging tape (used for marking out building sites) attached to the shrouds as wind indicators which you can see without having to crane your neck to look at the top of the mast.

The mainsail is fully battened and because the boat is never sailed on a deep run does not require a boom. A bolt rope sewn into the luff of the sail is fed into a track which is glued to the 2-section mast. A V-cleat on the front of the mast engages a knot in the Dyneema leader of the halyard to provide a halyard lock at the top of the mast.

Early boats used a wire leader which was prone to failure in strong winds and waves.

NOTE: The main halyard should not be cleated under tension at the foot of the mast as this risks bowing the mast and the top section can break in strong winds (especially sailing 2-up) – use the halyard lock at the top of the mast which allows the mast to bend under stress.

TIP: The SQ 9.3 mainsail can put additional tension on the bolt rope at the foot of the mast because of the top batten and luff curve. To make it easier to raise and prevent it jumping out of the track, don’t tighten the jib or raise the gennaker before raising the mainsail. Lubricate the mast track with dry silicon spray to ease hoisting/lowering the sail.

MOD: If the bolt rope keeps jumping out of the bottom of the sail track, consider replacing the bottom 40 cm with aluminium track from the 29er which allows you to firmly close the slot with a pair of pliers.

Tension In light winds (< 7 knots) you should ease the batten tension to reduce the curve in the sail to ease the airflow and prevent the batten from inverting in a tack. In medium winds (8-25 knots) you should tension the battens for maximum power. In strong winds (25+ knots) you should ease the batten tension to reduce the power in the mainsail.

NOTE: Always leave the mainsail with the battens loose as this avoids permanently stretching the sail.

Tip: When sailing upwind in strong winds (over 25 knots), you should have the mainsheet on tight to help flatten the main but cleating it can make it harder to undo in a gust. The solution is to brace the sheet over the edge of the tramp which means you can easily release it.

The mast is in two sections which are joined by sliding them together. TIP: If the two sections are tight where they join, try dipping one end in some water or spray with dry silicon spray to provide lubricant. TIP Raise the mast when facing downwind or with the bow down on a downward slope as this makes it easier to get it vertical. TIP: A hinged mast step is available from Weta to make raising the mast easier for those who may have difficulty lifting it alone. This can be used with a cradle to allow the mast to be raised without effort. NOTE: The sail-track on the mast is made by C-Tech in New Zealand (details here) and is available from Weta Dealers in 3m sections (7.4 m are required for a complete mast track replacement). To glue the track to the mast, use a adhesive/sealant such as 3M 4200, Fixtech Fix 2 , Selleys Armourflex or Sikaflex 292. Don’t use permanent adhesives such as 3M 5200 because the mast track is prone to wear and sections may need to be replaced in the future.

TIP: If you are unable to source the sail-track from marine vendors, look for Flex-a-rail from sun shade and caravan awning suppliers.

The jib is fully battened with the battens sewn into pockets in the sail. They can be removed/replaced by undoing the stitching at the leach. Replacement battens must be the same as the originals.

NOTE: The jib is attached to the forestay using plastic clips, it may not be possible to attach the bottom clip because of the forestay lashing. The webbing straps which the clips are attached to is 50mm long on the port side and 30mm long on the starboard side.

TIP: If you cannot clip on the bottom clip you can replace it with a velcro cable tie.

TIP: Replacement clips are available from North Sails.

TIP: Jib Sail Care – Fold the top over at the first batten and then roll from the top down. This helps to prevent the bottom curling up.

Self-Tacking Jib

In 2020, Weta introduced the self-tacking jib kit which included a track with supports that could be glued to the deck, together with a 6% smaller sail with a reduced leach enabling it to tack without catching on the mast.

The kit also included blocks to enable the tension of the existing jib sheets to adjust the sheet tension and the position of the clew on the track.

The track support is now built-in to the deck moulding of new boats but adhesive kits are still available for early (<#1000) and newer boats (>#1000).

The benefit of using the self-taking jib is significant for solo sailors as it enables you to make “hands free” tacks and gybes – especially when combined with the twin-tiller kit. For racers, it means you can make faster more accurate tacks and gybes and still maintain your heading without oversteering.

MOD: Crossover Jib Sheets The Weta manual suggests attaching either end of the sheet to the clew of the jib and through the cleats so it loops across the cockpit, but this makes it difficult to adjust the jib once you are on the tramps. Also tying the sheets to the clew with a bowline is risky as bowlines can shake undone in strong winds. In addition, because the attachment point is different each time, it’s hard to have a reference marker on the sheets to gauge how much tension has been applied when trimming.

A solution is to tie a loop in the centre of the jib sheet using a Butterfly Knot and attach this loop to the jib using Soft Shackles (DIY with 1m x 4mm Dyneema) threaded through the clew holes. Then feed the sheet ends through the cleat and across the boat to tie off on the opposite tramp handle next to the shroud.

Soft shackles are light and you can have one in each jib clew hole if you wish. The benefit of having a fixed attachment is that you can then mark the jib sheet with a texter either side where they go through the cleats – giving you an instant setting indicator after you tack and for reaching/beating.

The original forestay bridle was tied to two stainless steel rings threaded through holes in the gunwale and bolted underneath. This has been replaced with a length of Dyneema line passed through the same holes with stop knots beneath the gunwale.

MOD: If you have a boat with steel rings they can be removed and the hole edges smoothed out before replacing with Dyneema.

TIP: The forestay should be tensioned so that the is no slack in the stays attached to the Amas when the boat is on the trolley – and even more in winds above 15 knots.

TIP: It’s worth checking the tension on the forestay again when the boat is in the water before you launch

TIP: Check the Dyneema for wear regularly – there have been a few incidents of failure.

The side stays are adjusted for length by the placement of the pins in the Stay Adjuster.

TIP: The recommended setting is 3 holes from the bottom for winds around 10-15 knots, 2 holes at 15-25 knots, 1 hole above 25 knots (although if sailing with the mainsail alone, move to 5 holes as this makes it easier to tack without the jib).

Mainsheet Block

The block was originally from Harken and was replaced with the Ronstan Orbit Block in ????

Trampolines

MOD: It’s highly advisable to put closed cell foam padding under the outer frame of the trampoline (a camping sleeping mat is ideal) as this makes hiking much more comfortable.

Hiking Straps

The original hiking straps were supplied without a twist in them and anchored in the centre of the tramp using two stainless steel grommets as well as being sewn into a webbing patch. Later boats have a twist in the hiking straps to make it easier to get your feet under them and have dispensed with the grommets.

MOD: If you find that your legs are too short allow you to comfortably sit on the float while wearing the harness then add an additional hiking strap outside of the supplied original (this is allowed under the International class rules).

MOD: To enable you to safely hike from the stern of the boat downwind, add an additional hiking strap between the centre ring and the rear ring on the cockpit floor. Keep it taught by passing it over an additional piece of elastic cord between the mainsheet tension anchor points at the side of the cockpit. A Laser hiking strap is exactly the right length.

MOD: NoodleRaiser™ The hiking straps can be difficult to get your feet under, especially when wearing hiking boots. You can use sections of pool noodle and/or bungee cord to hold the straps clear of the trampoline. – Cut four pieces of 4-5cm/3-4 inch of hollow pool noddle and cut a slice in each one. – Thread the pool noodle pieces onto the front and rear hiking strap sections and position them either side of the anchor point in the middle – Wrap cloth-backed tape or duct tape around them – Get some thin bungee cord (~4mm) and loop a piece of this around each hiking strap section so that it pulls over the pieces of pool noodle and thus pulls the hiking strap sections off the tramp.

Spray Deflectors

There’s no doubt that the Weta is a very wet boat – especially from around 10 knots speed when the spray from the bow goes across the middle of the tramps. So there are only two places to get less wet – hiking out hard or sitting in the middle of the boat.

MOD: An alternative is to fit spray deflectors between the tramp and the bow on either side – but they have to be able to allow water through and also allow you to get into the boat. One Weta owner in the USA has produced plans for a DIY version using tramp mesh  – Rain and Sun in the UK have also produced some ready made .  More info here.

Timeline of Changes

A trimaran (or double-outrigger ) is a multihull boat that comprises a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls (or "floats") which are attached to the main hull with lateral beams. Most modern trimarans are sailing yachts designed for recreation or racing; others are ferries or warships . They originated from the traditional double-outrigger hulls of the Austronesian cultures of Maritime Southeast Asia ; particularly in the Philippines and Eastern Indonesia , where it remains the dominant hull design of traditional fishing boats. Double-outriggers are derived from the older catamaran and single-outrigger boat designs. [1] [2]

Terminology

Sailing trimarans, folding trimarans, competition and records, 33rd america's cup, trimaran ships, high-speed ferries, naval ships, image gallery sailing trimarans, image gallery engine driven trimarans, external links.

The word "trimaran" is a portmanteau of "tri" and "(cata)maran", [3] a term that is thought to have been coined by Victor Tchetchet , a pioneering, Ukrainian-born modern multihull designer. [4] Trimarans consist of a main hull connected to outrigger floats on either side by a crossbeam, wing, or other form of superstructure—the traditional Polynesian terms for the hull, each float and connector are vaka , ama and aka , respectively (although trimarans are not traditionally Polynesian, since they instead use single-outrigger and catamaran configurations). [5]

The first double- outrigger boats were developed by the Austronesian people and are still widely used today by traditional fishermen in maritime Southeast Asia . It developed from the more ancient single-outrigger boats as a way to deal with the problem of the instability of the latter when tacking leeward . Double-outrigger boats, however, did not develop among Austronesians in Micronesia and Polynesia (although it exists in western Melanesia ), where single-outrigger boats and catamarans are used instead. [1] [2] [7] [8] [9]

Warships with double-outriggers were used widely in Maritime Southeast Asia since ancient times up until the early modern period , with examples like the karakoa , [10] [11] lanong [6] kora kora , [12] [13] knabat bogolu , [14] and the Borobudur ships . These were often referred to by Europeans during the colonial era as " proas ", a general term which can also refer to single-outriggers and even to native ships without outriggers. [15] [16]

20th century

Recreational sailing catamarans and trimarans gained popularity during the 1960s and 1970s. [8] [17] Amateur development of the modern sailing trimaran started in 1945 with the efforts of Victor Tchetchet , a Ukrainian émigré to the US, who built two trimarans made of marine plywood , which were about 24 feet (7.3 metres) long. He is credited with coining the term, "trimaran." [4] In the 1950s and 60s, Arthur Piver designed and built plywood kit trimarans, which were adopted by other homebuilders, but were heavy and not sea-kindly by modern standards. Some of these achieved ocean crossings, nonetheless. [18] Other designers followed, including Jim Brown , Ed Horstman , John Marples , Jay Kantola , Chris White , Norman Cross , Derek Kelsall and Richard Newick , thus bringing the trimaran cruiser to new levels of performance and safety.

Following the homebuilt movement, production models became available. Some trimarans in the 19–36-foot lengths (5.8–11.0   m) are designed as "day-sailers" which can be transported on a road trailer. These include the original Farrier – Corsair folding trimarans, such as the F-27 Sport Cruiser – and original John Westell swing-wing folding trimaran (using the same folding system later adopted also on Quorning Dragonfly) and like trimarans. [ citation needed ]

Modern western-built trimarans typically do not use Austronesian rigging like tanja or crab claw sails . Instead they use a standard Bermuda rig . Trimarans are also typically significantly wider. In addition, trimaran floats are much more buoyant than those of outrigger canoes to support a large sailplan. They contribute to drag when heavily immersed, and their level of immersion indicates when to reef . In terms of performance, an objective comparison by Doran (1972) in terms of maximum progress against the wind, maximum speed, and speed downwind concluded that both the traditional double-outrigger vinta of the Philippines and the single-outrigger wa of the Caroline Islands , respectively, are still superior to the modern trimaran. [19]

Several manufacturers build trimarans in which the floats can be removed, repositioned, or folded near to the main hull. This allows them to be trailerable and/or to fit in a normal monohull space in a marina . Several mechanisms allow the amas or outriggers to be stored compactly:

• Demountable fixed tubes that are assembled before launching.
• Telescoping tubes
• Hinge and latch system that allows the amas to fold over the main hull to reduce width for trailing.
• Vertical folding that lifts the amas upwards and over the main hull. [20] [21] [22]
• Horizontal articulation that moves the amas forward or backwards at the same level as the hull. [23]
• Horizontal folding of the amas towards the main hull.

Trimaran safety features include amas with multiple sealed partitions, controls that all run to the cockpit , a collision bulkhead , partial or full cockpit coverings or windshields, and drain holes in the cockpit that can adequately drain the cockpit quickly, among other things.

Trimaran capsizes are more likely to be of the pitchpole type than a roll to one side due to their higher sideways stability and speeds. Capsized trimarans are harder to turn upright after they have turtled than monohull boats. While some capsized trimarans righted by sideways rotation may suffer heavy damage to mast and rigging, many modern [24] and ancient [25] trimarans are explicitly designed for this method of righting. Harnesses pulling on the stern toward the bow, or from the bow toward the stern of capsized trimarans have been shown [ citation needed ] to be able to successfully turn them end-over-end. Several design features reduce the chance of pitch-pole capsize; these include having wing nets with an open weave designed to reduce windage and decks and nets that shed water easily. The best way to avoid capsize is to reduce sail in heavy weather. [ citation needed ]

Thomas Coville holds the world record of 49 days and 3 hours for sailing solo around the world in the trimaran Sodebo Ultim , finishing on December 25, 2016. The previous record was set by Francis Joyon on January 20, 2008. The 51-year-old Frenchman circled the planet alone in 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes, 6 seconds in a trimaran. He beat British sailor Ellen MacArthur 's record set in February 2005 for which she spent just over 71 days at sea. [26]

Francis Joyon and a crew of five in the maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT set the absolute (wind or mechanically powered) time for the fastest maritime circumnavigation, in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds of sailing between Dec 2016 and Jan 2017. Their average speed was 26.85 knots (30.71 MPH) over a total distance of 26,412 nautical miles (48,915 kilometres; 30,394 miles) . [27] In early 2020, the same boat won a race retracing the tea clipper route from Hong Kong to London in just under 32 days – one-third the time it took the clippers to sail the route. [28]

Hydroptère , an experimental sailing hydrofoil trimaran, briefly reached 56.3 knots (104.3   km/h; 64.8   mph) [29] near Fos-sur-Mer , but capsized and turtled shortly thereafter. [30] [31]

Competing with a giant trimaran the BMW Oracle Racing team won the 2010 America's Cup for the Golden Gate Yacht Club on February 14, 2010, off Valencia , Spain. The team beat the giant catamaran Alinghi 2–0 in the best-of-three series, becoming the first American syndicate to win the cup since 1992. The large rigid wing sail of the USA 17 trimaran provided a decisive advantage and the trimaran won the America's Cup by a considerable margin in each race.

Earthrace broke the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a motorized boat in 2008 in just under 61 days. [32]

The trimaran configurations has also been used for both passenger ferries and warships. The Australian shipbuilding company, Austal , investigated the comparative merits of trimaran ships, catamarans and monohulls. It found that there was an optimum location for the outer hulls in terms of minimizing wave generation and consequent power requirements for operating at high speeds with a payload of 1,000 tonnes. It further found that such a trimaran configuration was superior to a catamaran for roll and lateral force in a beam sea and superior in suppressing motion sickness resulting from a head sea. [33]

The negative considerations for trimarans, compared with catamarans or monohulls are: [33]

• A more complicated and consequently more expensive hull structure for the payload, making them more suited for low-density cargo or passengers.
• More complicated geometry and large size per unit of cargo carried, which makes docking more difficult than for a catamaran or monohull.

Between 2005 and 2020, Austal had built 14 aluminum high-speed trimaran ships, 11 of which were for the US Navy. In 2020, they had 11 trimarans under construction or under order. In addition to shipyards in Australia and the US, the company had shipyards in Vietnam and the Philippines. [34]

In 2005 Austal delivered the 127-metre trimaran (417   ft) Benchijigua Express to Spanish ferry operator Fred Olsen, S.A. for service in the Canary Islands . Capable of carrying 1,280 passengers and 340 cars, or equivalents, at speeds up to 40 knots, this boat was the longest aluminum ship in the world at the time of delivery. [35] A modern warship, the RV Triton was commissioned by British defence contractor QinetiQ in 2000. In October 2005, the United States Navy commissioned for evaluation the construction of a General Dynamics litoral combat ship trimaran designed and built by Austal. [36]

High-speed craft are governed by a code that applies to those designed for international passenger voyages that are shorter than four hours from a port of refuge, or cargo craft of 500 gross tonnage no more than eight hours from a port of refuge. All passengers are provided with a seat and there are no enclosed sleeping berths. [37]

The demand for high-speed ferries started in the late 1970s for ferries built mostly in Norway. Ultimately, two Australian shipyards came to prominence, Incat and Austal. [38] They were initially built by many shipyards, but by the turn of the century only two companies were still building larger vessels of over 70 metres and 3,000 Gross Tons . While Incat has specialized in wave-piercing catamarans, Austal has developed high-speed trimarans. [39] [34]

In 2010 Austal built the 102 metre Hull 270, although they were unable to find a buyer for the ship until it was sold to Condor Ferries in 2015 when it was named HSC Condor Liberation and began operating to the Channel Islands. [40] Prospects for trimaran ferries picked up in 2017 when Fred. Olsen Express ordered two 118-metre trimarans for their Canary Islands services, [41] named Bajamar Express and Bañaderos Express . In 2018 a Japanese company ordered an 83-metre trimaran ferry. [42]

The first use of trimaran hull designs in modern navies was in the RV Triton , a Research Vessel for the Royal Navy . She was built as a technology demonstrator ship for the Royal Navy's Future Surface Combatant, and has been used to prove the viability of the hull form. Since 2007 the ship has been used by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service 's Customs Marine Unit .

Littoral combat ships built by General Dynamics at Bath Iron Works are of a trimaran design. USS Independence (LCS-2) is the first of these ships. Littoral combat ships built by Lockheed are of a monohull design.

First launched on August 31, 2012, at Bali Strait, 63M Carbon Fibre Composite Trimaran Fast Missile Boat (Indonesian: Kapal Cepat Rudal [KCR]) named Klewang-class fast attack craft (Klewang- means a traditional Indonesian single edge sword), was the first stealth trimaran of the Indonesian Navy built by North Sea Boats at Banyuwangi , East Java , Indonesia. Designed by New Zealand Naval Architects LOMOcean Marine this ship combined a number of existing advance technologies into a single, unique platform; a wave-piercer trimaran hull from, constructed exclusively of infused vinylester carbon fibre cored sandwich materials for all structural elements, with external "stealth" geometry and features intended to reduce detection. The KRI Klewang (625) caught fire because of an electrical short-circuit in the engine room during a maintenance period on September 28, 2012, and was a total loss.

43-meter Ocean Eagle trimarans from CMN wharf with design from Nigel Irens und Prolarge based on the Ocean Adventurer concept will provide coastal protection for Mozambique. [ citation needed ]

• List of multihulls
• Turtling (sailing)
• 1 2 Doran, Edwin B. (1981). Wangka: Austronesian Canoe Origins . Texas A&M University Press. ISBN   9780890961070 .
• ↑ Collins English Dictionary – 2007 – Harper Collins – ISBN   978-0-00-780072-8
• 1 2 "Victor Tchetchet" . Multihull Maven.
• ↑ White, Chris. (1997). The cruising multihull . Camden, Me.: International Marine. p.   45. ISBN   0-07-069868-6 . OCLC   39033104 .
• 1 2 James Francis Warren (2007). The Sulu Zone, 1768–1898: The Dynamics of External Trade, Slavery, and Ethnicity in the Transformation of a Southeast Asian Maritime State . NUS Press. pp.   257–258. ISBN   9789971693862 .
• ↑ Beheim, B. A.; Bell, A. V. (February 23, 2011). "Inheritance, ecology and the evolution of the canoes of east Oceania" . Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences . 278 (1721): 3089–3095. doi : 10.1098/rspb.2011.0060 . PMC   3158936 . PMID   21345865 .
• 1 2 Hornell, James (1932). "Was the Double-Outrigger Known in Polynesia and Micronesia? A Critical Study". The Journal of the Polynesian Society . 41 (2 (162)): 131–143.
• ↑ Doran, Edwin Jr. (1974). "Outrigger Ages" . The Journal of the Polynesian Society . 83 (2): 130–140.
• ↑ Francisco Ignacio Alcina (1668). Historia de las islas e indios de Bisayas .
• ↑ Francisco Combés (1667). Historia de las islas de Mindanao, Iolo y sus adyacentes   : progressos de la religion y armas Catolicas .
• ↑ Charles P.G. Scott (1896). "The Malayan Words in English (First Part)" . Journal of the American Oriental Society . 17 : 93–144.
• ↑ Raymond Arveiller (1999). Max Pfister (ed.). Addenda au FEW XIX (Orientalia) . Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie. Vol.   298. Max Niemeyer. p.   174. ISBN   9783110927719 .
• ↑ Haddon, Alfred Cort (1920). The Outriggers of Indonesian Canoes . London: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
• ↑ Folkard, Henry Coleman (1853). The Sailing Boat: a description of English and foreign boats . London: Hunt and Son.
• ↑ Blackburn, Graham (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ships and Boats . I.B.Tauris. p.   262. ISBN   9781860648397 .
• ↑ Harris, Robert B. (1965). "Catamarans: A Revolution in Sailing History". Archon . Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (Fall 1965): 12. Now gaining popularity is the trimaran, a triple-hulled craft of an ancient origin as the catamaran. [...] Trimarans have now crossed both the Atlantic and the Pacific.
• ↑ Randy Thomas (June 1985). "Multihulls Discovered: Part 1: Their origins, myths, magic, mana... and caveats that go along with these craft that have evolved from ancient heritage" . Yachting . Retrieved January 1, 2015 .
• ↑ Edwin Doran Jr., Texas A. & M. University (1972). "Wa, Vinta, and Trimaran" . Journal of the Polynesian Society , Volume 81, No. 2 . Retrieved January 1, 2015 . In contrast to double-outrigger canoes, however, [trimaran] floats are often quite large and buoyant and contribute considerably to drag which slows the boat. [...] The Pacific canoes are notably more narrow ([length/beam] ratios of about 10 and 13 respectively) than the trimaran (ratio of about 7).
• ↑ "Animation" . Archived from the original on August 1, 2009 . Retrieved August 8, 2009 .
• ↑ "Whisper" . Retrieved January 9, 2009 .
• ↑ "trimax 1080 trimaran" . Retrieved October 10, 2009 .
• ↑ David Owen (1970). "Trimariner" . Archived from the original on April 2, 2011 . Retrieved May 26, 2009 .
• ↑ "Weta Owners Manual" . Retrieved January 1, 2015 .
• ↑ Edwin Doran Jr., Texas A. & M. University (1972). "Wa, Vinta, and Trimaran" . Journal of the Polynesian Society , Volume 81, No. 2 . Retrieved January 1, 2015 . Seaworthiness is implicit in the ability to make such voyages. A specific point illustrating the latter is the technique known to Caroline Inslanders for righting their canoes after they have capsized at sea. In brief, the mast is rigged from under side of float to a sheer legs erected above the bottom of the capsized boat. Four men climb quickly up the inclined mast, their weight forcing the float to submerge to a point directly underneath the main hull. Past this point the float's own buoyancy takes it back to the surface in righted position whereupon the canoe is bailed, rerigged and continues on its voyage.
• ↑ Staff (December 25, 2016). "French sailor Thomas Coville sets new record for solo sailing circumnavigation | DW | December 25, 2016" . Deutsche Welle . Retrieved February 19, 2019 .
• ↑ Gain, Bruce (February 6, 2017). "Q&A with IDEC Sport skipper Francis Joyon" . Sailing World . Retrieved June 20, 2020 .
• ↑ "IDEC SPORT shatters Tea Route Record" . Scuttlebutt Sailing News . February 20, 2020 . Retrieved June 20, 2020 .
• ↑ Though it was first announced the ship reached 61 kn : «Pointe de l'Hydroptère à 61 noeuds» (in French)
• ↑ Les données officielles ont été récupérées Archived October 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , L'Hydroptère , January 14, 2009 (in French)
• ↑ "Hydroptere: 61 knots and huge crash with 35–38 knots, gusts over 45" . Fos-sur-Mer : Catamaran Racing. December 22, 2008 . Retrieved November 19, 2013 .
• ↑ Seiff, Abby (2006). "Fast Fueled". Popular Science . Bonnier Group . 269 (6): 18.
• 1 2 Yun, Liang; Bliault, Alan (July 8, 2014). High Performance Marine Vessels . Springer Science & Business Media. pp.   238–9. ISBN   978-1-4614-0869-7 .
• 1 2 Biscevic, Tajna (February 28, 2020). "Austal's WA shipyard launches new trimaran" . Manufacturers' Monthly . Retrieved June 20, 2020 .
• ↑ "Delivery Benchijigua Express – Austal" . Archived from the original on April 22, 2006.
• ↑ "Defence – Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) – Austal" . Archived from the original on August 20, 2008.
• ↑ International Maritime Organization (2020). "High-Speed Craft (HSC)" . www.imo.org . Retrieved June 19, 2020 .
• ↑ Talley, Wayne K. (February 13, 2012). The Blackwell Companion to Maritime Economics . John Wiley & Sons. p.   173. ISBN   978-1-4443-3024-3 .
• ↑ AUSTAL. "AUSTAL Trimaran technology" (PDF) .
• ↑ Staff (May 27, 2015). "Allegations that Condor Liberation could capsize are 'sensationalist and factually incorrect' " . Jersey Evening Post . Retrieved June 15, 2020 .
• ↑ AUSTAL AUSTRALIA ROLLS OUT 118 METRE TRIMARAN FOR FRED. OLSEN EXPRESS | https://www.austal.com/news/austal-australia-rolls-out-118-metre-trimaran-fred-olsen-express
• ↑ Austal awarded $68m contract for 83 metre trimaran | https://www.austal.com/news/austal-awarded-a68m-contract-83-metre-trimaran-jr-kyushu-jet-ferry-japan

Related Research Articles

A multihull is a boat or ship with more than one hull, whereas a vessel with a single hull is a monohull. The most common multihulls are catamarans, and trimarans. There are other types, with four or more hulls, but such examples are very rare and tend to be specialised for particular functions.

A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture.

A catamaran is a watercraft with two parallel hulls of equal size. The distance between a catamaran's hulls imparts resistance to rolling and overturning. Catamarans typically have less hull volume, smaller displacement, and shallower draft (draught) than monohulls of comparable length. The two hulls combined also often have a smaller hydrodynamic resistance than comparable monohulls, requiring less propulsive power from either sails or motors. The catamaran's wider stance on the water can reduce both heeling and wave-induced motion, as compared with a monohull, and can give reduced wakes.

An outrigger is a projecting structure on a boat, with specific meaning depending on types of vessel. Outriggers may also refer to legs on a wheeled vehicle that are folded out when it needs stabilization, for example on a crane that lifts heavy loads.

Outrigger boats are various watercraft featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull. They can range from small dugout canoes to large plank-built vessels. Outrigger boats can also vary in their configuration, from the ancestral double-hull configuration (catamarans), to single-outrigger vessels prevalent in the Pacific Islands and Madagascar, to the double-outrigger vessels (trimarans) prevalent in Island Southeast Asia. They are traditionally fitted with Austronesian sails, like the crab claw sails and tanja sails, but in modern times are often fitted with petrol engines.

Proas are various types of multi-hull outrigger sailboats of the Austronesian peoples. The terms were used for native Austronesian ships in European records during the Colonial era indiscriminately, and thus can confusingly refer to the double-ended single-outrigger boats of Oceania, the double-outrigger boats of Island Southeast Asia, and sometimes ships with no outriggers or sails at all.

The term beachcat is an informal name for one of the most common types of small recreational sailboats, minimalist 14 to 20 foot catamarans, almost always with a cloth "trampoline" stretched between the two hulls, typically made of fiberglass or more recently rotomolded plastic. The name comes from the fact that they are designed to be sailed directly off a sand beach, unlike most other small boats which are launched from a ramp. The average 8 foot width of the beachcat means it can also sit upright on the sand and is quite stable in this position, unlike a monohull of the same size. The Hobie 14 and Hobie 16 are two of the earliest boats of this type that achieved widespread popularity, and popularized the term as well as created the template for this type of boat.

The vinta is a traditional outrigger boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao. The boats are made by Sama-Bajau, Tausug and Yakan peoples living in the Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga peninsula, and southern Mindanao. Vinta are characterized by their colorful rectangular lug sails ( bukay ) and bifurcated prows and sterns, which resemble the gaping mouth of a crocodile. Vinta are used as fishing vessels, cargo ships, and houseboats. Smaller undecorated versions of the vinta used for fishing are known as tondaan.

The Astus 14.1 is a 14 ft (4.18m) trimaran dinghy aimed at recreational sailing and racing. The trimaran design is unusual for a boat of this size but is said to combine the features of other types of design: pointing ability of a monohull dinghy, reaching ability of a catamaran, and planing ability of a skiff. The stability provided by the floats makes the boat accessible to beginners and single-handed racers.

Austal Limited is an Australian-based global ship building company and defence prime contractor that specialises in the design, construction and support of defence and commercial vessels. Austal's product range includes naval vessels, high-speed ferries, and supply or crew transfer vessels for offshore windfarms and oil and gas platforms.

Telstar trimarans is a line of trimarans most recently built by the Performance Cruising Inc shipyard in Annapolis, Maryland.

VPLP design is a French-based naval architectural firm founded by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost, responsible for designing some of the world's most innovative racing boats. Their designs presently hold many of the World Speed Sailing records.

James Wharram was a British multihull pioneer and designer of catamarans.

Camakau are a traditional watercraft of Fiji. Part of the broader Austronesian tradition, they are similar to catamarans, outrigger canoes, or smaller versions of the drua, but are larger than a takia. These vessels were built primarily for the purposes of travelling between islands and for trade. These canoes are single hulled, with an outrigger and a cama , a float, with both ends of the hull being symmetrical. They were very large, capable of travelling open ocean, and have been recorded as being up to 70 ft in length.

The Ocean Bird is a class of trimaran sailboat designed by John Westell and produced by Honnor Marine Ltd. at Totnes, Teignmouth in the 1970s, featuring fold-in lateral floats on a webless steel-beam frame chosen to provide stability against heeling, yet allow a compact footprint in harbour.

Bangka are various native watercraft of the Philippines. It originally referred to small double-outrigger dugout canoes used in rivers and shallow coastal waters, but since the 18th century, it has expanded to include larger lashed-lug ships, with or without outriggers. Though the term used is the same throughout the Philippines, "bangka" can refer to a very diverse range of boats specific to different regions. Bangka was also spelled as banca , panca , or panga in Spanish. It is also known archaically as sakayan .

The F-31 Sport Cruiser is a family of American trailerable trimaran sailboats that was designed by New Zealander Ian Farrier and first built in 1991.

Polynesian multihull terminology , such as "ama", "aka" and "vaka" are multihull terms that have been widely adopted beyond the South Pacific where these terms originated. This Polynesian terminology is in common use in the Americas and the Pacific but is almost unknown in Europe, where the English terms "hull" and "outrigger" form normal parlance. Outriggers, catamarans, and outrigger boats are a common heritage of all Austronesian peoples and predate the Micronesian and Polynesian expansion into the Pacific. They are also the dominant forms of traditional ships in Island Southeast Asian and Malagasy Austronesian cultures, where local terms are used.

Sakman , better known in western sources as flying proas , are traditional sailing outrigger boats of the Chamorro people of the Northern Marianas. They are characterized by a single outrigger and a crab claw sail. They are the largest native sailing ships ( ladjak ) of the Chamorro people. Followed by the slightly smaller lelek and the medium-sized duding . They are similar to other traditional sailing ships of Micronesia, like the wa , baurua , and the walap . These ships were once used for trade and transportation between islands.

Austronesian vessels are the traditional seafaring vessels of the Austronesian peoples of Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar. They also include indigenous ethnic minorities in Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Hainan, the Comoros, and the Torres Strait Islands.

• Jim Howard, Charles J. Doane (2000). Handbook of offshore cruising: The Dream and Reality of Modern Ocean Cruising . Sheridan House. ISBN   9781574090932 .
• C. A. Marchaj (2000). Aero-Hydrodynamics of Sailing . Tiller Pub. ISBN   1-888671-18-1 .
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• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2.1 Related terms
• 1.2.2 Translations
• 1.3 See also
• 2.1 Pronunciation
• 2.3 Further reading
• 4.1 Etymology
• 4.2 Pronunciation
• 4.3.1 Declension
• 4.4 References

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

Blend of tri- +‎ catamaran .

Noun [ edit ]

trimaran ( plural trimarans )

• A type of boat with three parallel hulls .

Related terms [ edit ]

Translations [ edit ], see also [ edit ].

• outrigger canoe

French [ edit ]

Pronunciation [ edit ].

• IPA ( key ) : /tʁi.ma.ʁɑ̃/

trimaran   m ( plural trimarans )

Further reading [ edit ]

• “ trimaran ”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [ Digitized Treasury of the French Language ] , 2012 .

Portuguese [ edit ]

• Alternative form of trimarã

Romanian [ edit ]

Borrowed from English trimaran .

• IPA ( key ) : /tri.maˈran/

trimaran   n ( plural trimarane )

Declension [ edit ]

References [ edit ].

• trimaran in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române ( Dictionaries of the Romanian language )

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Trimaran in the film

A trimaran is a type of three-hulled sailing vessel, with a central hull and two outrigger hulls (or floats) attached with lateral beams. Due to the speed-based design, trimarans are often used in yacht racing.

In the Waterworld film and wider franchise , a heavily modified trimaran - perhaps the last of its type in the ocean-covered world - is the signature vessel and home of the protagonist, The Mariner .

• 1 Description
• 4.2 Video games
• 7 Production history
• 8.1 Concept art
• 8.2 Production gallery
• 8.3 Behind the scenes
• 8.4 Current ship
• 9 External Links
• 11 References

Description [ ]

The trimaran was 60 feet long, and when the sail was unfurled, it had an 85 foot high boom.

It was ramshackle and weather-beaten, the same as all other vessels and structures on Waterworld. It had been repaired multiple times over the years using all manner of materials, including metals, nylons, plastics and fiberglass. However the Mariner had added many of his own customisations over the years, enabling it to be manned by a single sailor. He had also added netting across from the main hull to the outrigger hulls. There is also a number of decorations made from trinkets the Mariner had made salvaged from the ocean floor, of which are kept in his collection in the interior of the vessel; these decorations include such items as wind chimes made from computer chips.

The trimaran has two 'modes'. In trawling mode, the Mariner's trimaran could use an 'eggbeater sail'. When needed, this could be quickly stowed and away and a more traditional yet impressively large sail could be unfurled with haste. The latter racing mode could be used to achieve high levels of speed. For additional bursts of speed, a spinnaker sail could be unfurled. In combination, and given how lightweight the trimaran is, it can attain speeds higher than any other vessel, even able to outrun motorised watercraft.

Also aboard the trimaran the Mariner kept a makeshift diving bell and scavenged flares for use in longer forays underwater.

History [ ]

The Mariner was in possession of the trimaran for an unspecified amount of time prior to the events of the film , although he had likely had it for a long time.

The Smokers burned the trimaran, and after the Mariner helped the survivors of Oasis Atoll find Dryland , the Mariner took out to sea a new, wooden boat the found on the shore there.

After the events of the film, and as seen in the comics , the Mariner made a new trimaran, this one made from the husk of an old jet fighter.

• Main article: Waterworld toy line

The Trimaran Kenner play set

Kenner released a line of action figures based on Waterworld, and also a trimaran playset.

The trimaran playset was the only playset in the Kenner Waterworld toy line, which comprised mainly action figures.

Gallery [ ]

Video games [ ]

THE ATOLL - Waterworld Trimaran Playset Review (Kevin Costner Sailboat)

A deep dive into the Kenner trimaran toy playset by The Atoll YouTube channel, also includes information on the film set

• In Peter Rader 's original script/pitch in the 1980s, the protagonist's boat went undescribed, but was referred to as the Meggan . [1]
• In Peter Rader's second revised script of 1991, the protagonist's ship was not a racing-orientated trimaran, but was a converted barge. The protagonist, Morgan, names the vessel Miranda after his late wife who was killed by pirates.

Production history [ ]

Concept artist Steve Burg 's first job on the film was to come up with a 'hero boat', and he found inspiration in sailing magazines. He toyed with the idea of a catamaran , but decided that a trimaran would be better both practically and aesthetically. The French company Jeanneau Advanced Systems , a world leader in racing yacht production, was hired to construct Berg's vision.

Two trimarans were built for the film; one for close-up filming and displaying the transformations (which was only partially viable as a sailing vessel), while the other was fully seaworthy and intended for wide-shots and sailing on the open sea. Each cost over a million to make. The first is kept as a prop at Universal Studio's Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular in Hollywood City. The other is a working vessel, now named Loe Real , was purchased by a private collector in San Diego.

Production galleries [ ]

Concept art [ ].

Production gallery [ ]

Behind the scenes [ ]

Current ship [ ]

External Links [ ]

• Trimaran article at Wikipedia

Sources [ ]

• Behind the scenes images courtesy of The Atoll Instagram page via The Making of Waterworld

References [ ]

• ↑ Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld
• 1 The Mariner

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• Internal Item ID : 5298
• Internal Projectile ID : 1000

Attacking with the Trimarang. Note how it stacks up to 3.

The Trimarang is a pre-hardmode boomerang . It is crafted by combining the Shroomerang , Ice Boomerang , and Enchanted Boomerang at a work bench . Up to 3 can be thrown at once.

Its best modifier is Godly or Demonic . Both modifiers increase the average damage output by the same amount.

Crafting [ ]

Recipes [ ], history [ ].

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• Internal Item ID : 5298 (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
• Internal Projectile ID : 1000

The Trimarang is a boomerang crafted using three other pre-Hardmode boomerangs. Up to three can be thrown at a time, similar to the Light Disc and Bananarang .

Its best modifier is Godly or Demonic . Both modifiers increase the average damage output by the same amount.

• 1.1 Recipes
• The Trimarang does not inflict the Frostburn debuff , unlike the Ice Boomerang , which is one of its ingredients.
• The Trimarang has much less knockback than the weapons it is made up of. This is likely so that all three thrown boomerangs can hit the target.
• The Trimarang can be useful for lighting up dark areas, such as caves.
• Despite the Trimarang being crafted from three boomerangs, it only has the coloration of the Enchanted Boomerang .

• Knockback increased from 3 to 4.5.
• Use time decreased from 22 to 20.
• Velocity increased from 11 to 11.5.
• Desktop 1.4.4 : Introduced.

• Console 1.4.4 : Introduced.
• Switch 1.4.4 : Introduced.

• Mobile 1.4.4 : Introduced.

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• Dark Harvest
• Morning Star
• Kaleidoscope
• Scarab (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
• Sticky (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
• Bomb Fish (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
• Holy Hand Grenade (3DS version)
• Snowball Launcher
• Bunny Cannon
• Exclusive content
• Desktop content
• Console content
• Mobile content
• Weapon items
• Melee weapons
• Craftable items
• Autoswing items
• Items of rarity 3
• Pages using DynamicPageList3 dplvar parser function
• Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
• Pages using DynamicPageList3 dplreplace parser function
• Entities patched in Desktop 1.4.4.8
• Entities introduced in Desktop 1.4.4
• Entities introduced in Console 1.4.4
• Entities introduced in Switch 1.4.4
• Entities introduced in Mobile 1.4.4