On the march
In a multihull marketplace previously dominated by two-hull offerings a lot of careful thought and informed-development is ensuring that the trimaran configuration is finally getting more of the recognition that it deserves...
Rapido Trimarans, is the brainchild of directors Paul Koch and James Sganzerla, who ran the highly regarded and successful Corsair Marine from 1994 to 2010. Their collective experience of 60 years building more than 1,500 trimarans is combined with the corporate and production management expertise of Richard Eyre, Phil Johns and Damien Judd. The hard-won experience and eye for detail of this core team guides their talented, 60-strong Vietnamese staff at Triac Composites, who produce lightweight high-end composite structures that span numerous disciplines.
‘Compared with cruising cats, cruising trimarans in general are much simpler for their reliance on only one system for steering and propulsion,’ says Rapido’s designer Pete Melvin, who is one half of the mighty Morelli and Melvin design house famous for everything from America’s Cup and Jules Verne Trophy winners to cruising multihulls and Olympic Class one designs. ‘Less weight, complication, maintenance, tankage and cost are all factors that appeal to serious cruising sailors who are interested in getting further, faster and hassle-free. Sail control systems can also be simpler as the distances to route control lines can be less with a single, central location. This is also less hassle and expense. ‘We produce a high-performance
72 SEAHORSE
line of trimarans that also offer reasonable amenities and safety. The innovation in design comes with the layout of the main hull and reaching the balance between beam, draught and trim to carry the accommodation without too much compromise on performance,’ he adds.
On both the Rapido 60 and 50, keeping the main saloon on the same level as the cockpit promotes a flow-through feel of being more spacious with better visibility and light than conventional designs. This elevated floor plan is possible with a generous, yet streamlined design to the cabin and also allows for the extra volume needed under the floorboards for propulsion and plumbing systems, fuel, water and waste tanks and storage for other heavy items without hindering access for maintenance.
On the Rapido 60 this is especially true of the full-access engine room next to the daggerboard case at the weight centre of the boat. All parts of the Yanmar 4-cylinder 53 HP diesel are accessible from all sides. This space also includes the fuel tank, an optional 8 kW generator, Spectra 24V electric watermaker, a water heater and electrical charging systems. Watertight bulkheads and an automated fire suppression system protect the space, and since all filters and serviceable items are in this isolated area, any leaks or spills
Above: ‘three hulls are bet- ter than two.’ The flagship Rapido 60 cruising trimaran has shown remarkable pace,
comfortably exceeding windspeed on most points of sail and in most
conditions. It will sail upwind
comfortably at 17kts at narrow apparent wind angles unthinkable on a boat like this only five years ago. Downwind with a big masthead
chute, speeds up to 27kts have been seen so far all under good control
will be confined and easy to clean. The main hull’s beam achieves a similar balance of desired interior volume for good accommodation without too much compromise on weight and drag under sail. The cross-sectional shape of the main hull tapers with elevation to create more volume. Unlike a monohull, this portion of the hull never sees the waterplane due to the constrained heel angles. The stability advantage in Rapidos comes in part from their high volume floats and a wide beam relative to their maximum displacement. Add the C-curved twin daggerboards on the Rapido 40 and the boat can be driven even harder. Passive ventilation and Lewmar hatches and portlights ensure that the saloon and cabins are airy on all three designs. The carbon fibre foam sandwich construction provides a high level of insulation. There’s enough space aft of the beams and over the transom for solar panels to provide supplementary electric charging to the DC voltage system. Paul Koch’s extensive experience is shown in both the build quality and clever innovations. His 30 years of collaboration with Pete Melvin has created a trust uncommon in many designer-builder relationships. Triac Composites’ in-house design engineering team ensures faithful and accurate fabrication to the design specifications provided by
INEFFABLE/CAROLA BREYER
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124
