If the trimaran market is still small in the nautical world, the development of multihulls in recent years has contributed to its growth. Rather reserved for offshore racers or yachtsmen eager for sensation, the trimaran is today a real cruising boat, with really very comfortable fittings, as is the case for Neel for example.
The problem of space in the harbor is not really a problem anymore since very often, mooring buoys are reserved for multihulls in the outer harbor or in the channel. Finally, some folding models allow to obtain the same size as a monohull.
In the trimaran market, there are two types of boats, those designed for coastal cruising and those designed for liveaboard cruising. Often, in the first case, the boats have arms that fold up, allowing them to be transported to the road gauge, and thus to be able to go along the coast with his boat.
Trimarans for coastal cruising
Astus and Tricat for coastal hiking
In France, two Breton shipyards share the market for trimarans under 24 feet for coastal sailing: Astus and Tricat . The first one offers small units with four models from 16 to 24 feet and the second one offers larger units with three models from 20 to 30 feet, the largest of which can even be used for summer cruising thanks to a nice layout.
The particularity of these models is that they are foldable and therefore transportable to the road gauge. With Astus, the arms fold laterally in a telescopic way while with Tricat, it is enough to pull a piece to fold down the floats on the back.
Libertist Yachts, the small hydrofoil cruise
These are coastal cruising trimarans (C approval), but with foils and designed for family sailing by Erik Lerouge. Today, the Polish shipyard has four models in its range, the first two of which are 8.53 m and 7.53 m boats (currently under construction), but has already planned the construction of two larger models for liveaboard cruising.
Cruising trimarans
Rapido Trimaran, habitable and folding cruise
Rapido Trimaran is a range of three models from 40 to 60 feet designed by the architectural firm Morrelli & Melvin for Australian designers. The boats are built in Vietnam and their philosophy is to go fast on the water, it is also possible to opt for C daggerboards on the 40 feet.
inside, there are several berths, a kitchen and a raised saloon. But the advantage of this cruising trimaran is that its floats move back with pivoting link arms, going from a 7.45 m unfolded beam to 4.60 m folded (for the 40).
Dragonfly, the fast cruise on three hulls
Dragonfly is a brand of 5 folding trimarans with sails: 25, 28, 32, 35 and 40 feet, designed for offshore sailing and equipped with the "Swing Wing" system. This system allows the hulls to be retracted and the width of the boat to be reduced by half for the 25 and 28 (the two smallest models), which thus become roadworthy (2.54 m wide). Built in Denmark, they offer a cosy and elegant interior.
Neel, a loft on the water
Neel is the specialist in comfortable trimarans for life on board. With four models from 45 to 65 feet, the builder from La Rochelle has focused on the maxi-trimaran. Thanks to the addition of a living platform above the central hull, the volume on board is impressive. The living area called "Cockloon®" is uninterrupted between the saloon and the cockpit and the floats reserved for sleeping.
The French shipyard has also developed an engine version of its model, with the Leen Trimarans range .
Benefits
- Speed, trimarans are faster than catamarans or monohulls, it must be said that they do not need ballast since their stability is ensured by their hull shape.
- comfortable upwind
- Low draft
- Sailing sensation and pleasure of a monohull with the stability of a catamaran
Disadvantages
- Living space (except at Neel)
- With Corsair's folding system, the side of the float is in the water and therefore gets dirtier.
