Fast, Small Trimaran Designs

Here is a modern trimaran sailing canoe that I fell in love with as soon as I saw it -- the Adventure Trimaran ... www.AdventureTrimaran.com ... is a fast little trimaran that is not only fun to read about, but includes things you love to see in a small sailboat that make those of us who don’t own one envious.

A few of the main benefits of owning an Adventure Tri: It’s fast (able to go 20+ knots for thrilling high-speed rides) … light … variable rig (can be adjusted for both beginners & seasoned sailors) … un-swampable (no need to ever bail) … un-sinkable (will never see the bottom of a river, bay or ocean) … safe (wide beam provides stability) … good upwind speed … great downwind speed … great for racing … good for camping (lots of storage space) … 120 sq./ft of trampoline space for relaxing, sailing, diving, or fishing … easily trailer-able behind even the smallest cars … easy maintenance (fiberglass/carbon construction) … carries 1-3 persons comfortably … inexpensive to use (no motors or gas required).

Sounds awesome … doesn’t it? You bet.  Even though I don’t own this sailboat, I just can’t stop myself from telling others about it. (Been doing that a lot lately). And who knows … maybe I will own one of these things some day.

And speaking of fast small trimarains …

Chris Ostlind isn’t a commercial designer or retailer. But he really knows how to design fast sailboats. And that’s good news for small trimaran lovers who want to build their own.

Chris has a few tri designs in the making, but I was entranced with the A18T model as soon as I laid eyes on it.  The Hobie 16 catamaran rig (with 216 sq. ft. of sail) should really power this thing through the water.

The A18T is designed to be a really fast “coastal cruiser” for either 1 or 2 persons. Even though it’s still in the prototype stage, the boat was clocked at 13 mph upwind on its first sailing trial. This means once trampoline mesh is attached between the amas and vaka hull a crew will be able to move out onto them for balance/righting movement under the right conditions for even greater speed.

According to the information page about this boat, Chris writes he took inspiration for the A18T from other experienced multihull designers. This, no doubt, lends itself to a very slick looking boat. And the ability to use a complete sailing rig from the Hobie 16 immediately overcomes a major challenge for anyone who wants to build their own small trimaran — since Hobie 16’s are plentiful, acquiring the right rigging will be fairly easy.

Another thing that lends to the professional touch of this boat is the fact that it will accommodate a small outboard engine for those times when the wind dies down. This again, makes for an easy solution to a potential problem.

All in all, this sailboat appears to be a standout model that puts a small trimaran within reach of almost anyone who really wants one. I can hardly wait for Chris to polish off the design so I can order a set of plans!