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7 Best Trailerable Sailboats for Cruising

Many sailors balk at the idea of leaving their boat in the water at a marina. Slip fees are expensive, and maintenance bills get bigger the longer you leave a boat in the water. However, if you want a boat under 30 feet long, there are trailerable sailboats that will fit the bill.

Like any boat purchase, you’ll need to analyze precisely what kind of trailer sailer you want. Will a simple weekend sailboat suffice, or do you really need the best trailerable cruising sailboat you can find? 

Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of the best trailerable sailboat. Plus, we’ll look at how to compare them for your purposes.

trailerable sailboat

Table of Contents

Best trailerable sailboats, easy to launch trailerable sailboats, quick setup time, towing weight, catalina 22/25 “pop-top”, com-pac horizon cat for classic coastal cruising, marshall sanderling — small, portable, classy, west wight potter 19 — the tiny go-anywhere sailboat, seaward 26rk with retractable lead keel, corsair f-24 trimaran – sporty sailing, macgregor 26m — maximum speed meets maximum living space, long-range cruising boats, 7 best trailerable boats – a recap, what’s the best trailerable sailboat for a cruise, trailerable sailboats faqs.

  • Catalina 22/25
  • Com-Pac Horizon Cat
  • Marshall Sanderling
  • West Wight Potter 19
  • Seaward 26RK
  • Corsair F-24 Trimaran
  • MacGregor 26M
BoatProsCons
Catalina 22/25 with Pop-TopStanding headroom when pop-top extended; Feels much larger than it is; Allows freedom of movement for cooking, changing, etcPop-top only provides headroom in small section of boat; Later models lacked this feature
Com-Pac Horizon CatWell built; Quick-rig system for fast & simple setup; Separate head; Space to loungeNo mention of cons
Marshall SanderlingEasy to sail & tow; Traditional charm; Fiberglass hull; Option for electric motorVery small for cruising; No galley; Toilet not enclosed
West Wight Potter 19Reputation for go-anywhere cruiser; Hotplate, sink & porta-potty packed in; Easy setup & towingExtremely tight quarters; No mention of cons
Seaward 26RKHigh quality construction; Retractable keel provides stability & shallow draft; Lots of amenitiesHeavy – 6,000 lb towing weight
Corsair F-24 TrimaranVery lightweight & easy to tow; Offers adrenaline-pumping performance sailingNot ideal for offshore/rough conditions
MacGregor 26MMassive interior space; Towable behind most vehicles; Fast powerboat & sailboat capabilitiesNot built for offshore use; Not appealing for hardcore sailors

We’ll get into more detail about each brand in my post today, so hang tight!

What Is a Trailerable Sailboat, Exactly?

For this article, the priorities for a trailerable sailboat are:

  • Easy to launch
  • Require minimum setup to launch and store
  • Lightweight enough to be towed by the average vehicle

Before you can really classify a sailboat as trailerable, you need to evaluate and narrow your search criteria. Truthfully, 50-plus-foot ocean-going sailboats are regularly put on trailers. But that’s done commercially, on a big rig, with special permits for oversized loads, and even led cars.  

That probably isn’t what most people mean when they think of a trailerable sailboat. But what is the priority here, the trailerable part or the sailboat part? Compromises are going to have to be made somewhere. 

If you’re looking at the 20-foot-and-under sailboat crowd, finding a trailerable example should not be hard. Most sailboats this size are designed for trailers anyway since they aren’t the sort of boats people want to pay to leave in a slip year-round.

Things get more interesting when you look at the 20 to 30-foot boats. In this class, there are stout ocean-going cruisers with deep keels and lightweight centerboard trailer sailboats designed from the get-go to be trailered by the average car or SUV. The differences between these boats are night and day.

Sailboats often have a hard time at boat ramps. First, deep keels mean that the trailer must extend farther into the water than the average boat ramp allows. This means the ramp needs to go back far enough, and the trailer tongue needs to be long enough not to swamp the car. 

If you have a boat like this, you’ll need to find the right boat ramps. Unfortunately, not all ramps are created equally. If your boat draws more than two or three feet on the trailer, you’re going to be limited to steep, paved, and high-quality boat ramps. Unfortunately, those aren’t standard features, so your cruising grounds are going to be limited.

Usually, ramps aren’t built steeply because they are often slippery. Your tow vehicle will need excellent traction and torque to pull your fully loaded boat out of a steep ramp. The steeper the ramp, the more trouble you’ll have. 

The alternative to finding steep ramps is to use a trailer tongue extender. This lets you get the trailer into deeper water without swamping the tow vehicle. But it also means that the ramp needs to extend deep enough. Many ramps end abruptly. Allowing your trailer to sink off the edge is an excellent way to get stuck or pop a tire.

Pick a boat as easy to launch and retrieve as a similarly sized powerboat to remove all of these boat ramp problems. The soft chines of most sailboats will always require a little more water, but a swing keel and the hinged rudder raised mean that the boat can sit low on the trailer bunks. That way, you only need one or two feet of water to launch, an easy feat at nearly every boat ramp you can find.

The next consideration for a sailboat to be portable enough to call it “trailerable” is the amount of time it takes to step the mast and get it ready to cruise. 

To accomplish this, you need a mast that can be stepped by a two-person team–maximum. Ideally, it will have some tabernacle hardware to enable one person to do the task for solo sailing.

There is an entire family of pocket cruisers that could ideally fit on trailers. But you won’t find the Fickas or the Falmouth cutters on my list, simply because they aren’t easy to launch or easy to rig. But, of course, they’re also too heavy for most vehicles to tow, which leads us to the final point of excluding them this trailable pocket cruiser’s list.

One of the most significant financial burdens the trailer sailer faces is their tow vehicle. You are all set if you already drive a two-ton dually diesel pickup truck. But if your daily driver is an SUV or light pickup, you need to think long and hard about the math of the towing equation. 

Whatever boat you buy cannot exceed the towing rating limits of your tow vehicle. If you don’t have a tow vehicle, you’ll need to buy one. This will double or triple the cost of getting a trailer sailer in most cases. For the same money, you may want to look at a boat that stays in the water at a traditional boat slip. For the cost of a trailer sailer and a tow vehicle, you can probably step into a nice boat that is larger and more comfortable than any towable.

If you have a tow vehicle, you need a light enough vessel for it to tow. Most modern SUVs tow less than 2,500 pounds. Anything more than 5,000 will require a full-size pickup. Remember that the tow weight isn’t just the boat’s displacement—it’s the empty hull weight, plus the weight of the trailer and any extra gear you need to pack into the boat. 

Finding a vessel that fits these limitations on weight isn’t easy. If the manufacturer’s goal is to make it towable, immediate limits are placed on the materials they can use. This means less seaworthiness since boats are built light and thin. As far as stability goes, lead keels are generally out, and water ballast systems or centerboards might be used instead. It doesn’t mean these boats aren’t safe and fun, but they aren’t designed for rough conditions, crossing oceans, or living on in the water full-time .

Trailerable sailboats are usually limited to the best paved ramps

7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats

There are more trailerable sailboats out there than you might imagine. Here’s a look at seven popular options of all shapes and sizes to give you a taste of what you might want to take to sea.

The boats here are selected for their storage and living space. With these boats and a little outfitting, you can spend weeks gunk-holing in the Chesapeake Bay or island hopping the Bahamas. If you broaden your scope to include daysailers with no cabin space, there are countless more options.

One of the worst parts of a small trailerable sailboat or pocket cruiser is the lack of stand-up headroom. One clever solution that you’ll find on some weekend sailboat types is the pop-top. 

The pop-top is simply an area around the companionway hatch that extends upward on struts. So when you’re at the dock or anchor, you get standing headroom down below—at least right inside the pop-top.

You can build a canvas enclosure for your pop-top to use it in all weather. A pop-top makes your boat feel much larger than it is and allows you to move freely to cook or get changed down below or even do a nice boat bed area. 

Later models of the Catalina Sport 22 and Capri 22s lacked this cool pop-top feature, so if you want it, you’ll need to seek out an older model on the used market.

Com-Pac has been building small sailboats since the early 1970s. They currently sell two lines, each with various-sized boats. All are well built, and a majority of their boats are trailerable. 

Most interesting at the Com-Pac traditional catboats . The rigging is more straightforward than modern sloops, with only one large mainsail. Com-Pac boats come with a unique quick-rig system to make getting on the water fast and simple.

The Horizon Cat Coastal Cruising has a displacement of 2,500 pounds with a 2’2″ draft when the board is up. She has a separate head forward and space to lounge either topside or down below. The smaller Sun Cat has slightly few amenities but shaves off a few feet and pounds, making it easier to tow and it is one of these amazing small sailboats. Com-Pacs features stub keels, so their centerboard and hinged rudder do not take up space in the cabin.

On the sloop rig side, the Com-Pac 23 comes in a 3,000-pound traditional sailboat or a very interesting pilothouse. Both are incredibly livable for their size , with shallow two-foot-long fixed keels and high-quality construction.

Another option if you like catboats is the Marshall Sanderling. This salty 18-footer oozes traditional charm , all while being easy to sail and easier to tow. And while she has wooden boat lines, she has a modern laminated fiberglass hull.

The Sanderling has a 2,200-pound displacement, so tow weights will be around 3,000 pounds. At only 18-feet, she’s on the small side for cruising. The cuddy cabin has no galley, and the portable toilet is not enclosed. But that small size means a simple boat that’s easy to maintain and take anywhere. 

An electric motor package is an exciting option on this weekend sailboat!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by @marshallmarinecat

You can’t mention tiny trailer sailers without touching on the famous West Wight Potter . These 15 and 19-foot pocket cruisers have earned a worldwide reputation as the ultimate go-anywhere coastal cruiser.

The West Wight Potter 19 offers the most living space for staying aboard and cruising. So even though its dimensions are diminutive, this little boat packs a lot in. There’s a single burner hotplate and sink and a porta-potty tucked under a cushion. Yes, it’s tight—but the company claims the little boat can sleep five people. Any more than two will feel pretty crowded, however.

The boat comes standard with a mast-raising system that a single person can manage alone. It has a daggerboard for a shallow draft of a half-foot when the board is up. The total towing weight is around 1,500 pounds, which means nearly any car can tow a West Wight Potter.

This little-known trailer sailer is produced at the same Florida factory that makes Island Packet Yachts. That should give you a little bit of an idea of what sort of boat it is—trailerable, yes, but also high-quality, beautiful, and built for cruising. In other words, it’s one of the nicest all round pocket cruisers and it feels like a much larger boat.

The Seaward is easily the saltiest boat on this list . It’s beefy and seaworthy. Instead of a lightweight centerboard, Seaward fits the RK with a bulb-shaped retracting keel. Other big-boat items include a Yanmar diesel inboard motor and an enclosed head. The spacious cabin of the boat features a double berth and is ready for salt water cruising.

According to sailboatdata.com , the tow weight of the 26RK is 6,000 pounds. With the keel up, the draft is 1.25 feet.

Multihull sailors need not feel left out from the trailer sailer club and the pocket cruiser. Beyond the ubiquitous beach Hobie Cat, there are not many options for catamarans. But trimarans are uniquely suited to be towed.

Why? For one thing, performance oriented boats like trimarans are based on it being built light. There is no ballast—a trimaran’s stability comes from its two outer hulls. Additionally, the living space is entirely housed in the central hull–the outer floats are small and sometimes foldable. Finally, there are no keels on tris, so they are extremely shallow draft and perfect for trailering.

If you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping sporty and fun sailing, it’s impossible to beat what a trimaran will offer. Let’s not beat around the bush—most of the trailer sailers on this list have hull speeds around five knots. The Corsair has no such limits, routinely sailing at 15 knots or more .

The new Corsair 880 trimaran has an unloaded weight of 3,659 pounds. It is trailerable behind a big SUV or small pickup and is probably the most fun sailing option that is trailerable at all.

An even more portable option is the older Corsair F-24. It has a light displacement of under 2,000 pounds—so nearly any SUV can tow it.

MacGregor owns the market on trailerable motor sailers since they more or less created the product to fit the bill. The MacGregor 26 is not like other boats. The design combines a planing powerboat with a centerboard sailboat. Imagine scooting along at 20 knots or more when the wind is down or enjoying a sporty sail on a breezy day–in the same boat.

The entire boat is built from the ground up for towing and long-range sailing. So if you want a big sailboat that you can tow behind pretty much any SUV, the MacGregor has to be on your list. 

Depending on the model, the 26-foot-long boats have incredibly light dry weights of between 1,650 and 2,350 pounds. Considering the massive volume of the roomy cabin, the ability to tow such a large vessel opens up an entire world of opportunities for owners. 

It’s not all good news, of course. MacGregor owners love their boats, but they are built light and are not ideally suited for offshore cruising or rough weather. But in bays and for coastal sailing on nice days, few boats can get as much use as a MacGregor. 

The motorboat capability of the 26M and 26X might not appeal to hardcore sailors, but for those looking to maximize their use of the boat depending on the weather, their mood, or location, it makes a lot of sense. 

MacGregor shut down in 2015, but the daughter and son-in-law of the original owners took over production and renamed the boat the Tattoo 26 . The company will soon release a smaller version, the Tattoo 22 .

If the 26 is a bit big to make your list of best trailerable small sailboats, consider the smaller Powersailer 19. It’s nearly identical to the 26, just smaller and lighter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dale Roddick (@droddick33)

What Do You Want Your Trailer Sailer To Do?

After you’ve settled on how you will tow and launch your trailer sailer, now it’s time to dream about what you want it to do. Where will it take you? 

The beauty of a towable boat is that you can travel anywhere. A boat in the water might take weeks or months to move a few hundred miles. But if you can attach it to your car and do 65 mph on the interstate, you could sail on the Pacific on Monday, the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, and the Atlantic on Friday.

We can divide our trailerable sailboats into three groups – daysailers, weekenders, and cruisers.

These are designed with open cockpits and no space to sleep. This is a majority of the sub-22-foot boats on the market. They are designed to be launched, play for the day, and return to the ramp or dock.

A weekender will have rudimentary sleeping facilities. Think of it as a floating tent—it’s not a five-star hotel, but you can sleep under the stars or get out of the rain. Conceivably you could stay aboard indefinitely, but it doesn’t have much room for gear. So most people are ready to get off after a day or two. 

A cruising boat has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities built-in. These might be small and simple, but in any quantity, they mean you can disconnect from shore for a long time. Unfortunately, squeezing all of this into a tow-friendly package isn’t easy, and very few boats do it well. 

Trailer sailer adventures

BoatAdvantages
Catalina 22/25 “Pop-Top”– Standing headroom below deck
– Feels much larger than it is
– Freedom to move below deck
Com-Pac Horizon Cat– Simple catboat rigging 
– Quick-rig system
– Shallow 2′ draft
– Quality construction
Marshall Sanderling– Traditional charm
– Easy to maintain
– Electric motor option
West Wight Potter 19– Go anywhere reputation
– Packs in amenities
– Towable by any vehicle
Seaward 26RK– Quality construction
– Big boat features
– Retractable keel
Corsair F-24 Trimaran– Very light/easy to tow
– Shallow draft
– Fast performance
MacGregor 26M– Massive interior space
– Planing hull enables speed
– Towable by most SUVs

The best trailer sailor for your adventures will depend on many factors. Like any boat, whatever you decide on will be a compromise – boats always are. But there are plenty of choices out there, no matter what size your tow vehicle is and no matter what sailing adventures you have in mind.

What size sailboat is trailerable?

Even large yachts are routinely transported by towing across land, so the question is more of how big a sailboat can you tow? Your tow vehicle will be the limiting factor. The upper limit for most large SUVs and trucks is usually a sailboat around 26 feet long.

Sailboats are generally very heavily built, with ballast and lead keels. Sailboats specifically made to be trailer sailers are lighter. They may use drainable water ballast tanks instead of fixed ballast and have fewer fixtures and amenities.

To find the best trailer sailer, you need to balance the total tow weight, the ease of rig setup at the boat ramp, and the boat’s draft. Shallow draft boats with centerboards are the easiest to launch and retrieve.

Is a Hunter 27 trailerable?

No. The Hunter 27 is a one of those fixed-keel larger boats built from 1974 to 1984. The boat’s displacement is 7,000 pounds, not including trailer and gear. That alone makes it too heavy to tow by all but the beefiest diesel trucks. 

Furthermore, the fixed keels had drafts between 3.25 and 5 feet, all of which are too much for most boat ramps. In short, the standard Hunter Marine 27 is too big to tow for most people.

On the other hand, Hunter has made several good trailer sailers over the years. For example, the Hunter 240 and 260 were explicitly designed for trailering. They have drainable water ballast and shallow keel/centerboard drafts less than two feet. 

Is a Catalina 22 trailerable?

Yes, the Catalina 22 is easily trailerable and makes a wonderful weekend sailboat. In fact, there were over 15,000 Catalina 22s made and sold over the years. 

The boat’s displacement is 2,250 pounds, which means your total tow weight with trailer and gear will be under 3,000 pounds. This is within the capabilities of most mid to full-size SUVs and light trucks. Be sure to check your vehicle’s towing capacity, of course.

The centerboard on the Catalina 22 is another factor in its easy towing. With the board up, the boat draws only two feet. This makes it easy to float off the trailer at nearly any boat ramp. You should avoid fixed keel versions of the 22 for towing unless you have access to extra deep ramps. 

trailerable cruising trimaran

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

Can someone tell me why no other manufacturer makes pop tops? Those who have them, love them. Makes sense for head space with a trailerable boat too. Catalina stopped making them decades ago, yet people still swear by them. So, why isn’t there any newer models?

MacGregor put pop tops on many of its trailerables

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  • Articles and Guides

Best Trailerable Sailboat Brands to Cruise or Race

18th dec 2023 by samantha wilson.

Rightboat logo

Being able to trailer your sailboat opens up many possibilities, from cost saving  boat storage solutions to being able to take your boat to new cruising grounds. It's common to see trailered motorboats on the roads in the United States, Canada, and Europe, but sailboats tend to be trailered in smaller numbers.

Of course the act of trailering a sailboat involves a bit more preparation, namely lowering the mast, but as we'll see there are many excellent brands out there ensuring that the sailboats they build can be trailered nearly as easily as a RIB or center console. And they're not just bathtub-sized sailboats either. Some of the best trailerable sailboats are up to 30 feet in length. While it's trickier to trailer a large catamaran due to its wide beam, the multihull world hasn't been left behind, as you can find clever trimarans that fold up in different ways.

We have picked out some of our favorite trailerable sailboat brands in this article but it's important to remember there are many excellent brands building excellent boats.

Corsair Marine

Corsair Marine photo. 

What Is the Biggest Sailboat I Can Trailer?

Daysailers have long been trailered, thanks to their compact size, simple rigs, and easily lowered, relatively short mast. For those who want a slightly larger boat that they can take the whole family out on or use for overnight trips, then a 20- to 25-foot sailboat may be more useful than a 16- to 19-foot one. Going up a size category allows for a whole new range of activities, with proper galleys, running water, electricity, and an enclosed head to provide more substantial home comforts. But how big is too big to trailer?

You might be surprised to hear that in the United States, sailboats up to around 31 feet in length can be trailered legally. In fact, it typically depends less on length, and more on the weight, beam, and height of the vessel and the trailer together, must meet several legal requirements.

  • Weight : While there is no specific weight limit to be towed, the sailboat has to be able to be towed easily by your vehicle, usually a pickup-style truck or full-size SUV with substantial power. Most single- and tandem-axle trailers can handle a maximum combined load of 7,000 to 8,000 pounds, so your weight limit will also be dictated by your trailer.
  • Beam : To travel without permits, the trailer and vessel must fit on the road in regular traffic. In the US, that's a maximum width of 8 foot 6 inches (a couple inches less in the EU at 2.55 meters). Most trailerable monohull sailboats will be less than this for ease of maneuvering in traffic, but when it comes to catamarans and trimarans, adjustments have to be made (we'll look at those later).
  • Length : The upper length limit of a sailboat can be anything up to 65 feet, but that's a moot point because vessels of that size would never meet the width limits. In reality, a 30-footer is the longest sailboat you're likely to tow, with 15- to 25-footers being much more common.
  • Height : Your trailer and sailboat have to fit under bridges and highway overpasses and so for most states the maximum height is 14 feet. This will obviously require lowering the mast onto the deck and including that into your height calculation.

For more advice on the practicalities of trailering see our guide to Buying a Boat Trailer .

The Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats

The best trailerable cruising sailboat brands.

  • Catalina Yachts : As one of North America's best-known sailboat brands of sailboats, Catalina has a long history of building trailerable models. Their entire Sport line cruising boats—except for the 275—can easily be trailered, and the 22 and 22 Sport, in particular, make for a great step up from daysailing to enjoying a pocket cruiser.
  • Beneteau : Beneteau 's reputation for affordable, capable yachts spans the globe, and their skill at building trailerable sailboats up to 30 feet is just one of many attributes. Take the First 27SE and 24; they are not luxury cruiser (although the 27SE can sleep six crew!) but they sure can sail fast on short distance races or fast adventure cruises. With impeccable and high-quality design featuring double rudders, these are some of the nicest fast cruisers on the market.

Beneteau First 27SE

Beneteau First 27SE. Beneteau photo. 

The Best Trailerable Sport Sailboats

Several brands on this list create high performance sports sailboats , and one of the top names you think of in this sector is Laser whose speedy tiny racers are now an Olympic event in themselves. But there are many excellent brands building ultra-fast sports sailboats – several on our list are considerably bigger than a Laser too. Here we take a look at some of our favorite sports dinghies which are the quintessential trailerable sports boat.

The Best Trailerable Sport Sailboat Brands

  • Melges : Founded in 1945 by Harry C. Melges, Sr., this is an iconic Midwestern brand made famous, in part, by Harry's son, Harry “Buddy” Melges Jr, an Olympic medalist in the ‘60s and National Sailing Hall of Fame member. Today the business is run by Harry III, also a championship sailor, who oversees a range of high performance vessels from the award-winning Melges 14 and 15 dinghies, to A, C, E and MC scow classes, and international sportboat classes, the Melges 20 and 24—the latter has more than 900 boats sailing competitively all over the world. All of their models are trailerable, allowing them to be transported easily to competitions. Melges boats for sale
  • J/Boats : The most successful volume builder of trailerable, performance keelboats is also a family-run brand founded by brothers Rod and Bob Johnstone and now led by second-generation Johnstones—Jeff, Al and Stuart. Starting with the J/24 (more than 5,500 boats built) and most recently with the J/70, the company has popularized a series of international racing classes from 22 to 26 feet while also building many popular larger racer/cruiser-style models that don't fit easily on a trailer.  J/Boats for sale
  • RS Sailing : British-built RS Sailing performance dinghies and keelboats are spreading in popularity across the world. Distributed widely on the east coast of the US, they're excellent pocket racing dinghies, easily trailered and ultra-fast. Their range of boats runs from 12 feet and 21 feet and includes dinghies, catamarans, and keelboats, allowing you to find exactly the right boat for your experience level and interest, but it's their Racing Series which sets them apart as high performers in the market. They're lightweight, simple in their design, and well-suited to being trailered thanks to their compact sizes.

Melges 24

Melges 24. Melges photo. 

The Best Trailerable Youth Sailboats

Trailerable sailboats designed for younger sailors are lightweight, easy to rig, and easy to sail. They should offer a simple platform in which to learn the mechanics of sailing, the movement of the boat on the water, and the basic maintenance of a sailboat. For more guidance check out our guide to choosing the best beginner sailboat .

The Best Trailerable Youth Sailboat Brands

  • ILCA : Formerly known as the Laser, the ILCA design is one of the most popular sailboats of all time, a responsive yet high-performance one-person sailboat that is an excellent step up, particularly for sailors who outgrow their smaller dinghies as teenagers. As a racing class, ILCA offers three different mast sizes so sailors can start in what's called the ILCA 4 class and as they gain weight, move to ILCA 6 and 7. By that time, you're in a class of boat that can take you all the way to the Olympics. Designed in the 1970s by Canadian sailor Bruce Kirby, the 13'10.5” boat teaches high-performance skills, subtle steering and trimming techniques, and astounding speed once on a plane.
  • Hobie Cat : We've put Hobie Cat in this category simply because of the brand's long-standing legacy of creating fun, simple, and compact catamarans that are loved by families and easily trailered. The classic Hobie 16 model with more than 100,000 built remains an active international class worldwide for the young and the young at heart; newer models provide a good, stable platform for a variety of off-the-beach and daysailing contexts. Catamarans are obviously wider than their monohull counterparts, but beach cats like the ones made by Hobie are well within the maximum width allowance to be towed on American roads. And because of their lightweight fiberglass or rotomolded hulls, they can be towed by much less powerful vehicles too.

Laser sailboats

Laser sailboats. Laser Performance photo. 

The Best Small Trailerable Sailboats

There are many benefits to opting for a small towable sailboat , and plenty of excellent brands out there are producing high performance pocket cruisers. A smaller sailboat won't require a large trailer and together they will weigh less and be able to be towed by a regular family car rather than a pick-up truck. Navigating smaller roads or heavier traffic will be less of a consideration, plus getting your sailboat launched will be a simpler affair. Several brands on our list could be in this category but special mention must be made of:

The Best Small Trailerable Sailboats Brands

  • Cape Cutter : The traditional beauty of these sailboats, twinned with modern-day advancements, makes them really stand out from the rest. The design originates from the classic gaff cutter work boats, but today it's one of the fastest small gaffers in the world. The interior is cleverly spacious, with four berths, as well as a simple galley area. With quick rigging, it can be sailed solo, but is also able to accommodate small groups, making it a capable and hugely versatile pocket cruiser. At 22 feet long, 7 foot 7 inches wide, and under 5 foot in height with the mast lowered, it's perfect for trailering too. Cape Cutter boats for sale.
  • NorseBoat : These beautiful, hand-crafted, and impressively versatile Canadian-built sailboats offer good performance and are described by the manufacturer as "the Swiss Army Knives of sailboats". Whether it's the 12.5 model, which can be sailed, rowed, and motored, or the 17.5 or 21.5 models, they can all be trailered, easily beached, and even used as camp cruisers, allowing for overnight adventures. And with traditional styling they're absolute head-turners whether you're cruising along the road or water.

NorseBoat 17.5

NorseBoat 17.5. NorseBoat photo. 

The Best Trailerable Catamaran and Trimaran Sailboats

Multihulls have gained popularity in the last 20 years thanks to their stability, lack of keel, performance, and increased space on board compared to a monohull of the same length. Yet there are obvious challenges when it comes to trailering a sailboat with a very wide beam such as a catamaran or even more so a trimaran. In fact, by having three hulls, the trimaran type has bred for some innovative engineering, folding in the two outer hulls thus creating a smaller overall beam for transport. This is trickier with catamarans as they're not foldable in the same way. We've mentioned the well-known Hobie Cat brand of small beach cats above but there are some other innovative brands out there making it easier to trailer multihulls.

The Best Trailerable Catamaran and Trimaran Sailboat Brands

  • Nacra : Catamarans are difficult to trailer because their beam is likely to exceed the legal road limits due to their double hull structure. Having said that, small models such as Nacra's lightning fast racing cats will squeeze within the beam limits at 8 foot 5 inches wide including the 15, F16, and F18 Infusion. If you're after trailerable performance and some competition, these cats provide a whole different level for serious and athletic sailors.
  • Corsair : Corsair makes some of the best trailerable trimaran sailboats on the market and were pioneers in the folding trimaran sector for more than three decades. Yes you read that correctly…foldable trimarans up to 20 feet in length. With technology straight out of a Transformers movie, a 15-foot beam folds down into a neat little 8-foot wide package ready for trailering. Even the 31 foot 10 inch long 970 Cruze, with its standing room cabin, can be put on a trailer thanks to the folding system and retractable daggerboard and rudder.
  • Dragonfly : With a focus on beautiful, cruise-worthy, high-quality, and high-performance trimarans up to 40 feet, Dragonfly offers two models— the 25 and 28—that can be folded and trailered for ease of transport and to allow you the freedom to access different cruising grounds. At a folded width of 8 feet 3 inches, the 28 is still just within legal width for towing on US roads, while offering you a true weekend cruiser complete with saloon, cabin, and galley.

Dragonfly 28.1

Dragonfly 28.1. Dragonfly photo. 

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

trailerable cruising trimaran

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Corsair 880

trailerable cruising trimaran

Corsair 880 and 880 Sport

Cruising, Racing, and Day Sailing

trailerable cruising trimaran

L.O.A.: 28’ 8” (8.8m)
Beam: 22’ 3” (6.8m)
Beam folded: 8’ 2” (2.5m)
Draft D/B up: 1’ 5” (0.45m)
Draft D/B down: 5’ 3” (1.6m)
Mast length: 39’ 4” (12m)
Mainsail: 364.9 sq ft 33.9 sq m
Unladen weight: 3,659 lbs 1,660 kg
Max. recommended auxiliary: 15 hp

Additional Features

  • 5: 1 cunning ham & 6: 1 mainsheet; 6: 1 large sheet block; 2: 1 traveler.
  • Retractable dagger board & rudder blade
  • Electrical equipment with control BEP panel; LED navigation lights and anchor light, LED interior lighting, 12V socket and battery switch. (Battery not included)
  • Rear-mounted swim ladder.
  • Anchor locker with hatch and pulpit.
  • Gray, PVC-coate net trampolines, as well as bow nets.
  • Laminated security compartment and cockpit storage.
  • Load capacity of up to 10 persons
  • Carbon-reinforced vacuum formed construction
  • Built according to ISO and CE International Standards

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Yachting Monthly

  • Digital edition

Yachting Monthly cover

Astus 20.5: Fast, fun and affordable trailable trimaran

David Harding

  • David Harding
  • August 20, 2021

For fast yet undemanding sailing, easy trailing and simple camper-cruising, the Astus 20.5 trimaran is likely to find wide appeal says David Harding

Astus 20.5

The Astus 20.5 is taut and responsive to sail. Credit: David Harding

Product Overview

  • Fast and easy to sail
  • Can be trailed behind a small car
  • Easy to reduce beam for marina berthing
  • Less accommodation than a monohull of similar size
  • Rigging process could be simplified
  • Slightly stark interior finish

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

Boats that are small and light enough to keep in your driveway and trail to where you want to sail make a lot of sense.

One drawback, however, is that they tend to be slower than bigger boats – especially if they’re of a size and weight that allows them to be easily managed short-hand, both afloat and ashore.

If you want to sail from Poole to Weymouth for the weekend in a 20ft trailer-sailer, for example, it might take a while.

This is where speedy trailable trimarans like the Astus 20.5 come in.

When I sailed its predecessor, the 20.2, about 10 years ago, we regularly hit 15 knots on a reach without breaking sweat and maintained an easy 6.5 knots upwind.

Two people sailing the Astus 20.5

This 20 footer can match 50 footers for speed. Credit: David Harding

You can cover a lot of ground at those sorts of speeds.

I first met the Astus 20.5 at the Düsseldorf Boat Show in 2019. Since it’s a newer boat and designed by no less a design team than VPLP, I had high hopes that it would offer even more than the 20.2.

Quite apart from the sailing potential, the trailing is as simple as can be with a boat like this.

If you choose the resin-infused hull, the Astus 20.5 weighs under 500kg (1,100lb), or just over 500kg with the standard solid laminate.

The lighter weight means you can use an unbraked trailer , saving money, maintenance and yet more weight, so you can trail it behind a normal hatchback vehicle.

Getting somewhere fast under sail is one thing. Having somewhere to sleep when you arrive is another.

Two people sailing a trailable trimaran

The Astus 20.5 is simple to sail for two people. Credit: David Harding

Though its cabin is smaller than on a monohull of similar size, the Astus provides seating, stowage and space for a companionable couple to be able to stretch out.

Then of course you have the trampolines each side on which you can rig a tent for more sleeping space.

The opportunity for a sail on the Astus 20.5 finally came when Hein Kuiper of Boats On Wheels brought his first demonstrator to the UK.

In fact we went out twice – first for a photo session in Poole on a brisk winter’s day and then a few months later in Chichester Harbour.

Since the boat arrived in Poole on its trailer, I was able to see how it went together.

Pulling out the hulls is pretty straightforward: their aluminium beams slide in and out of the fixed beams on the main hull. You can do that ashore or afloat.

There’s nothing complicated about raising the rig, either, and it can all be done singlehanded .

The whole process, from arriving with the trailer to sliding the boat into the water, took Hein a couple of hours or so the first time or two (comparable with a monohull of similar size, he reckons) but would undoubtedly get quicker with practice.

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Dragonfly 28 Sport

Dragonfly 28 Sport

Whether you choose the standard or the Sport version, the mast is the same height.

The difference is that the latter comes with a square-top mainsail to give appreciably more sail area.

If you want to save as much weight as possible and make raising and lowering the mast easier, you can have it in carbon. A wing mast is another option.

The rig and hardware don’t appear to be modified in any way as a concession to the boat’s trailer-sailer nature.

Here and there, the odd ready-made loop or strop would save fiddling around with bits of line.

 Interior of the Astus 20.5

It is basic down below but there’s seating and sleeping space for two people. Credit: David Harding

All that is forgotten as soon as you’re under way.

On our second outing, once the electric outboard had pushed us out of Northney Marina – where the boat proved to be surprisingly manoeuvrable with the centreplate fully down – we headed off on a beam reach at 12.5 knots in 12-15 knots of wind.

In most boats, 12.5 knots would be going some. In this 20-footer, it felt perfectly relaxed.

Over the course of the following couple of hours we covered every point of sail including, of course, reaching under spinnaker.

With the gusts rarely exceeding 16 knots in the flat water of the harbour, we didn’t quite manage to break 15 knots.

It wasn’t a bad speed-to-effort ratio nonetheless.

The boat felt rock solid the whole time, and I knew from the photo session in Poole that she could carry the kite on a beam reach in appreciably more wind than we had in Chichester.

A trimaran with a red sail

It is easy to reduce the beam of the Astus 20.5 for marina berthing. Credit: David Harding

It’s hard to imagine that 20 knots wouldn’t be perfectly achievable.

Upwind we maintained between 7 and 8.5 knots most of the time.

As you would expect, you need to keep the bow down a little to maintain full power.

You also need the purchase of the 6:1 mainsheet to maintain sufficient tension in the upper leech. It makes a big difference.

Two people sailing the Astus 20.5

You won’t need more than two people to go out and have fun on the Astus 20.5. Credit: David Harding

Tacking was pretty positive provided we had adequate boatspeed going into the tack, and leeway appeared minimal.

All told the Astus 20.5 was great fun to sail and easy to manage two-handed.

There was little for a third person to do except enjoy the ride or contribute to the righting moment by joining the helmsman on the windward trampoline.

If you were racing, you could use a longer tiller extension and fit toe-straps to maximise the advantage.

Beating our way back up the harbour, we demonstrated the windward ability of the Astus 20.5 by sailing straight past a 15m (49ft) monohull.

Creature comforts aboard the Astus 20.5

David Harding

David Harding has been testing boats for decades and is also a sailing photographer

Above decks the Astus offers a vast amount of sitting and lounging space thanks to the trampolines.

Down below, the hull’s narrow beam makes things cosy but you still find a seat either side, space for a chemical toilet under the aft end of the berth and a fair amount of stowage beneath and to either side of the companionway.

The centreboard is offset to port to leave the middle of the boat clear.

The finish is simple and uncomplicated, largely to save weight. There would be plenty of scope to fit a slide-out galley and devise lightweight stowage solutions to make better use of the space.

Astus 20.5: the test verdict 

More than anything else, this boat is tremendous fun.

She feels taut and responsive to sail. I found that it took an hour or so to begin to find her sweet spots, but after that she just makes you want to sail her.

She inspires confidence and is easy to handle, too. In most conditions you could manage perfectly well single-handed and for cruising you won’t need more than two.

Plan of Astus 20.5

The Astus 20.5 has less accommodation than a monohull of similar size

Then there’s the speed. No matter whether or not you’re in a hurry to get anywhere, it’s easier to slow down in a fast boat than to speed up in a slow one.

Speed is fun in itself, and it’s hard not to enjoy sailing straight past a monohull more than twice your length.

Niggles are relatively few.

I thought the rudder blade could do with a touch more balance and I wasn’t sure that the fixed end of the 2:1 jib sheet was quite far enough aft on deck.

Other than that, it all works.

Hardware is mostly from Harken and the spars are by Sélden, so there’s no skimping in these departments.

Would she suit you and your crew?

The Astus 20.5 will attract attention. Several people stopped for a chat and to admire her back in Northney having seen her on the water.

If you’re a dinghy sailor moving up but not ready to slow down, this is a good choice.

Just as much interest is coming from big-boat sailors moving down or wanting a second, smaller boat that still has a good cruising range. Few boats of this size go so fast with so little effort.

Astus 20.5 diagram

The Astus 20.5 is ideal for exploring harbours, estuaries and rivers

As for the inevitable monohull-versus-multihull debate, there are trailable, family-friendly boats of this size with one hull that sail very nicely.

I have clocked over 12 knots in one or two, but only under spinnaker, with good sailors on board and not for sustained periods.

As long as you’re prepared to accept that sailing regularly at double-figure speeds means sacrificing some interior volume, the Astus could suit you perfectly. And for exploring harbours and estuaries, camper-cruising and nudging into the beach, it’s absolutely ideal.

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Dragonfly 28

Design & Performance

  • Reviews & Awards

Specifications

  • Photo & videos

Maintenance

trailerable cruising trimaran

Great fun and  easy handling - accommodating 5 people. The Dragonfly 28 is for the modern sailor, who requires multiple possibilities from his vessel. This boat is all about possibilities, fun - and above all, excellent sailing abilities. The Dragonfly 28 comes in two versions - the Touring version represents the trailerable family cruiser, whereas the Performance version is the trailable In- and Offshore Racer with a wavepiercing float design that calls for the ultimate performance.

trailerable cruising trimaran

Dragonfly 28 Videos

The Dragonfly 28 sets the standards for leisure and flexibility on the water and on wheels. The Dragonfly 28 has been a lifelong dream of Jens Quorning, who designed and developed this complex boat with his co-designer Steen Olsen. The development took almost 2 years and is the ultimate combination of design and function.

The Dragonfly 28 is a foldable and trailerable 28 ft trimaran, that provides you with all the benefits and features from a trimaran on the water - allowing speeds up to 22+ knots, shallow draft and high comfort while sailing, as the boat is barely heeling.

Below deck, the boat is quite spacious and with a lot of well thought solutions, that provides volume and makes the boat very functional. The companionway ladder can be positioned in the middle for easy access from the cockpit, you can slide it to port or starboard for better access in the galley, or it can be raised to give you access to the large double berth in the aft cabin. Forward there is access to a double V-berth and the main cabin offers an easily set-up foldable berth - offering accommodation for five adults in total. All berths are full size comfortable berths of each 2 m+ long.

The Dragonfly 28 has a standing headroom of 1.85 m in the main cabin as well as a generous galley space on each side. The spacious dinette offers a nice view outside, like on a deck saloon yacht.

Stowage space is of course limited in a boat of this size, but ideal to avoid overloading. On the other hand, light, bulky objects like fenders, empty jerrycans or similar can be stowed away in the floats, each of which has an access hatch.

The Dragonfly 28 appeals to both family sailing and racing - just hit the cruising speed that makes you all smile. Compared to monohulls, a trimaran is so much more comfortable to sail. Further, you have a much longer range on the water, or you get to your destination in a shorter time.

With a draft of 45 cm only, you can anchor into any bay, jump into knee-deep water, sail the boat up on a sandy beach or even let it fall dry. You can ask your kids for their approval - they will love it! The big double trampolines offer extra deck space, and they are the perfect spot for sunbathing and sundowners.

On the trailer you can average 45 knots - launch and rig the boat yourself with a set-up time of 40 minutes. This boat offers you independence. You can launch and rig the boat without paying for lifts and you can cruise for a weekend, a week or even a season wherever you like, delivering and collecting the boat by road.

The boat is easy to sail even single handed - all in all a multifunctional multihull and an ultimate versatile performer.

Designed by Jens Quorning and Steen Olsen

Reviews, articles & awards.

trailerable cruising trimaran

Voile Magazine test sailing the Dragonfly 28

PDF icon

Yacthing World - October 2009

trailerable cruising trimaran

Feeling a bit jaded with sailing? Tired of visiting the same old places?

Yachting Montly - July 2010

Text and photos: Chris Beeson

trailerable cruising trimaran

Yachts & Yachting - April 2010

Text and photos: Jeremy Evans

trailerable cruising trimaran

Multihulls World - January 2010

Text and photos: Gilles Ruffet

trailerable cruising trimaran

Die Yacht - 14/2009

Text and photos: Fridtjof Gunkel

(Test in German)

trailerable cruising trimaran

Yacht Revue - 11/2009

trailerable cruising trimaran

Bådmagasinet Sejl - June 2009

Text: Øyvind Bordal / Photos: Per Heegaaard

(Test in Danish)

trailerable cruising trimaran

Bådnyt - June 2009

Text: Morten Brandt & Henrik Hansen /Photos: Henrik Hansen

trailerable cruising trimaran

Practical Boatowner - August 2009

Text and photos: David Harding

trailerable cruising trimaran

Båtnytt - January 2013

Text and photos: Lars Guditz

(Test in Swedish)

trailerable cruising trimaran

Segling - August 2012

Text and photos: Emma Hammenstig

trailerable cruising trimaran

Navigator - 2015

Text: Lauri Kurvit - Photos: Nele Tasane

(Test in Estonian)

trailerable cruising trimaran

Navtika - October 2015

Text and photos: Julijan Visnjevec

(Test in Slovene)

trailerable cruising trimaran

Waterkampion - March 2014

Text and photos: Bertel Kolthof

(Test in Dutch)

trailerable cruising trimaran

TM - July 2016

Text and photos: Tönu Ojala

trailerable cruising trimaran

Die Yacht - November 2018

Text and photos: Martin-Sebastian Kreplin

trailerable cruising trimaran

Biggest Slovenian nautical magazin Val navtika awarded our Dragonfly 28 Sport as a Boat of the Year 2016, winner in the multihull category.

trailerable cruising trimaran

Biggest Polish sailing magazine Zagle awarded our Dragonfly 28 Sport as Yacht of the Year 2018, winner in the category special sailing yachts.

MAINTENANCE

Dragonfly 28 Touring, Sport, and Performance

To inform and illustrate recommended service, maintenance, and refitting on an older Dragonfly, we have drawn this general information sheet. Rough elements, like strong winds and wave conditions, strong saltwater and UV do have some impact on the boat after a long sailing life.

We strongly recommend servicing and changing vital parts on your boat according to our recommendations. This information overrules any other former information you may have, as the following is based on updated knowledge.

Exchange intervals of structural parts

Dragonfly 28 Touring and Sport (built since 2009)

  • Waterstays – every maximum 7 years or 15.000 NM.
  • Side stays and forestay – every maximum 10 years or 15.000 NM.
  • Beam stop cable to forward, outside beam under trampoline – every maximum 10 years.
  • Diamond spreader stays on the mast – every maximum 15 years.
  • Structural Dyneema line in backstay – every maximum 7 years. (Only the Sport version)

Dragonfly 28 Performance (built since 2016)

  • Waterstays – every maximum 7 years or 10.000 NM.
  • Side stays and forestay cable – every 10 years (max), or by max 15,000 NM.
  • Beam stop cable to forward, outside beam under trampoline – every 10 years.
  • Diamond spreader stays on the mast – every 15 years.
  • Structural Dyneema line in backstay – every maximum 7 years.

The above listing of exchange intervals is the recommendations from the Dragonfly yard, and it is not an extension of the 2-year warranty committed from when the boat was new.

From January 2024 we engrave all terminals on structural wiring such as waterstays, side stays and diamond cables, to make it easier for you as a customer to follow the above recommended exchange intervals.

Visual check of all cables is still required when changing the rigging. When trailering the boat, we strongly recommend focusing on side stay cables, as these easily bend when stepping the mast. Bended side stay cables near the terminal may cause the side stay cable to break.

On all Dragonfly’s, please regularly check the forestay cable in the top by the terminal. When furling, the spinnaker halyard may block the forestay, which can cause failure of the forestay.

Trampolines

On all Dragonfly’s, we recommend re-stitching (sewing) along the seams of the trampolines every 6-7 years (in climates with strong UV, every 5 years). Normally, our clients change their trampolines after 10-12 years use.

Float deck Teflon pad rings

The white 5 mm Teflon pad rings on the float deck need to be changed every 13-15 years – this is neither critical nor structural. For easy change of these pads/rings, you just bolt off the floats from the wings.

Quick-Links

Over the years, Quorning Boats has used the riggings links, so-called Quick-Links, in the Dragonfly production. When replacing these, it is of utmost importance to purchase links of same high quality or similar products carrying same strength (working load). Many products look the same, but do not carry the same strength.

trailerable cruising trimaran

The above picture shows a Quick link from Peguet that is used on all Dragonfly’s.

Caution for all painted surfaces on the boat and mast

Painted surfaces may not be covered with Plastic or other non-breathable materials, as water and condensation cannot be lead away from the painted surfaces, and these are not able to dry.

When water is stuck between the Paint and a non-breathable or non-ventilated material, blisters can occur between the paint and the gelcoat or the carbon sections of the mast.

Due to these circumstances, the permanent use of Ex. Matt-Fenders cannot be recommended, as water and Condensation can also get stuck between these and the hull, and lead to blisters in the Paint.

Quorning Boats cannot be held responsible for Blisters in the paint occurred due covering the painted surfaces with non-breathable materials.

Ordering Parts

Original parts can be ordered at Quorning Boats at [email protected]

Common spare parts can be shipped within two weeks, whereas special parts and/or custom-made parts usually are served within 6-8 weeks.

Parts ordered at Quorning Boats Denmark, will be produced in originally designed materials. Should you choose to order from other suppliers, please check that the same kind of materials are used – especially on the waterstays and other rigging parts, where stronger Dyeform cables are needed.

Owner's Manual

Please click here to see the Owner’s Manuals of the Dragonfly 28 

Dragonfly28 Performance Manual

Length sailing 9.00 m 9.00 m
Length folded 9.99 m 10.40 m
Beam sailing 6.50 m 6.50 m
Beam folded 2.54 m 2.54 m
Draft, board up 0.40 m 0.40 m
Draft, board down 1.70 m 1.70 m
Weight of standard boat, sails and engine 2,100 kgs 2,180 kgs
Payload max., incl. crew 750 kgs 750 kgs
Water tank 90 l 90 l
Holding tank (optional) 60 l 60 l
Engine, outboard 15 Hp 15 Hp
Mast section total, excl. antennas 12.10 m 13.60 m
Mainsail 37  m 43 m
Jib furling  18.5 m 21.5 m
Code 0 furling  37 m 45  m
Asymmetric spinnaker  60 m 83  m
Bowsprit length  1.60 m 1.90 m
Trailer weight, steel  3,500 kgs 3,500 kgs
Max. No of persons, CE-Category B 5 5
Max. No of persons, CE-Category C 7 7
Unsinkable Yes Yes

trailerable cruising trimaran

Read the Dragonfly 28 brochure

Check out the other dragonflys.

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trailerable cruising trimaran

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Find your local dealer

Quorning Boats ApS

Skærbækvej 101 7000 Fredericia Denmark

+45 7556 2626

[email protected]

VAT No DK 18 88 83 78

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Corsair Cruze 970

  • By Tim Murphy; Photos By Billy Black
  • Updated: August 7, 2014

trailerable cruising trimaran

Since 1985 the Corsair 31 has been a familiar trimaran on the racing and cruising scene. At yards in Australia and California, 303 of that model were built, with subtle design tweaks over the years. This year, the Corsair Cruze 970 replaces the 31 — and it’s all for the better.

Longer amas, as well as bows that are more plumb and hull forms with less rocker, add 20 percent more buoyancy to this boat, while retaining similar beam dimensions. The result is a more stable platform. The keel and rudder for the original 31 had been optimized for boat speeds between 3 and 10 knots. Incorporating the lessons from those 300 boats, today’s 970 features much thinner, higher-aspect-ratio foils that are optimized for speeds in the teens and higher. (A note to those who haven’t sailed Corsairs before: Those boat speeds are real. Try it!)

Living spaces, both inside and out, are improved in the 970. Boat of the Year judge Mark Schrader was a dealer for Corsair years ago and raced the boats many miles. “They’ve added two very comfortable park benches in the cockpit,” he said of the 970. On the 31, he said, “there wasn’t really any place for more than four people to sit, stand or do anything without hugging each other.” The 31 was offered with either an aft cabin or an aft cockpit arrangement; the 970 deftly manages to make space for both, while also adding headroom in the cabin. Using careful building techniques, including vacuum bagging, Corsair has added more furniture in the cabin yet kept the weight the same.

trailerable cruising trimaran

As with other Corsairs, the amas of the 970 can be folded inboard for trailering. The well-refined mechanisms for doing so are the same as in the previous versions.

We sailed the 970 in light air. With the screacher up in 8 to 10 knots of breeze, we posted 6.6 knots just above 60 degrees apparent, then cracked off and made 7.6 knots. Steve Marsh, a Florida-based Corsair dealer, said you can sail 15 degrees closer to the wind with the blade jib. Propulsion on the boat we sailed is a Yamaha 9.9-horsepower outboard on the transom, with a steering arm affixed to the 970’s tiller and remote engine controls in the cockpit. The 970 offers no inboard option.

Several years ago Australia-based Seawind Yachts purchased the Corsair brand. These days both lines are built at a single factory in Vietnam. The construction quality is quite good — better than the California-built 31s, observed Schrader. The company offers a five-year warranty on the structure, as well as manufacturers’ warranties on installed hardware.

Schrader summed up the pleasures of this boat: “You can park it on the beach. You can run around on the trampolines. You can get into a foot and a half of water. It’s your platform to go park in some little lagoon somewhere.”

And yet, all that idyllic parking doesn’t account for even half the fun. Because in getting there, you’ll learn what boat speeds of 20-plus knots feel like.

Click here to see more images of the Corsair Cruze 970.

Tim Murphy, a CW editor at large and a 2014 Boat of the Year judge, is the co-author of Fundamentals of Marine Service Technology (ABYC, 2012).

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DRAGONFLY 28 – FAMILY CRUISER & RACER

DF 28 OVERVIEW

Dragonfly 28 is the ultimate trailerable trimaran. jens quorning calls it the ‘swiss army knife’ of his range; compact, versatile and multifunctional. as a result it is our most popular model, with almost 250 built..

DF 28 is available in Touring and Performance versions, but the accommodation is the same in both. However Performance has a taller carbon rig and more powerful floats, which offer a more dynamic sailing experience. As a result, each boat is optimised to its owner’s wishes.

Dragonfly 28 trimaran is for the modern sailor, who demands multiple roles from his boat. It’s as happy gliding up to your favourite beach for a family picnic as it is exhilarating on the race course. Separate cabins, a generous galley and an enclosed heads with marine WC all ensure your family are comfortable and have privacy when cruising.

The Swing Wing system allows it to fold quickly to access a single marina berth or the road trailer. This is operated from the cockpit in less than 1 minute per side, and without any tools. The kick-up centreboard and rudder allow Dragonfly 28 to float in knee-deep water, for easy access to your favourite beach. In addition, huge lockers in the floats accommodate extra sails, inflatable paddle boards, folding bikes etc.

“It’s the most exhilarating sailing I’ve done since a ride on an Extreme 40 cat last year – and I enjoyed it as much”

“The fastest touring boat in the World under 30ft”

“For the life of me, I cannot understand why multihulls aren’t more popular in the UK. Here is a 28ft yacht that charges around at 15 knots without any effort. She is as close-winded as a monohull, she doesn’t heel more than 15 degrees and has bags of stowage”

“DF 28 was as good as I had hoped, beautifully designed and sailed very well. I am glad that I chose the Touring version, which is right for the solo-sailing I want to do”

“Even with the log reading speeds in the mid-teens, I didn’t need my oilskin trousers”

“ During our test sail we topped 18.7 knots without even trying – this is a seriously quick cruiser-racer”

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Technical spec.

TOURINGLength sailingLength foldedBeam sailingBeam folded/trailerDraft, centreboard upDraft, centreboard downWeight of standard boat, sail awayPayload max, incl. crewWater tankHolding tank (optional)Engine, outboardMast section, excluding antennasMainsailJib – furlingCode 0 furlingGennakerBowsprit lengthTrailer, steel total weight incl. boatMax crew for CE -Category BMax crew for CE -Category CUnsinkable
PERFORMANCE
8.75 m8.75 m
9.99 m10.30 m
6.50 m6.50 m
2.54 m2.54 m
0.40 m0.40 m
1.70 m1.70 m
2,100 kg2,180 kg
750 kg750 kg
90 L90 L
60 L60 L
15 hp15 hp
12.1 m alloy13.6 m carbon
37m243 m2
18.5 m221.5 m2
37m245 m2
60 m283 m2
1.60 m1.90 m
3,500 kg3,500 kg
55
77
YesYes

DOWNLOAD TECHNICAL SPEC FOR THE DF28

BROCHURE, BOAT TESTS + AWARDS

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DRAGONFLY 28 PDF Brochure

European Yacht of the Year 2009/10 nominated

European Yacht of The Year Nominated – 2009/2010

Yachting Monthly reviews Dragonfly 28

YACHTING MONTHLY Read the article

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DRAGONFLY MODELS

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Corsair 760 Trimaran

Solo sail, family fun or race with mates.

The Corsair 760 offers a incredibly versatile platform that can be folded away and transported by trailer to your favourite destination, but unfolds to provide space, speed and stability when sailing. Optimised for short handed sailing, it’s ideal for a solo adventure to a remote location, or a great way to teach the kids how to sail while having fun…but when racing season starts, you will be always at the front of the fleet with incredibly efficient apparent wind performance only a trimaran can offer.

550 x 310

Convenience of driving

The Corsair 760 folds up to standard trailer width and with a total weight under 2 tonnes with a double axle trailer, it can be towed by most regular 4WD vehicles and stored in a cost effective manner. The mast raising system makes it easy to raise and lower the rig and launch the boat using just the winch from the trailer. 

Roomy and stylish cabin

Sufficient cabin space will comfortably accommodate a family or a group of friends. While LED mood lighting and white interior create an image of larger space contrasted by the colour cushions. The centre table is supported by the daggerboard case and can be lowered to create a double bed in the salon or can be simply stowed away. The forward section in front of the daggerboard case is occupied by a double berth. A deck hatch provides natural light and airflow through the interior.

550x310 2

FINANCE AVAILABLE

FROM JUST $1,500 PER MONTH (WITH 30% DEPOSIT)*

Take advantage of affordable finance packages with loans available from just $1,500 per month based over a 7 year period based on a 30% deposit. Other options are also available. *Conditions apply.

Corsair 760 with winners badge 1

  • Beam Folded 2.5m
  • Draft D/B Up 0.3m
  • Draft D/B Down 1.6m
  • Mast Length 10.5m
  • Unladen Weight 950kg
  • Max. recommended auxiliary 8HP

Boat Description

Introducing Corsair Marine’s newest pocket cruiser, the Corsair 760. This new trailerable trimaran is destined to bring trailer sailing to the next level. Originating from the ever-popular 24 and 750 range this new model has received a radical redesign by our French partners at Perus Yacht Design. The Corsair 760 offers sailors more comfort, performance and safety than our previous 24ft trimaran range. This has been achieved by cleverly designing high volume and wave-piercing floats. Because of this offers additional buoyancy and significantly increasing the vessels righting moments and safety margins. The 760 offers a comfortable cruising interior with compact galley and pop top. This compact cruising trimaran has been designed to comfortably sleep couples for weekend getaways. Or with the addition of an optional collapsible dining table will sleep up to 4. The 760 a performance cruiser the whole family can enjoy.

Corsair 760 Trimaran description image

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trailerable cruising trimaran

Why a Corsair

Extraordinary speed and effortless acceleration are trademarks of the Corsair trimarans. Their ability to fly on a puff or generate their own high-power apparent wind is legendary. Without a lead keel to create drag and with tangible buoyancy in construction technique and materials, Corsair trimaran sailboats are powered effortlessly by their high-performance sails.

Superior safety is inherent in the design and construction of these folding trimarans and it stems from the same features that make them sail flat and fast. Corsair trimaran sailboats can’t sink. In fact, with the hulls filled to the brim with water, the positive buoyancy of the materials of construction keep the vessel afloat even with all crew aboard.

Comfortable stability at any speed and in almost all sea conditions is simply a feature of beam and buoyancy. Heeling (often unpopular with sailors) is restricted to about 15 degrees, which feels like about 5 degrees on the broad, flat deck and trampolines of a Corsair trailerable trimaran.

Trailerability of a Corsair trimaran is not a hassle. It’s an advantage! Especially since it only takes a single owner about 30 minutes to go from trailer to sailor and back again after a couple of practice runs. Corsair trimarans fold up and pull out effortlessly, the mast comes down in moments, tows easily and smoothly and saves you a bundle on slip fees and seasonal storage.

Accommodations are ample and designed for extended trimaran cruising aboard the larger models or streamlined for racing on all Corsair triamaran models. Berth areas are sufficient and comfortable, appliances are an option and a shower if you want one. You’re apt to lounge on deck or in the cockpit most of the time but when you do go below you’ll have all the comfort you need.

Beachability! On a Corsair folding trimaran, you can sail or motor up to the beach, step off and drop anchor on land, you can see if it is set properly! No need to load up the dinghy as everything is with you aboard and nearby.

Unparalleled construction. We do not compromise on materials or technique of construction. Corsair Marine has pioneered high strength and lightweight construction technology that incorporates aerospace composite, foam sandwich construction, glass fabrics, carbon fiber, kevlar unidirectional and vacuum bagging for an ideal glass to resin ratio.

The trimaran folding system . It’s spectacular. It’s patented. After decades of use worldwide our trimaran folding systems are well proven and are the most successful and structurally sound available for all trimaran sailboats.

Venerable trimaran design . Our exceptional Corsair Marine design teams have demonstrated an unsurpassed ability to accommodate innovations to sail plans, interior modifications and accessory additions that Corsair trimaran owners have requested resulting in a line of performance triamaran sailboats offering as much or as little as the people who sail them need and want.

Low maintenance. The combination of engineering and materials that make Corsair trailerable trimarans so strong, sleek, fast and lightweight also make them incredibly easy to maintain. Moreover, as Corsair trimaran sailboats are seldom stored on the water, there is little need for everything from bottom coatings to anti-mildew sprays.

High re-sale value! Way past the time you’ll start taking your Corsair trimaran’s strength, endurance, dependability, fit and finish for granted, and believe that other trimaran sailboats must also be built as well because how could anyone settle for less – you’ll probably start seeing some new Corsair trimaran models and think about trading up. That is when you will find out that the superior construction of your Corsair trimaran will enable you to sell it to someone else for not much less than what you bought it for new.

Our global dealer network means you have support when you need it whether it be parts, service or advice. All new trimaran boats come with a 5 year structural warranty and your nearest dealer will be able to help you when you need it and even if you don’t.

The Corsair Owners Community means you’ll be joining a dynamic and fun community of people. Regular fleet racing events and annual regattas are organized every year around the world which offer an excellent opportunity to meet and share information with other Corsair trimaran owners.

Throughout the years, Corsair Marine trimarans have always been reliable . We offer consistency in the products we offer, which is tied to the strong Corsair Marine brand name.

Through our shipwrights, management team, production team, dealers and our fleet captains we share a passion for delivering great trimarans and the information that enables you to get out there and enjoy your sailboat!

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Why a corsair trimarans they are:.

  • Trailerable
  • Versatile, Fun & Stable
  • Deliver speed on every puff of wind
  • Shallow draft allows you to coast up onto the beach
  • Lots of space for family & crew on the large trampolines
  • Wide beams provide a flat stable platform under sail
  • A great base for family fun when at anchor
  • Quick and easy from trailer to sailer

trailerable cruising trimaran

AWARD WINNING DESIGN

Corsair Marine Trimarans have received acclaim and awards across the globe, and are the resounding choice of demanding sailors. That is not just because they are fast: these are folding trimaran sailboats that deliver ease-of-use, but without sacrificing on sailing performance – effortless sailing performance. With a rich 30-year tradition as a world leader in high quality multihull manufacturing, Corsair trimaran models have evolved and perfected the art of safety at high speed and appeal on every level. Suited to day sailing, family cruising, and racing, there are more than 2500 Corsair trimarans launched. We are pleased to present you with the current range of Corsair trimarans – from the 6-metre Pulse 600 , to the legendary Corsair 37 , and now the all-new Corsair 880 , which represents the pinnacle of sailing trimaran design…

trailerable cruising trimaran

FUN TO SAIL

Speed, acceleration, and manoeuvrability make Corsair Marine trimarans especially fun to sail. Perfectly balanced, the helm on a Corsair trimaran is always light and responsive – tacking is dingy-like and can even be done using only the sails, with the kick-up rudder out of the water. Continuous 360 degree turns are possible, helm hard over, without having to touch the sheets. On a reach, acceleration and speeds are exhilarating, especially when using the roller furling screachers.

trailerable cruising trimaran

ANYONE CAN OPERATE

Corsair Marine trimarans provide enjoyable family cruising experiences. A priority of their design is to deliver maximum roominess in cabin and cockpit, with ease of handling and of course, safety – that effortless speed is a bonus! Boat speed often equals true wind velocity, and in a Corsair trimaran sailboat, speeds exceeding 20 knots are possible. This allows cruisers to bring many more destinations within range. Corsair trimarans point as high as most monohulls, and tack easily with no tendency to get caught in irons. Lifting rudders, daggerboards, and tilting engines also means shallow lagoons and groves are easy to explore, further adding to your cruising possibilities. Corsair trimaran sailboat are incredibly well-rounded and versatile.

trailerable cruising trimaran

EFFORTLESS SAILING PERFORMANCE

When taking it easy, speeds of 7 to 8 knots to windward and an exhilarating 10 to 15 knots on a reach are comfortably achieved, greatly increasing cruising range. You will be amazed at the easy fingertip control and how safe and secure your family feels while the trimaran effortlessly maintains high averages. Spray is to leeward, where it is blown harmlessly away, keeping the crew dry. Stormy weather and short handed? Then sail under mainsail alone. You will still clip along at 5 to 6 knots to windward, tacking easily.

trailerable cruising trimaran

SAFE AND SEAWORTHY

Tough Australian waters, along with hundreds of thousands of safe sailing miles elsewhere in the world, have proven the seaworthiness of Corsair trimarans. It’s nice to know that, though not intended for this purpose, many Corsair trimaran boats have crossed the Atlantic and Pacific. Corsair sailing trimarans are backed by an unmatched offshore pedigree. In fact, superior safety is inherent to the design and construction of all Corsair trimaran models – which are all built in infused vinylester (or carbon) and foam sandwich construction, the positive buoyancy of which makes the boats virtually unsinkable. A Corsair trimaran stays afloat even completely flooded.

trailerable cruising trimaran

TRAILERING ACROSS CONTINENTS

Sitting low on their trailers and being especially weight-conscious, Corsair sailing trimarans have excellent trailering characteristics. But they are also easy to launch, enabling sailors to discover and explore many remote cruising grounds or participate in regattas far from home port. Some trimaran models go from trailer to water in 25 minutes, and with practice, even the largest models can be done in 40 minutes. All Corsair boat models have simple and safe rigging systems, and we have also applied our weight-conscious approach to the spars – lighter rigs being easier to raise, and easier to handle which reduces the risk of muscle strain or injury. Corsair trimarans are trailered folded, with no assembly required upon launch.

trailerable cruising trimaran

ECONOMICAL OWNERSHIP

Trimaran trailer-sailing offers significant cost savings when compared to marina fees, and along with reduced hull maintenance costs this substantially reduces the overall boat owner’s cost exposure. Corsair trimarans are always launched folded, requiring no more ramp space than a monohull. Once afloat, stability is excellent. They can even be motored while folded and will fit nicely into any standard width marina space.

trailerable cruising trimaran

Corsair Trimaran Sailing Manual

If you’d like more details on how to fold a specific Corsair trimaran model,  detailed instructions can be found in the Corsair Trimaran Sailing Manual .

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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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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:   $$ $$$

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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’

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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’

trailerable cruising trimaran

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’

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising 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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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”

trailerable cruising trimaran

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’

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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:

Astus 16.5, 18.2, 20.2, 22, 24 16’ – 24’ Sport cruiser Some models
Catri 25 25’ Cruiser/racer Y
Challenger - Day sailor N
Pulse 600, Sprint 750 MKII, Dash 750 MKII, Cruze 970, Corsair 28, 37, 42 19’8” – 37’ Sport cruisers Y
Diam 24 24’ Racer N
Dragonfly 25, 28, 32, 35, 1200 25’ – 39’ Luxury cruiser Y
F-22, 24, 25, 82, 27, 28, 31, 9A, 9AX, 9R, 32, 33, 33R, 33ST, 36, 39, 41, 44R 23’ – 39’ 4” Sport cruisers/racers Y
Mirage Island, Mirage Tandem Island 16’7” – 18’6” Convertible kayak/trimarans N
Multi 23 22’ Racer Y
NEEL 45, 65 44’ – 65’ Luxury cruiser Y
Radikal 26 26’ Sport cruiser Y
Sea Pearl 21’ Camper cruiser Y
SeaCart 26 26’ Racer Y
SeaRail 19 18’ Day sailor N
Triak 18’ Convertible kayak/trimaran N
Warren Lightcraft 15’6” Convertible kayak/trimaran N
Weta 14’5” Racer N
WR 16, 17, Tango, Rave V 10’11” – 18’3” Day sailor N

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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Brand: Contour 34

trailerable cruising trimaran

The Cole Beadon designed Contour 34 SC is the largest trailerable trimaran built with viable accommodations for extended cruising. The 34 SC is a legitimate offshore yacht with transoceanic capabilities, and the swing-wing retractable ama system has the structural integrity of a fixed-beam system.

The displacement is only 4,850 pounds, which helps explain why speeds in excess of 20 knots are common. The rudder is outboard. The centerboard, which is controlled from the cockpit, extends the draft from 1 foot, 3 inches to 5 feet, 3 inches.

Specifications
Make:Contour
Model:34 SC
Length:34
Power Sail:Sail
Cat Tri:Trimaran
Builder:Contour Yachts (Canada)
Designer:Cole Beadon
Construction:FRP sandwich- 1.25 inches thick- cored deck - no core below waterline
Build Start:1997
Build End:2001
Loa:34 ft 0 in
Beam:24 ft 4 in
Draft:1 ft 3 in - 5 ft 3 in (centerboard down)
Displacement:4850 lbs
Mast Height:49 ft 5 in

There are no catamarans currently for sale of this brand.

Please see our catamarans for sale page for a full listing of other currently available models.

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

The best trimarans include: 

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

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

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

Table of Contents

What Is a Trimaran?

trailerable cruising trimaran

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

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

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

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

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

The list below highlights the best trimarans for different purposes.

Best Trimarans For Cruising, Liveaboard and Sailing Around The World

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

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

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

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

2.Neel 47 Possibly The Best

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

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

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

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

3. Rapido 60 The Fast and Comfortable Circumnavigator

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

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

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

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

4. Rapido 40

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

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

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

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

5. Dragonfly 40

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

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

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

6. Dragonfly 32

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

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

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

7. Corsair 37

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

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

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

Best Trimarans For Day/Weekend Sailing

8. dragonfly 28.

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

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

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

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

9. Dragonfly 25

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

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

The Dragonfly 25 retails from EUR 86,800 . 

10. Pulse 600

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

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

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

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

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

12. 2019 Weta Trimaran

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

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

13. WindRider 17

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

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

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

14. Astus 22.5

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

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

15. Multi 23 Trimaran 

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

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

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

16. Challenger Class Trimaran

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

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

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

Final Thoughts 

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

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

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

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

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    The small size makes it more suitable for daysailing in good weather rather than multiday cruising, although more experienced sailors will of course push the limits of this boat. 6. WindRider 17. The 17.4-foot (5.3-meter) WindRider 17 is one of the more versatile trimarans in the market.

  2. 7 Best Trailerable Sailboats for Cruising

    7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats. Catalina 22/25 "Pop-Top". Com-Pac Horizon Cat for Classic Coastal Cruising. Marshall Sanderling — Small, Portable, Classy. West Wight Potter 19 — The Tiny Go-Anywhere Sailboat. Seaward 26RK with Retractable Lead Keel. Corsair F-24 Trimaran - Sporty Sailing.

  3. MARLIN TRIMARANS

    Probably the fastest trailerable and foldable sailing racer-cruiser trimaran on the Planet. Perfectly made for single- and double-handed racing and cruising. Great for team and family adventures. The high volume in the amas (side hulls) allows flying the two windward hulls above the waves for maximum speed. The volume and design of the amas ...

  4. Corsair Marine Trimarans

    Discover our range of trailerable and foldable trimarans suitable for regatta racing and family cruising. The worlds favorite tailerable trimaran builder, suited to day sailing, family cruising and racing. Exit. NEW TRIMARANS. CORSAIR 880; CORSAIR 760; CORSAIR 970; PULSE 600; CORSAIR 37;

  5. Corsair 880 Corsair Trimaran www.corsairmarine.com 880 trimaran

    The combination of performance, comfort and trailerability on the new Corsair 880 provides unlimited options for cruisers and racers alike. A real racing boat, a real cruising boat, yet trailerable across continents. The Corsair 880 sleeps up to 5 people, offers a galley and enclosed head with shower, a saloon with full standing headroom.

  6. Best Trailerable Sailboat Brands to Cruise or Race

    The Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboat Brands. Catalina Yachts: As one of North America's best-known sailboat brands of sailboats, Catalina has a long history of building trailerable models. Their entire Sport line cruising boats—except for the 275—can easily be trailered, and the 22 and 22 Sport, in particular, make for a great step up ...

  7. Corsair Sprint 750: Trailerable Sailing Fun

    A successful evolution of the Corsair 24, the new Corsair Sprint 750 Mark II is a fast, versatile, trailerable trimaran built for a perfect day of sailing. The Sprint shares the same hull design as its cousin, the Dash 750, with the same large buoyant floats, beams, and folding system. But where the Dash has more of a cruising interior, the ...

  8. Corsair 760 Specifications

    Corsair 760. STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND EQUIPMENT GENERAL: The 760 is an extremely versatile trailerable trimaran offering a comfortable cruising interior with sliding galley with pop-top and storage bunks.This compact cruising trimaran has been designed to comfortably sleep couples for weekends getaways and with an addition of an optional collapsible dining table will sleep up to 4 making ...

  9. corsair 880 trimaran |Trailerable Trimaran Sailboat

    Corsair 880. An all-new Corsair, and the legitimate heir to the trimaran revolution started by the Hall-of-Fame anointed F-27 in 1986. The pinnacle of trimaran design, this built from the ground up Corsair has full boat systems - meaning electric lighting, refrigeration, manual or electric toilet, and even air conditioning is available.

  10. Corsair 880 Trimaran

    Boat Description. The all-new Corsair 880 brings effortlessly fast performance sailing while being completely safe and comfortable for people of all skill levels. First of all, she features a protected cockpit, high-aspect hulls and foils and a huge unfolded beam. Furthermore, she has full boat systems for cruising comfort including electric ...

  11. Astus 20.5: Fast, fun and affordable trailable trimaran

    The Astus 20.5 has less accommodation than a monohull of similar size. Then there's the speed. No matter whether or not you're in a hurry to get anywhere, it's easier to slow down in a fast boat than to speed up in a slow one. Speed is fun in itself, and it's hard not to enjoy sailing straight past a monohull more than twice your length.

  12. Dragonfly 28

    She's a very good pocket cruiser, trailerable and nicely detailed. This boat is fun to sail, with no real faults for her intended purpose and offers truly amazing accommodations for her size" ... The Dragonfly 28 is a foldable and trailerable 28 ft trimaran, that provides you with all the benefits and features from a trimaran on the water ...

  13. Corsair Cruze 970 Sailboat Review

    The sporty, foldable, trailerable Corsair Cruze 970 trimaran will routinely knock off double-digit boat speeds. Since 1985 the Corsair 31 has been a familiar trimaran on the racing and cruising scene. At yards in Australia and California, 303 of that model were built, with subtle design tweaks over the years.

  14. Trailerable Boats with Comfort and Speed

    Farrier, who passed away in 2017, created the F-22 as a kind of culmination of all he'd continued to learn about small, trailerable multihulls in the years since he penned the F-27 trimaran, a true trail-blazer and now part of the "Sailboat Hall of Fame.". Another F-22 sidles up alongside a pier in Malta with amas folded in.

  15. Dragonfly 28

    DF 28 OVERVIEW. Dragonfly 28 is the ultimate trailerable trimaran. Jens Quorning calls it the 'Swiss Army knife' of his range; compact, versatile and multifunctional. As a result it is our most popular model, with almost 250 built. DF 28 is available in Touring and Performance versions, but the accommodation is the same in both.

  16. Corsair 760

    This new trailerable trimaran is destined to bring trailer sailing to the next level. Originating from the ever-popular 24 and 750 range this new model has received a radical redesign by our French partners at Perus Yacht Design. The Corsair 760 offers sailors more comfort, performance and safety than our previous 24ft trimaran range.

  17. Why A Corsair Trimarans? They are:

    Corsair Marine trimarans provide enjoyable family cruising experiences. A priority of their design is to deliver maximum roominess in cabin and cockpit, with ease of handling and of course, safety - that effortless speed is a bonus! Boat speed often equals true wind velocity, and in a Corsair trimaran sailboat, speeds exceeding 20 knots are ...

  18. How Much Space Is On This INCREDIBLY FAST Trailerable TRIMARAN?! [FULL

    Here is a full tour of the brand new Corsair 880 trimaran. It is fast, light, and folds up small enough to go on a trailer. Could this be the perfect boat? T...

  19. The Complete List of Trimarans

    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.

  20. Contour 34 Catamarans For Sale

    The Cole Beadon designed Contour 34 SC is the largest trailerable trimaran built with viable accommodations for extended cruising. The 34 SC is a legitimate offshore yacht with transoceanic capabilities, and the swing-wing retractable ama system has the structural integrity of a fixed-beam system. The displacement is only 4,850 pounds, which ...

  21. Trimaran Sailboats for sale

    Trimaran sailboats are medium-sized, trailerable, sailing vessels usually used for time-honored on-the-water activities such as overnight cruising and day sailing. These boats can differ in size, with the shortest vessel currently listed measuring 17 feet in length, up to the longest vessel listed at 51 feet long.

  22. Kurt Hughes Multihull Design

    A 26' cruising trailerable trimaran in developed plywood. This 26' cruising trailerable trimaran is designed to be wide, stable and fast. It has a true double berth on port side. Construction is the very rapid CM plywood/epoxy. Of course its not as fast to setup as the F trimarans, but notice that in the marina they stay in the "out position ...

  23. 16 Best Trimarans For Sailing Around The World (And a Few For

    This trimaran retails for $595,000, making it a cheaper option than the Rapido 60. 5. Dragonfly 40. The Dragonfly 40 measures 40 feet (12 meters) in length. It features high-comfort standards, making it one of the best trimarans in the market for taking your family for a cruise.