My friend helped design the new L7 (7m) trimaran which skunked all but a few F28Rs and F31s in a recent race to Catalina Island--on its shakedown cruise! Plus, they had no screecher, dacron sails and a pinhead main. Pretty impressive. Word is that they are developing this into a production boat--for approximately half the price of the corsair Sprint 750.
It has a number of interesting features including pulltruded glass I-beams for the akas, linear slide folding mechanism and *massive* amas.
Check out pix of the prototype at
http://www.multimarine.com/L-7/L-7.html
Posted by on 03/17 at 07:11 AM
It was interesting to come across my designs being used as benchmarks in the L7 posting, particularly in comparing performance.
However, it should be pointed out that it is very easy to go faster by eliminating accommodation, and adding a larger rig, something that has been done many times before over the past 20 years, particularly in Australia. Such boats can have impressive performance, but some can also be a little fragile, as per:
http://www.mycq.org.au/ActionPhotos/030503_Bay_to_Bay/Dcp_0106.jpg
So one has to check the designer’s credentials carefully, and be prepared not to get much for the money with such minimal boats. Resale value proved rather disappointing, so one does not see many of them around.
The same high performance could also be achieved on the F-28 or F-31 by adding a 5 to 7’ taller mast to bring the capsize wind force level down near the L7s, and then cutting off much of the accommodation. However, I have always refrained from doing this as such boats don’t make very practical cruisers, and the wind capsize level can be a bit risky for general sailing/cruising.
If one really wants to go fast with no comfort, then it is even easier and cheaper to eliminate the center hull altogether, and throw together a couple of slender 30 foot hulls and a tall mast. This can at least sleep two in each hull instead of just two in one, and such cats have now taken over from the minimal trailerable trimarans in Australia. Not so good in light airs, but great when the wind blows.
The F-24, F-25C, F-28 and F-31 being used as benchmarks were all designed more than ten years ago, and the situation is a little different with my latest designs, one such being the F-22, details of which can be seen at:
http://www.f-boat.com/pages/trimarans/F-22.html
Ian Farrier
Farrier Marine, Inc.
Posted by
Ian Farrier on 03/28 at 08:17 AM
