New “affordable” Corsair Sprint 750

Comments

• 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

• Interesting. I’ve always wondered why small multis aren’t available in kit form - considering the success of the kit plane industry. I guess others are wondering that too.

  Posted by Editor  on  03/28  at  01:28 PM

• Ian is full of nasty and inaccurate comments in his above post. The L-7 has no greater a sail area to weigh ratio than the F-25C. It’s mast height is about the same as the new Corsair Sprint 750. It’s faster because it has bigger and faster shaped floats........a limiting factor on his good designs.....I own an F-31.
  The L-7 sleeps two adults but it was not designed as a long range cruiser......but as a daysailor or weekender at best. Ian has promised an F-22 kit for over 5 years and though he has finally sent some plans out, the kit is still, in my opinion years away.
  Mike Leneman
  Multi Marine

  Posted by mike Leneman  on  11/18  at  07:24 PM