Articles

Phil Bolger, 1927-2009

 News  Designers

Philip Bolger took his life yesterday, and poor as I am at eulogies, Philip was a man worth eulogizing. Perhaps the most influential small boat designer in the world, Phil encouraged and inspired a host of would be builders and designers to pick up pencil and paper, plywood and epoxy, and get to work on their dreams. His design attention ranged across the board, and even though his boats were sometimes called homely, it is perhaps only…

Phil Bolger

26 May 2009     0 comments.

Astus Trimarans

 Trimarans  Smallcraft

The Golden Mean on three hulls

Chantier Astusboats in France is producing a range of small trimarans that appear to successfully navigate the conflicting and dangerous shoals inherent in small boat design, especially multihulls. The boats are compact, simple, speedy, trailerable, comfortable, cruiseable, and even competitively priced! Thanks to Laurie McGowan for the heads up.

The Astus 20.1 was introduced in 2004 at the Salon de la…

Astus Trimarans

25 May 2009     0 comments.

Spark: a three-hulled Rozinante

 New Designs  Designers  Rigs  Trimarans

Spark is from the drawing board of Richard Newick - which he describes as a “three-hulled Rozinante”, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s as if the spark of Herreshoff’s inspiration was passed along and reinterpreted through Newick, resulting in this outstandingly elegant trimaran. These images are of Jim Conlin’s Damfino, launched last June in Westport Point, MA. She seems a perfect steed for sailing the coast, perhaps tilting at a few…

Spark

18 May 2009     0 comments.