Modernising a Horstman Trimaran

[Redreuben]

Hi People,
I have been looking at a multihull designs for a while now waiting for "the one" which ticks all the boxes.
I have looked at the Kendrick Scarabs, I have plans for the Buccaneer 24 and have looked at Simpson catamarans like the Backslash.
I am a single man with two children 7 and 10 and various female friends .
I do not need a speed machine but do wish to utilise this aspect of multihulls.
I am pretty convinced a trimaran is the format I like as the size range i'm looking at suits the tri layout, further I prefer the motion of a tri compared to a cat.
The size range would be a max of 28ft folding not required.
Buying secondhand on the West coast of Australia is simply not an option.
And so we arrive at the Horstman 24, while an older design it is a type that has great appeal due to its accommodations and heavier displacement (load carrying) And is a style that has been neglected, even abandoned by contemporary design.

However there are aspects of this design that could do with some modernisation and it is these aspects that I seek your advice and opinions.

These are the issues as I see them.

I would stretch the existing design to approx 26'. The intention being to include an enclosed head which could be worked in with a daggercase in the main hull rather than the boards in the floats as designed. Would also address rig changes, see below.

Rig, masthead rig needs to go ! I am thinking fractional with self tacking headsail, perhaps even a ballestron for sailing simplicity. What is involved in converting masthead to fractional ?

Floats and overall beam. Most modern designs carry more overall beam and longer floats ?

Hull shapes look to me a bit fine in the ends, the main hull looks like it could use some more volume aft and a flatter run to counter pitching. And perhaps a more rounded bilge overall.
The floats are very fine and quite pointed compared to there modern counterparts and look like they could use an extension aft, and perhaps more rounded bilges.

As you can see I have pretty much redesigned the boat !

There is very little on the net regarding the sailing qualities of these yachts but I have been able to gain the impression that they are solid, seaworthy and track well.

I realise it's a bit like turning a Warram into a Schionning but my question to you all is, what is worth doing and what should be just left as is ?
When I have a more clear idea where I want to go with this I will put it to Ed Horstman.

Here are some links of the boat,

http://www.edhorstmanmultihulldesign...lans/tri24.php
http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/...tristar-24.htm
A further thought on this was to get a more modern design of say 30' (Farrier/Kendrick) and compress it down to get the displacement and put the Horstman deck/cabin layout over the top.
The various thoughts and opinions on this will be most interesting !
Cheers,
RR