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Roy M · 02-09-2017, 19:40

There's a new kid on the block in San Diego, conveniently in my own yacht club, designed by John Marples, a thirty foot folding crossarm trimaran. Just launched, it will be here, possibly tied up next to me, until the Mexican cruising season begins in November. It's a beauty, and very light. I'll send pics soon when I get my laptop into the Wi-Fi range. Nice work, John!

Mark Johnson · 03-09-2017, 15:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy M

There's a new kid on the block in San Diego, conveniently in my own yacht club, designed by John Marples, a thirty foot folding crossarm trimaran. Just launched, it will be here, possibly tied up next to me, until the Mexican cruising season begins in November. It's a beauty, and very light. I'll send pics soon when I get my laptop into the Wi-Fi range. Nice work, John!

Looking forward to the pics! [emoji1365]

Roy M · 04-09-2017, 11:15

Here you go! Click on these to enlarge:

Seabeau · 04-09-2017, 11:32

Wow! What a sled!

rossad · 04-09-2017, 13:15

Looks quick to me. Cabin small - big cockpit. Good for a boom tent arrangement maybe. Those beams must be strong but how strong? flexing might be part of the idea. Its a coastal sailing machine. I like the tiller and rudder and stern step. the high floating arma's and the forward slanting hatch. Solar panel position is smart and the narrow centre hull underwater.
Certainly worth having one.

Roy M · 04-09-2017, 13:42

Check out photo 3 to see the diagonal rigging struts, fore and aft, to stiffen the lifting of the float. I'm looking forward to going on a sail with this boat. The owner will be taking it to Baja this year.

owly · 04-09-2017, 13:43

When I look at this compared to the SR31, I see a fancier, flashier, and probably faster boat, but I see far less interior space / less usability for a cruiser / voyager, a boat designed to compete with the Farriers and Corsairs, not a boat to live in on a long voyage. I like the aft cockpit for the access it gives to the stern / transom area, which is pathetic on the SR series. But of course with that comes vulnerability to following waves. It looks like a very capable boat for it's mission, but it's mission is NOT what I'm looking for.... it's designed for a different type of sailor than me. John clearly designed this boat to compete with the Corsair and Farrier boats........ and that's OK, that's what most folks want............... It is inevitable that as the years go by, the market tilts toward what the majority of people want. The Searunners and Norman Cross trimarans get scarcer and more valuable every year ;-( H.W.

rossad · 04-09-2017, 14:10

All good points i think your right Owly.
The calculations must be all well thought of with this design and John is so good at them.
The under beam wire strut yes must be all part of it. Light and the precise angle must have been calculated with the diameter.
It is a great concept and should be applauded but there is one problem with this boat.
I think it could be a flipper!

andres · 04-09-2017, 15:44

A very nice boat! It seems to me that it is a Seaclipper 28 MK 2 (see Searunner Multihulls - Seaclipper 28), with the swing-wing akas as in the Seaclipper 20. If it has 30 feet, then it could be an enlarged version.

Buzzman · 04-09-2017, 20:38

Yes but why the short amas?

Most modern tris these days are built with full length amas, aren't they?

For the additional floatation and heeling resistance this provides.

I'm not sure I understand why he's done it this way.

Mark Johnson · 04-09-2017, 20:56

Very nice ride! Ultimate simplicity in a folding, trailerable trimaran.

I wonder if it has an engine?

owly · 05-09-2017, 07:57

This definitely is a day sailor / over nighter. It's really not in anything like the same class as the Searunners most of us are interested in here.

catsketcher · 05-09-2017, 13:50

The amas aren't really short - just not as long as racing tri amas, but there is a good reason for that.

When pushing a tri hard it is better for the amas to keep their bows up. This is when the design gets tricky. If you just increase volume up front you may actually increase pitchpoling moment. If the bow goes under then the deck area will act as a fulcrum for the rig and help pitchpole the boat over the leeward bow. So designers like to add volume only if it can be done cleverly, without adding so much that the ama becomes distorted or that the immersed drag increases hugely.

One nice way of helping the bows to stay high is to reduce the volume aft. This allows the rudder to stay in the water, which is always nice, and means the tendency for the boat to go bow down is countered by the rotation about the further forward ama volume. It is relatively old school thinking but it works.

You have to be carefull about transplanting racing ideas onto a family boat. I was lucky enough to sail an ORMA 60 from the Gold Coast to Sydney and it was amazing. BUT it was a terrible boat for cruising. The long, flat amas pounded mercilessly if we didn't keep the boat fully powered up. She was very quick but I would never recommend such a shape for a cruising tri. Give me some vee and seakindliness first before top end speed.

cheers

Phil