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ech2o2 · 06-08-2019, 11:50

Hi,
a bit of background: my wife and I have been beach cat sailors for many years now. We have obtained our ASA bareboat certification and wanted to start cruising thinking that monohull would fit the requirement. WRONG, OMG way too slow for us! Our cruising will be limited to weekends and maybe 2 to 3 weeks stretch once in a while. We fully grasp the living arrangements advantages and inconveniences of cruisers such as the Searunner 31 vs the "weekender" Corsair 27 for example.
We would like to have a better understanding of the cruising speed various makes and models can achieve in similar wind condition. 3 boats that are common to my area are the Corsaire F27, Telstar 28 and Searunner 31. Anyone has experience with the 3 boats?
Many thanks!
Eric

trimarannaga · 06-08-2019, 12:21

The searunner trimaran is not a fast boat, but it is a comfortable one, I consider the ride like a magic carpet, slow steady and pay attention to what's going on re wind and waves. I have sailed my searunner 40 from St Croix in the Caribbean to Kadavu Fiji where I am right now, strong windy passages I average 7.5 knots in relative comfort, 6 to 7 knot average in light winds, expecting more from am searunner would be to make for uncomfortable sailing. Just did an overnighter open ocean sailing, 4 meter seas 25 knots broad reach, average 7.4 with jib and double reef main. It was comfortable. If you want fast I would look to the corsair or similar tri.

Tillsbury · 06-08-2019, 12:39

What's the rush? Watch some Keep Turning Left and experience the joys of sailing at 2kts... ��

rossad · 07-08-2019, 01:46

My SR 37 can get along when the conditions suit. I have got 18 knots top speed. 10 knots to windward. With a small spinnaker DDW its very good. I would like to see how they go with a bow sprit and large like Code Zero. Conditions allowing.

LeeV · 07-08-2019, 04:35

The F27 is a Farrier; the Corsair will be a C boat. We just sold our C36 a year ago. All the C and F trimarans are rocket ships compared to your other choices. Apples and oranges.

Speed? Get a C/F tri.
Space/comfort? Get one of the other. All will be great fun if you get the one that fits YOUR needs.

FYI: we owned a Condor 40 and an F31 as well. Now that we near retirement we’d like the space and comfort - and easier handling - of a cat.
Have fun...

Tusitala · 07-08-2019, 04:59

We have a Searunner 34 that we work at keeping fairly light. We normally average 6 knots from anchor up to anchor down.

belizesailor · 07-08-2019, 07:49

Maybe cruising at 15 knots in a power cat would be better fit for you?

Cadence · 07-08-2019, 10:25

I got 17.5kn with an SR31. A one time, never do it again. I would agree with trimarannaga they are not fast but handle 16' to 20' waves if reefed down on a following sea. I did not like mines ability to point, may have been me? Loved my 25' Piver just not enough interior room.

Tusitala · 07-08-2019, 11:30

I think an overall average speed you can use for planning a cruise is more useful than an OMG once in a lifetime burst!

Cadence · 07-08-2019, 11:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tusitala

I think an overall average speed you can use for planning a cruise is more useful than an OMG once in a lifetime burst!

That was followed by never again. I don't think an SR31 is much fasted than a mono depending on conditions. Hull speed was 7.5 Kn under power, pouring any more coals to it was a waste of fuel.

Slainte1 · 07-08-2019, 13:36

It all depends on wind and sea conditions.Overall I probably average 7-8 knts cruising on my Newick 3C's but at times much faster. She is capable of averaging windspeed. 14knts hard on the wind but a wet ride in a seaway

Mike Banks · 07-08-2019, 15:22

most speed I ever got on a 42 foot Piver was fourteen knots--and that would have been in optimum conditions with a newly anti-fouled and clean hull. Not that this is going to help much with a 30 footer or thereabouts--but cruising tris are heavy and slower than trailable lightweight types. The sea-runner 31 is a small cruising tri unless you have the trailer version. It will cruise at about seven to ten knots in a good breeze--maybe even faster in optimum conditions--but how often does one get that in the direction in which one wishes to travel?

Nothing sails faster than a racing trimaran unless you are flying on foils. Cruising on one would be less than fun though with such sails--but I have heard of cruising Crowther trimarans lightly laden with a minimum crew and a minimum of cruising stores and equipment reaching or exceeding twenty knots, if their owners are to be believed.

Paul Howard · 08-08-2019, 06:37

For a PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Formula) rating on some popular multihulls, go to this website: www.ussailling.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2017=PHRF-Fleets-By-Class.pdf
and then to Pages 30, 31. There are various ratings for many of the models, usually the highest nimber, i.e. slowest rating, is for the basic boat, no sprit and Code Zero, etc. The higher the number the more seconds per mile the model gets on handicap. A Corsair F-27 basic boat is usually rated at PHRF 60. A friend has a F-27 rated at 47, with sprit and screecher, Brown Searunner 31, PHRF 180, Brown Searunner 37, PHRF 70.
The different areas have slightly different rating systems and different wind and wave conditions, so ratings vary. I like following the BAMA, Bay Area Multihull Association, San Francisco Bay.
A great many monohull models have ratings in the same document for comparison.
But, as we like to say at the Toronto Multihull Cruising Club, a monohull is only half a boat.