Rapido Trimarans
Rapido Trimarans | Overview
Rapido Trimarans are a range of owner-operated ocean-cruising trimarans gaining international acclaim for their remarkable speed, performance and value.
Rapido co-founder Paul Koch owned and operated OSTAC (Ocean Sailing Trimarans and Catamarans) Yachts from 1986 to 2008 and Corsair Marine from 1994 to 2010. Renowned for his passion and vision, Paul has been credited with driving many innovations in the multihull industry. For most of his career, he worked with James Sganzerla, Rapido Trimarans’ Operations Director. Together, over a combined period of 60 years, they have built more than 1,500 production trimarans.
Despite the prodigious amount of boats they had already built, Paul was convinced there was a segment in the market missing: a trimaran that was owner-operated, powerful, ocean-cruising, and could be safely crewed by two. Enter the concept for the world’s fastest production cruising trimaran, the Rapido 60.
Armed with the concept, Paul approached friend Pete Melvin from world-acclaimed naval architects, Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering with a brief to develop the design and engineering for the Rapido 60.
The Rapido Trimarans range comprises the Rapido 60, with plans for the Rapido 40 and Rapido 50 well underway.
Designers | Morrelli & Melvin
Rapido Trimarans believes Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering is the most qualified and professional multihull design/engineering company in the world. Morelli & Melvin don’t just sit in the design office; they actually sail and build boats.
Combined with their developmental work on cutting-edge technology behind America’s Cup campaigns and other world-famous projects, Morelli & Melvin delivers the perfect balance of technical knowledge and hands-on experience.
Builder | Triac Composites
Triac Composites is the manufacturing arm of Rapido Trimarans and was established in Vietnam in 2014 by Paul Koch and co-founder Richard Eyre to build the Rapido range of trimarans. Triac Composites has an international management and technical team and employ almost 100 local staff, many of whom have been with Paul since he first opened a composites manufacturing plant in Vietnam back in 2006.
Their new factory, with modern facilities, equipment and a team of talented staff, is located on the Nha Be River, just 40 minutes from the centre of town in the Nha Be District.
While Triac Composites are specialists in building sailing boats, they also specialise in working with composites across a broad range of industries. Composites are particularly suited to the marine industry because they are light, super strong, non-corrosive in salty environments and can be moulded into virtually any shape.
Accordingly, as Triac Composites’ production capability has increased (eg Kuka Robot, autoclave, CNC machine, labour etc), their order book has become quite varied and robust, with examples of recent composite work including: composite plugs and moulds, composite superstructures for European ferries, outsourced composite boats (commercial and leisure), mining equipment, architectural facades and train interiors.
Rapido Trimarans | Key Features
Rapido Trimarans have developed a strong reputation with a host of key features setting them apart from their peers:
Rapido Trimarans:
• Are stable boats that do not heel;
• Love long distances, short sprints and the passage between;
• Are ideal for discovering places that others cannot venture to when you sneak up alongside a secluded beach or glide over a reef (the draft of the Rapido 60 is just 0.75m with the rudder and daggerboard retracted);
• Deliver speed when you need! Having the flexibility to power up and sail away from bad weather systems is paramount;
• Can be sailed short-handed with centralised systems, Karver reefing hooks, self-tacking furling jibs, furling reacher and stay sails;
• Boast excellent safety and are designed and built to put you in control for fast, safe, fun sailing;
• Come with comfortable and spacious nets. The nets on each side of the Rapido 60 measure 6.3m x 3m (that’s 18.9 m2), providing enormous space to play or lounge upon when the fish are not biting. They also provide an exhilarating vantage point when cruising to watch the water rush by beneath.
SAFETY
Safety is paramount on the water, and the fleet of Rapido Trimarans is designed and built to put you in control for fast, safe and fun sailing.
The foam sandwich and carbon construction provides an extremely strong and rigid structure. This rigid structure enables the Rapido to withstand the might of the oceans but without carrying excessive weight.
The T-foil rudder blade is designed to provide additional stability and control. Each float (ama) has four watertight bulkheads. The main hull has five bulkheads to ensure that the Rapido 60 is as safe and unsinkable as possible. The engine and main equipment compartment has two bulkheads and is located under the saloon.
There are three emergency escape hatches: One located in the forward cabin, the second is in the aft cabin, and the third is in the main storage compartment under the cockpit. This storage compartment has been specifically designed as a safe survival area. Automatic and portable bilge pumps are provided.
The helm position offers superb all-round visibility. It is in an elevated position, away from the elements with a hard top bimini with sliding roof. It has a 1.2m wide seat/ leaning post for seating comfort and standing support. Main controls are at the helm making single or short-handed sailing easier and safer. Steering is direct with strong well-engineered Jefa systems.
An emergency rudder blade is ready to deploy in an emergency. The engine compartment has an auto fire extinguisher system. There are an additional three portable fire extinguishers and a fire blanket. Diesel is the only fuel on board for engine, stove and heating which removes the need to carry highly flammable cooking gas.
The head sails are on furlers for ease of deployment and operation. There are twin bow anchors with the main anchor ready to deploy. A dedicated storage area for safety equipment and wet weather gear is located in the cockpit. Jack stays and clip-on points are provided as are bow and stern cockpit safety rails.
The Rapido is designed for optimal, fast, performance to get you out of harm’s way. With storm avoidance being the “safest safety option”, the on-water performance provides greater flexibility.
The Rapido 60 has CEA certification.
FAST AND POWERFUL
Trimarans are safe, powerful and have the speed when you need. Trimarans consistently win races and are chosen and trusted to tackle the toughest of conditions.
Even in the storms of the southern oceans, trimarans are safe, easy to handle and faster on all points of sail due to their wide beam and light weight. In 2008, for example, Francis Joyon on IDEC SPORT was the first person to sail solo on a trimaran, non-stop, around the world. Joyon took just 57 days – a staggering 21 days faster than the fastest monohull. The current trimaran record to circumnavigate the world is 40 days. Rapido Trimarans are committed to building the best ocean cruising trimarans in the world!
SPACIOUS
The Rapido 60 comes with comfortable and spacious nets measuring 6.3m x 3m (that’s 18.9 m2…) on each side of the Rapido 60. The nets provide enormous space to play or lounge upon when the fish are not biting. They also provide an exhilarating vantage point when cruising to watch the water rush by beneath.
STABLE AND COMFORTABLE
Have you ever tried sipping champagne on a monohull with a 30-degree heel? A Rapido Trimaran only gets a heel of up to 15 degrees! Now, there’s nothing uncomfortable about that, whether you’re sipping champagne or simply enjoying the sensation of the wind on your face at 17 knots.
