Why would you cruise on anything other than a Rapido Trimaran?
- Side article #1: Why choose a Rapido 60? Owner Steve Bourne shares his reasoning, 10 September 2020.
- Side article #2: Boating is good for you, confirms new scientific study in article published by Sail World magazine on 27 September 2020.
[Enquiry received by Rapido Trimarans in June 2021: “As a competitive sailor, I’ve been looking for a very fast cruiser to explore the blue parts of our world and yours are the first boats I’ve seen that have me nodding my head, ‘Yes!’ “. We suspect this enquirer won’t mind the heel (or lack thereof) on a Rapido either!]
Or, perhaps a better question is, why not??
Why not, indeed, if you prefer:
- A stable boat which doesn’t heel.
- A boat that loves long distances, short sprints and the passage between.
- 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).
- The speed when you need! Having the flexibility to power up and sail away from bad weather systems is prudent.
- And of course, powering up and sailing away while other boats are wallowing is, w
Two mobile cranes applied 9 tons of load onto the Rapido 60’s diagonal floats (fwd starboard float and aft port float) with the centre hull bolted to the concrete floor. The Rapido passed the test with flying colours! Click to play video at 0.44secs. ell, just a lot of fun!
- To sail short-handed (with as few as two) with centralized systems, Karver reefing hooks, self tacking furling jib, furling reacher and stay sails.
- Safety is paramount on the water and the fleet of Rapido Trimarans are designed and built to put you in control for fast, safe, fun sailing (see “SAFE" box further below).
- Rapido have chosen, arguably, the best designers and engineers in the world to bring all these elements together into a trimaran that is as safe as it is exciting. Morrelli & Melvin use the most sophisticated software in the world to model the performance of their boats from all perspectives. The technology includes Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Velocity Prediction Program. Click here for more details on the type of technology that has been used in designing the Rapido range of trimarans).
The Rapido 60 comes with comfortable and spacious nets measuring 6.3m x 3m (that’s 18.9 m2…) on each side. They 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.
Some people still claim that, for extended cruising, trimarans do not have sufficient living and storage space. For sure, the single crewed trimarans that (safely) break speed records circumnavigating the world have basic accommodation. But they’re not sailing a Rapido Trimaran.
The Rapido 60 was conceived, designed and constructed as an owner-operated, powerful, ocean-cruising trimaran (see notes below on CE-A certification). In fact, the Rapido provides unparalleled living and storage space with safety, stability and comfort held as a top priority.
Rapido Trimarans is committed to, and does, build the best ocean-cruising trimarans in the world!
With the addition of the Rapido 40, Rapido 50 and Rapido 50XS to the fleet, we have opened up more options for a wider market.
CE-A Certification for Rapido Trimarans
The European Union requires that new and used recreational boats sold in Europe (from 2.5m-24m (8-79′)) must be certified as complying with one of four design categories. Rapido’s fleet of 40′, 50′ and 60′ trimarans are designed and built to the highest standard, CE-A.
Each of the four design categories help to quantify a boat’s degree of seaworthiness, based on the wave height and wind speed the boat is designed to encounter and handle. The further offshore the vessel is expected to venture, the higher are the expectations for construction strength, stability, freeboard, reserve buoyancy, resistance to down flooding, deck drainage and other seaworthiness criteria.
CE-A (The standard each Rapido is built to)
- Category A – Ocean: covers largely self-sufficient boats designed for extended voyages with winds of over Beaufort Force 8 (over 40 knots), and significant wave heights above 13 feet, but excluding abnormal conditions such as hurricanes.
Other CE standards
- CE-B (Category B) – Offshore: includes boats operating offshore with winds to 40 knots and significant seas to 13 feet.
- CE-C (Category C) – Inshore: is for boats operating in coastal waters and large bays and lakes with winds to Force 6, up to 27 knots, and significant seas 7 feet high.
- CE-D (Category D) – Inland or sheltered coastal waters: is for boats in small lakes and rivers with winds to Force 4 and significant wave heights to 18 inches.
SAFE
Safety is paramount on the water and the fleet of Rapido Trimarans are designed and built to put you in control for fast, safe, 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.
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 is located under the saloon. It has two bulkheads.
The Rapido 40 has two emergency escape hatches.
The Rapido 50 and 60 both have three emergency escape hatches located in the forward cabin, aft cabin and 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.
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. 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.
Each of the Rapidos – the 40, 50, 50XS and 60 – have CE-A certification.
FAST AND POWERFUL
Trimarans are safe, powerful and have the speed when you need.
Continually, trimarans win races. Continually, trimarans are chosen and trusted in 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 trimaran in the world!
SPACIOUS
The Rapido is a spacious boat.
When Riley Whitlum from Sailing La Vagabonde boarded a Rapido 60, he said, “The only thing I was worried about was the amount of space on board. I jumped onboard (Romanza), ran around and I was like, 'Ahhhhhh!, this is perfectly fine!' The forward cabin is massive, with a huge bed. When you’re standing in the saloon, you’re actually standing in a huge room.”
And then there's the nets on each side of a Rapido. 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
A Rapido Trimaran has a lovely stable, heeling motion of between 5 and 10 degrees.
This compares very favourably with the rawness of a typical monohull which heels at 20–35 degrees.
