“The all-carbon-fiber Rapido 40 trimaran is a sailor’s dream boat: quick, stable and ready for blue water”, wrote Mark Pillsbury after sailing the Rapido 40 on Chesapeake Bay during the judging trials for Cruising World’s 2024 Boat of the Year awards. He put the boat through its paces alongside the magazine’s judging panel.
His full reveiw was published in May 2024, in Cruising World.
Here is what else he found.
“And boy, was the Rapido fun to sail!”
The Rapido 40 carries a rotating, spreaderless carbon wing mast, square-top mainsail and two-headsail sail plan, including a self-tacking jib and screecher.
Sailing in 10 to 12 knots of wind, Pillsbury recorded close to 8 knots with the jib.
“Things got really lively when we rolled up that sail and unfurled the big dog. Twelve knots and change was about top end for us in those relatively light conditions.”
His reaction was concise:
“And boy, was the Rapido fun to sail!”
Designed for short-handed sailing
Pillsbury also noted the practical arrangement of the cockpit and sail controls.
The helmsman sits outboard on bench-style seating, with a tiller extension and a clear view of the boat and water. The C-foils in the amas are adjusted according to the point of sail, with electric Harken winches handling the foils.
Sheets and halyards can also be led to the winches.
“For a shorthanded crew, sailhandling—especially with the self-tending jib—is pretty simple.”
“More-than-adequate living space”
The Rapido 40’s interior also challenged one of Pillsbury’s expectations from smaller trimarans, where the narrow centre hull can make accommodation feel cramped.
“I’ve been on smaller tris, where the interior can feel cramped because of the relatively narrow beam of the center hull, but the 40 has more-than-adequate living space.”
The raised cabin top and surrounding windows provide 360-degree visibility and 6-foot-6-inch headroom.
The interior includes an inline galley, dining area, owner’s cabin forward with a double berth, head and shower, plus a double berth beneath the cockpit. Two single berths are also available as an option.
Pillsbury noted the carbon-fibre countertops and drawers, as well as the quality of the composite work:
“The composite work was clean as a whistle.”
Carbon construction
The Rapido 40’s hulls and deck are foam-cored, while the structural components—including the bulkheads, boom, mast, C-foils, structural beams and T-foil rudder—are made using prepreg, autoclave-cured construction.
The main hull and amas have watertight bow crash compartments, while the engine compartment is also surrounded by watertight bulkheads.
The amas fold in, reducing the boat’s beam from 28 feet 10 inches to 19 feet 3 inches.
After sailing and inspecting the boat, Pillsbury concluded:
“Workmanship and equipment was top-notch, just as I’d expect on a boat built to go places.”
Read the full review
- The all-carbon-fiber Rapido 40 trimaran is a sailor’s dream boat: quick, stable and ready for blue water, Mark Pillsbury, Cruising World, 6 May 2024
