Rapido 53XS, the new 16m globetrotter trimaran, by Aldo Fumagalli, Vela Magazine, 24 January 2024.
Aldo Fumagalli is the owner of the first Rapido 53XS, Hull #01 and in the edited extract below, he explains what he was looking for in a boat and how the 53XS meets his needs. (To read the full and original article, click here).
(According to Aldo Fumagalli), the future of Rapido Trimarans is called Rapido 53XS, an acronym that stands for eXtra Space. Who is Aldo Fumagalli? The owner of Rapido 53XS #01, an Italian engineer and former owner of the home appliance brand Candy. Fumagalli has an inordinate passion for sailing and crossings, and has already been the owner of the Neel 47 Minimole with which he has participated in so many adventure races, including the ARC (his account of the race here)…
His new boat, the Rapido 53XS, is designed for sailors who want ample space on board, but without sacrificing performance.
“My choice is to have a boat that would take me to the Caribbean in about ten days,” Fumagalli confesses. “With a slow boat, it would take about three weeks and by that time, the vacation would be over”.
Developed by Morrelli & Melvin, the 53XS starts from the already excellent base of the Rapido 50 presented in 2020…
The 53XS has a larger flare above the waterline of the center hull, which accommodates a saloon that is not exaggeratedly large, but with a 360-degree view of the surrounding waters. This modified and expanded structure “weighs” the boat down by just 800 kg. The salient features of this new Rapido are many, but worth mentioning are the two rudder blades attached to the outer hulls and the total absence of a centerboard, replaced by two carbon C-foils in the outer hulls. This allows for safe navigation even in shallow waters as the draft is reduced to just 67cm when the foils are retracted.
In full flight, these “wings” can be extended to almost 4 meters in depth.
The exterior spaces, in addition to the characteristic multihull nets, are enhanced by two sofas placed behind the central command post, which follow the lines of the aft stanchions…
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- To read the original article in full, click here.
