Rapido appoints dealer for Tahiti and French Polynesia

March 07, 2020

Rapido Trimarans is delighted to confirm the appointment of Sail Tahiti as our official dealer for Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific Islands.

Sail Tahiti is the leading yacht dealer in the region, helping cruisers who want to live their dream, sailing the South Pacific.

Headquartered in Tahiti with a network of partners from Panama to New Zealand and Australia, Sail Tahiti is operated by David Allouch (French) and Nikki Puttergill (South African). Both are passionate sailors who have sailed thousands of miles, cruising from France to Tahiti. Prior to that, they have raced in Europe, the US and South Africa. Both have strong business backgrounds and MBAs.

By weaving these elements together, this very experienced team is able to advise on sailing routes and weather patterns as well as financing and boat management. For anyone seriously contemplating cruising the South Pacific, Sail Tahiti is the go-to resource.

Paul Koch, in the factory yesterday (6 March 2020). In the background is an R50 float still in its mold.

Co founder of Rapido Trimarans, Paul Koch, said that it was “very obvious” that Sail Tahiti’s had a particular love for performance multihulls and supporting the development of the sport in Tahiti and the other islands of the South Pacific.

“We need dealers who are as passionate as they are knowledgeable about sailing and trimarans. David and Nikki clearly demonstrate these qualities and will be a real asset for our customers”.

“In addition”, said Paul, “there is a lot of water between Australia / Asia and the Americas and until now, we didn’t have any representation between. Now we do with the very strategic appointment of Sail Tahiti”.

David said that “We are extremely happy to join the Rapido network as Rapido’s trimarans combine the two things we like the most about sailing: performance multihulls and long-term cruising. We believe that the two can easily be combined”.

The super shallow draft of Rapido's trimarans will be ideal for exploring French Polynesia's 118 islands and atolls. — The super shallow draft of Rapido’s trimarans will be ideal for exploring French Polynesia’s 118 islands and atolls.

French Polynesia, and more broadly the South Pacific Islands, are popular amongst sailors looking for pristine cruising grounds and adventure. With 118 islands and atolls scattered across an area the size of Western Europe, French Polynesia is beautiful and remains one of the most unspoilt sailing areas in the world.

David adds, “Trimarans are perfect for our region for a couple of key reasons; namely:

They are fast, safe and easily able to cover the long distances
Their shallow draft is a huge advantage as it gives easy access to atolls where there is no infrastructure. Everyone loves to anchor in the turquoise zone!

David continued that “Sail Tahiti already has many clients sailing on fast multihulls and we are very confident that Rapido will be very successful in Polynesia.

“We can’t wait to see the first Rapido win the famous Tahiti Pearl Regatta (which will next be held from 5-9 May 2020)”.