Trimarans at the Ends of the Earth by Scott McCook (Fast Forward Magazine, Issue No. 10, 2026) follows two extreme trimaran expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica, including the Rapido 53XS, Picomole, which went to Antarctica last month in February 2026.
Both are linked by the vision of Paul Koch, co-founder of Rapido Trimarans and a pioneer in high-performance multihulls.
The original article is reproduced below with permission from fast Forward magazine.
Trimarans at the Ends of The Earth…
Those little trimarans that we are so fond of playing with, well…
At the farthest reaches of the globe, the sea has always tested the limits of human courage and engineering. The frozen Arctic and the storm-lashed Southern Ocean are places where only the hardiest vessels dare to go. Yet in recent years, two recreational trimarans – light, fast, and built for speed – have defied expectations, carving their names into sailing history at opposite ends of the Earth.
Picomole in the South
In February 2026, the Rapido 53XS Picomole, skippered by Aldo Fumagalli, became the first recreational trimaran known to cross the Drake Passage. From Deception Island to Cape Horn, the boat covered 420 nautical miles in just 42 hours 39 minutes, averaging nearly 10 knots through one of the most dangerous stretches of ocean on Earth.
The Drake Passage is infamous for confused seas, powerful currents, and sudden squalls. Yet Picomole’s safe return showcased the strength of Rapido’s advanced carbon composite construction and the capability of modern multihull design. What was once the domain of heavy expedition yachts had been opened to performance trimarans.
Firebird in the North
Sixteen years earlier, in 2010, the Corsair 31 Firebird became the first recreational sailing boat to conquer the Northeast Passage. Skippered by Norwegian adventurer Rune Gjeldnes, the trimaran threaded its way along Russia’s Arctic coast, navigating drifting ice and sudden storms.
The Corsair 31 was never designed for polar extremes. Known for its trailerable folding amas and composite construction, it was built for speed and versatility. Yet those very qualities – light weight, agility, and responsiveness – helped Firebird survive the Arctic. Its success marked a turning point: recreational sailors could now imagine pushing into latitudes once considered off-limits.
The Quiet Architect of Extremes
Behind both Firebird in the Arctic and Picomole in the Drake lies the vision of Paul Koch. As the driving force behind Corsair in its pioneering years, Koch helped create the trimaran that first proved a recreational boat could survive the Northeast Passage. Decades later, as a key figure at Rapido, he shaped the boat that carried Picomole across the Drake.
It is a rare legacy: one builder, two boats, and two records at the ends of the Earth. Koch’s fingerprints connect these milestones, reminding us that innovation often begins with a single vision carried forward across generations. In the story of trimarans pushing into the planet’s most unforgiving waters, Koch emerges not just as a builder of boats, but as the architect of possibility itself.
Congratulations Picomole, Rune and Paul.
Rapido Trimarans’ Editor’s Footnote: First Catamaran to reach Antarctica built by Rapido’s co founder, Paul Koch
In January–February 1999, Robin Chamberlin and Terry Travers sailed the catamaran API Mersey Pharmacy (Excess) to Antarctica, becoming the first multihull yacht to venture that far south, as noted by World Sailing. Excess was built at Ostac from Parallax 11 hulls when Paul Koch owned the yard.
Related Items
- Download the original Fast Forward Magazine in which this article appeared, in full, by clicking here.
- Rapido 53XS
- Crossing the Drake: Picomole Reaches Antarctica, Sail-World.com, 15 February 2026. This article also appeared in Yachts & Yachting.com
- Picomole, the trimaran that sailed to Antarctica, Mary Nicholas, Multihulls World, 26 February 2026
- Antarctica under sail: Aldo Fumagalli’s account from the Deep South, Vela Magazine, 10 February, 2026.
- Cutting edge technology for Rapido’s multihull design, Zuzana Prochazka, 23 March 2023, Sail Magazine.
- Triac Composites website. The Rapido 53XS is built by Triac Composites in Vietnam.
Gallery of photos of Picomole in Antarctica.
Below is a gallery of photos taken by Michel Bourque, a passenger aboard the 317m cruise ship Celebrity Equinox (a photo of the ship in the Falkland Islands is included). Michel captured these images of Picomole from onboard and recalls the conditions while crossing the Drake Passage:
“…it was impossible to go out on our balcony because of the waves. And we were on Deck 9. I can only imagine what the Picomole crew had to endure.”
