This 24-foot Trimaran Has Limited Interior Space, But Performs Like a Champ. Overall, Not a Boat for the Timid.

I was a helicopter pilot in the military, and whenever rotary-wing and fixed-wing aviators got together, a spirited discussion ensued over which was the safest to fly. The helicopter, it was argued, would drop like the proverbial rock from the sky when power was lost, and an airplane could glide to a safe landing. Yet the helicopter only needs a small patch of land for a safe emergency landing; an airplane needed hundreds of yards of clearing in which to land safely.

Likewise, when multi-hull and monohull sailors gather, the question of safety comes up. Little, if any, hard evidence exists to prove the argument one way or the other. In the end it comes down to personal preference — and safety depends on many variables, not the least of which is luck. Regardless, the debates will continue, and I like to encourage lively discussion, so here's a look at Corsair Marine's F-24 trimaran.

Corsair Marine was started in Chula Vista, California, in 1986, to build and market the 27-foot trimaran design of New Zealand native Ian Farrier. Farrier had already established a reputation for successful multi-hull design in Australia. For his new design, he developed and patented a unique mechanism that allowed the amas, or outer hulls, to be folded for trailering or docking at a normal width slip. The F-27 was nearly an immediate success and, on the heels of that success, the F-24 was introduced in 1991. Farrier and Corsair eventually parted; Corsair continues to produce the F-24 and the F-28, the F-27's successor. Farrier Marine in Australia makes the F-33, which is a sport cruiser, and a kit version in the F-32. Farrier is also working on an F-22 for kit building and possibly production. In 2004, the F-27 became the first trimaran inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame.

Weight is generally more critical to the performance of multi-hull vessels than monohulls. To best control weight, the F-24 uses state-of-the-art composite techniques with foam sandwich construction in hulls, decks and other molded parts. Carbon fiber or Kevlar unidirectional materials are selectively used in high stress areas in addition to double-bias glass fabrics. The hulls and parts are vacuum-bagged to better control the fiberglass-to-resin ratio and ultimately the boat's strength-to-weight. This results in a stiff, strong and light boat that is a bit pricey. A 2008 F-24 base model costs about $53,000. That does not include auxiliary power.

The overall length is 24 feet and maximum beam is 17 feet, 11 inches. A large cockpit and the typical trampoline-like webbing between the main hull and the amas mean loads of useable space topside. Below decks is a different story. The main hull, the only habitable space below decks, is only slightly more than 6 1/2 feet wide at its maximum, and the cockpit takes up nearly one-third its overall length. Below there is a v-berth forward, which, in the manufacturer's drawings, shows two pillows but is much too small for two adults. The portable toilet is under the v-berth. Along the starboard side of the cabin is a settee that converts to a double berth but in doing so takes up the entire cabin width. With limited clearance above the settee once it's extended to a berth, crawling on hands and knees is the only way to get about the cabin.

A decent little galley along the port side has a sink, single-burner stove and ice box. The companionway hatch opens to allow full standing headroom at the aft end of the main cabin next to the galley sink. A canvas boom-tent could be rigged at anchor to keep this area protected and open in inclement weather.

Clearly, speed and sailing performance, not accommodations, were the priorities. When it's time to go sailing, the fun starts. Regrettably, I have not had a chance to sail the F-24, although I have sailed her big sister, the F-27. The performance is exhilarating and sometimes a little scary. An acquaintance who has sailed the F-24 reports similar performance: quick response, easy tacks, generally good behavior and boat speeds close to reaching and often exceeding true wind speed. With the board down the F-24 points quite well, but, as is the case with most multi-hulls, she is more efficient cracked off a little.

I don't recommend the F-24 for an inexperienced or a timid sailor. This is clearly a performance-oriented trimaran, and at speeds approaching 20 knots, which this boat can do, things happen fast, and the consequences of mistakes can be magnified. Even the manufacturer warns that although sailors have made offshore passages with these boats, it is not advised.

In general, multi-hull boats are a good deal more expensive to build per foot than monohulls. Throw in the F-24's complicated engineering for the folding amas, and the price goes even higher. But for those willing to pay the price and endure the minimal accommodations, the F-24 does offers some distinct advantages such as trailerability, docking at normal width slips, exceptional speed and performance and solid construction.

Jack Hornor, NA is the principal surveyor and senior designer for the Annapolis-based Marine Survey & Design Co. Hornor writes for BoatU.S. Magazine and other marine publications.

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