Europa 20 Beach Trimaran

[Chris Ostlind]

I've just completed the principal design work on a new, demountable beach trimaran with a distinct, performance oriented potential for two-up sailing.

The new boat is called the Europa 20 and it offers a different take on design and functional aesthetics compared to previous small beach tris. I have written an article about the new boat and it is posted on my website: http://www.lunadadesign.com/europa-2...-trimaran.html

The boat has been designed to make use of vertical foam stripping with either glass, or carbon laminates set in epoxy. Composite build technique is meant to be either vacuum bagged wet laminate, or closed system infused resin.

With this design, I am looking to explore ideas that I have gathered from half a dozen other high performance trimarans, while massaging the concepts together in a fresh design package at this size. Aesthetically, the boat may not be for everyone.

I make no wild claims as to rocketship-like, eyeball compressing performance. Instead, I am drawing upon many, well-known examples of other multihulls already in the marketplace with similar technical qualities, to establish a general zone of performance. Suffice to say, in the right hands, the Europa will be quite fast for the market segment it will occupy.

I expect that the Europa 20 will make for a suitable shredding companion to Mike's TMS-20, also seen on these pages.

[idkfa]

Nice looking boat Chris, could you supply a profile picture. Quite similar to the Multi23 which also reflects maxi/orma trimarans. From the Multi23 website, it the beat L-7 racing back from Catalina island but was slower going there; to weather. (Anyone have more info on the race or any other?)

The ormas, maxis even Dogzilla have inverted triangular transoms of high reserve buoyancy. Yet is very well known having more submerged transom/volume when travelling at lower Fn (upwind) is slower. I think the shape supplies the volume needed to balance the use of lifting foils (one way to supply lift/volume forward.) Normally multihulls never lack for volume aft. The Exploder 23/25 might have tested lifting foils. IMO as trendy as the Multi23 is, it might not prove long term success. Hydrodynamics does not care for trends even if we do...

[Chris Ostlind]

Originally Posted by idkfa

Nice looking boat Chris, could you supply a profile picture. Quite similar to the Multi23 which also reflects maxi/orma trimarans. From the Multi23 website, it the beat L-7 racing back from Catalina island but was slower going there; to weather. (Anyone have more info on the race or any other?)

Thanks. There have been similar reports about the M23 from several locations. There was an event in Florida, not sure if it was the Corsair Nationals, or not, but the Sprint was having the same kind of results against the M23. Mike Leneman is working on a better jib solution for more power upwind. The M23 also, apparently, suffers some from being lighter than both of the boats mentioned, not allowing it to bang to windward as effectively.

Offwind, the M23 just flat flies.

Originally Posted by idkfa

The ormas, maxis even Dogzilla have inverted triangular transoms of high reserve buoyancy. Yet is very well known having more submerged transom/volume when travelling at lower Fn (upwind) is slower. I think the shape supplies the volume needed to balance the use of lifting foils (one way to supply lift/volume forward.) Normally multihulls never lack for volume aft. The Exploder 23/25 might have tested lifting foils. IMO as trendy as the Multi23 is, it might not prove long term success. Hydrodynamics does not care for trends even if we do...

From the beginning here...

I'm of the opinion that the more slender form of the triangular transom shape addresses a good bit of the low speed/attributed drag/lowered efficiency issue by only immersing the most slender of the available shape. As you said, the more heavily pressed entire section, with all of its reserve, gives the boat real potential in that mode.

The shapes could come in handy, should lifting foils be applied to the ama, I agree.

You are right, there is much to be said about the potentially fading relevance of trendy design solutions. I think that is true for the entire boat design medium. The cutting edge of multihull design is a very dynamic environment, with constantly evolving studies, fresh risk-taking ideas and the usual carnage, along with success. I'm decently sure that any of the higher-flying design approaches that one sees today will be thought of as fairly pedestrian in the years to come. Just look what is happening with A-Cats, if an example of that reality is needed.

When designing the Europa, I was looking to absorb some of the design cues from the Sodeb'O/IDEC motif, while also keeping the boat from getting too "out there". I'd like it if the design turns-out to have staying power, so that the homebuilder can look forward to having a boat that not only delivers good sailing fun, but also finds enjoyment from the looks of his boat in the longer term.

Here is a collection of 2D line drawings in four views.

[DaveJ]

Technical question Chris: Why the use of split side stays, why not run it as a single wire all the way down?

[Gary Baigent]

To where, Dave? To main beam, therefore in line with mast, mast falls down - to after beam, too far back, fouls mainsail when reaching or broad reaching. Sorry Chris, beat you to it.

[Chris Ostlind]

Yes, all the stuff mentioned above and....

You get a bit of an advantage in that the load is split between the two beams. You may lose that bit when you consider that there are additional pieces of hardware that might fail unexpectedly.

A single, ama situated chain plate decently aft of the main beam is also a good solution. I used to race cats and never liked the shroud/chainplate right in the place where I wanted to hang my butt as crew. I can't tell you how many wetsuits I've torn on various types of exposed chainplates when I got my fanny dropped on the hull when coming in off the wire.

I prefer to put the mounts for the shrouds at a spot that is already drawn-up for load issues and be extra-vigilant about the swages and maintenance.

[DaveJ]

I've been looking at a boat to build as a replacement for my very tired old hobie 18, and a folding tri will be able to catter better to my needs then the beach cat. So I was checking your Tri out as a possible contender and noticed the the split stay wire. Having a questioning mind that i have, want to know if the reason for the way you have the stay, was more than just the fact of sharing the load.

As for racing cats, i know what you mean, but the side stay was good for my crew as a marker to never go aft off (i smack my partner on the nose, as just after a tac she move aft of the stay and promptly got an elbow to the nose as i was pulling the main sheet in) unless on the wire, i generally needed them fwd of the stay to balance the boat.

[themanshed]

Chris I like the looks perhaps a rival for the TMS-20?

[Chris Ostlind]

Now, that would be fun, Mike.