Rapido 60 trimaran design by Morrelli and Melvin

[Doug Lord]

@Paul:
I would say that it is a very sensible decision, considering the already impressive speeds the boat's polar indicate.

I also believe that foils are here to stay, but not so much on cruising boats. They imply several things which most boat owners don't like:

1. higher boat design, building and maintenance costs
2. trained crew, which implies costs and loss of privacy
3. in alternative to the crew, an automatic handling system - which implies even more costs and possibility of failure
4. higher probability of damage to the boat or mechanical failure of foiling system
5. the insurance premium will probably be higher, because of the previous points.

That said, there will always be a niche of true die-hard adventurers who have the money, like the idea of flying over the water surface and do not give a damn about the relax and comfort. Foiling will certainly have a strong appeal to them and could (or perhaps should) be developed as an option.
Cheers and good luck with this great-looking boat!

=================
Slavi, your "drawbacks" apply to any foils including a daggerboard and rudder. Ama foils don't have to be retractable for cruising -they can be fixed. And if designed well, they can provide vertical lift and all the lateral resistance for the boat . All foil applications are not alike-there are huge benefits to the sailor that has a penchant for speed but is not interested in racing.

 

[Doug Lord]

Rapido

Hi Doug ,

I guess the concept was to build a good fast cruising trimaran while keeping it simple and comfortable for cruising . Simplicity , lack of stress on both the crew and the boat were priorities .

The reality is the boat will be too fast for some people as it is so we did not feel the need to push the boundaries of the market that far this time .

We will be fitting a T rudder to help smooth out the ride but not foils at this point .

I am sure foils have a place on multihulls but not this one at this time , never say never !

Regards Paul

====================
Paul ,thanks for your response! I think it is great that you are going to use a t-foil rudder-tremendous benefits as Martin Fischer said regarding Jessica Rabbit. Your boat is beautiful and I hope you have great times aboard. If you ever get a chance, talk to some of the people that use ama foils-it doesn't have to be a racing set-up- the boards can be designed to be fixed(but removable)-no "handling" required.
Good Luck!

 

[Corley]

I'm very excited to see this boat hit the water do you have an approximate timeline for the build process?

 

[Paul Rapido]

I'm very excited to see this boat hit the water do you have an approximate timeline for the build process?

Hi Corley,

We are working hard at it . Molds will be finished before the new year we hope . Launch date is planned to be May / June 2015 . I think it is doable and realistic !

 

[Corley]

Thanks Paul nice to see some performance cruising trimarans being built. Do you have any conceptual renders of what the interior on the boat will look like? This would be a ridiculous conversation if this was a focused racing boat but it's amazing what a few nicely placed finishes can do inside a small space. A case in point is the dragonfly trimarans with their neatly executed veneer woodwork interiors it makes for an appealing aesthetic which is also functional.

 

[Paul Rapido]

Thanks Paul nice to see some performance cruising trimarans being built. Do you have any conceptual renders of what the interior on the boat will look like? This would be a ridiculous conversation if this was a focused racing boat but it's amazing what a few nicely placed finishes can do inside a small space. A case in point is the dragonfly trimarans with their neatly executed veneer woodwork interiors it makes for an appealing aesthetic which is also functional.

Hi Corley ,

We are just finishing off some 3 D modeling of the interiors . At the moment we have a couple of versions of the forward cabin area which will come down to owner preference . We are aiming for a lightweight but high end finish at least as good , but probably lighter than other high end performance cruising multihulls.

Contrary to popular belief we have heaps of room and much more storage capacity in comparison to competitive catamarans . Having the accommodation relatively high in the hulls means that you have huge amount of space in lockers under the cockpit floor and giant lockers in the floats . Main hull beam is 3.8 Metres and we can use most of it very well . Galley has 140 litre 2 drawer , fridge freezer , Wallas diesal stove ( optional oven ) huge sink , lots of drawers and lockers .

This is a serious cruising boat but we have gone to great lengths to keep it light and put all the heavy stuff in the centre of the boat . Most of the boat is carbon fibre and much of the structural stuff like beams and foils are prepreg epoxy cured in an autoclave . Molds are almost done and we will start construction of the first real boat in January 2015 !

Will post some interior shots later in the day with any luck .

Regards Paul

 

[Paul Rapido]

Interior Renderings

Here are a couple of interior renderings . We have another version of the fwd cabin that we will put up later !

 

[Corley]

It looks like a good use of space without being cluttered, I like the galley a good expanse of bench space there. Is it ok for me to put these renders up on my blog?

 

[Paul Rapido]

It looks like a good use of space without being cluttered, I like the galley a good expanse of bench space there. Is it ok for me to put these renders up on my blog?

Sure , go for it !

 

[Corley]

I have not actively updated this thread but the first Rapido launched today. A lot of photos on the build progress are on the Rapido Trimarans Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Rapido-Trimarans-358264491003922/?fref=ts

http://www.rapidotrimarans.com/

 

[Doug Lord]

Rapido 60

Thanks, Corely-I've been trying to follow the development of this boat....

 

[Marmoset]

Omg! That boat is so perfect and beautiful. Plenty of room!



Barry

 

[Corley]

The first photo I've seen of the Rapido 60 launched, Photo by Mat Bryant. There are also some photos of the interior now on their facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=572954382868264&id=358264491003922

 

[Doug Lord]

R60

Just gorgeous!

 

[Doug Lord]

R60

Corley, I went to the facebook page and there were pictures of the interior but not of the boat in the water?

UPDATE-I figured it out-nevermind. Thanks for the link....