Tim Lyons has done a lot of blue water sailing over the years.

Trimaran sailing in rough seas. Anticipating bad weather is as in any boat the best way to prepare for a blow but if youre caught out. If it is to rough to go out in a 31 Ameracat it is to rough for anything. 31 Ameracat can handle it.

The wind and its influence on the performance. With several boats now 2020 having each sailed and cruised over 1000 miles and with open sea passages of up to 60 miles safely accomplished she is certainly proving very capable in experienced hands employing intelligent sail reduction when things get rough. On the contrary the 3 hulls of the pleasure trimaran give it great stability like the small wheels you add to a bicycle.

Hallberg Rassy are known for being heavy sturdy seaworthy boats. About 530pm yesterday the men activated their EPIRB signals after 3-5m waves swamped their trimaran. The small cruising sailboat ought to be able to heave-to easily in a storm when the crew is tired and its not as safe to be on deck.

Now depending upon what size of vessel you are thinking about your definition of rough seas will change. Her seemingly simple hull forms give a very high efficiency and she has proven quiet and dry through a chop and with her wing mast. There is a multihull that is more stable in rough weather and thats a SWATH vessel Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull but they are slow.

Two months of trialling 4000 nautical miles of sailing and testing in winds of 40 knots in rough waters in the Gulf of Lyon have clearly demonstrated that the trimarans stability has been significantly boosted and that she can fly in conditions unthinkable until a month and a half ago. I wouldnt call rough seas the perfect storm but losing a ship in rough seas is certainly not unheard of. Trimarans well built are great for offshore sailing.

Catamaran Sailing Techniques Part 6. 31 AMERACAT catamaran running offshore with evinrude e-tecs. The planing hull also tends to be drier in rough seas.