Neel also argues that trimarans are faster particularly upwind thanks to a more rigid forestay attached to centre hull and more central weight management.

Trimaran sailing upwind. If used upwind in true winds of as little as 10 knots for example it is not unusual to experience apparent winds of 17 knots or more. On a trimaran the forestay mast and mainsail tension are structurally bonded to one strong longitudinal beam. Starting to sail up wind.

This configuration as per a monohull allows for a rigid forestay and good performance up-wind. On the trimaran there was this upwind groove that youre clearly in or out of and the trim was consistent because I was alone. Most of the boats that I hope to consider are aws boats and bring the wind forward to the extent that they tend to be sailing upwind allot of the time.

Performance is also enhanced by the centered weight. In Part 2 we briefly touched on the idea of motor sailing upwind. When sailing a trimaran is better at getting upwind than a catamaran which is more prone to drifting.

Unlike cats this trimaran will sail well upwind tacking within 40 degrees and with the central hull under-deck clearance will pound less into head seas. However particular attention has to be paid to rudder size and design to maintain good control at surfing speeds in excess of 20 knots. For long reaching or downwind passages on the other hand a Code 0.

Sailing downwind in winds up to 40 knots is usually quite comfortable and easy. Dont expect a catamaran to move as efficiently upwind as a monohull. Roll Trim Upwind I always have the windward hull flying to reduce the surface drag.

Keep the boat moving as fast as possible. This in turn can greatly add to sailing pleasure whether youre daysailing or off soundings. Properly designed and trimmed a screecher can be a real workhorse especially in light air.