Rapido Trimarans has already caused a stir in the market for sporty yet comfortable trimarans with a 60-footer and a 50-footer. Now the young brand from the Far East is following up with a smaller model. The Rapido 40 was recently presented as a new product at the La Grande-Motte multihull trade fair in April 2023, where it was also put to the test by YACHT. The test report will appear in one of the next issues. Until then, you can see the first photos of the test run in the detailed gallery above.
During the test run, the multihull, which is made entirely of carbon fibre, impressed with its high speed and surprisingly good height upwind. The turning angles in medium winds are 80 degrees and less, which is very unusual for multihulls. The tripod designed by Morelli & Melvin in the USA is fitted as standard with curved and asymmetrically profiled C-foils, which provide additional lift. Incidentally, the two side hulls can be folded in, which can reduce the maximum width of 8.80 metres to a more acceptable 5.80 metres for harbour berths.
Good for the lawn- but also for travelling
Despite its fundamentally very sporty and performance-oriented design and consistently weight-optimised production, the Rapido 40 is also quite comfortable. Cabins with berths for at least five people are located forward and aft. An exciting feature: the seating area in the saloon is raised, just like on a yacht with a deck saloon. The large superstructure windows provide an almost all-round view when seated. The galley is fitted into the side of the saloon as a long row and features large work surfaces and plenty of storage space. Of course, the boat is also equipped with a very spacious wet room with shower option.
The basic price is quoted by the shipyard at 695,000 US dollars. At the current exchange rate, this corresponds to a price of 649,780 euros. If 19 per cent VAT is added, the base price for the Rapido 40 ex shipyard is just under 773,250 euros. The price is for the boat with the standard carbon fibre rig but without the sails. On top of this, around 10,000 euros will be added for transport from Vietnam to Europe.
Technical data Rapido 40
- CE design category: A
- Designer: Morelli & Melvin
- Hull length: 12.03 m
- Waterline length: 12.00 m
- Maximum width: 8.80 m
- Width with retracted side hulls: 5.80 m
- Weight: 5.2 tonnes
- Draught (with foils): 0,87-2,18 m
- Mast height above waterline: 19.25 m
- Mainsail: 65.0 m²
- Self-tacking jib: 32.0 m²
- Reacher: 113.0 m²
- Gennaker: 158.0 m²
