A Small Trimaran From a Big Yacht Designer

Picture a small trimaran that isnt only relatively fast, but also enables up to 4 sailors to sit comfortably during their day cruise. If youve read up on small trimarans you know that "comfortable seating" is sometimes a challenging thing to find in the type of boat you want.

Does such a boat exist? Thankfully, it does.

One particular boat that fits this bill is a sailboat model called the Discovery 20. This happens to be a fast, well-behaved small trimaran that you could take virtually anyone out in (including little children who need security or senior citizens who want to sit down in a cozy seat). Most sailors, in fact, should be able to enjoy riding in this boat without any comfort issues whatsoever.

The designer is a well-known "big" yacht sailor (and multihull author). So its not surprising that easy riding was one of the goals for this boats benefits. Apparently there werent a lot of small trimarans designed like the Discovery 20 back in 1982. And while there are a few more like it today, the boat still retains its own uniqueness (and special value) in the marketplace.

What I especially like about the Discovery 20 is that now Im over 40 I know its a sailboat my wife would enjoy riding in with me. While sailing fast on a wet trampoline with a buddy is often a part of small trimaran sailing, the notion of staying fairly dry and enjoying a fast ride with my girl (who doesnt like wet trampolines) has a strong appeal these days.

A yacht designer regularly takes such things into account. And the Discoverys creator did.

When a friend asked him to design a small sailboat that would serve as an ideal day sailing craft the Discovery 20 was born. And another pleasant surprise is that the boat isnt expensive to build (for the do-it-yourselfer). The cost is very low in comparison to what most other small trimarans can cost - and this includes both commercial and self-built models.

A quick scan of comments from current Discovery 20 owners from around the web leaves the impression that most of them are happy with this small trimaran and really like it. So much so that you dont see many come up for sale very often.

This boat is fast. And it handles extremely well under sail too. These are just a few reasons to give this sailboat a look if youre thinking about acquiring a small trimaran in the near future.

While many would-be small trimaran owners really dont want to build a sailboat themselves, many of them commit to a building project so they can get a boat they really want. As far as Im concerned, this is an old-fashioned "can-do" American attitude I never tire of.

If youd like to read a little more about this particular boat then youll find a little more on the web. But the Internet is just one place to begin researching small trimarans.


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Joe Farinaccio (the Small Tri Guy) is writing a book about Small Trimarans. Visit http://www.SmallTrimarans.com for more information about small trimarans. You may also sign up to receive bonus information about small trismarans (including how to build them) when available.