SPORTY MULTIHULLS
Exciting sailing and unbeatable mile-eaters, we find four boats for fast cruising
Taz, Jack and Esme all work together and live within 10 miles of each other, five miles from the coast. Jack and Esme first met at their parents’ sailing club, where they sailed dinghies and raced. Taz’s parents also sailed, but cruised on their Heavenly Twins catamaran, taking Taz with them as far as Southern Brittany.
Now the three of them want to buy their own boat together to share the costs and have decided they want a fast but cruise-able multihull big enough to sleep four. They see no point in going slowly when, due to work, they have limited free time, so something capable of 10 knots under sail is preferred. Initially they were thinking about a catamaran, but since Esme spent a fun weekend with friends on board their Dragonfly 28 folding trimaran she has persuaded the others they should also consider something similar as, when folded, it will fit into a standard berth and can be trailed home for the winter.
As they all have partners and enjoy sailing together, they think 10m (32ft) LOA will offer the best compromise between live aboard comforts and berthing costs. If they were to choose a trimaran, they would prefer one that can be reduced in beam by folding the floats in, as this would save on berthing fees.
They have a total budget of around £90,000, but don’t mind taking out a loan on a further £30,000 if necessary, to ensure they have enough spare cash for a minor refit or update if required.