Gary Baigent's trimaran foiler "Sid"

This very interesting lightweight foiling trimaran has been built in the finest tradition of corinthian New Zealand boatbuilding.  The very lightweight construction has been carried out using the tortured ply method of construction with selected carbon fibre reinforcement.

You can read about the boats evolution from the original computer model over here

Sid was initially fitted with a inclined wing rig but has since been fitted with a more conventional wingmast section salvaged from part of the original rig. As a storm damaged the original configuration before any sailing could be attempted.

Report from Gary of sailing the boat with the new rig.  I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more about this boat as it gets refined.

I should rename Sid to Sid Vicious - because that is what the boat is like, accelerates harder than any other boat I've been on. My mouth went dry. The high tech fibre rigging immediately stretched like elastic and I had trouble with the runners fouling battens (needs shock cord to keep the loose one clear) plus other little things. Tricky to tack, knew it would be but I'll sort that out with more time sailing.

 

More from Gary and some sailing shots

 

A few sailing shots; Jim Young took them. Sid took flight close reaching in some gusts but there are a number of things not sorted out properly - like needs a decent main, not the ugly thing it has at the moment, also need more mainsheet purchases. Even so, loads peak rapidly, like instantaneously, like bang, in the gusts and I'm too chicken to let the poor, light platform take the pressures, ease main sheet a little, otherwise feel certain the boat will explode into many small fragments. The acceleration is kind of fun though. That too is instantaneous.