The Truth About Rapido Trimarans

Rapido Trimarans Founder Paul Koch reveals the truth about their fast trimarans. There are many myths and misunderstandings that Paul seeks to shatter. Listen to this 30-minute interview with one of sailing’s greatest innovators, shot in Vietnam. Watch my interview with Paul Koch of Rapido Background Trimarans are boats with three hulls, whereas catamarans have two hulls, and monohulls have one hull. I have a long-term dream of sailing around the world, so I’m looking for the best boat to make that happen. I’ve crossed monohulls off the list, even though most sailboats are monohulls. Although they have some advantages, I dislike how they heel (tilt) more than multihulls and are the slowest boats. Catamarans are attractive, but trimarans have advantages that cats lack. The interview goes into many of the advantages of a trimaran, so I won’t repeat. Timeline 00:00 Foldable trimarans 01:00 Speed, tack, & angle advantages 02:15 Unsinkable 05:25 Sailing Future 08:00 High latitude sailing 09:50 Why make a boat in Vietnam? 12:30 Why are trimarans unpopular? 18:30 Rapido future 19:45 All-electric boats 21:45 Are trimarans hard to sail? 24:30 Who should not get a Rapido? 26:20 Plans for 2030 27:00 Paul’s sailing origins 29:00 Best tenders and dinghy Why Rapido is on my shortlist of dream sailboats I like the Rapido 40, 50, and 53XS. The Rapido Trimaran 50 is my favorite because it features the folding amas and a protected helm (whereas the Rapido 40 has an exposed helm). The Rapido 53XS is also tempting, but I’d like a shorter boat. Already, the 50 is plenty long. In case you’re a boat nerd, here are some other boats I find intriguing... List of contenders * Neel 43 trimaran * Fountaine Pajot Aura 41 Electric * Vaan the R4 Aluminium Electric Catamaran * Outremer’s 4 zero failed, so retrofit a 48-ft Outremer X * HH44 * Seawind 1270 has 0.9 meter bridge deck clearance & is made in Vietnam, like Rapido. * Leopard 46 hybrid * Excess 13 performance * Garcia Explocat 52 * Island Spirit has an electric drive motor and a genset * Antares 44 These aren’t on the list because they’re too expensive, but they’re innovative, all-electric designs * Zen50 * Whisper 50 * MODX 70 This is a long-term goal of mine, so don’t expect me to be sailing next year. If you have sailing experience, let me know! I’d love your advice! What do you think? Put your thoughts in the comments. Connect Send me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTapon You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my Substack newsletter. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: * Facebook * X * YouTube * Instagram * TikTok * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Tumblr Sponsors 1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon 2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles! 3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! 4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker. 5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in. 6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! 7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken. 8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! 9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear * Get nomadic travel insurance from SafetyWing! Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe