Trimarans tipping over like skittles.

Although relying on someone... to dangle from a helicopter from a rope to rescue you is involving a 3rd party in your risk assessment.

....John Passmore's book where he cruised off to the scottish islands and a bigger than forecast blow pitched his multi hull cruising boat
Away far back in my patchwork career-set, I recall doing the 'dangle on a wire from a One Ton Budgie' course at RAF Valley and judging a life spent plucking pert young damsels in distress from their dinghies and surfboards was a fine ould way to earn one's crust. Smelly pot-bellied crab fishermen, not so much.

And the really pretty ones could sometimes be persuaded to come back again and be a 'target' for a training event... wearing the same micro bikini for the squadron's photo-scrapbook!! :cool:

As for John Passmore's near-death experience, ISTR he was made aware of the impending storm in the Norwegian Sea, but he set off anyway in his wee 26' Heavenly Twin cat heading for Norway..... right slap into the area where the humungous Draupner Wave was recorded.

 
Paradoxically this is a big difference to the Ultimes... Which on the face of it are far more extreme, far riskier, machines. But the very fact that the level of competition is quite as intense as the Multi 50s, and that they have much more speed, means that they aren't getting into trouble in the same way.

As well as the speed, of the Ultims (plus the level of experience/expertise of their pilots) their foils seem to add not only speed but stability. Think that the big 'manta ray' T foil, on the bottom of the daggerboard, is trimmed to 'grip' the water, with the hulls at a wave skimming height, rather than for pure lift, in these conditions. This is Charles Caudelier, in a Southern Ocean gale, heading for the Horn, in the 2024 Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest. Given the speed (mid 20's-30kts) and the sea state, the ride is incredibly smooth and level. Looks a completely different, and more far more controlled / stable, experience than aboard an Ocean Fifty. More comfortable than a (semi-foiling) IMOCA or a (displacement) Class40 too. Those Ultims are on another level, in all senses!


EDIT Better pix here. Drone shots from Thomas Coville's last Jules Verne attempt. Sea state, speed and stability more clearly on show (knew I had it filed away somewhere!):

 
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And we're all worrying about having an ECU in the engine! Its an amazing technical feat and i dont doubt the skill and courage involved. Imagine trying to sleep on that! Or make tea.

His seems a tad more in control than those skittle ones!
 
I came across this on a Facebook page.

Had to laugh at a recent Yachting World article that got the same old crowd of monohull curmudgeons stirred up trotting out the same old nonsense. I thought most of those guys had died of old age by now but apparently they live on. If they reckon a Colin Archer is the only safe way to sail all power to them, nobody is saying they have to jump on a water Ferrari.

'O wad some pow'r the giftie gie us tae see oorsel's as ithers see us.'
 
This is Sam G, aboard Ultim Banque Pop, after the Fastnet, giving a run through of controls. Which include trim tabs on the central foils (to help prevent pitchpoling &/or heel), rig canting capability, mainsheet incremental ease (“basically your lifeline”) and more……



Interestingly it has a pair of wind powered generators, similar to the AirX 400 shape, as well as solar panels. Located at each end of the traveller (-;

Great video, very interesting seeing how these boats are set up and controlled.
 
Koesio was washed ashore at Perelle beach in Guernsey about 4 miles from where I live last Sunday morning upside down, the mast was obviously smashed and so was the wheelhouse.
The boat was was moved up the beach using two large 360 degree tracked excavators above the tide line, acting as cranes with slings, one at each end of the main hull upside down.
The boat was moved by the same two excavators along the beach to float off , between reefs last Wednesday on the tide and towed out by Guernsey Harbour's Rib where the tow was passed to a yacht race support boat "Express".
She was towed upside down around the north of Guernsey to St Peter Port where the Harbour crane turned the boat over so right side up Au revoir Koesio – trimaran is righted and sent on its way then she was towed out of St Peter Port and arrived in St Malo before the gales arrived.
 

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Well actual one of the Ultims broke a rudder - it diverted to La Trinite overnight, replaced the rudder and waited for the minimum stopover time, rejoined the race …. and is already ahead of the entire fleet of foil assisted IMOCA 60’s who don’t hang around. The fast 40s are probably days behind already.
The Ultims look to be crossing the entire Bay of Biscay in under a day.
One went past us here on route between La Palma and La Gomera. He was doing 38kts! They are 105ft long and 75ft wide though. Not something you are going to park in a marinaMessenger_creation_35E7CC42-5294-479D-9708-BA2AC442CC41.jpeg
 
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