Background:
The
TriFoiler is a hydrofoil trimaran sailboat that began as a small model back in
1981. The project culminated with production of the Hobie TriFoiler, manufactured
in 1995 by the Hobie Cat Company in Oceanside, California. This story describes
the boat and the history of the project. The
idea began with the desire to break the world speed record for sailboats. In the
process, Dan and Greg Ketterman built 5 prototypes (TF20, TF2, TF3 Longshot I
and II) and 4 production prototypes (Avocet 1, 2 & 3, TFP). The Class A world
speed record was broken by "Longshot", owned and sailed by Russell Long.
Long set the Class A record of 43.55 knots on a 500 meter course in Tarrifa Spain
in 1993. The record still stands today and can be confirmed at http://www.speedsailing.com/Background_records.htm
Click
the photos below for more pictures, history and description of each designstep
. Scroll down for videos and frequently asked questions. | 
