Design and Construction
Corsair gave the 36 a relatively skinny main hull that flares above the waterline. The shape limits interior volume but pays back in speed.
The structure uses a vacuum-bagged foam-and-glass sandwich laminate with carbon and Kevlar reinforcement, while the crossbeams are made entirely of carbon. The lamination schedule places NPG gelcoat over a vinylester skin for blister resistance, followed by uni- and bi-directional fiberglass with Kevlar in high-stress areas. Materials and methods include vinylester resins, carbon fiber, double-bias Kevlar fabrics, and vacuum-bag curing.
The akas combine fiberglass, carbon, and foam for stiffness, and the amas have watertight bulkheads for buoyancy. Hull #1 came within 200 pounds of its design weight. Later boats shed another 100 pounds as the builder refined the moldings. With more than 30 separate moldings in the tooling, the 36 represented a serious production investment for the marque.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The 36 carries a 3/4 fractional rig on a deck-stepped rotating mast. The mast turns 45 degrees on a Delrin bearing and carries a square-top, full-battened mainsail with a generous roach.
The test boat had a double-spreader rig with swept spreaders and wire rigging, but the builder soon considered the second spreader set redundant and dropped it from production. A Harken traveler spans the stern, with the mainsheet led to it from the boom end. All deck hardware, including the winches, comes from Harken or Spinlock.
Test sailors found the boat close-hauled in 8–12 knots of breeze at a steady 8–10 knots of boatspeed, pivoting on the daggerboard through 95–100 degrees of tack. With a screacher set and the wind past 35 degrees, she accelerated to 12–15 knots while heeling only 5–10 degrees. A prototype had earlier touched 20 knots during testing in Australia. Period racing produced tight-reaching bursts to 17 knots and speeds in the low 20s while reaching.
The cockpit is narrow enough for shorthanded headsail work and seats four to six. Mesh stern-pulpit seats supplement a stern deck made up of mesh and stainless benches. The shrouds are mounted out on the amas rather than near the crew, and there are no handrails or lifelines on deck, so moving forward demands care.
Accommodations and Storage
Below, the Corsair 36 provides 6-foot-6 standing headroom. The saloon extends nearly 6 feet from the companionway to the head. Exposed fiberglass makes the interior bright, with red cushions and a cabin sole providing the only relief.
To port, a C-shaped dinette converts into a 6-foot berth that tapers from 41 to 30 inches. The forward V-berth measures 6-foot-4 on the centerline and 5 feet wide, with 4-inch cushions. A queen berth sits beneath the cockpit sole and can be reached through aft hatches or by lifting the companionway steps.
The head is a molded fiberglass pod measuring about 40 by 35 inches. It shares space with the daggerboard trunk and includes a vanity, toilet, and handheld shower. There’s no dedicated navigation station, so the dinette table serves that purpose.
Storage is tight. Although the ama lockers are large, they’re awkward to reach.
Folding, Trailering, and Shallow-Water Use
Corsair says the boat can be rigged, unloaded, and sailing within an hour, while mast stepping and launch take about two hours. At anchor, the boat can fold to fit into tight quarters, or fold into a slip in about five minutes.
The folded beam is 9 feet 10 inches, wider than on smaller Corsair models. Owners may therefore need wide-load permits when trailering through some states. At 5,500 pounds, the 36 is better described as “transportable” than truly trailerable.
A tilt-up rudder and shallow draft allow the boat to anchor in less than two feet of water or take to a beach.
Production Changes and Known Issues
After hull #1 was introduced, feedback from dealers and consumers at two boat shows led to several modifications. Later boats received a third hatch in the main cabin, beyond the head and forward berths fitted to the test boat. The production rig also changed from double to single spreaders.
Early hulls developed a fracture where the forward beam meets the hull because of an underbuilt fiberglass block. The builder replaced it on all boats with a stronger aluminum casting.
The lack of handrails and lifelines is a baseline feature rather than a defect, but it remains an important consideration for crew safety.
The Verdict
The Corsair 36 is a serious fast-cruising trimaran that combines near-racer performance with a folding platform and genuine accommodations for extended cruising. She’s light on her feet, quick to rig, and cleverly arranged below. The compromises are limited storage and less security when moving around the deck, consequences of the narrow main hull and ama-mounted shrouds.
Pros
- Sailing performance ranging from 8–10 knots upwind to the low 20s while reaching
- Folding beam and shallow draft for beaching, anchoring, and fitting into a slip
- Rotating carbon-rigged mast, square-top mainsail, and easy sail handling
- Standing headroom and berths suited to extended cruising
Cons
- Folded beam may require wide-load permits
- No handrails or lifelines, with the shrouds mounted remotely on the amas
- Limited storage and awkward access to the amas
- Early beam-block defect, corrected in production
