Design and Construction
The hull, deck, and amas are vacuum-infused with E-glass, a PVC closed-cell core and carbon-fiber reinforcements where added strength is warranted — a process Corsair's builders have refined over many production cycles. One immediately distinctive visual detail is the triple reverse rake: the 880 is among the very few production trimarans to feature reverse stems on all three hulls. The geometry is not merely cosmetic. Aft-raked stems push buoyancy forward at the waterline, helping the boat slice through chop and shed spray while guarding against nose-diving in heavy downwind conditions. The floats themselves are appreciably larger in relation to the main hull than was the case on boats designed ten or twenty years ago, with volume shifted forward specifically to increase righting moment. The result is a folded beam of 8 feet 2 inches — no wider or heavier on a trailer than a typical 24-foot monohull, yet spreading to 22 feet 3 inches with amas deployed. Two versions are offered: a Sport variant with a taller carbon rig, laminate sails, a high-aspect square-top main, and a sprit, and a Standard version with a shorter carbon mast and a broad menu of cruising amenities.
Rig and Handling
Both variants share a rotating carbon wing mast and, for simplicity and reduced drag, a daggerboard rather than a centreboard. The daggerboard is raked well aft, reducing the risk of damage if you hit something, and the rudder blade drops through a cassette stock that permits partial raising in shoal water. The practical upshot is a boat that can be beached or hauled at a ramp without drama. Under sail, the handling character is the story. During a test on Buzzards Bay, the helm remained easy, almost neutral, even as the speedo touched 16.8 knots — a finding echoed on Southampton Water, where the boat proved so planted in the water that it quickly inspired confidence even with two crew making minimal effort. What impressed testers was not raw speed alone but the boat's communicativeness: there was always plenty of warning before it started playing any dirty tricks. Upwind in the mid-twenties of apparent wind, the 880 held 7.5 to 9.5 knots with minimal pitching and no slamming, the deep rudder blade delivering a responsive and finger-light helm at all speeds. A self-tacking jib simplifies short-handed tacking, and the sail plan's 8:1 mainsheet on a full-width traveller provides the leech tension needed to drive upwind efficiently.
Accommodation and Cockpit
Despite its performance focus, the 880 delivers standing headroom in the narrow but well-configured galley and saloon, and berth space for as many as five — an achievement the reviewer rightly notes "never ceases to amaze." The layout runs seating each side of the saloon (the port seat useable as a berth), an angled daggerboard case forward, a simple galley with optional upgrades to the base spirit stove and pumped water, and a long aft berth behind the companionway steps. A plumbed-in heads and a V-berth sit forward of the main bulkhead. Accommodation space is far more generous than on many earlier-generation sporty trimarans of similar size, though it remains trim by cruising-cat standards — intentionally so, since loading weight erodes the performance margin that justifies the design. The cockpit is generous for the boat's length, made more secure by coamings and helm seats, with a 9.9-horsepower outboard on the transom and deck hatches in each float opening compartments capable of swallowing a good number of warps and fenders.
Real-World Capability
The 880's pedigree extends well beyond the marina circuit. Corsair folding trimarans have logged Atlantic crossings and an Arctic circumnavigation completed in a single season by exploiting the Corsair 31's speed and shallow draught. A Farrier 32 posted the sixth-fastest time in the Round the Island Race, ahead of a Cape 31 by over an hour, behind only grand prix offshore machinery drawing far more draft with professional crews of ten or more. One 880 owner carried full sail as the wind increased to 30 knots on the approach to the Needles, with waves over 10 feet during that same event, managing a successful bear-away through the chaos. The 880's rating puts it on a par with grand prix race boats such as the Fast 40s and GP42s — a sobering context for what is also a beachable pocket cruiser.
Known Considerations
Corsair's yard in Vietnam is capable, but Corsair's experience should, one hopes, ensure robustness — a diplomatic hedge that reflects the fact that the brand's offshore reputation rests on the parent group's track record rather than the 880's own long production history. The Standard version can accommodate creature comforts including a full marine head, generator, and air conditioning, but these additions carry a weight penalty that takes the edge off performance. Prospective owners willing to sail short-handed in open water should note that the boat is "a more physical boat to sail" than the F-27 — a consequence of increased size rather than any design flaw, but worth weighing for solo sailors. The folded amas cannot be left deployed in a marina without the float sides becoming submerged and growing weed.
The Verdict
The Corsair 880 is a genuinely rare thing: a boat that can simultaneously threaten grand prix race boats on handicap, be trailered home behind a family SUV, and offer a legitimate two-to-three night coastal cruise for a couple. The helm is honest and communicative, the structure is modern and well-considered, and the speed-to-effort ratio is pretty good in a way that rewards sailors of many experience levels. Those drawn to it for performance should opt for the Sport version without reservation; those seeking a dual-purpose cruiser-racer should budget for the Standard's optional amenities while keeping a vigilant eye on the scales.
Pros
- Genuinely neutral helm at speeds that would terrify aboard any comparable production monohull
- Folded beam of 8 feet 2 inches enables trailering and beaching without specialist equipment
- Triple reverse-rake hull design provides forward buoyancy and resistance to nose-diving
- Two distinct variants cover the spectrum from pure sport to comfortable pocket cruiser
- Daggerboard and lifting rudder permit shoal-water and beach landings
Cons
- Weight additions for cruising amenities measurably reduce the performance advantage
- Amas must not be left folded in a marina berth due to weed growth on submerged float sides
- Stepping up from the F-27 means accepting a more physically demanding boat to sail
- Vietnam production, while capable, carries less long-term serviceability track record than established European yards
