Design and Construction
Corsair’s proprietary folding system is central to the 880’s versatility. An owner can deploy or retract the amas in as little as a minute, reducing the beam from 22ft 3in to 8ft 2in for road transport or marina storage. The 880 arrived as a keel-up redesign of the F-27, yet is appreciably larger, heavier, and more powerful, with a bigger rig.
The hull, deck, and amas are vacuum-infused with E-glass over a PVC closed-cell core, with carbon-fiber reinforcement where the structure demands it. The hull and deck mouldings similarly use a PVC foam core with epoxy-glass and carbon reinforcement.
A flared, tumblehome bow helps keep spray down underway. All three hulls have reverse-raked stems, pushing buoyancy forward at the waterline while helping the boat cut through waves and shed water. Until the Dragonfly 36 appeared, the 880 was almost alone in featuring triple-reverse rake.
The floats are appreciably larger relative to the main hull than those of trimarans designed 10 or 20 years earlier. The main hull also has more beam and freeboard than the Corsair 28, which replaced the original F-27.
A daggerboard raked well aft reduces the risk of damage in an impact. The deep rudder blade drops through a cassette stock and can be partially raised in shallow water.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
Two versions of the 880 are available. The Standard has a shorter carbon mast and 554sq ft of sail area, for an SA/D of 37. The Sport adds a taller carbon rig, laminate sails, a high-aspect square-top main, and a sprit, increasing sail area to 677sq ft and the SA/D to 45.
Both versions carry a rotating carbon wing mast and an 8:1 mainsheet on a full-width traveller. A self-tacking jib simplifies manoeuvres.
Writing in SAIL Magazine, the reviewer recorded 16.8 knots on a reach with the screecher up. In Yachting Monthly, the reviewer noted that the 880 will run rings around many monohulls 10ft longer. Her rating of around 1.244 puts her on a par with grand prix race boats such as the Fast 40s and GP42s.
For such a powerful boat, the 880 is remarkably easy to handle. Even so, one owner who previously sailed an F-27 said the 880 is a more physical boat to sail.
Cockpit and Accommodation
The cockpit is generous and made secure by coamings and a helm seat. Stainless steel-framed canvas seats run along each side, and the boat is steered by tiller with an extension.
Below deck, the 880 is narrow but well laid out for a pocket cruiser. There’s standing headroom in both the saloon and the simple galley, which is aft to starboard. The saloon has seating on each side; the port settee can also be used as a berth. At its forward end, the seating is divided by the angled daggerboard case.
The boat can provide berth space for as many as five people. A long, narrow double lies behind the companionway steps, while a plumbed-in heads and V-berth occupy the bow, forward of the main bulkhead.
Storage is practical for a boat of this size. A deck hatch in each float opens into a compartment for warps and fenders, while half-depth lockers sit beneath the cockpit seats on both sides.
Known Issues
If the amas are left folded in a marina, the sides of the floats become immersed and will grow weed. This is a maintenance concern rather than a structural one, but it directly affects how the boat should be stored when it isn’t sailing.
The Verdict
The Corsair 880 is a serious evolution of the folding-trimaran idea: fast, genuinely trailerable, and capable of real overnight cruising in a 28ft 8in package. Its vacuum-infused construction with carbon reinforcement, one-minute folding system, and reverse-raked hulls reflect current-generation design. At the same time, the rotating wing mast and self-tacking jib keep short-handed sailing manageable despite the performance on offer.
Pros
- Folds to an 8ft 2in beam and deploys in about a minute, allowing true trailerability
- Reached 16.8 knots on a reach and can sail faster than many 38ft monohulls
- Standing headroom and berths for five in a legitimate pocket cruiser
- Vacuum-infused E-glass and PVC-core construction with carbon reinforcement
- Large floats relative to the main hull
Cons
- The floats grow weed if left folded and immersed in a marina
- More physical to sail than the earlier F-27, according to one owner
- The narrow saloon and galley reflect the compromise required for a trailerable beam
