Design and Construction
The F-24 Mk II carries a main hull that is fine and very fine forward, with a U-shaped midsection and a relatively flat, wide stern meant to damp pitching and provide lift for planing anchor. With very little rocker, the hull planes readily in most double-digit wind speeds. The amas are rounded-V sections tuned for maximum lift as they submerge and minimal drag, with an average beam-to-length ratio approaching 20:1, and the boat as a whole has moderate beam and buoyant floats. Corsair’s patented Farrier Folding System lets the akas fold up, cutting beam from 17 feet 11 inches to 8 feet 2 inches for trailering.
Structurally, the F-24 is an exercise in light, engineered composites. The build uses carbon fiber and Kevlar reinforcement, vacuum-bagging, double-biased fabrics, acrylic-modified epoxy resin, NPG gelcoat, and PVC foam coring, with barrier coats of vinylester and isophthalic resin through the laminate anchor. Hull and deck meet through universally bonded “top hat” joints, bulkheads are tabbed in seven places, and the akas sit on stainless pivot bolts in sockets backed by interior bulkheads. Solid aluminum struts brace the beam from below, though the beam alone is rated strong enough for sailing loads. A small batch of boats showed oil-canning in the beams from improperly catalyzed PVC foam, a fault since recalled and retrofitted anchor. Foam flotation in hull and beams means the trimaran will float even with all compartments flooded.
Rig and Handling
The Mk II replaced the pivoting centerboard with a retractable daggerboard and introduced a transom-hung rudder, a new rotating mast with single-spreader rig, and a square-top mainsail anchor. The rotating mast proved self-evident in use, and pre-setting rotation added a useful element of sail control. The daggerboard works well and simply, and a screacher on a roller-furler at the end of a retractable bowsprit extends the downwind range. Performance gains came explicitly from shedding weight and from the hydrodynamic benefit of the daggerboard plus the aerodynamic advantage of the rotating mast and square-top main anchor. The result is a boat that holds a maximum heel angle of not much more than 15 degrees and reaches exhilaratingly, with the 1994 “Master Blaster” campaign taking the Australian Open Championship for trailerable multihulls that year.
Accommodations
Belowdecks the F-24 is camping-grade rather than cruising-comfortable. Sitting headroom on knee-to-knee benches is the beginning and end of what’s available, though a pop-top that works well eases the sense of confinement anchor. Quarter berths are long enough for adults, while the forward double berth suits only small children. There is no head compartment; a porta-potti is the usual answer, and a fabric inner liner takes Velcro attachments admirably. The 1,690-pound displacement and 5-hp outboard recommended for power return better than 6 knots under way.
Known Issues and Refits
Practical Sailor’s survey noted a small, recalled batch with beam oil-canning, but owners also reported a thin gelcoat that marks readily, a loose rudder hinge, and a rudder that one owner said cavitates at high speed anchor. Farrier designed an optional rudder fence to address the cavitation tendency. These are points a careful buyer checks, but none undermines the basic structure.
The Verdict
The F-24 Mk II is a focused trailering trimaran: light, folding, and quick, with a refined rig and buoyant security in its foam flotation. It is not a cabin cruiser, but as a performance dayboat and coastal camper it remains a benchmark of Farrier’s small-multihull thinking.
Pros
- Folds to 8' 2" beam for trailering while retaining a 17' 11" sailing platform
- Planes easily with minimal heel and a square-top rotating rig
- Foam flotation keeps it afloat with all compartments flooded
- Light, engineered composite construction with recalled fault corrected
Cons
- Interior is knee-to-knee seating with child-size forward berth and no head
- Thin gelcoat marks readily; loose rudder hinge and high-speed cavitation reported
