Design and Construction
The F-24 Mk II’s main hull is fine—and very fine forward—with a U-shaped midsection. Its relatively flat, wide stern is intended to damp pitching and provide lift for planing. With very little rocker, the hull planes readily in most double-digit wind speeds.
The amas have rounded-V sections tuned for maximum lift as they submerge and minimal drag, with an average beam-to-length ratio approaching 20:1. The boat as a whole combines moderate beam with buoyant floats. Corsair’s patented Farrier Folding System allows the akas to fold upward, reducing the beam from 17 feet 11 inches under sail to 8 feet 2 inches for trailering.
Structurally, the F-24 is built from light, engineered composites. Construction includes carbon fiber and Kevlar reinforcement, vacuum-bagging, double-biased fabrics, acrylic-modified epoxy resin, NPG gelcoat, and PVC foam coring. Barrier coats of vinylester and isophthalic resin extend through the laminate. The hull and deck meet through universally bonded “top hat” joints, while the bulkheads are tabbed in seven places.
The akas pivot on stainless bolts set in sockets backed by interior bulkheads. Solid aluminum struts brace each beam from below, although the beam alone is rated strong enough to carry sailing loads. A small batch of boats developed oil-canning in the beams because of improperly catalyzed PVC foam; the fault was recalled and retrofitted. Foam flotation in the hull and beams means the trimaran will float even with every compartment flooded.
Rig and Handling
For the Mk II, Corsair replaced the pivoting centerboard with a retractable daggerboard. The boat also gained a transom-hung rudder, a new rotating mast with a single-spreader rig, and a square-top mainsail.
The rotating mast proved self-evident in use, and pre-setting its rotation added a useful element of sail control. The daggerboard works well and simply. For broader downwind options, a screacher can be carried on a roller-furler at the end of a retractable bowsprit.
Performance improved through lower weight, the daggerboard’s hydrodynamic benefit, and the aerodynamic advantages of the rotating mast and square-top main. The resulting boat holds a maximum heel angle of not much more than 15 degrees and delivers exhilarating reaching performance. Those performance gains were demonstrated by the 1994 “Master Blaster” campaign, which won that year’s Australian Open Championship for trailerable multihulls.
Accommodations and Auxiliary Power
Belowdecks, the F-24 offers camping-grade accommodations rather than cruising comfort. Sitting headroom over the knee-to-knee benches is the beginning and end of the interior space, although a pop-top that works well makes the cabin feel less confined.
The quarter berths are long enough for adults, but the forward double berth suits only small children. There’s no separate head compartment; a porta-potti is the usual solution. A fabric inner liner accepts Velcro attachments admirably.
Displacement is 1,690 pounds. Under the recommended 5-hp outboard, the boat returns better than 6 knots.
Known Issues and Refits
Practical Sailor’s survey noted the small, recalled batch of boats affected by beam oil-canning. Owners also reported thin gelcoat that marks readily, a loose rudder hinge, and—in one owner’s account—a rudder that cavitates at high speed. Farrier designed an optional rudder fence to address the tendency toward cavitation.
These are points for a careful buyer to check, but none undermines the boat’s basic structure.
The Verdict
The F-24 Mk II is a focused trailerable trimaran: light, folding, and quick, with a refined rig and the buoyant security provided by foam flotation. It isn’t a cabin cruiser, but as a performance dayboat and coastal camper, it remains a benchmark of Farrier’s thinking about small multihulls.
Pros
- Folds from a 17-foot 11-inch sailing beam to 8 feet 2 inches for trailering
- Planes easily, heels little, and carries a square-top mainsail on a rotating rig
- Foam flotation keeps the boat afloat with all compartments flooded
- Light, engineered composite construction; the identified beam fault was recalled and retrofitted
Cons
- Knee-to-knee interior seating, a child-size forward berth, and no head compartment
- Thin gelcoat marks readily
- A loose rudder hinge and high-speed cavitation have been reported
