The design represents a deliberate effort to make high-speed multihull racing accessible rather than the preserve of specialists.
Design and Construction
The Diam 24’s non-folding beams provide uncompromised rigidity across the boat, distinguishing it from folding, trailerable cruisers. The central hull and floats are built from a glass sandwich with PVC foam and unidirectional carbon reinforcements, using polyester resin beneath a gelcoat finish. The beams use the same foam-core glass-sandwich construction, reinforced with carbon and epoxy resin.
Resin infusion was chosen to ensure perfect repeatability in production. The foils likewise combine PVC foam with carbon-reinforced epoxy construction.
Every part, including the floats and beams, was limited to 65–70 kg so that two people could assemble or dismantle the boat. This was a key Tour Voile requirement, and Lauriot Prévost of the design team set it as a hard limit.
Fully assembled, the demountable boat measures 23 feet 9 inches long and 18 feet 6 inches wide. Broken down, it fits into a package measuring 7.3 m by 2.3 m by 1 m.
Rig, Controls, and Handling
A rotating carbon mast carries a square-top mainsail, managed through well-conceived, efficient control lines. The sail inventory is deliberately limited to a mainsail, self-tacking jib, and gennaker. The two upwind sails are made from black aramid membrane, while the gennaker uses laminated polyester.
Spreaders, simple adjustable diamond wires, and sidestays keep the rig uncluttered. A 16:1 Cunningham provides precise control of luff tension.
The boat’s perfectly balanced helm makes it lively and seaworthy. It has two rudders, one on each float, and a single central daggerboard. This arrangement allows the trimaran to sail with its central hull clear of the water.
The Diam 24’s size allows 100% manual handling, without mechanical assistance. It is fast in light winds yet safe in a breeze, without requiring great athletic ability from the crew.
Cockpit and Day-Sailing Role
Although marketed as a one-design racer, the Diam 24 is large and stable enough to serve as a comfortable daysailer for three or four people. The cockpit is genuinely large, giving the boat a sense of security and space even as the hulls retain their nimble responsiveness. The layout also invites step-aboard curiosity.
The manufacturer presents the boat as a safe family daysailer, suited to enjoying high-speed sailing with straightforward handling. It is designed to race with three or four aboard. Its navigation category is seaside, placing it firmly in the role of a coastwise sportboat rather than an offshore passage-maker.
Assembly, Transport, and Storage
Two people can assemble or dismantle the boat in one hour. Once disassembled, it can travel on a road trailer or fit into the D Box, a framed container that keeps all the components safe and together.
Launching dollies allow an owner to launch from either a ramp or a beach. All components are designed to stow inside the forward compartment and cockpit. Straightforward toggles attach the floats to the central hull, while the clean rigging keeps moving parts to a minimum. The boat can go from strapped onto its trailer to blasting along with its sails set in under an hour.
Equipment and Owner Support
Sales are handled directly by the factory for streamlined service and pricing. A network of service agents covers key geographic areas, while the support team offers repairs, maintenance, coaching, and even turnkey regatta management.
The standard package includes one-design sails, a launching dolly, lines, and the required gear. A three-horsepower electric Torqeedo engine can push the boat in and out of a mooring or up a beach.
Together, this equipment and support help the Diam 24 bridge the gap between a pure raceboat and an accessible day boat, without requiring its owner to become a composite specialist.
The Verdict
The Diam 24 one design is a focused response to a genuine gap in the market: a lightweight, demountable trimaran that makes multihull speed and one-design racing approachable for club sailors and families alike. Its rigid platform, manual simplicity, and quick assembly are real strengths. However, its seaside rating and minimal accommodation keep it firmly in the daysailing and buoy-racing lane rather than the cruising world.
Pros
- Non-folding beams provide uncompromised cross-beam rigidity
- Fully demountable and road-trailerable in under an hour with two people
- Balanced helm and a rudder on each float make it lively yet safe
- Selected by the Tour De France a la Voile in 2015 as part of a revolution in racing equipment and format
Cons
- Seaside navigation category limits offshore ambitions
- Minimal accommodation restricts it to daysailing with three or four people
- Manual handling and a strong racing focus won’t suit comfort-minded cruisers
