Design and Construction
The Trifoiler has a long central hull flanked by two shorter amas. The full platform measures 22 feet long with a 19-foot beam, which collapses to just 46 inches on its trailer.
Construction is light but solid. The foam-cored main hull weighs 90 pounds, while the complete boat weighs just 320 pounds. Hobie offered white hulls with colored graphics as standard. Standard equipment included Harken blocks, a how-to-rig video, a watertight storage compartment, and a built-in speedometer. A custom trailer and trailer ties were the notable options.
Rig, Foils, and Handling
The Trifoiler’s most distinctive feature is its biplane rig, with twin windsurfer-like sails carried on the outer hulls beneath an 18-foot mast and a total sail area of 215 square feet.
Three self-adjusting hydrofoils do the real work. The forward foils retract, while a patented sensor skims the water ahead of each ama and adjusts the two main foils to maintain the proper height, lifting the hull clear of the surface. The main foils retract fully for beaching, and the rudder has its own foil and kicks up easily.
In roughly 12 knots of breeze, the boat lifts off with either one or two people aboard. Once foilborne, it will readily sail at twice the wind speed and can reach 35 mph or more. Foot pedals handle the steering, and the skipper can tack or gybe almost instantly. Those maneuvers can generate lateral loads of up to 2 Gs, yet the design is almost impossible to capsize. The Trifoiler is happiest on smooth water, though it will take moderate seas.
Cockpit and Equipment
This is no cruiser. The cockpit is a bobsled-like recess with shoulder-high sides and a fabric bucket seat for the skipper. A control panel brings together all sail and foil adjustments, while a second seat behind the driver accommodates a guest or trainee.
Standard colored, patented multi-sail zippered reefing sails and the watertight compartment complete the practical fittings.
Known Issues and Upkeep
The sources document no structural defects, rot, or systemic failures for the Trifoiler. Its main service consideration follows from the novelty of the design: the foil-sensor system, retractable foils, and biplane rig require correct rigging and adjustment. Hobie supplied the how-to-rig video for that reason.
The light foam-core main hull and foil mechanisms are unforgiving of neglect or grounding. The boat flies above the surface only when its foils and sensors are sound.
Verdict
The Hobie Trifoiler is a purpose-built foiling trimaran that delivered production-sailboat speeds once thought unreachable, all in a trailerable 320-pound package. Its compromises are those of any specialized machine: almost no accommodation, a skill-intensive rig, and a dependence on smooth water for its best performance. For sailors who judge a boat by speed and engineering audacity, few production designs from the 1990s compare.
Pros
- Foilborne speeds of 35 mph or more, and twice the wind speed in 12 knots of breeze
- Almost impossible to capsize, with near-instant tacks and gybes generating up to 2 Gs
- Light, trailerable trimaran with retractable foils for beaching
Cons
- Almost no accommodation beyond a bobsled-like cockpit with two seats
- Best on smooth water; moderate seas are its limit
- Rig and foil-sensor system require careful setup and upkeep
