Multi 23 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a used Multi 23 means looking at a 21-foot 4-inch trailerable trimaran with a 15-foot 6-inch beam and a dry weight of 660 pounds, built by Torpen Marine in Qingdao, China to a Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost design. These are light, beachable trimarans with pivoting centerboard and rudders, and the wide beam that gives them stability also dictates how and where they can be kept.
Layouts on the Used Market
The center hull carries a fine entry and flat run aft, with a 9-foot dry locker forward of the mast for gear stowage; a dedicated cockpit tent was offered as an option, so some boats will have it and others will not. The central hull's slim forward sections and tight lines aft are consistent across the class, and the very full amas provide the float volume that makes the boat so forgiving. Because the boat is trailerable, used examples may appear on trailers or stored in lift-docks sized for the 15-foot beam, but the one-hour launch and one-hour retrieve cycle means most owners plan launches rather than improvise them.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The standard auxiliary on these boats is an inboard-mounted electric motor, but at least one importer runs an outboard to satisfy the 15-mile motoring range demanded by local racing rules, so a used boat may show either configuration. Rig-wise, both factory options used a rotating aluminum wing mast; the cruiser version came with reefable Dacron main and jib, while a racing sail plan delivered 328 square feet. A notable owner upgrade seen on one tester's boat was a custom larger-than-stock jib on a custom bowsprit, a modification a buyer should evaluate for mast and crossbeam load. The absence of antifouling on at least one boat suggests some examples have been kept dry or lightly used, which a buyer should confirm against local bottom-paint norms.
What to Inspect
The construction is infused vinylester resin with solid glass below the waterline and Corecell foam topside and deck, and carbon-reinforced crossbeams anchor. Given the pivoting centerboard and rudders that make the boat beachable, inspect the pivot hardware and trunk seals for wear from grounding or sand exposure. The wide beam and trailerability mean the crossbeams and folding or removal geometry deserve close attention for stress or repair. Verify the auxiliary type and its range against your intended use, since the standard electric motor differs from the outboard some owners fitted for racing authority compliance.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Regional availability is not specified by the provided market summary, so buyers should watch channels where Torpen and its agents placed boats. For a buyer, the checklist is short and consequential: confirm the crossbeam and centerboard pivot condition, match the auxiliary to your range needs, check for antifouling history or its absence, and verify the mast and any custom bowsprit rigging were professionally executed.