Design and Construction
The Rapido 40 is built entirely from carbon, with prepreg autoclave-cured components in all high-load areas, and high-load parts — mast, beams, foils, and rudders — are built in-house from prepreg carbon and autoclave-cured. Hulls and deck are foam-cored, and the structure employs a carbon-foam sandwich with sealed bulkheads and zero below-waterline through-hulls. Multiple watertight bulkheads and a fully contained, watertight engine compartment add safety margins, while balanced weight distribution keeps the engine and heavy components centered. The main hull and amas both carry watertight bow crash compartments.
The folding system is central to the concept: the amas fold in, reducing beam from 28 feet 10 inches to 19 feet 3 inches, and the floats fold neatly alongside the main hull without compromising stability, maintaining full trimaran stability whether sailing or folded. That folded beam opens access to single marina berths and smaller marinas.
Rig and Handling
The Rapido 40 carries a carbon spreaderless rotating wing mast in standard or performance versions, with a double-tapered wing mast and V-shaped boom paired to a square-top main and a versatile two-headsail plan. A self-tacking jib handles upwind or breezy days, while a screecher on a sprit and a continuous-line furler cover light-air and off-wind sailing. In the USA the standard rig fits under all bridges in intracoastal waterways.
Twin asymmetric C foils in the amas deliver lift upwind and downwind and can be used both down for maximum lift or one raised to cut drag when day sailing. Electric Harken winches raise the foils and gravity drops them, with sheets and halyards also led to the winches. Test sailors on the review boat skipped along at close to 8 knots in 10 to 12 knots with the small jib rolled out.
Accommodations
The raised saloon gives 360-degree panoramic views with no down-in-the-hull compromise, and the cabin top and wraparound windows preserve that visibility. Headroom is 6 feet 6 inches, and later models gained a cockpit sole raised 3 inches plus an expanded aft cabin with an extra 6 inches of headroom for more room below.
The layout places an inline galley to starboard in the salon with a dining table opposite, while the owner's stateroom forward has a double berth offset to port with a head and shower. Two private cabins sit aft, the aft one configurable as a double or twin, and a double berth beneath the cockpit is reachable through a hatch or from below. Super-lightweight custom carbon furniture — countertops and drawers among it — keeps weight low, and one reviewer noted the carbon drawers felt light as a feather to open. Cork flooring runs underfoot for comfort and resilience, and rear-facing ports remove for ventilation.
Equipment and Options
Beyond the standard Yanmar 3YM30AE 29 hp diesel with shaft drive, the boat offers electric propulsion options for eco-minded owners, including an Oceanvolt twin-propulsion package with two single ServoProps. A performance mast stretches rig height above DWL from 64 feet to 71 feet 6 inches, and an optional center daggerboard suits traditionalists, though the C foils already eliminate the need for a central board and free interior space. Lithium batteries are standard, and an optional helm wheel and roller furling boom appear on the options list.
The Verdict
The Rapido 40 is a thoroughly modern ocean cruising trimaran that trades nothing in structural integrity for its folding convenience. Its all-carbon autoclave-cured build, watertight compartmentation, and CE-A certification for unrestricted ocean crossings place it firmly in the serious voyager class, while the folded 19-foot 3-inch beam makes a 39-foot trimaran realistically berthable. The rotating wing mast and self-tacking jib keep short-handed handling within reach, and the accommodated volume — panoramic saloon, configurable aft cabins, carbon-light furniture — is generous for the length.
Pros
- All-carbon foam-sandwich build with autoclave-cured high-load parts made in-house
- Folding amas shrink beam to 19'3" without losing stability
- C foils lift both windward and leeward and free the interior from a centerboard trunk
- 360° visibility from raised saloon and wraparound windows
- CE-A certified for unrestricted offshore and ocean sailing
Cons
- Performance rig's 71'6" height limits bridge clearance outside the US intracoastal standard-rig envelope
- Folded configuration still requires a 19'3" slip, wider than many monohull berths
