Somersault 26 Sailboats for Sale

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull Type

Trimaran · daggerboard

Rig

Fractional Sloop

LOA

26' · 7.92 m

Disp.

1,500 lbs · 680 kg

First year

1987

The Somersault 26 is a trailerable, folding trimaran designed by the renowned multihull architect John Marples. Emerging as a sophisticated evolution of the "swingwing" concept, the boat was engineered for sailors who demand highperformance speed without the logistical burden of a permanent deepwater slip. Constructed primarily using woodepoxy composites—often utilizing the Constant Camber or stripplanking methods championed by Marples—the Somersault 26 balances structural rigidity with the lightweight profile necessary for exhilarating multihull sailing. As a design that caters to the amateur builder and the custom yard alike, it occupies a unique niche in the maritime world, offering a more artisanal alternative to the massproduced fiberglass folding trimarans of the same era.