Somersault 26 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a Somersault 26 on the used market means chasing a handful of hulls rather than a fleet. Dick Newick drew this 26-foot trimaran — originally named Summer-Salt on the drawings — and the small Outrigger Co. built it as the Somersault before renaming it the Outrigger 26 during the run. Outrigger Co. stopped building in the early 1990s after roughly 12 or 13 hulls, so any example you find is one of a very small band of survivors, each with its own ownership paper trail.
What to Inspect
The one structural fact that should govern your survey is that the amas are held to the main hull only by the shrouds and trampoline, with no redundant connection. On the viewing day, study the Mastodon-tusk akas where they seat into the sockets in the amas and center hull: any cracking around the socket lips or movement in the joint when load is applied signals a hull that has been assembled carelessly or sailed past its coastal limits. Because the boat is a strictly coastal cruiser by virtue of this single-mode attachment, ask the owner for the fullest account of offshore or rough-water use and treat any such history as a red flag. Confirm the shroud terminals and trampoline lashings are intact and original in tension, since these are the only things keeping the outriggers on.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Named examples have turned up outside Toronto, on Lake Champlain, in Quebec, and in Sweden, so the few boats are scattered rather than clustered in one region. For a buyer, the short list is:
- Inspect aka sockets for stress cracks before committing
- Verify shrouds and trampoline are the sole ama restraints
- Confirm mast-raising gear (cut Hobie 16 mast, track tool) is present
- Ask for coastal-only use history given the non-redundant structure