Hill’s stated aim was to design a boat that would look after her owner. The result is a buoyant, seakindly hull capable of offshore passages, a claim supported by the wide-ranging cruises recorded across the British Isles and Northern Europe.
Design and Construction
The Trident 24 was the first cruising boat built by Marine Construction and, as one of the first production boats moulded in GRP, laid the foundation for the company.
The early hulls were glassfibre, but the first few boats had professionally fitted wooden decks and coach roofs. Some owners also bought bare hulls and finished them in wood, leaving perhaps twenty wood-and-glass hybrids afloat today. The standard boat has a solid-fibreglass hull and deck.
Buyers could choose among drop-keel (centreboard), fin-keel, and triple-keel versions. The triple-keel configuration, which accounted for most boats, is particularly well suited to shallow and drying harbours. The Trident carries 1,500 lb of iron ballast—40 percent of its 4,040 lb displacement—giving it a reassuringly low centre of gravity for a 24-footer.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Trident 24 has a fractional sloop rig, with the mast strongly supported by twin lower shrouds. The rig is unusually substantial for a boat of this size: one database assessment credits the Trident with more rig than any similar sailboat in its comparison set.
Halyard and sheet lengths are generous for the boat’s size, including 69-foot halyards and a 60-foot mainsheet. Those dimensions underline how full-sized the sail plan is on a 19-foot waterline. Period testers found her performance satisfying: she could sail quickly for a keen helmsman while offering a safe ride to someone less experienced.
Under power, the Trident handles well both ahead and astern. Many boats originally had Vire 6 or 7 hp two-stroke petrol engines, but most have since been repowered with various units. The compact Yanmar 9 hp diesel has been a particularly popular replacement.
Accommodation and Cruising Comfort
Writing in Yachts and Yachting, testers called the Trident one of the most comfortable small yachts they had tested, with construction and a general arrangement suited to quite extensive cruising.
Denny Desoutter noted that the design achieved good headroom within 24 feet without appearing burdened by excessive top hamper. The well-balanced relationship between hull and superstructure was also widely praised, while Yachting and Boating Weekly judged Alan F. Hill to have designed an extremely attractive little sloop.
A deep, self-draining cockpit, wide side decks, and exceptional stowage help the boat feel larger than its length. These features, together with its comfortable accommodation and seakindly hull, support the Trident’s reputation as a serious small cruiser.
Known Issues and Refit Considerations
The main construction distinction concerns the earliest boats and the small number of owner-finished wood-and-glass hybrids. The first few boats had wooden decks and coach roofs over GRP hulls, while some bare hulls were completed in wood by their owners. These timber elements are the only known divergence from the all-fibreglass standard and are the places where age and moisture ingress are most likely to appear on an individual hull.
Most original Vire petrol engines have been replaced, so buyers should expect a range of propulsion installations rather than original machinery. The original sail or hull number remains the best guide to a boat’s age and can help establish how many seasons a hybrid deck or replacement engine has seen.
Ownership and Cruising Record
Owners have cruised Trident 24s from Scandinavia to the Middle East and North America. That record supports the design’s offshore credentials, and the boat more than stands up to comparison with many later designs.
The Verdict
The Trident 24 is a genuinely capable small cruiser. Its early GRP construction, 40 percent ballast ratio, and triple-keel option give it a poise beyond its length. It is comfortable, seakindly, and substantially rigged. The main ownership caveat is the minority of wood-decked or owner-finished boats, which require timber-specific scrutiny.
Pros
- Buoyant, seakindly hull proven on offshore passages and wide-ranging European cruises
- 40 percent ballast ratio
- Triple-keel version well suited to shallow and drying harbours
- Strongly stayed fractional rig, with unusually generous sail-handling lengths for the boat’s size
- Comfortable accommodation with good headroom
- Deep, self-draining cockpit, wide side decks, and exceptional stowage
Cons
- A minority of boats have wooden decks and coach roofs or owner-finished wood-and-GRP construction that requires timber inspection
- Most original Vire two-stroke engines have been replaced, so propulsion installations vary from boat to boat
