Design and Construction
Blomstergren's 1982 design sits on a 24.93-foot waterline within a 31.5-foot overall length, drawing 5.74 feet with a 10.33-foot beam. The 8,598-pound displacement carries 3,968 pounds of lead ballast, a 46 percent ballast-displacement ratio that gives her a settled, righting-friendly posture without tipping into heavy-displacement sluggishness. The hull is solid fiberglass with a fin keel and a transom-hung spade rudder beneath a negative transom. Sailguide's survey notes the hull material simply as plastic and the keel as lead, consistent with the builder's fiberglass-and-lead specification. The 6.69-knot hull speed is a predictable function of that 24.93-foot waterline.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Trio 96 carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig with a deck-stepped mast, a configuration that keeps the rig loads manageable and the interior free of a keel-stepped trunk. The reported sail area of 667 square feet is built from a 30-square-meter mainsail, a 32-square-meter genoa, a 20-square-meter self-tacking jib, and a 70-square-meter spinnaker. The rig geometry — I of 11.1 meters, J of 3.6, P of 12.4, E of 3.9 — describes a masthead-fractional compromise that favors a versatile headsail wardrobe. Her SRS rating of 0.933 (0.914 without downwind sails) places her as a competitive club-racer-cruiser in the Scandinavian handicap context without demanding a dedicated race crew.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is finished in teak and laid out for five to six berths. The saloon combines a slightly U-shaped settee with a longitudinal sofa, leaving the central floor clear. The galley sits to starboard, with the navigation station to port; behind that station is a double berth that doubles as seating at the nav table — an economical use of a typically dead corner. A head sits between the saloon and the forepeak, where two full-length berths complete the sleeping plan. The arrangement is compact but logical, favoring a small crew's liveability over expansive empty volume.
Ownership and Production Context
Production began in 1982, and the boat was offered both as a fully finished vessel and as a half-fabricated kit in 1983 — a common Scandinavian practice that lets some survivors reflect owner-built joinery or systems variations. The Yanmar 2GM 15-horsepower engine on a fixed shaft is a straightforward, long-supported drivetrain. Documented tankage figures show zero-liter fuel and water capacities as published specifications rather than as fitted capacity, so any cruising range depends entirely on owner-installed tanks.
The Verdict
The Trio 96 is a well-proportioned Scandinavian cruiser-racer whose fractional rig, lead-ballasted fin hull, and teak interior deliver a coherent small-boat package. She rewards a buyer who values a documented Blomstergren design and a practical five-to-six-berth layout over outright volume or modern systems.
Pros
- Lead-ballasted fin keel with spade rudder and negative transom — efficient, predictable hull form
- 7/8 fractional deck-stepped rig with self-tacking jib and spinnaker options
- Logical teak interior: port nav station with double berth, starboard galley, forepeak doubles
- SRS rating of 0.933 for club racing without a full crew
Cons
- Published fuel and water tankage figures are zero liters — cruising autonomy is owner-dependent
- 15-horsepower diesel is adequate but unremarkable for a 8,600-pound displacement
