Design and Construction
Blomstergren’s design measures 31.5 feet overall, with a 24.93-foot waterline, a 10.33-foot beam, and a draft of 5.74 feet. The 8,598-pound displacement carries 3,968 pounds of lead ballast. That 46 percent ballast-to-displacement ratio gives the boat a settled, righting-friendly posture without pushing it into heavy-displacement sluggishness.
The hull is solid fiberglass, paired with a fin keel and a transom-hung spade rudder beneath a negative transom. Sailguide’s survey describes the hull material simply as plastic and the keel as lead, consistent with the builder’s fiberglass-and-lead specification. The stated hull speed of 6.69 knots follows predictably from the 24.93-foot waterline.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Trio 96 carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig with a deck-stepped mast. This arrangement keeps rig loads manageable and avoids bringing a keel-stepped mast trunk into the cabin.
Reported sail area is 667 square feet. The inventory comprises a 30-square-meter mainsail, a 32-square-meter genoa, a 20-square-meter self-tacking jib, and a 70-square-meter spinnaker. Rig dimensions are I 11.1 meters, J 3.6, P 12.4, and E 3.9. Together, they describe a masthead-fractional compromise that favors a versatile headsail wardrobe.
An SRS rating of 0.933—or 0.914 without downwind sails—places the Trio 96 as a competitive club racer-cruiser in the Scandinavian handicap context, without demanding a dedicated race crew.
Accommodations
Below, the teak-finished interior provides five to six berths. The saloon has a slightly U-shaped settee opposite a longitudinal sofa, leaving the centerline floor clear.
The galley sits to starboard, with the navigation station to port. Behind the nav station, a double berth also serves as seating at the chart table, making economical use of a corner that often goes unused. A head separates the saloon from the forepeak, where two full-length berths complete the sleeping plan.
It’s a compact but logical arrangement, designed around the practical needs of a small crew rather than expansive empty volume.
Engine, Tankage, and Production
The standard drivetrain is a 15-horsepower Yanmar 2GM diesel turning a fixed shaft—a straightforward, long-supported installation.
Published specifications list both fuel and water capacities as zero liters rather than stating the boat’s fitted tankage. Cruising range therefore depends entirely on the tanks installed by an owner.
Production began in 1982. In 1983, the Trio 96 was offered both as a fully finished boat and as a half-fabricated kit, a common Scandinavian practice. As a result, some surviving boats may have owner-built joinery or variations in their systems.
Verdict
The Trio 96 is a well-proportioned Scandinavian cruiser-racer. Its fractional rig, lead-ballasted fin hull, and teak interior form a coherent small-boat package. It suits a buyer who values a documented Blomstergren design and a practical five-to-six-berth layout more than outright interior volume or modern systems.
Pros
- Lead-ballasted fin keel, spade rudder, and negative transom provide an efficient, predictable hull form
- 7/8 fractional, deck-stepped rig with self-tacking jib and spinnaker options
- Logical teak interior with a port navigation station and double berth, starboard galley, and double berths in the forepeak
- SRS rating of 0.933 supports club racing without a full crew
Cons
- Published fuel and water tankage figures are zero liters, leaving cruising autonomy dependent on the owner’s installation
- The 15-horsepower diesel is adequate but unremarkable for an 8,600-pound boat
