The boat comes in two distinct versions: the open-bridgedeck TRT 1200 GT and the bridgedeck-cabin TRT 1200 CR. Both use the same daggerboard-and-spade-rudder hull form and share the same principal dimensions and rig.
Design and Construction
The TRT 1200 aims to combine cruising volume with racing pace. The GT’s all-up weight is near 3,000 kg, and even in sailing trim it weighs only about 7,000 lbs. Loaded displacement reaches roughly 11,000 lbs—figures that allow a 39-foot catamaran to punch far above its station.
Both versions measure 39 feet 4 inches overall, with a beam of 24 feet 11 inches. Maximum draft is 7.22 feet with the daggerboards down, falling to just 1.64 feet when they’re raised. That gives the boat anchorage access usually associated with centerboard daysailers.
Solid fiberglass in both the hulls and deck removes the need to look for the core rot that troubles balsa-cored contemporaries. A capsize screening ratio of 5.2 and a comfort ratio of 3.92 place the design firmly in the performance-multihull camp rather than the floating-condo category.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The TRT 1200 carries a fractional sloop rig with 925 square feet of sail area. Its standard mast rises 62 feet above the waterline and can be replaced by a 14-meter option. The sail plan includes a 58-square-meter mainsail and a 28-square-meter jib. For offwind sailing, buyers could add either a 500–700 square-foot roller-furling screacher or a 1,200–1,500 square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker.
Both the GT and CR have 20-plus-knot speed potential without heeling. The boat’s racing record backs that claim. In the Faerder Race, hulls of this design recorded the fourth-fastest average speed among 1,064 racing boats. Before the timing cut off, they were beaten only by an Open 60 trimaran and a 105-foot vessel. The TRT also ran down a Formula 28 trimaran, the Whitbread Maxi Ketch New Zealand Endeavour, every other maxi, and both Whitbread 60s on the course.
A transatlantic-breed demonstration sail in Biscayne Bay reached 19 knots with a dozen people aboard. Hull #8 completed the passage from Houston to Miami in seven days and touched 26 knots along the way.
Accommodations
The GT and CR offer two interpretations of the same hull. The GT has an open bridgedeck, favoring social space and warm-climate day use. The CR adds a bridgedeck cabin that protects the central living area from weather and spray, making it better suited to offshore passages.
Available sources describe the accommodation difference only as an open versus enclosed bridgedeck; they don’t provide further interior details.
The Verdict
The TRT 1200 earns its reputation as a genuine performance cruiser rather than a boat carrying a marketing-driven speed label. The Faerder Race result and the Houston-to-Miami passage show that its pace is real. Solid-fiberglass construction and retracting daggerboards add practical versatility.
Choosing between the GT and CR comes down to whether the crew prefers open-air living or a weather-protected central cabin. Either way, the underlying performance remains the same.
Pros
- Documented 20-plus-knot potential, supported by race and passage performance
- Solid-fiberglass hulls and deck avoid cored-structure decay
- Daggerboards retract for a draft of 1.64 feet and shallow-water access
- Two bridgedeck configurations suit different cruising styles
Cons
- Light loaded displacement demands disciplined weight management offshore
- Available records don’t specify accommodation details beyond the bridgedeck type
