Design and Construction
The TRT 1200's defining trait is its refusal to compromise between cruising volume and racing pace. The GT's all-up weight sits near 3,000 kg, and even in sailing trim it is only about 7,000 lbs, with loaded displacement reaching roughly 11,000 lbs — figures that let a 39-foot catamaran punch far above its station. Solid fiberglass for both hull and deck removes the scan for core rot that haunts balsa-cored contemporaries, and the 7.22-foot maximum draft on the daggerboards drops to just 1.64 feet when raised, granting anchorage access usually reserved for centerboard daysailers. The capsize screening ratio of 5.2 and comfort ratio of 3.92 place the design firmly in the performance-multihull camp rather than the floating-condo category.
Rig and Handling
Both the GT and CR carry 20-plus knot speed potential without heeling, a claim the race record underwrites rather than merely asserts. In the Faerder Race, hulls of this design posted the fourth-fastest average speed among 1,064 racing boats, beaten only by an Open 60 trimaran and a 105-foot vessel before the timing cut off — and 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 saw 19 knots attained with a dozen people aboard, while hull #8 made Houston to Miami in seven days and touched 26 knots along the way. The standard 62-foot mast above the waterline can be swapped for a 14-meter option, and the 58-square-meter main with a 28-square-meter jib is supplemented by an optional 500–700 square-foot roller-furling screacher or a 1,200–1,500 square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker for offwind work.
Accommodations
The open-bridgedeck GT and the enclosed-bridgedeck CR represent two readings of the same hull. The CR's cabin structure shelters the central living space from weather and spray, suiting offshore passages where the GT's open deck favors social volume and warm-climate day use. The available sources describe the split as open versus enclosed bridgedeck only.
The Verdict
The TRT 1200 earns its reputation as a genuine performance cruiser rather than a marketing-label speedster. The Faerder result and the Houston–Miami passage prove the pace is real, while solid-fiberglass construction and a retracting daggerboard keep ownership honest and versatile. The split between GT and CR lets a buyer choose between open-air living and weathered enclosure without surrendering the underlying speed.
Pros
- Documented 20-plus knot potential verified by race and passage performance
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck avoid cored-structure decay
- Daggerboards retract to 1.64-foot draft for shallow access
- Two bridgedeck configurations suit different cruising styles
Cons
- Light loaded displacement demands disciplined weight management offshore
- Accommodation detail beyond bridgedeck type is not specified in available records
