Trimaran
A trimaran is a multihull boat that comprises a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls (or "floats") which are attached to the main hull with lateral beams. Trimarans are most commonly sail-driven yachts designed for recreation or racing, but there are a few trimaran ferries and warships.
Etymology
The name "trimaran" is a 20th-century word concocted from "Tri" and "(Cata)maran". It is thought to have been invented by Victor Tchetchet, a pioneering, Ukrainian-born modern multihull designer.
History
The first trimarans were built by indigenous Polynesians and other Pacific islanders almost 4,000 years ago, and some of the current US terminology is derived from them. Sailing catamarans and trimarans gained popularity during the 1960s and 1970s.
In modern times, originally many catamarans and trimarans were homebuilt, but there are now many production models available. Some trimarans in the 19–36-foot lengths (5.8–11.0 m)
are designed as "day-sailers" which can be transported on a road trailer. These include the original Farrier - Corsair folding trimarans - and original John Westell swing-wing folding trimaran (using the same folding system later adopted also on Quorning Dragonfly) and like trimarans. Some designers have penned "demountable trimarans" that are able to be trailered (like the SeaCart 30 by Oceanlake Marine ).