880 Construction Update 5

We have a deck! The deck framing now has surfaces covered and a coat of filler applied. You can even see in some of the photos all those small details that took so long to define in the design stage. Things like correct drainage of gutters, hatch recesses, and provisions for deck hardware. A folding trimaran is a complex boat to build, probably more than most. It certainly required a much greater attention to detail and accuracy of tooling. If a monohull does not quite meet the original design (and many don’t) it’s no big deal. But a folding tri, get it wrong at this stage and your folding trimaran wont fold, that would be a deal breaker!

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880 Construction Update 6

Ok, so as you have seen in the last few updates the Corsair 880 trimaran is really starting to take shape now. At this stage in the game tape measures and calipers are our go to tool. Everything is getting checked and rechecked, we really need to nail this deck, so many other parts are relying on an accurate deck mold in order to properly marry up with the other components. We cannot stress enough how critical this stage is!

Another aspect of these checks is to check the ergonomics and practicality of the design. After all this is the first time we have sat inside the cockpit and walked the deck of what will end up being a 1:1 scale model of the real thing. So we have laid out mock ups of the hardware and work our way around the systems and usage of the boat, all the while making sure everything works, is comfortable and practical. During this exercise we were just blown away at how spacious this boat has turned out, remember this is a trailerable 29′ trimaran. Check out the images below and see just how big that cockpit is, in a few of the shots I am sitting in the cockpit as I would sailing and have included my legs in the shot to give you a sense of scale, i’m 5’11” btw.

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What’s in the beams

The beams of the 880, or any folding trimaran for that matter are under extremely high loads. Quite often under loaded conditions the load on the beams will be 3-5x the total boat weight. On the 880 the calculated max load on the beams is around 9,000kg.

Corsair has years of experience building beams, and we understand the loaded requirements under all points of sail. We also understand the importance for a practical outcome, including considerations such as a safe walking surface and the benefits of creating a deflecting underside profile to minimize spray on the nets and cockpit.

During the early design stages of the 880, composite strut attachments were investigated as it was our initial intend to go in this direction. Extensive weight analysis identified little to no weight gains by using composite attachments. Furthermore the methods typically used for a composite attachment point actually hindered the folding geometry. Finally, given the results of our design testing and the extensive successful history of aluminum bracket attachments we identified this was the only logical way to proceed.

The attachment method was another area of much review and consideration. Throughout our trimaran range we use two methods of fixing beams to floats. Method a) involves bolting the beam ends to the upper surface of the float, this method is typically seen on our models of 28′ and under. Method b) incorporates an oversized beam end which is inserted inside of the float into a bulkhead and then glassed into place on arrival, you’ll see this on the 31’s, 970 and 37. Obviously method b is superior in strength, however is timely to assemble after delivery and somewhat permanent, making future shipments costly or difficult. Overcoming the weakness each of these options present for a boat of this size a hybrid solution was developed, providing both superior strength and ease of assembly. The solution incorporates a composite socket built into the float to accommodate each of the beams. The beams will be bolted in place however once underway the composite socket will actually do all the work of transferring the float loads onto the beams.

To manage and transfer the loads encountered when flying hulls, or even just in regular sailing conditions the beams have been designed with a centrally infused stringer. Using a technology found in the rear targa bar of Seawind Catamarans 1190 model, this stringer is infused in one hit as part of the infusion process of the upper and lower shells.

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While work continues on the hull and deck of the trimaran Corsair 880, beam plugs are shaping up nicely. The beam plugs have been constructed in a very similar manner to the larger plugs. This begins with designing the framework on the 3d model before exporting these to a CNC machine to be precision cut and then assembled. These frames are then covered, glassed and filled and fired before a final top coat is applied and a mold is taken. The beams on a folding trimaran are under an incredible amount of load, a lot of engineering goes into the design and internal structure required to keep these impressive structures in tact.

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How we are using technology to our advantage.

The technology available to R&D teams today is light years ahead of where it was just a decade ago. In such a short amount of time, new technologies have hit the market and those technologies have progressively become more affordable and accessible to individuals and businesses. We demonstrated the use of 3D printing on the 880 model displayed at both the Dusseldorf and Miami boat shows earlier this year. What was previously a lengthy process of fine handiwork has now been achieved through the use of a desktop 3D printer. Such technology has enabled out design team to actually print full size or to scale mock ups of components and allow them to be more adventurous in their design.

When it came to the tooling design we also considered how we could best use the technology currently available to maximize the accuracy of our plugs and therefore incorporate increased complexity into the design and hull/deck and beam interrelations.  We ended up proceeding with a fairly traditional process of framing and planking which was the fastest way to produce the general shape however in the most critical areas, such as the beam and strut landings, large scale 3D printed components have been produced and will be grafted into the hull surface producing pinpoint accuracy for this critical area of the 880 design.

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How do we ensure quality in our final design?

It’s a very good question, quality of the final molds is far more critical for a folding trimaran that pretty much any other boat design on the water. If the beam landings or strut mounts are out by a mere millimeter the entire folding geometry will be affected. So to overcome this risk we have employed a number of techniques to reduce the likelihood of tolerance issues and to catch them when they do occur.

Firstly, in the construction of the components, we elected for cnc cut beam landings and strut mounts. This has ensured a sufficient accuracy of those hard to shape areas. These components have then been grafted into the traditionally framed plugs with careful precision and measurement. This was the first step to ensuring accuracy, the second was to check our work. So we have set up 3D scanners to scan and digitize all of the components. With an accurate digital file we were then able to overlay this with the original design and using specialized quality assurance software highlight deviations between the design file and the actual part. With this report the parts were then able to be finely tuned with precision before a final scan to confirm inaccuracies were within tolerance.

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880 Construction Update 4

Check it out! The Corsair 880 hull plug takes shape, we can start to make out some of the hull details through the fairing compound and primer. The stage the hull is in at the moment may look like its nearly there but in actuality to achieve high quality tooling the process is really only just beginning. We still have weeks ahead of us of filling, fairing and checking. in the game of mold making, slow and steady wins the race. This is not a part of the development you want rushed.

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880 Construction Update 3

The deck construction begins! CNC cut deck stations are laid out as we begin framing out the deck plug of this impressive 29 foot trimaran.

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880 Construction Update 2:  Beams and Structures

The beams of the 880 (or any folding trimaran) are under extremely high loads.  Quite often, under loaded conditions the load on the beams will be 3 – 5x the total boat weight. On the 880 the calculated max load on the beams is around 9,000kg.  During the early design stages of the Corsair 880, composite strut attachments were investigated in line with our initial intention to move in this direction. Extensive weight analysis identified little to no weight gains by using composite attachments. Furthermore, the methods typically used for a composite attachment points actually hindered the folding geometry. Finally, given the results of our design testing, and our long and reliable history using aluminium bracket attachments, we have now identified the way forward is the aluminium brackets.  Read more on the Design and development of the crucially-important beams in our Design Update #2.

Structural advancements

To manage and transfer the loads encountered when flying hulls, or even just in regular sailing conditions the beams have been designed with a centrally infused stringer. Using a technology developed for the rear targa arch of the Seawind Catamarans 1190 Sport model, this stringer is infused in one event as part of the infusion process of the upper and lower shells, to great effect in strength, weight, and durability.  This advancement for the Corsair 880 is another case of transferring valuable technologies and know-how across brands, within the company.

Read 880 Construction Update 1

With planking being added to the framework the 880 hull plug begins to take shape. The below images are really the first full size impressions of the hull and begin to show off some of her style ques, such as her slick reverse bows and chine lines. No details on folding or attachments yet, still a few more steps before we get to that stage.

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880 Construction Update 1

The  new Corsair 880 has been designed from the ground up. Over a period of four years, this model has evolved and developed to a point where we were satisfied  that we had a true game changer in hand. The result of this extensive and detailed development and design has resulted in the need to build completely new tooling for the entire model. Now as a production boat builder this is unusual as to achieve economies of scale builders will typically share common components across the range. Not in the case of the 880, we are so confident this model will be built in volume we are going all out, building high end molds and tooling for the entire project.

In the below images you will see the CNC cut hull stations being fixed in place. Once the plug structure is true and firmed up we will proceed to plank and sheathe the hull and will then begin adding details such as folding strut landings and hull to deck join structures. Unlike other Corsair models the 880 has been designed to take the entire folding system landing within the hull component (other models share this between the hull and deck parts). Ultimately this will produce increased production consistency, along with increased strength and stiffness. The downside to this design choice is an incredibly high tolerance requirement in our tooling. More to come on that later….

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