Did Riley and Elayna Get the Wrong Boat?!?!?

[@SailingTipsCa]

To add context to some of my comments in the video, the Rapido 60 has a 125m² (1,345 ft²) main sail and a righting moment of approximately 60 tons which is about double the righting moment of an IMOCA 60 monohull which is limited to 25.5 tons per the class rules. An IMOCA 60 costs about $10M to build while a Rapido 60 "only" costs about $2M, including profit margin for the builder, so actual production costs would be lower. So double the righting moment at 1/5 the cost. The pros who sail IMOCA 60s and Ultimes singlehanded spend months if not years training and preparing the boat, plus they have large on-shore support teams, and overall comparatively massive budgets due to sponsorship. The Rapido 60 will generate sheet loads of several tons in 20 knots of breeze. The a 42' / 12.8m monohull that I raced with a crew and also double-handed with my wife "only" generated sheet loads up to about a ton, which is much less, but still plenty when you're flying a spinnaker in 25 knots of wind at night and something goes wrong. So when I sold the monohull and bought a racing trimaran a few years ago I got something smaller to keep the loads manageable,, as we typically race double-handed. The chandleries I've been to only carried line up to about 12mm / 0.5" and hardware with safe working load (SWL) ratings of about a ton. Some have commented that chandleries in other parts of the world carry larger gear, so this will definitely be location dependent, but I have typically had to special order anything larger than that. I love how Rapido is trying to make high-performance trimarans and I think the Rapido 60 would be a great boat for the Caribbean regatta circuit and I really hope Riley and Elayna can make it work as a family cruiser. Thanks for watching and for all your comments!

[@SailingLaVagabonde]

The righting moment is 60t. Haven’t seen the vid yet just correcting errors.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Please see my response below Riley's response in the next comment.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@SailingLaVagabonde Thanks for clarifying - I didn’t have the ama volume when I did the math so I assumed there was more volume than there is - I’ve fixed the comment based on your feedback!

[@mikesh8968]

The only thing I know the load is x^2 to the wind. And trying to trim down in a blow is hard even for professional crew. Speed is fun in a race. Cruising with kids Speed became a problem. As much as he sailed he surprised me fot not picking up a true blue water boat. Could just pick a 55 catamaran same mfg. I sailed on a tri build by Gold Coast yacth. I was just a crew.... Fun....but not for me. Mono or normal cats u f up They forgive u (mono easier to sail hard) Racing tri....will hurt you

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@mikesh8968 Rapido is a performance cruiser that can be raced, but is not a pure racing boat. It's a bluewater boat people use to cruise all the time. It's easy to simply run less power. Generally speaking, trimarans are safer than catamarans, and catamarans are safer than monohulls. Trimarans are the hardest to capsize and have the most righting moment.

[@SailingLaVagabonde]

Thanks for the video mate and thanks as well for your concern. 😊. So a few things here. -We were sailing it harder *because* we had crew. Were it just Elayna and I we may have had just the staysail up and no main in 25 knots or at least two reefs in the main. You sail to your capabilities onboard. This is an important thing many people forget, you don’t need to bomb around with your full sail up and a yacht that truly performs will sail well even with little sail up. -because it points so well it’s actually quite easy on many occasions to single hand with the self tracker, it really climbs upwind and you just swing the helm over like it ain’t no thang 🤙 - the reef lock system we have since gone through together in a Marina and then on the ocean again. We’ve made incremental progress and I have a few tricks I’d like to try out. We need to do more training and are desperate to do this not just to learn but because this boat is so much fun to sail. The kids are slowing us down a little however, so soon we will organise a great crew to assist us for a learning period before it all becomes second nature. What I can tell you is I’ve never been more excited to learn to sail something. Thanks everyone for watching and this comments section is in general full of good will and reasonable opinions. That’s cool.

[@jordanzyla3377]

You guys are awesome I'm so excited for every episode now the Rapido is an awesome vessel

[@sandorjablonkay5478]

Riley's got this! After watching Riley and Elayna sail for a few years now, I would trust him with my life. Riley's a world class decision maker and there's no way he's not figuring this boat out and owning it's ass!

[@JP-lz3vk]

Fair winds, Riley. I hope we're all wrong about the boat, but its a racing beast you'd want for the Vendee Globe and not a family sailing yacht...

[@michaelroberts7549]

A very gracious response. I look forward to seeing more of your adventures with the new Rapido.

[@BobFirth]

This is an amazing boat and Riley I’m sure excited to sail it. My concern is that this might not be the boat to raise a family on. It is obviously that they are going to need crew to help Elayna keep the kids safe plus someone to help with actually sailing the boat. The only place to put them is in the outriggers, since there are just two cabins. They have greatly reduced their living space just as the kids get more active. The kids are use to being able to get around the boat and the netting is not safe underway. Living in just the main cabin is just not enough room for them. I’m not sure how the channel will evolve. Maybe the kids can spend more time in Bali and Riley can live out his extreme sailing dreams. I just see them continuing as a family at sea on such an extreme sailing vessel hard to do. I wish them well but just concerned Riley’s desire for living on an ultra high performance sailboat might be hard to do as the boys enter their more active years.

[@stephenlaw7018]

If Riley feels the need for speed then maybe he should do some crewing on a race boat from time to time.... Getting to the next port a day or two early is not worth the risk IMHO. He said he can sail it in a safer mode but then what's the point? The old boat, or maybe a similar upgrade would have been better.

[@SailingTipsCa]

This is pretty much what I did - got a full-on racer which performs spectacularly and then you’re also not dragging around your heavy household belongings either!

[@davidmacpherson4673]

I watched that trip and I just can not get my head around how that boat is suitable for two kids and a wife , a racing crew okay , but it’s no live aboard with a family and just seems incredibly open to being swept overboard in bad weather.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I can really imagine a race crew having a blast on the Rapido 60 on the Caribbean racing scene and staying aboard for the events but that’s quite different than a cruising family with two small kids!!!

[@michaelh8854]

It looks like there isn’t even benches and a table outside for the family to eat or lie down during easy sailing. No chairs at the helm. No where safe on the front of the boat to lie on a bean bag chair or work out like they used to

[@marisolalmenara7658]

I agree. This boat looks so dangerous for the kids when out sailing. They can't even be outside walking around. There is no protection. It is definitely not a family boat and I am surprised because that is what his wife wanted, something safe specially after that crossing through the Atlantic to Europe that they were caught in huge waves and Eleyna didn't enjoy. @@michaelh8854

[@77space-vt8wi]

Did Riley get the right boat for their needs and want? The answer to that is explored in-depth on Jason and Nikki Wynns KZbin Channel "Gone with the Wynns". Reportedly blue water cruisers (mono hull and Cat) spend 98% of their time on anchorage. The Wynns did extensive research before they decided to replace their aged Cat with a carbon fiber Eco Drive HH44OC. that generates considerable electricity under sail from thire twin spinning propellers. Look a the Wynns Channel and compare their 2024 state of the art HH44OC to Riley's 2024 with three hulls that is absolutely magnificant particularry if you need a little speed now and then.

[@dalyne7050]

I thought it was a huge mistake when they announced that they were getting a Rapido 60. IMO, Riley was only thinking of himself and what he wanted, not his family nor their safety. Elayna really wasn't that enthused about it if you go back and watch her reactions (you can see some concern from her). I have seen their videos with the Rapido. Its launch and sea trial only strengthen my first thought, mistake. Side note, does anyone else think the interior design is ummm? Again, just my observations and opinions.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes I hope it doesn’t become a divisive issue in the family. And I’m not sure they thought about the dark interior from a filming perspective as it seems suboptimal in that regard!

[@sailorlac]

the interior is awful@@StormyLynn724

[@itp1967]

Yup, the interior brings the resale value way down. I like those guys and love their adventure, but a trimaran would be great for a couple, but not a young family IMO. Just hope they stay safe.

[@TheJttv]

I agree. I there is nothing "cruising" about this and i have questioned the sanity of it since they announced it particularly with the two kids and overall tight nature of the boat.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think they should have gotten the 40 until their kids were bigger, and then once they could participate in the sailing then maybe the 60 might have been more suitable!

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Lots of people safely cruise Rapidos.

[@Papaondas]

in heavy seas with 2 small children on board ? no, we do not see this at all , you do not know anything about sailing ultra fast cruising boats @@LoanwordEggcorn

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@Papaondas Agree they don't usually do it with small children, but adults cruise Rapidos successfully. See also weather routing. Smart sailors avoid bad weather as much as possible, with the aid of modern weather forecasting. And the faster the boat, the easier it is to avoid or outrun storms if they happen unexpectedly.

[@leudast1215]

​@LoanwordEggcorn you cannot outrun a storm and weather routing requires the internet which can go down to weather or hardware failure. Never work with machinery your principle first attitude is a danger to yourself and others

[@gavmurray7398]

Riley will get up to speed but it will be whether Elayna can handle arriving at each new port feeling like shes just done the sydney to Hobart.. wont need much of a near miss with the kids for mum to put her foot down and get a different boat

[@SailingTipsCa]

I hope they can make it work!

[@Jeff8737]

Yes. They clearly got the wrong boat. Numerous peeps on the internet pointed this out to Riley when they initially announced the decision. Many of the comments revolved around the fact that they have children and the ideal boat for them needs to take that into account. I remember one poster equating it to a man with a family of 4 somehow managing to convince his wife that it would be a good idea to sell their mini-van and get a Ferrari instead.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I look forward to seeing what they come up with!

[@judd7699]

😂

[@richardelder256]

I did a high performance 58' cruising catamaran project back when there were few such animals on the planet. I agree with the many commentators: The Rapido 60 is absolutely the wrong boat to go to sea with two young kids and a wife busy minding them on board. Sell it now! The "right" boat for that mission is a 50-60' center cockpit monohull. Find a well sorted out used boat of premium build quality and put the other million and a half into a nice farm in NZ! Or gold bars!

[@simoneconsciousobserver3105]

The really kewl thing is that if Elyana and Riley decide it isn't the right boat, they'll be able to get another one

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@simoneconsciousobserver3105 Yes they have the resources and contacts!

[@gregoryschmidt1233]

If I were the president of Rapido, I'd have been beyond mortified to send out a boat that leaks, has hardware coming unmounted, and two malfunctioning engines! Not exactly a resounding endorsement for the quality or ruggedness of your builds, sir.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes I’m looking forward to seeing how Rapido responds to this!

[@russmarkham2197]

Yes, I could not believe they allowed the sea into the diesel. Screw up from Rapido and Yanmar.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@russmarkham2197 Yes this is a known problem with known solutions!

[@Nill757]

It doesn’t look like Rápido has water - dock access without a crane. So launching the boat for tests w a simple carrier, finding problems, hauling out again was really not feasible as it would be with most all boat yards. Or, perhaps trimarans won’t fit common carriers?

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@Nill757 The problem is the huge beam (width) of these things - the Rapido 60 is 38.4 feet wide and the biggest Travel Lift in my area can “only” accommodate a beam of 22.5 feet.

[@PatrickFranzCA]

I sail a 68' mono. I use the standard boom reef and halyard system as you likely do and have had no issues. Plus hardware, lines etc are readily available in North America, at least. They will not need crew, they just need to make some adjustments and figure out the systems.

[@SailingTipsCa]

The Rapido 60 main is 125m² (1,345 ft²) and their boat has about five times the righting moment of a monohull that size so the loads are HUGE!!! My neck of the woods doesn’t have lines/hardware bigger than 12mm/0.5 inch nor hardware with breaking strength of more than a couple of tons, but some areas are apparently better equipped. I must spend too much time in sailing backwaters!

[@garthharrington9683]

@@SailingTipsCa it’s always good to support the local Chandlery community but I think the call would go via Starlink to headquarters of whatever system they need help with. I also think your backwater would be better supplied than some of the anchorages they plan on visiting.

[@Airriel333]

Don't agree...this does not have living space for children and they do need crew and this is way too much boat IT"S BEAUTIFUL, powerful and fast...but the 2 of them sailing it alone ..NOT SAFE not the best floorplan for the children and rigging etc needs re-thinking

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@garthharrington9683 Starlink is definitely a game changer but it doesn’t make shipping of parts any more reliable to many parts of the world!

[@wabuchanan]

@@Airriel333 They have clearly stated more than once, they will have crew onboard. They have had crew onboard the Outremer for much of the sailing they have done in the past.

[@user-sj2nr2jh1u]

100% agree and have been thinking the same. Hope they will receive your video with the right spirit!

[@SailingTipsCa]

I really hope so too! I’m not trying to be critical of them nor Rapido but simply convey the message that big powerful boats like this require due care and attention and loads are so high there aren’t many options for gear! Even very experienced monohull sailors are often surprised by the loads and speeds on high-performance multihulls.

[@edsinofsky]

I own a 24 Farrier trimaran and even being small things can go wrong quickly when powered on a fast tri. I also think they went too big.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes things can happen quickly! I also think the F-24 is a great boat - it was the boat that introduced me to multis!!!

[@seamusreilly6522]

My concern is how easy it is for someone to go overboard, and given that scenario, how quickly can you get back to pick up the casualty. There does not seem to be any rails to prevent accidental trip or stumble.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes crew overboard is one of the most serious sailing emergencies and especially in a fast powerful boat! I saw them tell the boys to stay in the cockpit while underway which is helpful, but still difficult to get that thing depowered and turned around if somebody does go over.

[@maximiliangerstenhofer7639]

Elayna and Riley, you did the right thing - I believe in you showing a steep learning curve - and the boys will grow into it as well! The yellow colour of the hull is awesome - especially the contrast to blue waters!

[@SailingTipsCa]

I'm optimistic they can make it work! I also quite like the mango exterior but am less of a fan of the dark interior.

[@dsbennett]

Riley taught himself to sail and has been in many challenging situations. I have full confidence in their ability to learn this boat and make the most of it. I'm so glad they finally got into this boat - it was torture waiting for the big day.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes Riley is very keen and I’m optimistic he’ll do what he can to make this successful! Still the 125m² (1,345 ft²) main sail and two even larger head sails are a handful when things don’t go as they should!

[@brunobeckers4702]

I'm afraid it is not about "learning" this boat. It is about simple physics. At a certain point, no matter how skilled you are, forces become too big to handle with two people. Especially in critical situation and sooner or later - mostly out of the blue - they will happen. That's not a guess, that's a fact.

[@mikedelay8373]

After watching their shakedown cruise the first thing that came to mind was this boat is way to much for them. I hope they get things figured out because I enjoy their content

[@SailingTipsCa]

I completely agree on all accounts!

[@yvonnekneeshaw2784]

So far … it doesn’t feel like right boat for them

[@redbovine]

I think a lot of it was the timeline for leaving the country. They were basically forced out due to immigration laws into bad weather. There was no easing into it.

[@smulismuli7976]

@@redbovine there's never easing into a weather...weather happens when it happens and people should forget that bs about "fast boat out running a storm"...that's just childish thinking trying to justify your boat choices like it's somekind of safety measure while it's probably the opposite. Get a boat that can handle, and you can handle the boat, in rough weather. Everything else is just wishful thinking. Watched the videos on last sail and that constant hull "clunking" in the waves would be driving me mad

[@KeithStrang]

@@smulismuli7976 They were trying to avoid prison time, not outrun weather. The conditions sucked but they boat and crew handled it. If it were a different boat it wouldn't have been much different.

[@sundeeradventures]

Thank you for your bravery in calling it out for what it is... you are educating the sailing novices who think KZbin is all that is needed

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks - most sailing channels are lifestyle VLOGs that don’t get into the technical details or really help people learn about sailing, which is what I’m trying to do!

[@harlandfazardo799]

This seems more like a race type boat, not a boat that you raise your family on and leisurely travel the oceans.

[@SailingTipsCa]

It’s not a full-on racer but definitely a performance-oriented boat!

[@chrisc1644]

This is obvious!

[@garthharrington9683]

@@SailingTipsCa Well done, I see 1K likes for this video. I would like to know what IF would think and I bet his view about large trimarans would temper to more positive with the technological advancements of today. All machines are a compromise between imagination and the laws of physics and material science. It’s so much fun to see how imagination can push the envelope by “ arranging the fibreglass in a more efficient manner” to quote IF

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@garthharrington9683 Yes too bad Ian Farrier isn’t’ around anymore! Technology has certainly enabled many things (e.g. foiling) that were previously not possible due to limitations of material science.

[@walkaboutdavo]

weres the Beneateu?)))😂

[@toesinthesea1829]

It will be an interesting year ahead for them as they navigate this new chapter. This boat will definitely bring change for the family & no doubt it will pull in the ratings too. I hope the trials, tribulations & excitement to come keeps the family safe. Watching an experienced crew battle against high winds without safety measures left me with questions. Thanks for the video, an interesting view point.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I’m a huge trimaran fan and love that Rapido is trying to bring larger performance oriented tris to market so I hope Riley and Elayna can make it work!

[@RobHealey]

I was thinking the same thing after watching the last episode where they sail to a marina and stop there to get the engine fixed. They've gone too extreme. I hope they work out that although they have a huge sail area, they only need to use about half of it to make good times on passage. Leave full sails up for light wind days and make 2 reefs the standard cruising main area with an easily furled headsail which also is normally set about half furled. And reduce sail at night as standard practice because sail handling is harder to do in the dark. I know that sailing with a partially furled headsail may be bad for the sail, because it stretches the exposed part, but hopefully with todays sailcloth that doesn't happen so much. Then we have the issues you mentioned about 60 footers using gear that isn't available in the average chandlery and the cost of Marina berths and maneuverability in tight marina spaces.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes I really hope they can make it work. The fact that they have a staysail is actually helpful because they can use that as the wind picks up instead of partly furling the working jib (once they get the tack downhaul appropriately strengthened of course). And sailing with a reefed main might be a good cruising practice too, especially if there are squalls in the area!

[@testicool013]

Absolute nonsense

[@cryptodass7609]

The business of apparently being "The number 1 sailing channel' means you gotta keep the likes coming and keep pushing...Hope it doesn't wreck em though...

[@SailingTipsCa]

I hope so too!

[@georgesbonellodupuis8245]

I totally agree with everything you said. I was surprised they changed to the Rapido when the Outremeer suited and served them so well. I’m pretty sure they are going to have serious issues when the going gets though..

[@SailingTipsCa]

I totally get that Riley wants to sail fast, but I’m wondering too if it wouldn’t have been better to keep the Outremer and Riley could go join some racing program on a really hot boat!

[@jamesaron1967]

He's relatively young. He probably got hooked on the speed of a racing trimaran and badly wanted similar performance. I get it, I'm speed-obssessed too but in a more practical way. This could end up being a $2,000,000 mistake if it turns out to be more than they bargained for. We'll see.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@jamesaron1967 I know the speed is certainly addictive but my wife isn’t interested in that, so she stays on land more these days while I race my trimaran!

[@youtubeiu997]

Exactly!

[@Useless_Knowledge07]

Outremer is putting out reliable, fast boats..and they already mastered sailing said boat? I guess they wanted more challenging adventures?

[@xyzct]

And what happens if Riley gets hurt in rough conditions?

[@SailingTipsCa]

Exactly!!! I’m glad they’re sailing with an extra set of hands.

[@julla1416]

1:04 Staysail issue - wouldn't you want to turn UPWIND/into the wind to relieve pressure on the sail?

[@SailingTipsCa]

Good question! On a smaller boat or in lighter wind turning upwind can be sufficient, but on a bigger boat or in more wind turning upwind will cause the sail to quickly flog itself to death, plus there will still be so much drag from the wind that you won’t be able to furl. So on a bigger boat or in more wind it’s really much better to head downwind and blanket the headsail behind the main for furling.

[@julla1416]

@@SailingTipsCa oh cool, thanks!

[@leonply]

During their planning phase, Riley and Elayna were determined that they would generally have at least four adults and two children on board at all times. There simply isn't enough room to house that many people, in such a narrow hull. Riley said that they could have people sleeping in the amas, but that would lead to constant injuries when under way. It's a pretty boat, but it is for just a few people who love to go fast and don't need a larger living area for day to day matters.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think it would be a great boat for the Caribbean racing circuit, or even for them once their kids get a bit older and can help with the sailing. I’m not sure how realistic sleeping in the amas would be while underway, in part because getting in and out while underway would be dangerous, not only due to the risk of falling overboard but you really want to keep those things closed and watertight while underway!

[@jamesaron1967]

How would sleeping in the amas cause injuries? Do you mean during ingress and egress?

[@deankruse2891]

It’s 60 feet long and it has more than enough space for even 6 adults. It’s a large boat. It is a boat though and it isn’t pretending to be a condominium. It’s a priority to make fast and exciting g passage making safe for the family, all of the “comforts” they are missing out on are trivial, the boat is amazing.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@deankruse2891 I agree that it’s a super cool boat and it will be even better when the kids are old enough to help sail it!!!

[@deankruse2891]

@@SailingTipsCa for sure it will be something exciting for the family to grow in to. You are right about the crazy pressures that rigging can get under. For anyone who sails a boat like that, it’s going to be a shift in prioritizing manageable sail plans and combos for the conditions and passage. I think the maxis start dousing headsails before reefing the giant main unless they are footing or doing consecutive tacks. That main by itself will be enough sail for comfortable and fast short hand passage making at speed

[@nickviner1225]

I totally agree with you and thought all of this even before it went in the water

[@SailingTipsCa]

It will be interesting to see how it works out for them!

[@svcyclops]

I have used the karver hooks on the HH catamarans. They work really well but take some getting used to. Riley has bought a stack pack which will make the reefing harder to do since it helps to see the hook going into the sail. That being said you can easily tell when you have hooked the sail as the load on the reef line goes away.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I wonder if one of the extra people he mentioned being required to reef had to hold the sail away from the stack pack to expose the hook and ensure it could engage cleanly? I’m sure it’s “just” a matter of figuring out the right technique with this particular setup, which Riley also mentioned he didn’t get to do at the dock before departure because he had a visa issue to deal with, so he was figuring it out on the water.

[@svcyclops]

It definitely takes practice to karver reef and on the HH the owner would get in a precarious position to follow the process. But karver eliminates chafed reef lines which is very common on multi week passages. I was unimpressed with the sail plan hoisted by Riley . They seemw to be a reef behind instead of a reef head. Squally weather and new boat warrant a bit more conservatism. As for the hydro lock I have had that several times. I spent hours improving the anti siphon loop, height of the exhaust and other things. But had two other things I did. Before rolling out a head sail I would get the boat with no speed not heeling and turn off the engine. This way the siphon break can empty and protect the engine. If you turn off the engine after the boat is powered up your break may never empty. Secondly after sailing for days in rough stuff I would check my oil before starting. This was if the oil level has gone higher I know water has come into the engine. Obviously if there is an emergency I would skip this step but never had an emergency.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@svcyclops I think the Karver hooks are a great solution, and I also agree that reefing once things blow up (as Riley indicated in the video) is not the right approach. I can think of one race in particular that I was winning but lost because we were double-handed so I kept my main double-reefed in unusually squally conditions and I’m totally okay with that - better than being upside down! Thanks for the tip on emptying the anti-siphon loop. Some people have a valve they close to seal the exhaust in rough conditions but you also need to remember to open it.

[@mikeferguson2828]

I think toooo much boat for a cruising couple with 2 small kids. Great for a full crewed boat. In my Catana manual it states clearly that if you intend to sail for long periods above 10 knots you need to close the sail-drive water valve to stop a hydra lock. At speeds of 15 knots I can imagine this will apply more so. Lots of pressure pushing the water up there expecially as the water feed hole is at the bottom front of the leg. The side holes are secondary feeds.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@mikeferguson2828 Yes sounds like they got water in the engine. I’m not sure exactly which sail drive they have but I’m sure there must be a procedure similar to what you mentioned!

[@ozwrangler.c]

Everyone is being quite polite, so I'll say it: It's a selfish choice of boat. Riley has put performance fun over practicality for his family

[@SailingTipsCa]

I've often thought that an Outremer 55 or 5X would provide better performance than their old boat but still much more livable space!

[@Stan7670]

My exact thoughts. When I first saw their Rapido I wondered: Is this boat child safe.? That should be number one.

[@SOLDOZER]

@@Stan7670 "Is this boat child safe" LOLOL Just sit home on the couch in your safe space.

[@dawsonellis]

Great video - completely agree with everything you’ve said

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks - glad you liked it! After owning a bigger boat my current mantra is to get the smallest boat possible that will do the job!

[@zzzxxzzz3248]

Being in the elements at the helm is dumb . Besides that , Elayna has meltdowns if she has to mother the children for very long without a nanny to take over . Crew and a nanny makes it a crowded boat .

[@thefarmerswifeknits6190]

I noticed that also.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes the living accommodations are suboptimal for the family plus nanny and crew - a performance cat would have been better in that regard.

[@toddpeters9007]

I think Thier last boat was perfect for them , sometimes young people just don't know when to be satisfied ...they will grow and learn...god bless them

[@SailingTipsCa]

I agree it was a great boat for them!

[@steveturansky9031]

I love trimarans. They are spectacular for performance and great for racing, daysailing and short term cruising. It's great how decent modern tris will point with many performance monos. The problems I see with tris for long term cruising are: 1) Very slender main hull does not have near the space as the same sized mono and definitely not comparable to cats. 2) One motor on such a beamy platform makes tris hard to maneuver in tight spaces and lacks the redundancy of 2 motors on the cats. 3) Dinghy storage and access is not as good as a cat or mono. I have a 31' tri (F-9A) and that's always been an issue. A cat is the perfect platform for deploying, retrieving and storing a dinghy. 4) With the speeds a high performance tri will attain, it's going to be a wet ride. The amas will be kicking up more than just a little spray by the time you hit the low teens. It's going to be a fire house when you hit 20. 5) Tris are even more sensitive to extra payload than cats, especially at the ends. At least with cats, a dinghy on davits will be nestled a it forward between the hulls while with a tri, davits will likely hang the weight much further aft. Same with the anchor on the bow. On a cat, there is the possibility of bringing the anchor and chain closer to the mast. On a tri, that weight is likely at the bow. Every boat is a compromise and although I would love to sail a big, fast tri like the Rapido 60, I would have a hard time living and cruising on one. Actually same with the very high performance cats and monos too. Even with the cats issues with pointing, the rest of it's strong points make the cat the best long term cruising platform. I really thought their Outremer 48 or the Cruising family's Outremer 51 offered great cruising speed potential and great space.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I own and race an F-82R trimaran (and also race on other boats) and totally I agree with everything you said!

[@abhibeckert]

1. have you seen the boat tour? It has plenty of space. 2. They have two motors. One of them failed the first time they sailed it and they've been sailing with the backup without any major issues. The primary engine has probably been installed by now - they said it was on the way in their last video. 3. The Dhingy doesn't seem to be causing any issues. 4. A bit of spray doesn't matter in nice weather, and they generally sail in nice weather. 5. Their dinghy looks pretty light. A big difference between living on a boat, and racing a boat, is you don't need everything to be perfect. They're never sailing anywhere near as fast as they could and the high maximum speed means they can have fun without going anywhere near the limit. And they can just spend an extra week or three at port if the weather forecast is a bit questionable. Sure the first sail was a rough start, but that was largely because they needed to fit with someone else's schedule. The other thing to consider is they needed to pick something interesting, because it's their business to produce interesting content. That dramatic first sail would've made them a *lot* of money.

[@BigPowerAL]

I think that the Rapido will be fine once they find their way with all the systems. Both are seasoned sailers and have the right motivation to follow it through.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I really hope they can make it work!!!

[@gavinparson]

I agree. When they showed the layout of the Rapidos, I thought “that doesn’t look like a safe and comfortable space to raise two small kids”. Now having seen the shakedown cruise, I think it’s absolutely dangerous and unsuitable for them. Surely they could have done a deal with Outremer to build a bigger and better cat for them, given all the publicity the channel has given them.

[@Airriel333]

TOTALLY agree... and there is no room for Crew which this boat NEEDS to have not just ELAYNA and RILEY to sail this powerful boat. I FEEL SO strongly that this is NOT A FAMILY SAILING Vessel or for children and way undermanned ...

[@SailingTipsCa]

An Outremer 5X or 55 would have been a good performer AND had massive accommodation! I get the trimaran thing and prefer them from a sailing perspective but not as much space as a cat.

[@tlevans62]

​@@SailingTipsCatotally agree. A cat is far better laid out for a family, and there are some great fast cats around. I get that they want to go fast, but in heavy weather they'll be going slow anyway, and I worry about kids falling overboard and needing space to run around a bit. The cockpit area seems too small and being in one hull also seems cramped.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@tlevans62 Or maybe a fast foiling dinghy to carry aboard a more cruisy home? Might be the best of both worlds!

[@catamaransOutremer]

@@SailingTipsCa 🖐

[@gradycooper475]

I too am concerned about the new boat. I was a marine mechanic, rigger, etc. for over thirty years. Beyond the good points made in this video I also hope that Rapido/Yanmar are going to replace that engine. It filled with seawater through the exhaust and stayed like that for more than a week. It should have had a riser tank and baffles. I would certainly would not want that to be my "new" engine. I also noticed that it seems very loud inside the boat while underway. (I may be wrong - it could just be the recording) It may not seem like much, but it gets tiring/tough to travel in a noisy atmosphere. The other boats that they have cruised in were thicker and heavier materials and therefore quiet compared to Carbon fiber. I really hope that they do well with the new boat and understand the benefits that Reilly is after as far as being fast enough to avoid heavy weather. I just hope it all works out for this young family.

[@smulismuli7976]

That slamming sound is unbearable in the long run

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes I hope Yanmar/Rapido gives them a new engine too. Carbon boats are incredibly noisy inside because carbon is a great transmitter of sound!!!

[@midwestlakelife]

@@SailingTipsCa Did not know this. Thanks for the information.

[@langdons2848]

I spent some time designing my ideal boat a few years ago for solo/short handed sailing and came to the conclusion that a cat ketch rig was the best choice - in large part because of the smaller sail size and easier sail handling especially on the 54' length I was aiming for.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes a ketch is a great way to break the sail plan down into more manageable pieces!

[@DavidMcdonald-df8tb]

Also the boat has a very small living area. I fear for the kids getting bored and venturing out when the parents turn their heads for a moment and then their gone. I love this family and will be heartbroken if that happens

[@SailingTipsCa]

I hope they can stay safe!

[@PaulM_aka_4c21]

Totally agree, very concerned for them making it difficult to want to watch them anymore. Plus lack of free safe outdoor space for the kids is very worrying as well.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I hope they can make it work!

[@ozwrangler.c]

Ever spend a day indoors, with way more space, with active kids? Parental sanity at risk 😢

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@ozwrangler.c LOL excellent point!

[@mikejelinek1413]

You can see the stress on both of their faces. I feel bad for them really in a tough spot, personally, I thought they were making a mistake going to the Pacific, the whole family seemed very happy in the Caribbean.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think the main reason they went to the Pacific is because they happened to take delivery of the Rapido in Vietnam. I hope they can find happiness!

[@rickemmet1104]

As concerned as I am about the safety of all on board La Vagabonde, they can route themselves to avoid most of the bad stuff that can come their way. I hope they do!@@SailingTipsCa

[@SailingLaVagabonde]

One does tend to experience stress when surrounded by storms packing 40-50+ knots…

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@SailingLaVagabonde Yes the timing of the departure for multiple logistical reasons was suboptimal and I think any sailor would have experienced stress in those conditions!

[@MsHappy-u5o]

I was very surprised they decided to go ahead with the 1st trip after weather warnings!

[@Gaolii]

Vietnam is weird with exit timetables- but moreso Im sure Riley made that decision primarily because he had experienced crew on board and would not have done so otherwise.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes I think having the Rapido guys on board contributed to the decision to leave in suboptimal conditions.

[@simonpickering2665]

I call b.s on that reason to leave vietnam - I have had race yachts I manage enter nha trang for safe haven and the Vietnamese have been extremely accommodating

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@simonpickering2665 Good to know - I guess if you ask they might say “no” but if you don’t ask it’s pretty much guaranteed!

[@hannujarvela9209]

They are on a learning curve. Performance boats need performance sailing attitude and the attitude change might be bigger than expected. It's hard to think far forward if your learning curve limits your tought range to stay inside the boat. The video didnt explain why they didnt furl the flogging sail or how were they not able to depower the boat? Inexperience or really a suprise squall? Weather radar helps on that and (maybe) they need the extra time on a bigger boat that a radar gives. The boat is fine. They just need to use smaller sails. a smaller jib on the roller, smaller roach on the mainsail, maybe even a mainsail that is "reef1" for easier control. Doesnt look as cool tough, I know. If your idea is to cruise effortlessly and worryfree around the world, then high performance sail setup is not that. With smaller sails the boat will be a very stable and safe platform, as it is meant to hold alot more canvas. Is a performance boat with a cruising suited sail set a race horse pulling shit-carts? In my opinion no. It will beat any cruising oriented cat under sail, exspecially upwind even if they had half of the sail they do now. Those party dresses could be used when sailing crewed, racing or when the kids grow up. Notable is also that more rapid and sharp movement of the boat. That will take some time to adapt. Some people never do and change back to a catamaran.

[@SailingTipsCa]

No the video didn’t explain why they didn’t furl the staysail, but I’ll harbour a guess that they 1) believed it was the right sail for the job so 2) they were trying to steer downwind and expected it to fill once they did that 3) the sailplan was overpowered by the main and the boat went into irons (stuck head to wind) which meant they couldn’t steer down. Boats with huge roachy mains can go into irons very easily if you’re not expecting it. I agree that the boat itself is a very stable platform and not the problem per se. As you noted a more conservative sail plan including a pinhead main might be the ticket if they’re short-handed. I was also surprised by the pitching motion of the boat from the drone shots. It’s characteristic of lighter boats but I thought the T-foil rudder would have prevented that. But maybe they weren’t going fast enough for the T-foil to be effective.

[@hannujarvela9209]

@@SailingTipsCa If I understood correctly they had 2 guys from Rapido sailing with them so getting overpowered by the main and getting an unsteerable boat would have been a grammarschool mistake OR the guys were good shipwrights but not that experienced power-multi sailors. If the latter, the they are wrong crew for a 600 mile shakedown. Guessing is the trademark of the armchair sailors, so I'll make mine: The furler got stuck. after that they were having escalating problems on a short handed crew. Too much canvas up started it. Why didnt they lower the sail is also beyond me. Obviously the mast was still supported when the tack with the furler came lose. It is a fight if something like that happens even with a full crew and will overburden a 2 man crew easily on a much smaller boat. The boat bit them from the arse as the leash was too slacky due to learning curve. At least it was a real shakedown and small misjudgements are pretty common when learning new things. They got the furler back, the sail is repairable, boat is upright and crew is with all fingers still. You can get into worse accident with bicycle.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@hannujarvela9209 Yes they did have some guys from Rapido on board and I’m not aware of their sailing experience on boats of this size given that Rapido has only produced a handful of them so far. I also don’t have a ton of experience on boats this size but did spend a couple of weeks this past summer on boats with very similar headsail setups with Karver halyard locks and structural furlers. Both are finicky and require practice to use because there’s a very specific procedure to furl and/or lower the sail. Essentially you have to start by going in the opposite direction as the final result to “unlock” either the furler or halyard lock. I can’t tell exactly what kind of furler is on that staysail but as you noted there’s a distinct possibility that they did try to furl but it jammed and/or they may have been fighting the lock and/or trying to furl in the wrong direction. And the halyard is only strong enough to raise the sail because the lock takes the sailing loads. So I think there’s a distinct possibility the light 1:1 halyard would have broken under the flogging sail as it would be weaker than the 2:1 tack line that actually did break. But then the sail would have fallen into the ocean connected by only the sheets. Not sure if that would have been better. The structural stay on the furled jib would have kept the mast up so no concerns there.

[@jamesaron1967]

There seemed to be a substantial amount not mentioned in the Vagabond's video. I don't think we have all the crucial information. Much of what's being commented here about their rocky passage is conjecture without being there or being told everything. Agreed about what you said concerning the sail plan.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@jamesaron1967 Definitely don’t have all the information, but I really think that staysail downhaul should have been 3:1 instead of 2:1 which might have prevented that particular failure. I’ve been on much smaller boats with 3:1.

[@sailingsoutherneze8225]

Thought the same thing when i heard they were getting a new boat

[@SailingTipsCa]

Hopefully they can somehow make it work!

[@markp.7165]

I know nothing about sailing but I see this as a similar situation to my aunt and uncle faced back in 1968. They bought a 1968 Corvette and after a brief honeymoon period realized it was not practical as a family car even thought there were only the two of them. My uncle loved that car and kept it until he passed away around 10 years ago but hardly ever drove the car. Again I know nothing about sailing and do have a great deal of respect for Riley's abilities but sometimes we guys lose sight of what is practical as a family man when we are still that young adventurer at heart.

[@SailingTipsCa]

When dreams and reality collide!

[@pcfanta]

Your analogy seems pretty much spot on. I think their new boat is beyond amazing and all. BUT then, I came to find myself thinking 'wait.. is it their 2nd boat intended to be occasionally used for weekend sailings..?' The layout itself is definitely far from being suited to a 'live-onboard' type of thing for a young couple with 2 kids and a supposedly soon to be growing crew. OR perhaps they really don't mean to live on it full-time..? in which case, something different and superior in areas that Riley pursues may make sense.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@pcfanta I agree that this is more of a boat for weekends and regattas but maybe they can make it work! Or they could have gotten something more livable and Riley could have joined some kind of racing program on another boat to go fast.

[@bernardlanguillier7970]

I have always thought that they should have gone with an Outremer 52 or 55

[@SailingTipsCa]

Those would have been excellent choices!

[@aliciadear]

The space and onboard safety for little kids has had me concerned since the made the announcement! Not practical. Maybe when the boys are teens, but not now..

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes it would be great if the kids were a bit older and could help sail the boat!

[@markgumprecht2295]

Great video! I built and sailed my own 40 foot tri for my many years, and the loads on a 60 ft boat would be tremendous! No way the staysail should break lose from the deck! No way they should give them this boat until it was fully tested! Watch Nicky and Jason’s video on HH cats testing their boats before turning it over to the owners to see how this is done! They did a terrible job of making this boat safe for kids! No lifelines on the amas? The foredeck is a a very lively area to work on with tris, not much to hang onto. The small nets on either side are not much security. I brought the pulpit on my boat back to the beams, and with some netting, it made this into a very secure area. Hard to have much crew on this boat, as it doesn’t have the accommodations of a cat. I’m sure this boat would be amazing to sail, but a handful in stronger winds.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Cool that you built your own Tri! Yes the loads on this 60 would be enormous and much bigger than what most people would be used to. I also agree that the staysail furler shouldn’t have torn off the deck. I’ve been on much smaller multis with 3:1 downhauls on structural furlers and this one only looked like 2:1. I think them leaving on a forced timeframe was part of the problem. The World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations have good guidelines for safety gear (e.g. lifelines, pulpits) that racers have to follow but cruisers could also benefit from.

[@dancarter482]

@@SailingTipsCa Can't _believe_ Riley took his family out there like that - just too much pressure on top of getting used to a whole new way of sailing. I don't follow them at all, only watched to see the boat as I've been in discussion with Rapido in the past. All in all not impressed with the company at all. The noise made by those carbon amas is a dealbreaker! Always had my doubts about that exposed raised helm position but was considering an R50 with a decent autohelm system. Now I've seen the cowboy antics like the pigs-ear craning fiasco etc. I think I'll take my business elsewhere!

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@dancarter482 Yes might have been better for Riley to have done the shakedown with the Rapido guys while Elayna and the boys fly and meet them at the destination. And all-carbon boats are very noisy inside!!! A more pragmatic solution is glass and epoxy over foam with carbon in key structural areas.

[@dancarter482]

@@SailingTipsCa Alustar aluminium all the way for me - BIG CAT!

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@dancarter482 Aluminum would be another good choice, like a Mumby 48!

[@michaelh8854]

Thanks for the technical analysis. Yes it seems like Riley is having a reality check when asking rapido to redesign a standard system with the hooks. Keep in mind that he single hand sailed his previous boat many many times. Not only is this boat sporty and powerful for all the reasons you mentioned but it also doesn’t have space for crew to be comfortable with 2 children already onboard that can’t help sail for at least 5 more years.

[@SailingTipsCa]

According to the manufacturers specs the Rapido 60 is similar in weight to the Outremer 45 but with twice the sail area, so it’s a much more powered up machine, even if you take the manufacturers specs with a grain of salt! The Outremer also had nicely segregated accommodations due to the layout, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they figure out!

[@rickemmet1104]

So, with everything people are saying in these comments, one thing keeps coming back to my mind. That is how a multihull, such as the Rapido 60, can be sailed in a manner that keeps the sheet and other loads low and the motion easy. My thinking, when they first announced their choice, was that they intended to sail her reefed down or with just the jib or staysail in heavier air. Riley did allude to this in his comment. We'll have to see if they follow through with that idea or not. By the way, nice video! All of us are so keen to give our two cents worth on this issue, most of us completely forgot to give you a thumbs up...@@SailingTipsCa

[@markdavis8888]

I just used roller boom reefing for the first time on our F31r. It sure was easy and quick.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes it’s been a very successful means to reef in many Farrier / Corsair boats!

[@harten66]

Im not gunna lie, I already miss the last boat

[@SailingTipsCa]

It was a nice boat!

[@nz_sailor]

That was the perfect platform for what they were doing. Sailing about and vlogging. The money and energy poured into this new project, in my mind anyway could have been put to good use exploring the far flung reaches of the planet.

[@jamesaron1967]

@@nz_sailor I think they have some help with the financing and I don't mean their successful channel. The Rapido 60 is a very expensive yacht especially outfitted the way it is.

[@buffalokay]

SAME

[@timhennigan4294]

They haven't been a "sailing" couple for years now. If significant sailing is to be done, Riley does it and Elayna and kids fly to meet. Then they live on the boat at anchor or dock, as well as for short hops. This pattern will now become more restricted, with Riley wanting to sail more and Elayna less, thinking it even more impractical--and that's what will happen. That's not to say that the Rapido was a good idea. For that determination, ultimately it's up to them, and none of my business.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes that may be what they’re thinking - Riley sails and Elayna and the boys fly and they connect up. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with!

[@itp1967]

Glad to see this video, I've been watching those guys since the beginning and thought the same thing. The rapido 60 is a nice boat but not suitable for a husband and wife team with 2 young kids. I was thinking the catamaran was a much better family boat.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes this would be a good boat for the Caribbean regatta circuit so I’m hoping they can also make it work as a family boat!

[@russmarkham2197]

I disagree. I think the trimaran is suitable for a family. As Riley says, it needs to be sailed conservatively. Trimaran is safer than both cats and monohulls in certain respects. The biggest positives are the many waterproof segments (unsinkable), and the shallow draft when rudder and dagger board are up, and the two engines.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@russmarkham2197 Yes the multiple watertight compartments in each hull are a huge plus for the trimaran form!

[@itp1967]

It's not the sailing I was thinking about, it was the living arrangements as well, It's a family of 4 and they sometime travel with crew, and that boat only has 2 staterooms. Crazy! @@russmarkham2197

[@phoebewittwag622]

Also, there was a full crew on that sail. On solo sails they just wouldn’t use as much power, right? Better to have the option of more power in an emergency, right?

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes they had a few guys from Rapido on board helping out for that sail. Riley said in one of his comments above that had it just been him and Elayna they would have just used the staysail and not raised that huge 125m² (1,345 ft²) main sail.

[@pulehushortribs157]

nice boat, can't beat the space and livability that 2 hulls afford, I'm not in a rush, comfort is #1 for me. ✌❤🤗

[@SailingTipsCa]

With something like an Outremer 55 or 5x you could have both speed and space!

[@seannangle6114]

Please do more longer form content like this!

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks for the feedback! Can you be a bit more specific - do you mean commentary on sailing events of common interest? Or something else?

[@sail4life]

Same worries here... Heading out shorthanded on a boat with basic systems that are essentially inoperable or on the verge of it is extremely dangerous. I hope they find workable solutions quickly before something irreversible happens. However, just because systems don't exist now doesn't mean they can't be custom designed at short notice. There's still hope.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I try to be a glass-is-half-full person and I hope they get things sorted soon. The next few episodes will be interesting!

[@russmarkham2197]

They were not shorthanded on the shakeout sail.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@russmarkham2197 Riley did say in his comment above that they pushed the boat on the shakedown precisely because they had crew!

[@bobhodges3116]

As an owner of a Dragonfly 32, I get why Riley went for the Rapido 60. Time will tell if it works out for his family needs but I think he is conservative enough in his thinking and seamanship to always have his priorities straight for safe sailing first. He demonstrated that often with the Outremmer. It’s interesting the comments about how trimarans are so complex. My wife and I doublehand our Dragonfly and we’ve crossed the Gulf twice with the heaviest sailing we’ve done at night in 22-28 knots of wind. With proper reefing, we’ve never felt uncomfortable and the loads have been very manageable for us (my wife is smaller than Elayna). Our sail inventory includes an RF gennaker, RF Code Zero, RF 110% genoa, and mainsail. We’re adding a third reef to the mainsail and seriously considering adding an ATN Gale Sail. The DF 32 is 27’ wide and we do use harness and tether in both the cockpit and on deck at night and if the wind is over 12 knots day and night. We don’t have to access the floats while sailing and I feel quite safe if I need to go beyond the cockpit onto the deck by the cabin and even on the foredeck with the pulpit and molded handholds in the cabin top making that transition easy and safe. I wish them the best of luck. I might reach out to Riley to see if I can help him with his boat. I’ve been a high performance sailor for over 40 years, owned a Corsair trimaran for 16 years, still race A-Class catamarans, and I did a gig for 7 years on a Gunboat 66 (so I know about high sheet loads!).

[@SailingTipsCa]

The Dragonfly 32 is a very nice boat! I also understand the appeal of the larger Rapido tris being an F-82R owner myself. I also don’t understand why people think tris are more complex, with the only real complexity over many boats being the rotating wing mast, which isn’t that complex. The biggest issue I see with the Rapido 60 for a cruising couple is the magnitude of the sail plan e.g. 125m² (1,345 ft²) main sail. I’m happy to see Riley and Elayna have Forest on board for extra help, and it would be cool if you could also help them out with your experience!

[@bobhodges3116]

Cool that you have an F-82R. I sailed quite a bit on a couple of F-25C’s about 20 years ago (Lyman White’s (RIP Lyman) and with Randy Smyth several times when he had YO) and I used to see Bruce Kuerten who also had an F-82 R (did you buy his boat?) when he would come to the Corsair events in the Florida panhandle. They are wonderful boats to sail, so lively and balanced. I used to own a Sprint 750 before the Dragonfly, loved that boat too.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@bobhodges3116 My F-82R was built up here on the west coast of Canada in the Vancouver / Vancouver Island region and I agree it is very lively and balanced! I don’t believe it’s been to any of the Corsair events on the East Coast. The Sprint is a great boat too, but with a bit less floatation than the F-25C / F-82R. My wife is Danish so I have a soft spot for the Dragonflies.

[@shaeheart]

You’ve covered the sailing/technical aspects. The two issues I see with this boat are: 1. It’s too small to live aboard for a growing family who also want crew/friends/ nanny on board. They underestimate how much living space is needed for a growing family, homeschool, work, friends, relaxing, sleeping crew etc. 2. The interior looks like someone with ADHD had lots of ideas and used them all. The living/kitchen interior is very dark which is causing filming problems. They now have massive tonal contrast in their filming and are struggling with very dark holes in the interior background with no detail. They have no light interior surfaces to reflect light. They are now talking to camera sitting in the doorway to get the reflective light from the white exterior. From a photography perspective it’s a disaster.

[@wright85]

Yes, totally agree with your comments regarding the interior. I have been following them for years so was very surprised by the decorating choices. As you pointed out, they need to at least lighten up the dark areas for the sake of better filming results. I find the interior quite depressing.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think they were trying to get away from the typical white interior and get something more “trendy” but as you noted it has been sub-optimal from a filming perspective!

[@shaeheart]

@@SailingTipsCa thankfully Rapido talked Riley out of keeping the entire interior black carbon fibre or they’d be living and filming in a black hole.

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@shaeheart Yes black carbon looks cool at first, but the pros on IMOCAs, VOR 65s complain about how dark and depressing it is inside those boats because it seems to suck up all the light and you feel like you’re in a cave!

[@rickfunk1355]

I agree with you completely. The faster and bigger boats puts more demands on the crew. When I heard that they were buying the Rapido 60, I thought then that it would be too much of a boat for the both of them. Guess we will have to wait and see.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I hope they can somehow make it work!

[@Suecoloco1]

Totally agree. Also docking as in crappy situations on a 60 with just 2 people. And coming from twins screws. Our boat is a Sweden yachts 38. Just under 39 ft. We been sailing all our lives but getting overpowered overwhelmed or an simple injury or I want to go solo I wait be comfortable. D as o we stay under 40 ft. And the tri is in my opinion s mono hill from interior usable space as a live aboard the cat seems far more intelligent. My opinion. I am almost 60 they are young different thought process. Hope this boat doesn’t kill the desire to continue their adventure

[@SailingTipsCa]

I agree with you on all points! I’ve also sailed a Sweden 38 and it was a great boat!

[@aeasus]

What is the size of the habitable space between the 2 boats? Because the outriggers on the trimaran can not be used under sail, it doesn't appear like there was any space gained. Just more storage space.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Catamarans generally have more living space than an equivalent sized trimaran or monohull.

[@nickglasson9123]

I can sense some land time for Elayna and the kids while Riley and some mates do some bigger passages while leaning how to sail the rapido 60

[@SailingTipsCa]

That is certainly a viable solution!

[@brianc4917]

I agree with you 100% totally the wrong boat! Why get a boat that you are full exposed while you have to steer the boat. This boat is more for day cruising or racing not offshore cruising! They will never admit it but it comes thru on their videos. A Catamaran is way better for cruising with a family!

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think this would be a great boat for the Caribbean regatta circuit so we’ll see if they can also make it into a live-aboard cruiser!

[@kayetaylor5551]

I have been surprised at the size of the new boat...it appears very small because a lot of the living is outside and the tri is more a sports bit of kit rather than a home....doesn't look comfy to me...I saw an electric trimaran and it looked huge and comfortable and more like a home

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes trimarans typically have much less living space than a catamaran of equivalent length, but they do tend to perform better, which I think is what Riley was after.

[@deepeddysf]

Some thoughtful tips here. Looking at upsizing from a 31 to 42 racing monohull and having some of the same concerns albeit not at the level of a 60 ft tri.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I had a 42 foot monohull that I raced extensively and I found it to be manageable in most conditions but as I said I was often thankful I didn’t have a bigger boat. I think you should try spending some time on other people’s 42 foot racers if you haven’t already.

[@SailingLaVagabonde]

You should be able to single hand a well set up boat up to 60’. People are doing it in 70’ boats, the crucial thing is how it’s set up and making the change before the problem occurs. That is what we are dialling in now.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think it depends on how you plan to use the boat. I like to be able to fly a spinnaker in 20 knots of wind double-handed, which I can do on a 42 foot boat but I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable doing on a 60 foot boat without a skilled crew.

[@deepeddysf]

Sailing on San Francisco Bay and offshore. Biggest concerns are reefing/dousing the main and docking. Currently requires 4 people to get the main down including helm and pit. Probably adding lazy jacks and would consider harken mast track. Could add bow thruster but all adds up $$. I suppose with enough fenders anything is possible.

[@bob75819]

I watched their tour of the boat and it looked like something the seventies threw up

[@SailingTipsCa]

I understand they wanted a “non-traditional” interior!

[@dougo5635]

It's great that this is such a highly performing boat but all that means nothing to a cruiser trying to live on the sea. Trying to keep boat, body and soul together through storms, mechanical breakdowns and no wind are the real challenges of cruising, not "how fast can I go". This boat seems to be more racer than cruiser and those other things I mentioned have much more importance than how fast the boat can go, especially in the breakdown category. I hope that the need for speed doesn't come to a bad end for this family.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Maybe a larger performance cat for living aboard and Riley could join a racing program (on another boat) to fulfill his need for speed?

[@ozwrangler.c]

Riley isn't the most safety-conscious sailor, either - See videos of him sans lifejacket and/or harness in poor conditions

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@ozwrangler.c I wish he would set a better example in that regard!

[@martiniracer2150]

A 60-80ft monohull would have been a better choice, ketch rigged boats are great as no one sail is very big and is easy to keep sailing in stronger wind simply by cutting the number of sails up.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Ketches are definitely a great way to get the sail area while keeping individual sail sizes manageable!

[@EdwardTeach-k6d]

The Sailing La Vagabond family definitely has more sailing experience than I do, but I agree with this video. I' purchased a new multihull from a factory in France that was too big for my family to handle and sold when reality sunk in. I always needed to a hire crew from France. This means paying crew insurance, airfare, and salaries. Not to mention the lack of privacy. Looking up at this size mast and sails are intimidating to say the least. In my humble opinion yacht needs 2-3 burly sailors to handle systems at a minimum. No offense to Alyna but she is tiny. You never think an accident will happen to you at sea. But, when it does you need to be prepared and it scares the s^^&% out of everyone. Respect sailing and oceans or you will die its that simple. From the pictures it looks small but it looks like a massive racing boat. A gunboat catamaran of this size definitely needs a crew.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m pretty fit and I find manhandling sails larger than 750 square feet / 70 square metres is pretty hard with just one or two people and Riley and Elayna’s new boat has several sails that are 2-3x this size!

[@bdmenne]

Brilliant assessment.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks - glad you liked it!

[@drinksafewater]

Imagine one of the kids or 'experienced' crew falling overboard - remember the jib incident ?- Not a chance in hell of safely retrieving

[@SailingTipsCa]

Crew overboard is IMHO the most serious issue facing any sailing boat. In rough conditions it is VERY difficult to get somebody back on board even when all systems are working properly.

[@Bill_N_ATX]

The problem with adding crew is that they don’t have the room. I’ve seen trimarans which have actual living space on the two outer hulls, but in this case they aren’t that big. This makes sense for a high performance boat but not a cruising boat with a couple kids on it. I think they will learn that you really can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can get a fast cruiser but not an ultra high performance cruiser.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes an Outremer 55 or 5X would have provided more speed AND accommodation for nannies, crew etc!

[@raha1277]

Yes they absolutely did, they still have Riley sleeping in the galley with one of the kids. Thats only going to work for another year or two max.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes this would be an awkward arrangement as the kids get older!

[@stevehall5863]

Well I'm struggling to understand why they went with a tri and not a cat? Their Tri doesn't look like there is much space in the cabins.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Overall I think an Outremer 55 or 5X cat would have provided better performance than their old cat and still had lots of accommodation!

[@murrayspiffy2815]

Riley wanted a "sporty boat" over a "practical boat." With two kids and their mother - Riley zigged the "me" tack - when he should have zagged the "we" tack. guess you could say - "situation normal - all fff'd up."

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes it will be interesting to see how this all works out - I hope they can somehow make it work!

[@42ford42prefect]

I am not really much of a sailor so I could use some insight. What allows 60’ racing monohulls and tris with massively powerful sail plans to be sailed singlehanded around the world at race speed without too many issues, while this boat is so difficult to handle? Is it boat design, the 24/7 crew workload of racers, cost..? Great video, always interesting!

[@SailingTipsCa]

Good question! A high end IMOCA 60 would be something on the order of $10M to build whereby the Rapido 60 is “just” $2M and a production boat with margins to make a profit for the builder so the actual build cost would be less than that. Plus the pros that sail the IMOCAs normally spend months if not years training and refining the boat before they set out and they have comparatively massive sponsorship / operational budgets to run the program, repair the boat, pay shore crews to support them etc.

[@AM6154-gk7tx]

It's the same story over and over again with some sailors. They start small and the only upgrade they know is bigger, bigger, bigger. Until the point when the boat sails with them instead of them sailing the boat. Fun is replaced with danger, injuries, stress, accidents and damage. Let's hope they come to their senses in time, before something bad happens.

[@MA-oq9yp]

"Fun is replaced with danger, injuries, stress, accidents and damage" and unfortunately......divorce. Several boats (the last a 48' tub of a cruising cat), 43 years with the 1 wife, I kept the wife 🙂

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes that’s the unfortunate reality - hopefully it doesn’t lead to the demise of their relationship! My wife was “tolerant” of sailing so I made the decision to “downsize” to a racing trimaran that I can race double-handed with my buddies while she does her own thing and we live in a nice house on dry land.

[@ozwrangler.c]

Well, they always joke about how accident prone Riley is. Also, too much footage on the Outremer where he's NOT wearing a lifejacket and/or harness in unsafe conditions ☹️

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@ozwrangler.c I wish Riley would set a better example with the life jacket / harness thing…

[@Nill757]

Well presented argument. There’s just no getting around the rig handling requirements of the bigger boats.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks! Yes there's no getting around that 125m² (1,345 ft²) main sail and two even larger head sails!!!

[@Nill757]

@@SailingTipsCa sheets of big sails can have tons of pull on them in a blow. Cant man handle that like you can in a 40’. That stay-sail ripped up like you say was an example of the force involved.

[@kevind1555]

I'm not sure if this is the right boat for them at this time in their lives... I know that Riley wants speed...but I think more of a cruising catamaran might be a better choice for their young family... We'll see...Time will tell... I wish them good luck and good sailing...👍

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes too bad the kids aren’t a bit older to help sail the boat!

[@kevind1555]

@@SailingTipsCa Yes... But we don't want to rush things... Kids should be kids as long as they can be kids... childhood is the best time of their lives...👍

[@SailingTipsCa]

@@kevind1555 Excellent point!

[@miyu545]

With any sailor and sailboat, or even motor boat - you get the boat you need to fit your situation and intent. It struck me that this boat was chosen as a family boat, a home. It's not. It's racing boat. So it can go 20 knots, 25 knots, who cares when you don't have anywhere else to be other than living off the ocean. Made no sense to me. With two kids on board, I think it was a reckless decision - but I do hope they figure it out.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I love this boat but think a performance cat, or Riley joining a racing program to go fast might have been better for their particular situation! Still as you I hope they can make it work!

[@holodeckdragon8876]

I tend to agree. They will need exra help. That virgin sail was like a beast out of control!

[@SailingTipsCa]

At least three extra crew would be VERY helpful!!!

[@sgeis77]

It’s without a doubt an awesome boat, but as a live aboard for a family of 4, I feel that it is quite small.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I agree it's an awesome boat but would also be nice for the boys to have a space of their own to escape to.

[@rdholmes2007]

I love Riley and Elayna and the boys which is why I am worried about them on Mango Magic. No room for the 2 crew they need to make sailing and filming life onboard, safe and enjoyable. It’s ok to call it a day in 6 months or sooner, sell Mango on and get an Outremer 52 or 5X if they want the extra speed. We would watch them on any boat because it’s about the family and the journey, not the boat or the destination. Mango is a beautiful machine and would have been perfect for the pre-kid years but it’s not the right boat for a young family. My fav times watching the videos have been when they’ve had a lovely nanny to help with the kids and a really capable sailor to assist Riley. The Rapido is not designed for 4 / 5 cabins.. the decision to buy the rapido seems to have been driven by Riley wanting a new sailing experience and a belief that filming it all will help the viewing numbers, but not about the boys or the families general mental health…

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes something like an Outremer 5X would have performed well and had tons of accommodation for nanny and crew!

[@MrM-hl1vp]

That would be cool to see you onboard with them.

[@SailingTipsCa]

That would be fun!!! Each time I’ve sailed a bigger boat with halyard locks etc I’m thankful that my boat is small enough that I can use “normal” sail handling gear like clutches!

[@jimdavids6708]

It’s really stressful watching the two toddlers confined 24 hours a day in the tiny living space worrying that they will fall overboard. It was a selfish decision to get this boys toy.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I hope they can make it work!

[@grahamtrembath4951]

Agreed.

[@davidrmmurray877]

Well, I have followed this story since Reilly bought the beniteau, I am Australian, owned mono's and multis and a master marina. I felt like writing about them encouraging people with no experience to start offshore sailing without enough experience when they started but didn't. As the previous owner of a 60ft carbon fibre multi, with D4sails, wing mast and major race results and passage records to boot, who used to take my young family out on coastal cruises cruises. I think once again that I will bite my tongue and not make any comment except not the choice I would consider for a world cruiser with kids.

[@SailingTipsCa]

An interesting case in point akin to yours is that the renowned navigator Stan Honey with many major campaigns and records chooses to sail a Cal 40 monohull as his personal boat! I think the Rapido would be a great boat for the Caribbean regatta scene, but I think something like an Outremer 5x would be much more practical for world cruising with way more space while still offering decent performance.

[@sailfastnow]

Sailing a tri is definitely has it's +'s and -'s. Riley is right, you don't have to sail balls out all the time. I reef my F27 early and it makes things a lot easier to manage in a blow. The nice thing about tri's (at least the Farriers/Corsairs) is that in you can sail with a small head sail only and still make good progress and be safe. Keep an eye on that leward float! If you are consistently burying it - time to shorten some more sail :) BTW, what you loose on interior space, you gain back on the exterior. The nets are a great place to hang out. Just clip in kidos.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes reefing early is key, and in squally conditions it’s not a bad idea to keep the reefs in between squalls!

[@Matt-e4x]

It’s not a space shuttle, and so what if the bring aboard crew, sure it will take some time to fully learn the boat, they can sail it conservatively it the mean time.

[@SailingTipsCa]

They have had crew aboard for certain passages before, like Nikki Henderson for their Atlantic crossing with Greta, so definitely doable!

[@jericlarke3809]

Their experience is a good lesson for us all. A beautifully designed 45 ft boot is a no brainer

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think 45 feet is about the sweet spot of performance and manageability for a couple. So many boats sit in the marina because people got in over their heads and lack the skills to sail them so they’re afraid to leave the dock.

[@WayOfHaQodesh]

Great tips and observations.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Thanks! I hope they can somehow find a way to make it work.

[@MrBertHeylen]

You are absolutely right. They started a journey years ago and from that came a KZbin channel. But in the meantime, that's a business that needs to be run. And it needs to be bigger and bigger. Influenced by commercial deals and sponsors.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes they’ve been hugely successful which has also changed their content as time has passed.

[@MrBertHeylen]

€€€ $$$ @@SailingTipsCa

[@jonstivers]

Could not turn downwind to ease pressure on the sails, but then the sails flogged? I can't picture it, except they don't know how to sail.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Definitely an element of not being used to a boat like this at play! Sometimes on multihulls with very large flat top main sails the main will act the tail of a wind vane and point the bow of the boat into the wind and the boat gets stuck in irons. In that case the key to turning downwind in a breeze is to ease the sheets much more than you think you have to before turning the boat to prevent this from happening.

[@rickemmet1104]

For all the reasons you mentioned, I've wondered about a completely different rig for a multihull of 60 feet or so. Randy Smyth developed a "hybrid wing" that has been used by him (on a small trimaran) and also on a new catamaran design, the "Eagle 53." This has to be considered an experimental rig, but it looks very promising. The sheet loads are about 40% of what you'd expect for a standard rig, it produces less lee force and is more efficient too.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Looks like a cool concept - I’m looking forward to learning more about it!

[@rickemmet1104]

Jim Brown did a video on this rig and catamaran, you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaCqgX2ieaete7M @@SailingTipsCa

[@lololala4164]

It's exactly the same when you change your old 250cc motorbike for a new 990cc. At the beginning you scare yourself and after a while, you mastering it ...

[@SailingTipsCa]

That’s an excellent analogy - you might even wind up being faster in the end if you get a 500cc motorbike in between!

[@LeeYvesMexico]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I'm not a sailor. I am worried for this family, she's fast and fun for short-term races and cruises when you're 100 % hands on to handle her. Things can go bad fast, right ! I'll be praying for this family ❤

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Briefly, a boat like this can be very safe if sailed at much less than full power. A Ferrari is safe if driven at normal speeds.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes it just requires that you reduce sail early! I think the boat itself is quite sound and from a great design team.

[@Herofromzer0]

İm watching them till their first episode they came this size with baby steps and Rapido 60 is extreme beast i belive they can manage it. New boat new problems they have to figure out only.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes I hope they can make it work!

[@Papaondas]

I totaly agree with you, and I thank you for bringing this subject to public. What he have here is a new way of sailing, is not to sail a performance cruising boat, is to sail a new generation of ultra performance cruising boats and this type of sailing is not suitable for having one young children on board and a baby, doing it on the first passage it's madness . they should get the boys behind , test all the systems, get use to the boat, learn the boat limits, get use to that unprotected helm station , sailing at least in my opinion 1000 miles before getting the kids on board . regarding the reef system, why not having a boom furling system, this boat is so performant that a few extra kilograms will not make any diference performance wise, but would be a boost in safety

[@SailingTipsCa]

That’s what I would have done too - shake down the boat without the kids!

[@americanswan]

I am not a sailor and I was concerned with everything breaking in the their last video. I was concerned the build quality was an issue but this video and comment section really point out build quality is not the issue. Rapido build good boats. Glad to hear it. So now the concern is the boat is too powerful and massive loads are on various points of the system. I am glad Riley is informed and dealing with the situation and willing to learn.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Yes I’m really hoping they can make this boat work!

[@BillJohnston-y7o]

Taking it out of the water in many places isn't happening, more trouble than it's worth.

[@SailingTipsCa]

Docking options are more limited too!

[@neilshahndynasty.8882]

Yes they got the wrong boat for A family.They got the right boat for A sailor that wants to go fast and not have A family on board. imo.

[@SailingTipsCa]

It would be a great boat for the Caribbean regatta circuit - hopefully they can also make it into a family cruiser!

[@EdwardTilley]

Good insights. On a performance boat things happen more quickly, so when you need systems to just work, they have to work. The double-sized sail plan on the Rapido 60 is clearly a danger in that way. Without skilled crew and all systems proven and working, things can and will go badly per your comments here. A good shakedown cruise for sure, and a clear indication that this boat is not the right choice for a young family.

[@SailingTipsCa]

I think the shakedown might have been a bit of a reality check. Riley seems motivated per his comments above so I’m really hoping they can make it work!