La Vagabonde

Discovering the Rapido 40 and 50 in Thailand

We catch up with Elayna, Riley and their two sons Darwin and Lenny in Phuket, Thailand. While they are waiting for the delivery of their new Rapido 60, they were offered a unique opportunity to discover the manufacturer’s other sailing models, the 40 and the 50, out on the water.

La Vagabonde

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Published 31/03/2023

By Gilles Ruffet

Issue: 189

Published: may / june 2023

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Who: Elayna, Riley, Darwin and Lenny
Where: Thailand
Multihulls: Rapido 40 and 50
YouTube: @SailingLaVagabonde

On the agenda: a week of testing the Rapido 40, then a slightly longer sail on board the 50, in order to identify any necessary modifications to be made before they are delivered to their owners. On board the 40, the crew sailed to Koh Yao Yai and admired the incredible vertical limestone peaks for which the Thai coast is so famous. With the 50, it was the Ko Phi Phi archipelago that the small group was able to visit. The aim of these two tests for the family? “We wanted to find out for ourselves and for you guys what it’s really like to live and sail on trimarans”, explains Elayna. It was also a good opportunity to get to know these three-hulled craft before taking theirs in hand.
Discovering in turn the two little siblings of their future 60 is also a way of rediscovering sailing, and almost relearning certain things: “I love being a kook again. I love not knowing where the lines are, having to plan three steps ahead,” laughs Riley, “You have to think differently, you just got to always be planning the “what if” and then if that happens on top of that, what would you do?” This relearning translates for example into getting used to using the trimaran’s single engine instead of the two that were fitted on their catamaran. They also had to get used to the boom furler installed on the 50 at the owner’s request, which gave them a good scare when the mainsail came loose while sailing.
The family is enjoying sailing again after a break forced by the sale of their catamaran and the completion of the construction of their trimaran. The pair of YouTubers were seduced by the performance and space offered by the two models. For Elayna, the Rapido 40, although the smallest model tested, is versatile: “I can confirm that the 40-foot Rapido is fit for a single-handed sailor all the way up to a family of four full-time, and even six people for short periods of time. We could happily call this place home and not get claustrophobic, probably until the boys were teenagers and we needed a bit more space.”
These few weeks of sailing in Thai waters were definitely a welcome introduction to their future Asian cruises aboard their 60. Elayna and Riley recently unveiled their sailing plan, which should keep them busy for the next five years after the delivery of their trimaran. Their first destination will be Singapore. After that, they will head for Indonesia, specifically the Mentawai Islands and their surfing and fishing spots. Then it will be on to Bali, Lombok, Komodo and Rajat Ampat, followed by New Zealand, Patagonia, Easter Island, the Marquesas and Tahiti.
To follow the adventures of the La Vagabonde crew, their comprehensive exploration of the Rapido 40 and 50 or the construction of their 60, visit their YouTube channel @SailingLaVagabonde

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