test
Under sails, the great trimaran soon
shows all her power
It’s enough to press a button to reduce the beam
from 11.25 meters to 6 meters
This trimaran is impressive but,at the end of the day, she’s
easy to handle...
Upwind,with speed,the first spray
appeared quickly...
Box:
Hydraulic folding arms
THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM: BIG TRIMARANS DON’T HAVE ADVANTAGES ONLY.
IT ISN’T ALWAYS EASY TO FIND A BERTH AT ANCHORAGE, OR TO TAKE A
Woestenburg 49
The operation is very simple. First, you have to
empty the hydraulic rigging screws, to reduce tension on the hulls. The mast is then held by a pair of
LOCK. THE WOESTENBURG 49 HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM IN PART: SHE HAS
lowers which are useless when the boat is sailing:
FOLDING BEAMS. THIS CRUISING BOAT IS BOTH FAST AND COMFORTABLE.
they are released. The big pins (50 mm!) are then
removed; each one blocks a beam. With the motor
PORTRAIT OF A 3-LEGGED SHEEP!
running, the pump can activate the lifting system
(computer-assisted hydraulics), and slowly both hulls
T E XT
A N D
P H OTO G R A P HY
:
G I L L E S
R U FF E T
are lifted together and come into position, with the
beams nearly vertical, along the central hull. The
P
A line reminiscent of that of 60-footers...
or how
Everything in this trimaran was
designed for a couple to go on a
very faraway cruise...
to combine comfort and pleasure on 3 hulls...
What you’re likely to see when
you approach this boat:her rear
transom!
beam of the boat is reduced to 6 meters. Unfolding is
ort de Dahouët, Pléneuf-Val-
know - and be initiated to the secrets of sea-
A n d r é . Once
year, a t
going. The bubble is very beautiful, perfectly
Christmastime, this little port
designed. We would be testing it later at sea,
in Brittany, nestled in the Bay
but it should offer good protection from the
rudder is also hydraulic, like the centerboard. But the
a
performed in the same way. For safety purposes, the
rigging screws are activated by a manual pump. The
of Saint-Brieuc, hosts the
s p ra y. (Today, as is often the case, the wind
propeller shaft prevent the boat from resting. Even
local shipowner’s 7 big trawlers. But, on my
was blowing from where we wanted to go,
when the fins are lifted, she can be maneuvered
word as a man from Dahouëtin, we had
from Bréhat. The legend of Aeolus claims
thanks to the stem propeller, which is hydraulic too.
never seen a boat like this. A 50-foot trima-
that there are three kinds of wind: t o o
ran with folding beams! The entrance to the
strong, not strong enough, or in the wrong
port (one of the most beautiful!) is not very
direction.)
wide, but when in her sailing configuration,
the Woestenburg is very wide indeed, with a
At sea
Construction
Composite on every level. The beam fastening system is made of aluminum. It is completely integrated
in the central hull structure, the centerboard casing,
beam of over 11 meters. Once inside, despi-
We were ready to cast off. A convoy of more
te the lack of space, she turns on herself
than 150 nautical miles that was to take us
and mast cradle. The beams are also of aluminum,
thanks in particular to the stem propeller,
to Brest. All the running rigging goes to the
the hulls of epoxy sandwich and the mast of carbon,
and can be moored along this pier that is dry
cockpit. But, to hoist the mainsail, it’s faster
but, strangely enough, the staying is stainless steel
at low tide.
- and easier - to have one crewmember at
(rod and stranded). The boom is carbon and there
Erquy. Like Dahouët, a few nautical miles
the mastfoot, to help the other at the winch,
are carbon inserts. Despite all that, the displacement
away, Erquy is a shellfish port, with relative-
under cap. Otherwise, as is the case more
is nearly 10 metric tons.
ly few sailboats. Volume and power, such are
and more often on large boats, there is the
the obvious epithets, when you first see this
easy way out: hydraulics. The big Lewmar 54
fine craft, made both for cruising and for
starts with a button. There are three of
speed. She gives a definite feeling of infinite
them, with the two big 58s, the genoa sheet
s t u rd i n e s s. The crossbeams are convex
winches. And there an even bigger one, a 66
(entirely covered with solar panels), and the
manual, for the mainsail sheet. With the gea-
14 knots
11 knots
close reach
hulls, tilted slightly outward, give her a racy
ring down system it seems a little too much,
15 knots
8.5 knots
upwind
look. Nothing indicates this bird can re t ra c t
but it must be remembered that the mainsail
18 knots
8.8 knots
upwind
her wings. That’s something you have to
area is 91 m2! That’s pretty big.
10 knots
8 knots
upwind
SPEEDS OBSERVED
Wind
Boat
Allure
12 knots
10 knots
broad reach
The cockpit and helm station are
perfectly sheltered behind the
bubble
■
MultihullsWorld
+
pros
■The
cap:maximum comfort (this test was
conducted mainly upwind)
■The folding beams
■The trimaran’s unique thrills
■The Stirling generator
The WhisperGen generator, with a Stirling
motor, gives the trimaran all its energy
-
cons
■The
The WhisperGen generator,
with a Stirling motor
Great comfort for this trimaran
designed for cruising on the high
seas
boat’s displacement;it feels heavy
the lack of storage space in the
central hull
■Too much electronics; not for everyone
(comfort at all cost)
■The price...
■Paradoxically,
W
o
e
s
t
e
n
b
u
r
g
4
9
The mainsheet track is fastened on the cap,
Electronics are everywhere at
the chart table...
exercise our arms. But we didn’t list. Four
The companionway is a little
steep, but perfectly practicable
Inside
you eat. Across from the saloon is the gal-
which clears room. The cockpit is very ergo-
knots of adverse current complicated things
The companionway is pra c t i c a l , with 5 steps
ley... Upwind at 8 knots, you have to hang
nomic, no doubt about that. It isn’t very easy,
somewhat. We decided to sail inside Bréhat.
leading to the living are a . To port, t h e re is
on a little. It may move a little more than a
however, to have access behind the helm,
It must be remembered that, in places, the
the chart table. It is very impre s s i v e, with an
c a t a m a ra n , but just bare l y. And there ’s no
which is very broad. There is a lack of com-
width of the channel does not exceed 200
endless row of switches, worthy of the
lack of room for preparing meals.
L e t ’s have a closer look in front. The (very
partments. And what about the visibility?
m e t e r s.
bre e z e
control post in an industrial site. It is domi-
Don’t count on it too much, except for taking
enabled us to tack, among the stones, with a
The
contrary
10-knot
nated by large video scre e n . It must be
big) centerboard casing is just below the
position on one of the small steps around
50-foot trimaran! As if we were on a little
admitted that the chart plotter, with the
mast and also serves as the cradle for the
the cockpit. And being at least 1.75 m (5’9”)
dinghy (for our safety, we did start the
b o a t ’s integrated position, is very pleasant
s p a r s. Unlike many boats (cats in particu-
tall.
motor, without engaging the clutch...). The
and pra c t i c a l . Th e re is also a sonar (to pre-
l a r ) , Sounds of Silence has only one head.
Characteristics
With the wind at 10 knots, we were sailing
trimaran offered that unique thrill when you
vent meetings with Unidentified Floating
But it is vast, and really comfortable, w i t h
Designer: Peter Bosgraff
upwind at 8 knots. A first tack, after Les
go fast, while preserving that pleasure of
O b j e c t s , this device has a visibility in front
good ventilation. The toilet faces forward ,
Overall length: 14.95 m
Landas, and the breeze freshened slightly. It
being - the idea may seem old-fashioned - on
of the boat, u n d e r w a t e r, up to 300 meters).
the evacuation is electric, of course. . . Th e
Beam: 11.25 m / 6.00 m
took some 95° between two tacks, with lots
a boat that does list slightly, with one tack or
Not to mention the BLU, the Mini M,
washbasin is fairly large (no need to watch
the other. We left this maze of pink rocks.
Inmarsat C, e t c. On either side of the com-
your water consumption, since the desalinator can make as much as you need). Th e
Draft: 2.2 m/ 0.7 m
of help from the deep (2.20 meters) center-
Displacement: 9,500 kg
board. The cap’s qualities were confirmed: it
Seated on the windward hull, it planed, I savo-
p a n i o n w a y, under the cockpit, t h e re are two
Mainsail: 90.9 m2
provides perfect shelter underneath. By day,
red the present moment. The great seagull
c a b i n s , symmetric in shape, but with slight-
shower is a true compartment, r o u n d , s p ac i o u s , with a mixer faucet.
Genoa jib: 50 m2
Light genoa: 95 m2
Gennaker: 100 m2
Sleeping capacity: 6/8
Motor: Yanmar 50HP
the chart plotter repeater is almost impos-
was speeding on at nearly 9 knots, upwind.
ly different feature s. They are lined with
sible to read, and blocks the view in front.
The sea was flat, to port, the Heaux de Bréhat
some storage are a s , just enough for perso-
Th e n , t h e re ’s the fore cabin, which has a
You have to stick your head out from under
were shining with countless sunlit rays, filte-
nal effects, and a semblance of a library or,
little more storage space than the aft
red through the clouds. The pleasure of sailing
at least, a place for books. Every counter-
c a b i n s , w h e re your stuff piles up. W e l l , y o u
have to admit it. Th e re ’s plenty of room in
the cap to realize that, at 10 knots, there is
There’s no such thing as energy problems onboard
Sounds of Silence. Yet, in the course of these 30 hours
of sailing,we never checked our consumption (shower,
light, radar, freezer, electric burners...). The generator
operates on the principle of the Stirling external combustion engine: the burners heat the cylinder heads
from the outside. The gas (nitrogen) is dilated,and activates the cylinders. The motor turns at 1,500 rpm and
provide heat and electricity. Revolutionary? Not really,
since the idea goes back to the early 19th century.
Combustion is piloted by a microprocessor, according
to the oxygen level, and the exhaust, after cooling - it
helps heat the boat! - is released directly into the
atmosphere, above the waterline, through a simple
thru-hull.
Looking back. After nightfall, the WhisperGen has just
started running.It is programmed to start as soon as the
batteries fall under 30% of their maximum charge. But it
can also be specially programmed for hot water. Today,
the batteries are kept charged by the solar panels.
Seated on the fore berth under which the device is located,we were able to realize it is no noisier than an electric pump (it is listed at 44 dB at 7 meters).Of course, at
night at anchorage, it is preferable to stay in an aft
cabin.It is quite possible, however, to sleep here when
it is running, despite the heat it releases (no insulation
in its protection block!). The device is designed to operate in complete autonomy for weeks at a time, and
various sensors serve to interrupt its operation in case
of incident:flame, internal or external temperature...
Onboard Sounds of Silence, the generator supplies the
four ancillary batteries, 95 Ah each, mounted serially
(most apparatus are 24 V). The motor battery is 65 Ah.
The converter has continuous power of 2 kW, but can
peak at 6 kW, thereby supplying electricity to the compressor, as well as the induction stove, freezer and fridge (water-cooled condenser),microwave and standard
oven,desalinator, and all the electronics worthy of a jet
liner: Inmarsat,chart reader, BLU, Mini M,etc).
There is virtually no upkeep. The device works on its
own and provide virtually complete autonomy, as long
as there’s enough fuel.
s p ra y. The sea became a little rougher, near-
on the sea. Unequalled , exquisite joy.
molding is nicely enhanced by solid wood
ly 15 knots of wind pushing the foam on the
Reinout was responsible for the first watch.
angle bars. The finishing is exemplary. Th e
the hulls, no lack of space, even though it’s
crest of the waves. We pitched slightly; we
At 2 a.m., I woke up to take over, and prepa-
cabins do have a weak point: v e n t i l a t i o n .
best to avoid overloading them.
felt the boat’s displacement. The price to
red a cup of coffee. All in the greatest com-
Th e re are only two little panels. They may
pay for all the equipment onboard... With
fort: a cup of water in the microwave, I pres-
be sufficient in the North Sea in winter, b u t
Conclusion
Cockpit, overall length: 2.70 m
such a load, you can have doubts as to the
sed on a button, the water was already sim-
they may not be enough in Mediterra n e a n
This boat was designed for a couple to sail
Bathtub width: 70 cm
need for a carbon mast (but don’t forget: on
mering. I entrusted the watch to my crew-
w a t e r s , let alone in the Tr o p i c s , w h e re such
around the world, fast and comfortably. S o,
Headroom under cap: 1.56 m
a multihull, pitching is linked to the displace-
member and went to take a shower, to wake
a boat will inevitably end up at some time
nothing has been neglected. I tried my best,
Aft cabin, berth, max dimensions: 2 m x 1.40 m
ment in the upper works; decreasing the
up. Luxury sailing. We approached the Pointe
or other. The windward hull can be seen
but I found no major defects. The price, p e r-
Specifications
Headroom over the berth: 98 cm
weight of the rigging, reduces pitching
Stirling motor
Eau: 420 liters
Fuel: 600 liters
Generator: Whispergen Victron (see box)
Somes figures
de Bretagne at dawn. When we finally passed
through the hatches and it is funny to re a l i-
h a p s , or her displacement. It is a seaw o r t h y
b o a t . What a trimaran? Because we like fast
Power produced: 5 kW heat, 0.75 kW electricity
Headroom: 1.75 m,but just 30 cm width at the
accordinlgy). We passed the striated tower
Pointe Saint-Mathieu, we hoisted the light
ze that is just a catamaran : the windward
foot!
of Grand Léjon to starboard. Approaching
genoa, 95 m2 to secure the tack on the
hull never really touches the water surface.
boats with chara c t e r, f i e r y. This spirit also
Galley, headroom: 1.85 m min; over 3 meters
the cliffs of Plouha, we saw many monohulls
boom. Most of all, we had to be careful to
To port, a little higher (the desalinator is
means less habitability. Th a t ’s the price for
p l e a s u re.
Sounds of Silence, as you have sure l y
Displacement: 90 kg
Battery charging capacity: 200 Ah/12V, or 100 Ah/24V
Fuel: Diesel
Consumption: 0.7 l/h
wide.
tacking. Our course was pretty equivalent to
position the spars correctly, to be able to ins-
u n d e r n e a t h ) , t h e re is the saloon. It is very
Head: Headroom: 1.85 m min
theirs, to our disadvantage, but our speed
tall a pin to hold it. We easily hoisted the sail,
p l e a s a n t , with a seagull inlaid in the re d-
Forecabin, berth: triangle of 2.15 m x 1.80 m
was twice theirs! We were, obviously, bigger.
on furler, boosting our speed with that of the
wood tabletop (Gaviota, the boat’s first
u n d e r s t o o d , is a fine boat. Very comfor-
Information: Victron Énergie
wind: 10 knots for 11 knots. Sheer bliss!
n a m e, means seagull), to watch you while
t a b l e, with a good aptitude for speed.
www.victronenergy.com
Headroom: 1.85 m
■
MultihullsWorld
We tacked effortlessly, with . Just enough to
Bulk: 650 mm x 450 mm x 500 mm
■
MultihullsWorld