10 Preconceived Ideas About Multihulls

True or false? Multihulls World has the Answers!

Although the concept of multihulls, i.e., boats with multiple hulls, is very old, the popularity of modern recreational catamarans and trimarans is fairly recent. This success has piqued the curiosity of some monohull enthusiasts while drawing criticism from others. Beyond the sterile controversy, if we start from the premise that no boat is perfect, it is legitimate to ask a number of questions. To validate certain factual observations but also to dispel a few persistent misconceptions, here is a look at 10 of the most common preconceived ideas about multihulls.

Published 01/08/2025

By Dominic Salander

Subscribers Only

Issue: 203

Published: oct. / nov. 2025

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A multihull costs more to buy than a monohull

Yes and no

For the same length, a multihull is much more expensive than a monohull, whether new, used, or chartered. But with the same surface area, it’s another story....

This is probably the first comment you hear about multihulls. In fact, if you simply compare a monohull and a production multihull of the same size, the price difference is obvious. However, you have to compare like with like. For the same length, a multihull will offer much more living space. For example, a 40-foot multihull has the same living space as a 50 or 55-foot monohull. It therefore makes sense to compare a 40-foot multihull with a 50-foot monohull. The level of finish is also important, and here too, multihulls often come out on top. For example, a well-equipped Lagoon 43 sells for around €700,000, while a Dufour 54, offering comparable living space, costs around €850,000 for a fully equipped version.

Multihulls can’t sail upwind

Largely false

Many multihulls are now capable of sailing upwind at angles equivalent to those of monohulls.

All performance-oriented multihulls with daggerboards are capable of excellent upwind performance. The advent of models with long daggerboards – sometimes curved – and rotating masts now make it possible to achieve excellent performance. During our latest tests, we recorded a close-hauled angle of 30° to the apparent wind aboard the HH44 and even 24° for the Cure 55 featured in this issue. As for trimarans such as the Neel and Rapido, they perform very well when tacking upwind. Obviously, the standard keels are less efficient than the daggerboards – they should be compared to ballasted lifting keel configurations in monohulls. Large production catamarans are content to sail at 45 to 60° to the true wind. It should be noted that the least efficient boats are those that suffer from excessive windage (bimini flybridge in particular) and fixed propeller drag.

At the helm of a multihull, you don’t get any sensation

Yes and no

Even when flat, catamarans are fun to sail and can sometimes offer plenty of thrills if there is a breeze.

Many boaters associate the pleasure of sailing on a monohull with the sensations provided by a fiery helm – forgetting that the boat heels, much to the dismay of the crew. It is true that a relatively heavy catamaran that remains flat offers less interesting sensations and that, in light winds, the helm may be entrusted to the autopilot. But given the now much more flexible steering mechanisms and the possibility of downwind speed, it sometimes feels like you’re piloting a Formula 1 with spray at the bows... all with stability and comfort that you don’t find on monohulls. It should be noted that trimarans, thanks to their slight heel, manage to offer sensations very similar (at least upwind) to those provided by monohulls.