An Epic Encounter

[Marlene A. Sassaman]

It isn't every day two pioneers in the multihull faction have dinner together. So it was last Monday when Jim Brown on the left and Sam Bradfield had the opportunity to swap stories of their involvement over the past 50 years. Jim gets kudos from his Searunner line of trimarans while Sam boasts advances in the world of hydrofoils. Sam's latest design has been recently launched and is undergoing sea trials. A contrast in their protege's can be compared with a quick internet search. Jim's videos can also be viewed at  www.outrig.org.

Lucky me to have been fortunate to have sailed on Sam's early designs when he was using old Hobie 16s as a prototype for his more recent developments. While my intent was too simply have fun on a fast boat, Sam's scrutiny of every aspect of his designs has led him to become a respected designer in the world of tri hulled hydrofoils. At 94 years Sam shows no sign of relinguishing his drive for designing a state of the art foiler.

While Sam designs boats for speed Jim has made his niche in the cruising world. His sturdy, user friendly, comfortable trimarans have a reputation for seaworthiness. His book, "The Case for the Cruising Trimaran" is a must read for anyone contemplating their own offshore boat. Jim also worked with John Marples, who designed my recently purchased 35 foot tri.

The common thread between these two distinguished designers is their perseverance. Who can deny that trimarans and hydrofoils are not exactly the vision of the traditional yachting world? No doubt they have long tired of the synics.If you are not yet familiar with these guys do a quick google search and open up your world...............