Magnum 18

VirusBoats have replaced the popular but anachronistic VirusPlus with this classic, new 18ft trimaran based on the outstandingly successful concept that was realised in the Magnum 21 trimaran.

By doing away with the traditional but seldom used cabin on a day boat and dispensing with a keel they have created fast, fun yet safe multihulls for the modern family.

The new Magnum 18 is a triumph. It has 20% less sail area than the 21 but about 40% less weight so performance is just stunning.

SAILS

The new, high-profile, main sail (available in DIAX as an option) is a masterpiece. There is a batten at the foot of the sail instead of a boom and there is no kicker.

The furling jib and main sail add up to 16m²and the 12m² radial cut furling gennaker and 21m² star-cut, asymmetric spinnaker mounted on a bowsprit provide even more power. Such a lot of power in such a small boat offers unparalleled acceleration because trimarans do not heel in gusts the way that dinghies and keel boats do.

WHERE TO GO?

Although ideally suited to lakes and calm waters, close inshore, where the Magnum 18's spectacular performance may be realised, it is nevertheless classified as an unsinkable, Category C boat! This means that it has the buoyancy to accommodate 3 adults sailing up to 10 miles from a harbour in winds of up to force 6. This is no ordinary dinghy!

This video clip is in moderate conditions but it is the best illustration we currently have of the boat's capabilities.

As with the all the Magnum range, the controls come easily to hand. And the low weight makes manhandling ashore very easy when you are tired and alone after a long day enjoying yourself.

No day boat should be without its engine. 3.5HP is plenty for this lightweight, slippery boat. Of course much beach sailing will be undertaken without one so the engine mounting is an option but one that we recommend you choose to have.

If you have a small family, you will have a blast in the Magnum 18. It is so light, so nimble and so responsive. Kids just love sprawling on the trampolines or hanging from a trapeze.

You will be close hauled most of the time because of the apparent wind that moves forward so quickly.

You'll never want to sail directly downwind again!

"Yesterday I took the Magnum 18 for its first sail... We had a lot of FUN... It also sails to windward very well; we were able to make good progress when sailing up wind and were able to point noticeably higher than some of the yachts that were sailing on the same tacks as us..." Read full report by Steve Davis.