Corsair Pulse 600: Review
Red hot $60K trailer tri triples the fun for time-poor thrillseekers>> Easy to sail off the beach
>> Can be sailed one, or two people
>> Needs a small stowage pocket for keys and mobile
>> Headsail trim does need a bit of muscle in strong wind
OVERVIEW
- Just the ticket for today's time-poor thrillseeker
A craft that might hold the answer to winning over a new generation of young yachties is the Pulse 600. It's a brand new 20-foot trimaran which offers both an affordable price-tag and minimal maintenance. Best of all, it's easy to trail and has loads of speed and excitement to deliver a high 'fun dividend.'
A clever folding system for the side floats allows the Pulse beam width to reduce from 4.5m to just 2.4m in a matter of minutes. This not only makes the craft totally road-legal for towing, but also great for berthing in a marina berth or marina hardstand.
Hailing from the well-known Corsair trimaran range, the Pulse 600 is aimed squarely at the first-time buyer, especially those with a background in sailing Hobie cats, Lasers and the like. The beauty of the trimaran format is there's a proper cockpit in the middle (main) hull and single tiller steering is similar to conventional yachts so regular yacht sailors will feel at home.
That said, Pulse is a high-powered machine that will keep you on your toes in fresh to strong winds. And with the America's Cup now featuring super fast multihulls what better way to attract newcomers to the sport than a craft that has sizzling speed?
With a towing weight of under 750kg, the Pulse 600 is super easy to tow behind a car or light SUVs and easy to launch onto a beach if you wish.
The Pulse 600 combines most of the latest design ideas of multihulls, such as narrow but full volume hulls and raked-back bows. And what about that tall, sophisticated rig with 'Darth-Vader' style black sails!
A test sail on Sydney Harbour revealed the full speed potential of the Pulse. It was a pretty typical summer Saturday afternoon with a large number of yachts out racing and a breeze about 8 to 20 knots.
Our first direction was downwind, so we set the flat asymmetrical spinnaker by simply hoisting it on a halyard and unrolling it from a Ronstan 'Top Down' Furler. At first we slipped along at 6 knots but once we got the full force of the breeze our trimaran took off like a rocket.
We were doing 16 knots in split seconds and it was a bit of shock at first till I adjusted to this super-fast-paced form of sailing.
In the peak gusts we were doing something like 20 knots as we blasted down harbor in a series of fast zigzags. I could only guess the speed from the way we were rapidly leaving the RIB camera boat in our wake.
Decisions have to be made quickly at these speeds and, as the Opera House loomed up ahead, we had to get rid of the spinnaker pronto. However, Brent and the boys didn't waste a second rolling up the 'beast' and dropping it into the cuddy very smartly.
Turning upwind we were still going faster than a conventional keel yacht and at my guess doing 10-12 knots. On the helm I was surprised how high she could point into the wind. Multihulls aren't known for sailing high into the wind, but that's obviously changed with this new generation of super light, efficient multihull.
The speed upwind and the sensation of 'flying' the windward float is an adrenalin-pumping experience, as is the satisfaction of passing every other sailboat in sight. No wonder I stepped off the three-pronged speedster with a grin on my face.
OK, I was bit wet at this stage from the Pulse slicing through the crazy ferry-churned Sydney Harbour, but it didn't seem to matter. Wearing the proper sports-sailing attire of spray jacket and drip-dry board-shorts you'll be comfortable all day.
PRICED TO GO
- About $65K on road with outboard
Our test boat was supplied by Sydney's Multihull Central, who sell the full Corsair as well as Seawind catamaran range. The Pulse 600 price ex-Sydney is $61,867 as tested with spinnaker package. Add another $1500 for a 3hp Yamaha outboard and $2900 for a custom road-trailer and you're sweet!
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
- Quick rig set and room for four
Pulse doesn't have the cabin accommodation of its bigger Corsair sisters however it more than makes up with loads of seating off the central cockpit. There's room here for four adults to sit or even lounge about on the 'trampoline' side decks.
The cockpit self-drains out of an open transom and there's a large dry-store locker in the floor space. A detachable cuddy 'hood' fits over the front cockpit and provides some stowage space or shelter for young children. A single adult could sleep in here, too.
The 9.5m alloy mast can be raised or lowered with a simple rope tackle so you can be sailing quickly after launching. A retractable fibreglass centreboard and cassette rudder also make for easy launching in shallow water.
Made from fibreglass with alloy spars, the Pulse 600 is designed to be easy-care. At the same time there's a lot of hi-tech construction like a carbon fibre ring frame under the mast.
Carbon fibre reinforcing is used extensively in the main structural areas such as the float beams and ring frame. Everything is vacuum-bagged for lightness and strength.
The mainsail and jib are controlled by Ronstan multi-purchase blocks so there is no need for deck winches. This works well in practice, however, I felt the jib needed a bit of strength in stronger wind.
The furling jib and the full-battened mainsail are from North Sails and made from black Kevlar material. The mainsail also features a roller system so you could keep the Pulse in a ready-to-sail mode... especially helpful when you're away holidaying up at your favorite lake.
The Pulse are built in Vietnam under Australian management and shipped to Australia plus other markets worldwide. The build quality is pretty good and meets international recognized CE standards.
There is a wide choice of colors and custom hull decals so you can individualise the look to your tastes. There are also padded travel bags for the rudder and the centreboard so they stay in tip-top condition.
VERDICT
- A great entry-level sailcraft
The Pulse 600 will be a great entry-level sailcraft for young or young-at-heart sailors who want to race, or simply enjoy going for a blast. I'm not quite sure if Pulse is really suited to novice sailors but at the same time she's a well-mannered craft and she can be sailed by two, or even one person if you wished.
The Pulse is stable enough to take kids out in most conditions but you must keep in mind if you really load her up and push her, she becomes a weapon so you better hold on tight!
That's what the Pulse 600 is all about — delivering a really exciting, not tame, performance. I reckon that's the right combination to get a new generation back into sailing.
CORSAIR PULSE 600: Specifications
Length Overall: 6.0m
Unfolded Width : 4.5m
Folded Width: 2.4m
Mast Length: 9.5m
Dry Sailing Weight: 450kg
Construction: Fibreglass/Carbon composite
Auxiliary Power: 3hp outboard
Supplied by:
Multihull Central
Sydney/Pittwater/Gold Coast/Brisbane/Airlie Beach/ Melbourne/ Perth
Ph: 1300 852 620
See Multihull Central website.
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