BoatsWindrider 17

Windrider 17

Trimaran With Fixed Unballasted Keel · Frac. Sloop (Rotating Spar) · First built 2002

A 5.28-metre trimaran with a rotating fractional rig and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively performance

Designed by Jim Brown & Windrider.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Trimaran With Fixed Unballasted Keel

See her sail

The Windrider 17, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Lady K Sailing

What the fleet has seen

The Windrider 17, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Windrider 17 is a 5.3-meter trimaran with a fixed unballasted keel, designed by Jim Brown and built by Windrider and Nickels Boat Works Inc. since 2002. It features a fractional sloop rig with a rotating spar, a 3.4-meter beam, and a 0.5-meter draft, displacing 145 kg. The Windrider 17 is a trailer sailor, a category of boats that allows owners to avoid marina slips and store vessels on land. Trailer sailors like the Windrider 17 require owners to step the mast and rig the boat before each outing.12:43

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Frac. Sloop (Rotating Spar)
Ratios
SA / displacement
32.9
Hull
Hull type
Trimaran with fixed unballasted keel
Construction
Polyethylene
Production
Years built
First built 2002
Designer
Jim Brown, Windrider
Builder
Windrider, Nickels Boat Works Inc

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Hobie 165.05 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterThe most popular sailing catamaran ever built, featuring a rotating spar and boardless hull for high-speed beach sailing
Hobie FX One5.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 5.18-metre single-handed catamaran featuring a rotating fractional rig and an exceptional 56.56 sail area-to-displacement ratio
Supercat 154.65 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA high-performance beach catamaran with a rotating spar and an exceptional sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Hobie Getaway5.05 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 17-foot rotomolded catamaran featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a trapeze for spirited daysailing
Hobie Tiger 185.51 mSame hull family0.2 m longerDesigned to the Formula 18 rule, this 5.5-metre catamaran features twin daggerboards and a high power-to-weight ratio
Hobie 21 SE6.48 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA high-performance catamaran with a rotating spar, originally developed as a one-design for professional racing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Windrider 17, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue