Merlot - CORSAIR MARINE FOR SALE

“Merlot” is on the market now—turnkey and set to sail. Meticulous care shows in every detail. Extensive upgrades and bespoke touches make her truly unique.

Dubbed the Swiss Army Knife of trimarans, this luxury performance multihull sailing yacht is primed for cruising, club racing, or bluewater passagemaking. A potent rig on a light, stable platform delivers exhilarating speed with poise, all in an effortless, sailor‑friendly racer‑cruiser package.

Overview

“Merlot” is available now, truly turn-key and ready to go, with pride of ownership evident in every detail and a suite of notable upgrades and custom features that make her genuinely one of a kind. Celebrated as the “Swiss Army Knife” of trimarans, she is equally at home cruising, racing, or passagemaking, her powerful sail plan and lightweight, stable platform delivering jaw‑dropping performance in an easy‑to‑sail package that has been documented sailing up to 19.8 knots, with ample buoyancy in the floats for unwavering confidence. The Cruze 970 blends the robust construction and performance DNA of the venerable Corsair 31 with the blue‑water comfort of the Corsair 37: plumb bows lend a modern aesthetic and longer waterline; enlarged floats provide more righting moment for enhanced performance and safety; a new deck mold lifts interior headroom in the main salon to 6' 3"; and a cockpit modeled after the C37 is more comfortable and social. The high‑gloss white finish in the main salon brightens the interior and imparts a clean, contemporary feel. “Merlot” was shown at the 2014 Annapolis Boat Show and nominated by Sailing World as Boat of the Year, and she was also nominated in 2015 as European Yacht of the Year.

The Corsair 970’s center‑cockpit layout thoughtfully separates accommodations for privacy and practicality. Forward, a V‑berth leads aft to a fully enclosed head compartment; the main salon follows with port and starboard settees and outboard storage, and a swing table that serves the salon or can be moved into the cockpit. Aft of the salon, the galley sits to starboard opposite a navigation/chart table to port, with three easy steps up to the cockpit. Aft‑cabin access is through a deck hatch between the two helm seats. “Merlot” has been optimized for comfortable cruising with the Tides Marine Strong Track that significantly reduces effort when hoisting or reefing the mainsail; the Mack Pack® lazy‑cradle system that makes stowing the main quick and tidy; a custom aluminum arch carrying two high‑capacity 150W solar panels that keep the batteries topped up so the fridge can run 24x7 while you still sail on the tiller pilot; integrated dinghy davits on the arch; a high‑quality 12" touch‑screen chartplotter; a full dodger/bimini cockpit enclosure; and more.

Designer/Builder pedigree underscores quality and heritage: Designer is Corsair Marine (based on the C31 originally drawn by Ian Farrier); Builder is Corsair Marine, Int’l; Build Location is Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Dimensions are purposeful and performance‑forward: LOA 31’ 10” (9.7m); LWL 31’ 10” (9.7m); Beam 22’ 7” (6.88m), folding to 8’ 4” (2.55m) for trailering or tight berths; Draft hull only 1’ 5” (0.45m); Draft D/B down 6’ 10” (2.1m); Mast length 40’ 6” (12m) with mast height above waterline 44’ 11” (13.7m); unladen weight 3,999 lbs (1,814kgs); hull construction FRP with PVC core. Tankage is balanced for cruising: water capacity 39 USGal. (150 litres) and holding tank capacity 13 USGal. (49 litres).

Power is modern and effortless with a 2023 Yamaha 9.9HP 4‑stroke outboard on remote controls, electric start and power tilt, and a 6‑gallon gas tank. The rig and deck package are exceptionally specified, with sails by North Sails: a fully battened Norlam Dacron mainsail; a roller‑furling Norlam Dacron jib; a Norlam Dacron screecher; and a Smyth Sail spinnaker. Handling is refined by a Tides Marine Strong Track on the mast for easy mainsail work; a Harken Mk‑IV Unit 0 roller furler for the jib; the Mack Pack® mainsail cover/lazy‑cradle; mainsail area 418 sqft (38.8m2), jib 218 sqft (20.2m2), and screecher 449 sqft (41.6m2). Spars include a 41' aluminum mast and aluminum boom, with mast and boom together weighing 265 lbs (120kg). Performance appendages and standing rigging include a carbon fiber bowsprit; synthetic cap shrouds and bobstay by Colligo Marine; a stainless steel forestay; and a high‑aspect carbon fiber daggerboard with flip‑up rudder. Comfort and control in the cockpit are elevated by stainless steel double pushpit seats that are very, very comfortable; a Harken headsail furler Unit 0; a Screecher Control Kit including the Harken 1900 screecher furler unit, sheets, web straps, snap shackles, and blocks; two Harken 46 self‑tailing winches upgraded in size from standard; two Harken 46 coaming winches, also upsized; a Harken 8:1 mainsheet system; and a Harken windward‑sheeting car. A custom aluminum transom‑mounted arch provides solar power support and dinghy davits, complemented by a transom‑mounted ladder, a custom dodger/bimini with connector, and premium Lewmar openings and hardware including a Lewmar 44 foredeck hatch, a Lewmar 10 cabin‑top hatch, a Lewmar 70 aft‑cabin hatch, Lewmar 30 float hatches, a Lewmar opening portlight aft, and Lewmar fitted screens.

Electronics and navigation are turnkey: a Raymarine e127 chartplotter with a 12.1" color touchscreen on a custom hinge, a Raymarine tiller autopilot, an SH Matrix 2150 VHF radio with a RAM 3 remote mic and VHF masthead antenna, and entertainment via a Fusion IP‑700 marine stereo feeding two interior speakers and two cockpit speakers in pods mounted on the rack with an amp. The electrical system is robust and cruising‑ready: two Mastervolt Battery AGM 130 AMP units; two Kyocera 150W solar panels; a Blue Sky 1524ix solar controller with MPPT; a Blue Sky IPN Pro remote display with shunt; an electrical system master switch; a breaker panel with volt meter; LED cabin lights and LED navigation lights; a combination steaming/deck light and a masthead anchor light; six 12V adapters and USB outlets thoughtfully placed throughout the boat; interior fans throughout; a 120V 30A shore‑power connection at the stern (2019) and 120V cabin outlets; plus a removable air conditioner.

Accommodations are generous and cleverly arranged: a large double berth forward, a large double berth aft, and a large single berth to port in the main salon, with 6' 3" standing headroom in the main salon. The dedicated, fully enclosed toilet space includes a Jabsco toilet, holding tank, sink, vanity, and pressurized cold water; the sink faucet doubles as a shower head, draining over a teak shower floor. The holding tank offers both overboard discharge and deck pump‑out capability. Finishes include red cushions, a white interior liner in the main cabin area, beige Frontrunner® carpet in the V‑berth and aft cabin, synthetic wood flooring, a dining table with dual brackets serving both the main cabin and the cockpit, three multispeed fans in the main cabin, 12" fans for the two main‑cabin hatches, and LED lighting in the main, forward, and aft cabins.

The galley is compact yet capable, with a two‑burner propane stove fed by a 6 lb (2.7kg) LPG bottle, an ARB 63‑quart fridge/freezer (AC‑DC with power socket, $1,037 retail value), a stainless steel sink, a pressure‑operated water system, and plenty of storage space. Additional conveniences include a transom shower with cold water, a transom‑mounted boarding ladder, a tiller extension, a masthead Windex, dock lines, fenders, and two anchors—Rocna and Fortress—plus Sunrise bow and wing nets with hiking straps in grey and a crisp red bottom paint.

For effortless mobility and storage, a Magic Tilt aluminum dual‑axle trailer with approximately 5,000 miles carries the boat confidently, enhanced by custom aluminum wheels, four‑wheel electric disc brakes, and radial ST 215/75R14 tires.