Variation on a Theme

Since innovative multihulls are in the spotlight this summer, we thought we’d introduce you to another variation on the theme. While traveling in Russia a few months ago, reader Larry Radcliffe of El Cerrito came across this odd-looking trimaran as it was sailing into the docks at Petrozavodsk (on a northern lake, east of Finland).

Larry was pretty sure the boxy craft wasn’t a hydrofoiler, but it seemed to be purpose-built for a specific function. What function? Sadly, he never found out due his inability to speak the local tongue. 

What’s your analysis? Is she merely a pleasure craft? A shallow-water fishing boat? A stealth spy vessel? A prototype for the next America’s Cup? Or something else. Write us here with your thoughts. The best answer — whether factual or whimsical — will win an official Latitude 38 cap.