Sailor Doug Green shares these classic “Supernova Trimaran” brochure images, inserts and pictures (from the 1980s) with us in this post. He also asked a knowledgable friend about this model, who shared some more info. These images (and info) are a great follow up to the first blog post regarding the Supernova trimaran.
The designer of the Supernova trimaran was Ib Pors Nielsen. Among the Supernova trimaran’s advertised features/benfits are:
* Narrow, wave-piercing hulls
* Sails like a “stabilized racing dinghy” that is good for both beginners and experienced sailors
* Can be turned upright even if it did happen to capsize for some reason
* Is easily transportable … to the point of even being “cartoppable”
* Is more comfortable to sail than a beach cat because of its small cockpit, which allows for sailors to be in a seated position
* Highly responsive sailing on a boat that is just 15 feet long
Doug shared the following when he sent the images …
Supernova Trimaran Brochure
“This was mid ’80s in Singapore. The school where my Dad worked was lent the boat by the local agent in the hope that we’d buy a fleet, but the school already had Toppers and didn’t feel the need for another type. Not sure what happened to the machine. Looking at the back of the brochure implies that the intention was to manufacture them in Indonesia. Don’t know if it actually came to pass.”
My dad couldn’t add much to what I wrote (above), as he wasn’t directly involved with the sailing program, since he was i/c of the overall Outdoor Pursuits Dept. or Phys Ed, as I believe it’s called in the States. One sailing friend from over there also replied, however, and here’s the relevant parts of what he said (my explanations are in [brackets] …
“Just back from Straits Regatta actually held at Nongsa Point Marina, Batam [Indonesian Island close to Singapore]. Batam is where the prototypes of the Supernova were made [Production costs and Labour were much cheaper in Indonesia] … I remember that you really enjoyed sailing it. The guy who built them — I think his name was Por Nielson — actually built a Zodiac-type-Ultra-Light that took off and landed on water (I saw it fly 500 meters). About 20 boats were built in Batam. UWC [Our school – United World College of South East Asia] had 2, and we advised on improvements … especially in the rudder area. The boat had great potential for a certain market, but was no good for a sailing school, but the kids thought it was cool. The last one was bought by one of the expatriates in Singapore”.
(Many thanks to Doug Green for sharing this info with all of us small trimaran fans)! — Small Tri Guy
Click on these other Supernova images below to enlarge each one …
Supernova Trimaran Photos
Update – 05-16-13: A Supernova sailor (and former owner) from Denmark, John Gibler, sent a pdf of the original owner’s manual for this boat. (It’s a gem! Thanks for sharing this with us all John). Click on the image below to access the pdf …
Update – 8/04/16:
Another version of the Supernova manual (in Danish) shared by Rasmus, one of our fellow sailors (click on the image to open or download the pdf)…
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I have recently purchased a Supernova Trimaran here in New Zealand. I have sailed it about 5 times since getting it , to date mainly in flat water whilst I come to grips with it . (never having sailed a trimaran before). It is a fabulous little boat capable of quite a turn of speed. Will take my gps next time. I have added a few refinements eg furler for the jib and some extra fittings. I can rig and launch it by myself and sail it singlehandely. I feel it was certainly a great design way ahead of its time. Not sure how old my boat is but it is in fantastic condition and the sails are great considering its probable age. I am in the throughs of getting a more suitable trailer to speed up the riggings and launching process. I will post some photos sailing here in Auckland soon.
Dear Supernova Owners!
I’ve just bought a supernova too, but the daggerboard(keel) is missing. Can someone please help me with photos, measurements or anything? My email is: toydor @ gmail .com
Thanks a lot:
Peter from Hungary
hy guys looking for a instrution Manuel for a super nova trimaran
frans van den broek
Holland
Hello
I am from Denmark and I got hold of the missing instruction manual for the Supernova.
Please tell me how I can upload it to your website.
Best regards John Gibler
Hi John,
Thanks so much for your willingness to share the manual with all of us. Is there any way that you can send me the pdf directly? Perhaps via email here? Let me know. If not, then we’ll have to think about some website that will accept uploads (someplace that would allow you to do that and then send me a download link). There is nowhere for you to do any direct uploads on smalltrimarans.com
Let me know what you think. I will await your reply. And thanks again for sharing material like this with the small tri community!
Dear Supernopva lovers
I hope you will get benefit from the manual. I know that some people have asked for it.
Here is a little contest: (no prize to win though) Can you explain why the sailnumbering on the Elvstrøm sails for the Supernova are letters and placed vertical ??
Best regards
John Gibler
Can´t remember the sail no. story, but as a big kid i was one of the test pilots on the first 2 prototypes Ib Pors Nielsen build, it was around 79-80.
We broke them to pieces every day and every night Ib fixed the rigs and platforms and spend time on figuring out how to make things strong enough without cost going up – btw, the prototypes had even smaller sidehulls.
12 years ago i accidently got a Supernova – lenghtned the mast, added another panel in the main and added trapezez.
in less than 10 knots it was fine, and in light stuff, it could follow a 505 on the beat (dead meat on the run – not enough canvas)
More than 10 knots – still break to pieces!
Sold it again!
To be honest – fine idea, but the way its build, it was so fragile compared to anything else that floats on more than one hul.
Thank you Tom for your story from the early days of Supernova.
Here is the solution to the sailnumbering: By only using symmetrical letters: A H I M O T U V WW and placing them vertical, then the sailnumber is identical seen from both sides of the sail.
Happy summer to you all from John Gibler !
Hi supernova sailors
I bought a supernova last year ( greate boat ) and have been sailing In South Denmark in 20 to 25 knots Wind – and making 19 kn ón The gps. But the stringers broke so they are now made stronger. I have changed The Angel on The side hulls so that The front point a little up, i think that it had to be sailed on The main hull. I Think like Tom that it nede more power in The main sail, does some one have experience with a bigger main.? And a genaker??
Hi Supernova sailors,
I have a centre hull (extra) here in Holland.
When some one has interest then contact me for more details.
Regards, Jeroen
Hi All – I’m sure this has been a subject before, but with our tris being few and far between the chance of a class race is vanishingly small – although if anyone wants to come down to the severn in the UK and have a go let me know ! BUT this means that to race we need a handicap – has anyone got a PY number for their supernova ? Somewhere in the documentation it mentions laser equivalent – but it would be good to get something more evidence based.
Thanks,
Mark
Hi all,
I am also from Denmark; still learning to sail the SuperNova trimaran, that I acquired last year. I got hold of another, slightly different Supernova PDF manual (in Danish) including measurement drawings for sails. I’d like to upload it here, too.
Hi Rasmus,
Please send that manual to the email address on this page here: http://smalltrimarans.com/blog/contact-small-tri-guy/
I will be happy to upload it and then link to it on this page.
Thank you for your willingness to share it with us!
not sure if this blog is still active, but for what it’s worth (it is actually a nice story…):
I refer to Mr Doug Green’s account of the 2 supernova’s that were with the college of his dad.
Sometime in 1998, at a garage sale near portsdown road area in Singapore, my attention was drawn to some pieces of eqpt covered by tropical green of the jungle. It was a dismantled supernova, under a cover of green moss and other greenery. I purchased/got it for 50 SGD and brought it to our garden with a pick-up truck. The person who sold it mentioned it has been used by the college and got damaged when landing on the beach too violently, years ago, and then got forgotten. It missed the lock keys to attach the hulls to the frame, and the boom was damaged. The bottom pin of the mast was a bit distorted as well. That all got fixed through a friend that was experienced in aluminium parts welding. He also arranged for new handmade SS lock devices.
When we left Singapore, we loaded the supernova in our furniture container back to Netherlands (my wife is still angry as some kids toys had to make place for this “garbage” that had not even gone to water yet). Back in Europe, we have used it with the kids, and few years later one sidehull got broken when we took the boat into some bad wind and gusts. I agree, the angle of those side-hulls is too low, which tends to have them take a dive. They are not designed to brake the full boat momentum and thus easily break. So we recovered half of the sidehull from the water during calmer wheather, but have no idea how to repair it, as it is really thin FRP layering. Anyway, this is the story of at least one of the supernova’s that got built in Indonesia in the 80’s and ended up in netherlands.
In case someone still has a spare sidehull to let go, let me know… I miss the port side hull
Hi. I see someone did ask in 2014 but I can’t see a reply or find the information anywhere else. Does anyone know the PY number for the Supernova trimaran please.
Hi there Adam, i never found out the PY ! Sadly my supernova took off on a storm one night back in 2018 and was damaged beyond repair – i miss it. If anyone wants to hand one on, there a berth in South West England free !
Hi Mark.
Thanks for the reply. If anyone else knows of the PY number I’d still like to hear.
I know about storms. My Laser Vortex got blown over onto the next boat in the park. Unfortunately it was my Supernova trimaran, I can’t believe neither of them were damaged.